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| Lack of infrastructure in Govt schools blamed for high drop-out rate | | | Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, June 22: Even as the union government is pushing hard for construction of toilets, especially for girls, in schools across the country, teachers from various government schools in Jammu and Kashmir listed lack of toilets and hygiene as one of the primary reasons for the high dropout rate in government -run schools.
A senior school teacher who is also the member of the Jammu and Kashmir teachers forum told Early Times that negative effect on health due to poor sanitation and lack of toilets in the schools emerged as one of the major reasons for dropouts. "Many children of government schools have left due to lack of toilets, cleanliness in their institutions," he said.
Another female teacher sharing her experience said: "Forget cleanliness in our school, we do not even have proper toilets. It is very difficult for the girls to manage without a toilet but we can't do anything as we do not know whom to complain."
The teachers alleged that due to lack of toilet facilities, most of the girls skip attending to nature's call, while the boys use the open grounds. "The issue has been boiling for a long time but the problem is never being looked into despite being brought to light several times," they said.
The teaches though admitted that the government has constructed the toilet buildings in many schools but said that construction of toilet buildings alone is not enough. "It should be beneficial to the students, especially to girl students, who have several restrictions. In several places, girls find it difficult to use toilets due to lack of sanitation facilities and tend to develop infections," said a headmaster of one of the Middle school.
He said that every year, the government revises its funds in its allotment for school education as it claims better infrastructure in every government school. However, on the ground it has failed.
They said that due to lack of plan for utilization of funds government schools fail to provide basic amenities to students with the reason even the poor students try to somehow get the admission in private institutions.
Surprisingly according to the official sources the government has made strict rules for private schools under SRO 123 regarding drinking water facility and toilet facility, but when it comes to the government schools there are no such rules. "As per the SRO123, each private school should have separate toilet facility for boys, girls and the staff. But when it comes to government schools it does not apply here," one of the officials of the education department said.
Official sources said that the Jammu and Kashmir government under Swachh Vidyalaya programme was to make all the educational institutions equipped with the toilets; however the government has completed only 4000 toilets for boys and girls in the schools.
As per the central scheme all new schools sanctioned under SSA are composite schools with facilities for girls and boys toilets. In existing rural schools, facilities for toilets & drinking water are provided in convergence with the schemes of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
The provision of toilets is one of the important provisions prescribed in the Schedule to RTE Act to be provided in all schools. Under the central annual maintenance grant @` 5000 per school for schools with three classrooms and Rs. 10000 with schools more than three classrooms, for the maintenance and repair of exiting school infrastructure including toilets, is provided annually. In additional to this school grant is also provided @ 5000 per primary school per year and @7000 per upper primary school per year. Several States are utilizing these funds for maintenance and cleaning of toilets.
But according to the sources the Jammu and Kashmir government has failed to utilize these funds for maintenance and cleaning of toilets.
The Prime Minister has made a commitment to the Nation that every school will have toilet with a separate girls' toilet, so that girls are not compelled to leave the schools mid way.. |
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