Bhubaneswar, Nov. 2: The state government today decided to expedite implementation of the Supreme Court’s order of extending toilet facilities to schools by December 31.

On October 18, the apex court had directed all states and Union territories to provide toilet facilities in all government schools by the end of the year.

In case permanent facilities could not be installed, temporary facilities must be put in place, the apex court had said. The move is believed to be aimed at checking the dropout rates in schools, especially among girl students.

In a meeting attended by officials of school and mass education department, the women and child development department and Orissa State Water and Sanitation Mission, it was decided that temporary toilets would be constructed in all schools by November 30.

These would eventually be made into permanent ones by December 31.

For now, makeshift toilets would be erected using locally available materials, said a senior official of the school and mass education department.

According to the district information system for education data, there are a total of 52,150 government primary schools.

Of these, 6,000 have no toilets and 22,000 schools have no separate toilet facilities for girls.

At least 25.4 per cent of the state’s children, in the 15-16 age group, are out of school and of this figure, a significant percentage is girls, says the annual status of education report, 2010.

The report said toilets were unusable in 50.9 per cent schools.

“We have been visiting schools in rural areas and it has been observed that one of the major reasons of the high dropout rate of girls is the absence of toilets. Parents hesitate to send their wards to schools after puberty because there is no privacy,” said eminent social activist Joe Madiath.

The scenario is similar in government high schools because most available toilets are unusuable.

Shikha Nayak, a senior official at the Orissa State Water and Sanitation Mission, who looks after the school sanitation and hygiene education programme, said proper follow-up action by the school and mass education department was essential to ensure that the toilets remained in working condition.