Dilapidated toilets, leaking roofs, congested and stinking bedrooms, old abandoned buildings where no repair works have been done for years — the state of affairs speaks volumes about the sad plight of pre-matric hostels for Scheduled Caste children in the state, according to a study conducted by RIGHTS, an organisation based here.
Revealing the shocking realities of the hostels, RIGHTS executive director V B Ajayakumar, A Riyazudeen and Raghu Eraviperoor said here at a news conference that in spite of the fact that the hostels had a 30 per cent less intake, compared to its sanctioned strength of 13 per cent, the hostels had not been provided with cots.
They said 36 per cent of the hostels had no sufficient tables and chairs. As there are no almirahs, the children have to keep their books and clothing in plastic covers, paper bags and in trunk boxes.
Forty-four per cent of the hostels have not been provided with sufficient lighting. Bathrooms and toilets have no lighting. 53 per cent of the hostels have no fans. 29 per cent of the hostels have no compound walls.
15 per cent of the girls’ hostels has no compound walls adding to the concern about their security. While 17 per cent of the hostels function in rented buildings, most of these are in unhygienic conditions, the study found.
Most of the children had no conveyance to go to school while almost all govt/private and aided schools have arranged conveyance for the children. Those children who go by bus have to spend from their pocket money. But most of the time, the pocket money gets delayed, the study revealed. There is no provision to conduct medical check-up of students at regular intervals.