16% state schools lack toilets for girls: Survey

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20

At least 16 per cent of the 28,200 schools, including19,500 government ones, in the state lack toilet facilities for girls and 10 per cent for boys, reveals the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) released last week. 

The report, compiled by NGO Pratham, added that at least 28 per cent schools (approx 7,900) do not have playground facilities and 17 per cent lack even drinking water facility.

The survey on ‘Beyond basic reading and mathematics: everyday calculations’ (14-16 years) revealed that 50 per cent of the children could not apply their classroom learning to their daily lives. The report also indicated that mathematics remains a serious challenge for students of Class V as 23 per cent students failed to do basic subtraction(s).                                                             

At least 15 per cent Class VIII students, who were ready to pass out, did not have a mentionable reading ability and many of them are unprepared for higher studies. Only 45 per cent students prefer using library books, a decline from the 66 per cent mark in 2010, the survey showed. The silver lining for the state is that girls in all age groups here are outperforming boys — a trend opposite to the national pattern.

Emphasising the government is working on to overcome shortcomings, Krishan Kumar, secretary (school education), said, “We have recently received ample grant for constructing toilets in schools and the exercise will be over by March.”

Gloomy scenario

• 28,200 schools in the state
• 7,900  lack playgrounds
• 4,700  lack drinking water facility
• 4,600   don’t havetoilets for girls