Mumbai: Girls in civic-run schools to be relieved of toilet issues

Girls drop out of school because of the lack of separate toilets or availability of unhygienic toilets, as reported in many surveys. Representation pic

Clean, functional toilets with basic amenities for girls in government and civic-run schools may soon be a reality. The state government's Education Department has roped in civic bodies to ensure clean toilets for girls in these schools.

Other than keeping toilets clean, every girls' toilet in school is expected to be equipped with - lights, buckets and mugs, soaps, mirrors, hooks to hang bags, and dustbins which are termed as basic facilities.

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A letter for clean toilets

Girls dropping out of school because of the lack of separate toilets or availability of unhygienic toilets, is a well-established fact in several reports and surveys about drop-out rates in government schools. The Principal Secretary of the school Education Department, Vandana Krishna, has written a letter regarding toilets for girls, to all civic bodies in the state.

The letter, dated April 5, states, "There are a total of 66,750 such schools (government and civic-run), out of which 65,103 schools have separate girls' toilets. But because they are not kept clean, many remain non-functional. This adds to the troubles for school-going girls. Due to the absence of functional or usable toilets, these girls then drop out of schools. It is important to create a hygienic and healthy environment for children in school and hence these basic facilities need to be provided in girls' toilets in schools."

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The order further states that under a Composite School Grant that is given to each school, 10 per cent is for Swachhata Action Plan and that money can be used for this purpose. The state government also encourages roping in corporates under CSR schemes to open tenders for contractors to maintain clean toilets in schools for girls.

Agency in place

When contacted, Ramesh Pawar, deputy municipal commissioner, said, "We already have a house-keeping agency appointed for this in civic schools. We have not received the letter as yet."

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A senior official from the BMC School education office however said, "Though there is already an agency to look after cleanliness of toilets in schools, it is a general task. But with the new order, specific arrangements have to be made in all girls' toilets, as the government has given a list of items for basic amenities. The specifications might help in bettering the conditions as the order no longer just vaguely talks about providing clean toilets."

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