Many schools have no basic facilities

Even after spending thousands of crores under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme during the last decade, students in over 20 per cent of high schools and 13 per cent of elementary schools in the State have been deprived of eight basic amenities.

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has made mandatory provision of eight basic facilities in schools. Eight basic facilities are: boys’ toilets, girls’ toilets, electricity, playground, ramps, library, compound wall and drinking water.

Allocation

The Centre had launched the SSA in 2002 for providing basic infrastructure facilities to schools. A sum of Rs. 2,064 crore had been earmarked to the State under the scheme in 2012-13. There are 45,200 government elementary schools (up to VIII standards) and 4,437 high schools (IX and X standards) in the State.

“Even though attention is being given over the years for providing basic facilities, database on their availability leaves much to be desired,” said an analytical report brought out recently by the Education Department of the State for 2011-12.

No playgrounds

District Information System for Education (DISE) data of 2011-12 revealed that nearly 25 per cent of high schools do not have playgrounds. Eleven per cent and 6.99 per cent of high schools do not have toilets for boys and girls, respectively.

The situation was better in elementary schools with 97.91 per cent of schools having boys’ toilets and 98.81 per cent of schools having girls’ toilets.

Court ruling

The Supreme Court has directed all States and Union Territories to ensure that basic toilet facilities, in particular to girl students, are provided in all schools within six months.

Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri said toilets had been constructed in all government schools in the State. But scarcity of water was the main reason for lack of utilisation of toilets. As per the rule, there should be one toilet for every 50 students.

Many schools in the State do not have water source and are dependent on water supply from municipal bodies. In some schools, teachers keep toilets locked for use of staff members only, Mr. Kageri said.

The data showed that less than 3 per cent of high schools do not have drinking water facility. “Provision of ramps in high schools needs serious attention as the current provision is hardly in 38.18 per cent of high schools in the State,” the department said.

The report said 69.73 per cent of classrooms in elementary schools were in good condition, 18.86 per cent required minor repair and 11.41 per cent needed major repairs.

With regard to high school buildings, the report said: “At least three of five classrooms are in bad condition in Chikmagalur, Hassan and Udupi districts.” Nearly 68 per cent of high school classrooms were in good condition while 23.48 per cent required major repairs and 9.06 per cent of classrooms needed major repairs.