Many CBSE schools ‘fail’ sanitation test

bout 70 per cent of the CBSE schools in the State listed under the national sanitation rating of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development fall in the ‘Red’ category, exposing the inadequate toilet and washing facilities on the campuses.

Red rating means that the sanitation condition in a school is grim and requires immediate attention. The adherence rate is below 33 per cent in these institutions.

The rating is part of the MHRD’s National School Sanitation Initiative (NSSI) that emphasises the provision of safe water and appropriate sanitation facilities as the first step in the creation of a healthy learning environment.

Only 151 CBSE schools in the State figure among the 3,200-odd educational institutions listed nationwide under the rating (104 schools fall in the Red category). Kerala has about 1,360 schools recognised by the board as per the Kerala CBSE School Management Association.

“The fact that only 151 schools had applied for sanitation rating is not encouraging. We have to scale it up. All the schools must step up the sanitation facilities as per the board’s guidelines,” said T.P.M. Ibrahim Khan, president of the Kerala CBSE Managements Association.

Yet to apply

Many schools are yet to apply for the rating even after the board made it clear last year that proper sanitation facilities have to be ready by 2017 as part of the School Quality Assessment and Accreditation (SQAA) scheme. The sanitation rating is given after an elaborate online-based survey of the facilities, followed by inspection by officials.

Health experts have sounded the warning bell against the lack of decent toilets or washing facilities. “Children, especially girls, will not drink water while in school fearing that they may have to use the poor toilet and urinal facilities. This could lead to urinary infection. Inadequate intake of water will also result in dehydration,” said S. Sachidananda Kamath, national president of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics.

The numbers

The National School Sanitation Manual recommends one toilet for every 80 students, taking into consideration queuing time, peak hours (lunch/break time) and strength of the school. For day schools, it recommends one toilet for 40 girls and one urinal for 20 girls.

Red rating means that the sanitation condition in a

school is grim and requires immediate attention