CAG report exposes poor infrastructure of schools in Karnataka

The absence of toilet facilities and lack of maintenance can have a significant impact on students’ health.
| Photo Credit: file photo

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India’s report on the “Functioning of Primary Educational Institutions in Karnataka for 2017-22” has revealed that the civil work of most of the schools and classrooms constructed by the Public Works Department (PWD), Panchayat Raj Engineering Department (PRED), and others in the State is poor, and toilets are ill-maintained.

The Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) executes civil work through agencies like PWD, PRED, etc. and was expected to institute a mechanism to ensure good quality. However, no procedures were in place. Leaking classrooms, mouldy walls, ceilings with plaster falling off, etc., impact the learning outcomes of children, the report said.

Toilets

An inspection of 128 schools showed that seven schools did not have a functional toilet, 21 schools had no separate toilets for girls, and 22 schools did not have handwash facilities near the toilet. “Absence of toilet facilities and lack of maintenance can have a significant impact on students’ health and well-being as it creates unhygienic conditions and compromises the dignity and comfort of students,” it said.

No CWSN friendly

While as many as 94% of schools where children with special needs (CWSN) were studying had ramps, only 64% had CWSN-friendly toilets, according to the report. The government accepted the audit observations and stated that measures would be taken to fulfil the infrastructural needs with the available funds in schools.

Sports and physical education

Under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, government schools receive an annual grant for sports equipment expenses. The audit observed that the grants were not fully utilised.

Out of 43,194 government schools, 19,799 schools (46%) did not have playgrounds. As many as 90% of schools run by the DSEL did not have libraries. “The absence of library and non-utilisation of the library grants deprived the students of developing their reading habits and self-learning abilities,” the report said.

Schools habitations

The geospatial analysis by the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Centre showed that 3,55,005 of the 4,87,929 habitations (73%) had primary schools within 1 km. Of the remaining 1,32,924 habitations, 1,29,952 (26%) had primary schools within 3 km, 2,436 within 3 to 5 km, and 536 had a primary school beyond 5 km.

The CAG observed that the increase in distance from habitations to educational institutes can affect students’ academic performance, attendance and enrolment because long commutes lead to physical and mental fatigue.