Toilets raise a stink in govt schools

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service
Muktsar, January 7

Though the state is taking steps to improve infrastructure in government schools, the condition of toilets in a number of institutions is deplorable, making it unusable.

During a recent visit to some schools, stench emanating from the toilets was unbearable. Besides, toilet seats were dirty and unhygienic. The lavatories lacked water supply too, rendering them useless.

On being asked about the poor condition of the toilets, school heads said there were no separate funds for the maintenance of toilets and the posts of sweeper had not been filled for the past few years. “We are unable to maintain cleanliness in toilets. Neither there is a sweeper, nor funds. A sweeper is hired at Rs 2,500 per month from school funds. He cleans the school premises and sometimes toilets too,” said the principal of a Government Senior Secondary School.

Meanwhile, the head teacher of a Government Primary School said, “The students damage the urinal pipes and wash basins. What can we do in such a situation? We can’t even punish them.”

However, when asked, Malkit Singh, District Education Officer (DEO), Muktsar, said, “All government schools in the district have toilets. We get funds for repair works. A school with poor condition of toilets had come to my notice recently and the repair was carried out there. Besides, if the condition is pathetic somewhere, we send the departmental junior engineer (JE) to inspect the site and thereafter send the estimate to the higher-ups.”

He added, “The department had recently sought information regarding unsafe buildings and we have sent a list of five such buildings. At some of these places, temporary arrangement has been made by shifting students to some other building.”

Meanwhile, a teacher union leader said earlier they used to get funds for maintenance of toilets, but they had not got such funds for the past three years. “The senior secondary schools have amalgamated funds, which they can use for this purpose. But in other schools, the teachers have to arrange funds from the school management committees or spend from their own pockets,” he added.