No toilets, health check-ups in Karnataka govt schools: AIDSO says meditation won't solve issue

NEW DELHI: A day after Karnataka Minister of School Education and Literacy B C Nagesh announced a meditation session for school and pre-university college students, AIDSO expressed disappointment over the inaction of the state government to meet the basic requirements in government, aided and private schools.

The All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO) Karnataka state secretary Ajay Kamath said that Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2021-22 report has “unraveled many shocking realities of Karnataka’s school system”.

As per the UDISE report, among 76,450 schools in the state, as many as 1,001 schools, including 943 government, 10 aided and 48 private schools, do not have separate toilets for girl students.

“Among 75,919 girls’ schools, a total of 1,570 have non-functional toilets and there are no toilets at all in 328 schools. Out of 74,925 schools, 2,628 schools don’t have separate toilets for boys and a total of 3,522 schools toilets are non-functional,” the AIDSO statement read.

In addition to the non-functional toilets, there is no electricity in 714 schools and 220 schools don’t have drinking water facilities. 8,153 schools don’t have hand washing facility. Around 22,616 schools don’t have ramps for children with special needs. The report further stated that as many as 12,442 schools did not conduct medical check-ups in the last academic year.

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Teacher shortage

AIDSO demanded the state government to take "active measures to fulfill these pressing necessities and stop imposing its agenda".

The statement comes as a reality check for the state government. “It is highly condemnable that the government is so oblivious to the pathetic condition of the schools which hold the future of the country in their grasp. The situation of government schools is even worse,” it said.

According to the state government’s data, there is a shortage of 35,00 teachers in state government schools and 4,767 are single-teacher schools. There are 10 such single-teacher schools in Chamarajanagar and 30 in Raichur.”

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As 1.6 lakh children have moved from private schools to government schools this year, the state government’s responsibilities to develop and meet the basic requirements in the government schools have increased, AIDSO said.

“Instead of taking any action in this regard, it seems like the government has decided to push forth its agenda by saying that students should meditate for ten minutes to improve concentration, physical and mental health.”

The group said, “In an effective environment with all the necessary facilities and teaching of skilled teachers, students' concentration and mental health will improve, whereas other basic facilities like toilets, drinking water, basic amenities, adequate mid-day meals - will aid in maintaining physical health.”