Shimla School audit exposes glaring gaps: 81 p c lack clean drinking water, 43.p c without safety fencing
Shimla, Aug 19:
A comprehensive social audit of schools in Shimla district has brought to the fore serious deficiencies in basic infrastructure, drinking water, sanitation, student safety, accessibility, child protection and academic monitoring, raising questions over the ground-level implementation of standards guaranteed under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.
The audit covered 444 schools functioning under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), nearly 20 per cent of the total 2,068 schools in Shimla district. The findings were presented at a public hearing in Theog on Tuesday, attended by more than 2,100 stakeholders, including parents, teachers, School Management Committee members, elected representatives, education officials and local residents.
Himachal Pradesh Education Minister Rohit Thakur participated in the hearing and responded to grievances raised by the public. Several issues relating to school infrastructure and functioning were taken up with officials on the spot.
Acknowledging the shortcomings highlighted by the social audit, Thakur said Himachal Pradesh had made considerable progress in education but there were still several areas requiring improvement.
“Our state has many achievements in education and ranks fifth in overall performance in the country, but we have many shortcomings as well, which have been pointed out in this social audit report. We will overcome all these deficiencies and gaps in the coming times,” he said.
The social audit was conducted by a team from Himachal Pradesh University under the leadership of Dr Arpana Negi and Dr Randhir Ranta. The team undertook a detailed assessment of 444 schools, examining infrastructure, basic amenities, student safety, sanitation, accessibility, child protection mechanisms, academic facilities and administrative monitoring.
The remaining schools in Shimla district will be covered in four subsequent phases.
Presenting the findings, Dr Randhir Ranta said the report reflected several systemic challenges affecting the quality of education being provided to children.
“This comprehensive report points to numerous challenges and gaps in the school education system. The performance of Shimla schools falls short of the quality standards guaranteed under the Right to Education Act,” he said.
One of the most serious concerns emerging from the audit was the shortage of basic infrastructure. Nearly 47 per cent of the surveyed schools were found to have inadequate classroom space, including insufficient rooms for teaching and non-teaching staff.
The shortage of furniture was even more widespread, with around 78 per cent of schools having inadequate or only partial furniture. In several institutions, students were reportedly being made to study without proper seating arrangements, directly affecting the learning environment.
The audit also highlighted major concerns relating to student safety. More than 43 per cent of surveyed schools did not have boundary walls or adequate safety fencing. The absence of such protective infrastructure could expose children to safety risks, particularly in schools located close to roads, steep slopes and other potentially hazardous areas.
Road connectivity emerged as another major challenge. Nearly 79 per cent of the schools surveyed were located in areas without motorable road access. The absence of proper connectivity means that students, teachers and other staff often have to walk considerable distances to reach schools. The problem becomes particularly difficult for children with disabilities and raises questions about the effective implementation of inclusive education.
The audit found an alarming shortage of clean drinking water facilities. Clean drinking water was unavailable in 81 per cent of the schools surveyed, making it one of the most widespread deficiencies identified in the exercise.
The shortage has implications for the health and hygiene of schoolchildren, particularly in remote and rural areas where alternative sources of safe drinking water may not always be available.
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Sanitation facilities were also found to be inadequate in a sizeable number of institutions. Around 23 per cent of schools did not have functional toilets for girls, while approximately 30 per cent lacked functional toilets for boys. Five per cent of the schools surveyed did not have separate kitchens for the Mid-Day Meal programme.
The audit also drew attention to menstrual hygiene management in schools. More than 13 per cent of schools were found not to be providing sanitary pads to adolescent girls.
Himanshu, a member of the audit team, said menstrual hygiene facilities were essential not only from the perspective of health and dignity but also for ensuring regular attendance and continued participation of adolescent girls in education.
Child protection mechanisms were another area of concern. School Safety Committees had not been constituted in nearly 58 per cent of the schools surveyed, despite the importance of such mechanisms in ensuring a safe environment for children.
Complaint and suggestion boxes were also absent in around three-fourths of the schools. Their absence limits formal mechanisms through which students, parents and teachers can raise grievances or report problems concerning school functioning and student welfare.
The audit found an even wider gap in counselling services. None of the surveyed schools had access to professional counselling services. The report also pointed to inadequate facilities for children with special needs, highlighting shortcomings in the implementation of inclusive education.
Academic and administrative monitoring was also found to be below prescribed standards. More than 26 per cent of the schools failed to meet prescribed library norms and standards.
Devender Sharma, co-head of the social audit team, said inspection by Block Elementary Education Officers and other lower-level education officials was also inadequate.
“The lower educational bureaucracy, including BEOs, has been observed falling short in their inspection visits by 47 per cent, creating a non-serious academic climate in the schools,” Sharma said.
The findings assume importance as regular inspection and monitoring are intended to ensure that schools maintain prescribed academic and infrastructure standards and that deficiencies are identified and addressed in time.
The public hearing gave parents, teachers and community representatives an opportunity to raise concerns directly before the Education Minister and officials. Participants sought better infrastructure, reliable drinking water, functional toilets, improved road connectivity, adequate furniture, stronger safety mechanisms and better monitoring of schools.
They also demanded greater accountability from officials responsible for ensuring compliance with prescribed education standards.
The social audit team said the findings should not merely remain a record of deficiencies but should be followed by time-bound corrective measures. Education experts also stressed that shortcomings in basic facilities could directly affect attendance, learning outcomes, student safety and the overall quality of education.
The Theog hearing was the 12th and final public hearing held as part of a social audit exercise conducted across all districts of Himachal Pradesh over the past three months.
The assessment of 444 schools in Shimla district represents the first phase of the district-level exercise. The remaining schools are proposed to be covered in four subsequent phases.
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The findings have consequently brought into sharp focus the gap between policy commitments and actual conditions in schools, particularly in remote and rural areas. The deficiencies in drinking water, sanitation, safety fencing, road connectivity, child protection, counselling and academic monitoring underline the need for coordinated intervention by the Education Department and other concerned agencies.
The report is expected to be submitted to the state Education Department for further action. The outcome of the exercise will now depend on how quickly the deficiencies identified through the social audit are addressed and whether a mechanism is put in place to monitor compliance at the school level.
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