No students, pregnancy tests for girls: Advocate's report exposes grim reality of Maharashtra Ashram schools

Days after schools reopened, classrooms in several government-run Ashram schools across Maharashtra were empty — no students, no teachers. In a bizarre demand, some schools asked girl students to produce pregnancy test reports before rejoining after holidays.

These findings were submitted by Delhi-based advocate and education rights activist Ashok Agarwal who visited government-run residential schools, Ashrams for tribal children in Thane, Palghar, and Nashik between November 2 and 7.

The week-long visit, meant to assess the compliance with the rules and regulations prescribed under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, exposed an alarming crisis – schools without students, an acute shortage of teachers, poor infrastructure and a lack of basic facilities.

“Except teaching, all other things are happening. This is a violation of their Right to Education (RTE) Act, which guarantees free and compulsory education of satisfactory quality to all the children,” Advocate Ashok Agarwal said.

The interim report was submitted to Leena Bansod, commissioner Tribal Development Adivasi Vikas Bhavan, Nashik. As part of the assessment, Agarwal inspected 16 schools, including Kasturbha Gandhi Residential schools, PM Shri schools, Eklavya schools, Zilha Parishad schools, govt-aided private schools, in these three districts.

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No students, no effort

According to the report, most schools had no students even several days after reopening. At Government Ashram School, Dahagon, Thane district, not a single student attended the school till 11.30 am, while Government Secondary Ashram School, Pimpalgaon was still empty even after five days of reopening.

The situation was “more or less the same” in all tribal schools, he said.

“Though teaching staff were saying that they have been calling parents over phone and visiting villages to bring students back to school but I seriously doubt that teaching staff was making any kind of effort to bring the students back to school,” he observed.

Calling the situation a “serious matter”, he suggested that the matter requires targeted intervention and regular inspections.

'Illogical demand of pregnancy test'

In a “discriminating and demeaning” demand, girl students were reportedly asked to bring pregnancy test reports and medical fitness certificates when joining the school after holidays. He called it a “totally illogical, irrational, having no nexus with education, arbitrary, unfair, undesirable and unwanted”.

“It's causing stress to students and their parents”, further affecting attendance and a major setback in retention of students in schools. He urged the Maharashtra government to immediately issue guidelines prohibiting such practices to “protect students rights and dignity”.

Teacher shortage, overcrowding

The report revealed a shortage of rooms and teachers in many schools. Two classes and two divisions were being combined in one room, causing overcrowding and suffocation, which he observed as "non-conducive to learning”.

Schools with a science stream do not have subject experts to teach physics, biology, chemistry since the beginning of the session.

Class 11 students of Govt Secondary and Higher Secondary Ashram School Vinwal, Tal-Jawhar, Dist Palghar don't have physics, biology teachers since the beginning of academic year. Class 9 students of the same school don't have a mathematics teacher.

Similarly students of Class 11 of Govt Secondary and Higher Secondary Ashram School, Sakhrey, Tal-Vikramgarh, Dist Palghar don't have teachers in any of three science subjects - physics, chemistry and biology. Class 9 students did not have a Hindi teacher.

“Teachers should be immediately posted in the schools as it can negatively impact students' learning”, he said.

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Lack of basic facilities

Beyond academics, the advocate found that many schools lacked basic facilities such as desks, fans, clean toilets, and drinking water. In several schools students sleep on the floors even without a mattress or with torn mats compromising their health, dignity and rights.

“It's concerning that no physically disabled children are enrolled in these schools. Investigate whether they're being denied admission or parents aren't aware of the opportunities. Ensure outreach and support for physically disabled children's admissions,” the report read.

Though there are complaint boxes in the school but the same were found empty. “On enquiry, I came to know that school authorities have not received any complaint over the years. Students should be encouraged to pen down their grievance and put it in the complaint box,” Agarwal said.