Findings from an on-ground study conducted by leading child rights NGO, CRY (Child Rights and You) reveals significant gaps in compliance three years after the Right to Education Act, 2009 (RTE) ensured every child the fundamental right to free, quality education.
The study, titled ‘Learning Blocks’ was conducted across 71 districts in 13 states by CRY’s project partners and CRY volunteers, and tracks the infrastructural gaps in the implementation of the provisions laid out under the RTE Act. The findings reveal that necessary provisions like school infrastructure, all-weather buildings, toilets and drinking water facilities, fencing or boundary walls, pupil-teacher ratio and the one-classroom-one-teacher practice are not complied with 100 per cent.
Puja Marwaha, CEO, CRY said, “One cannot expect children to stay in school without basic infrastructure like safe classrooms, electricity, clean drinking water and functioning toilets. CRY’s experience on-ground points to the fact that the lack of basic infrastructure — especially facilities for drinking water and separate toilets for girls — is one of the key factors that push children out of school.”
The summary of findings show that 11 per cent schools did not have toilets. Only 18 per cent schools have separate toilets for girls. In 34 per cent schools, toilets were observed to be in bad condition or unusable. Overall, most of the schools did not have separate toilets for girls and boys. Around 49 per cent schools had common toilets for staff and students.
The study further points that 20 per cent schools did not have availability of safe drinking water. 12 per cent schools had source of drinking water (tap/hand pump) outside school premises. Head teachers in 58 per cent of the schools did not have separate rooms. The study also shows that 63 per cent schools did not have a playground. Overall 60 per cent sample schools reported absence of play materials.
While it is mandatory for schools to have a separate kitchen in every school preparing the mid-day meals inside school premises, in 18 per cent of the schools, the meal was either not cooked inside a designated kitchen or did not have a kitchen space at all.
CRY has been working with children, their families and communities for the past 34 years.