Guwahati, July 28: An assessment of Right to Education Act by the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has revealed that 40 per cent schools in the state are without safe drinking water facilities and about 50 per cent do not have separate toilets — two factors that contribute to school dropouts.
The survey report, Monitoring of RTE Compliance in Assam-2011-12, which was submitted to the education department recently, stated most schools in the state face the basic problem of no access to safe drinking water, with the districts of Barpeta, Hailakandi, Cachar, Lakhimpur, Jorhat and Nagaon worst-affected.
The problem was found in both lower primary (Classes I to V) and upper primary (Classes VI to VIII) schools, which were covered during the assessment.
“The RTE Act highlights the need for safe and adequate drinking water facility for children in all schools. The implementation of the same, however, has not been adequate. Drinking water, being a basic human need, should be provided without fail on a 100 per cent basis. The presence of arsenic in water, too, has raised questions on serious health-related issues in the children,” the report said.
More than 7,000 schools in all 27 districts were included in the assessment carried out by the commission with support of Axom Sarba Siksha Abhiyan Mission.
The survey covered important parameters of school infrastructure like the type of building, classrooms, safe drinking water facilities, separate toilets for boys and girls, library, parent-teacher meeting, midday meal and boundary walls.
It also found that 40 per cent schools on an average did not have separate toilets for boys and girls. “Lack of proper water and drainage facilities further exacerbates the problem. Schools in Barpeta, Baksa, Dhemaji, Nagaon and Karimganj mostly did not have separate toilets for boys and girls. The problem was mainly seen in lower primary and madarsa schools,” it said.
The report said maintaining toilets in hygienic condition has emerged a major challenge in schools across Assam as studies have shown that parents are reluctant to send their children, especially girls, to school, if there are no toilets.
“According to government rules and funding, the process for constructing separate toilets for boys and girls was to be completed by 2012. However, the same has not been achieved yet. There has been slight improvement from the 45 per cent completion rate reported in the previous survey in 2010-2011. In Barpeta district alone, only 60 per cent schools have separate toilets for girls,” it said.
The survey found many schools were facing serious infrastructure challenges and needed immediate repair or construction. About two-thirds of the schools surveyed had “pucca buildings”, out of which about half could be accessed in all weather conditions.
However, Dhemaji district (flood-prone) had one of the largest numbers of kutcha schools. The scenario in Barpeta was the same. The state of infrastructure in madarsas was found to be comparatively poor with 56 per cent having kutcha buildings and 21 per cent having semi-pucca structures. The kutcha schools were found mostly in Barpeta, Dhubri and Goalpara districts.
The survey found 80 per cent schools without boundary walls and another 15 per cent with partially constructed boundary walls.
Around 80 per cent schools were found providing midday meal facility, though the quality of food and the monotonous recipe was a cause for concern.
Education glitches
What the act says
Right to Education Act enacted in 2009 provides for free and compulsory education to children between 6 and 14 years
Panel recommendations
Urgent need to build pucca buildings for all schools
Construct additional classrooms
Provide safe drinking water, install pumps and provision for desalination
Construct boundary walls to ensure safety and set up playgrounds
Ensure good quality midday meal
Provide electricity since many schools surveyed did not have the service
Construct libraries in school as mentioned in the act
