VELLORE: As the lunch bell rings at the corporation middle school in Edda Street at Saidapet, Vellore, boys rush outside the campus to relieve themselves near a sewage line. Meanwhile, female students frequently run the risk of urinary infection. All of it due to the unsanitary condition of toilet facilities inside the school campus. The Anganwadi building inside the campus is also in a state of disrepair. Officials state that they are working on an estimation to provide the necessary facilities for schools in all four zones across Vellore.
The Edda Street Corporation Middle School has a total strength of 332 students, spread across LKG to Class 8. For all students, the school has only five dingy, stinking toilets, located in a corner within school premises. Due to the lack of separate bathrooms, male students are forced to relieve themselves outside the school; while female students endure highly unsanitary conditions, due to the lack of cleaning staff to maintain the toilets. The students frequently complained of the unavailability of water at the toilets as the water tanks were repeatedly damaged by unidentified individuals, with the teachers repairing them. The situation has forced the students to fetch water from a tap located near the teachers’ restrooms.
The teachers also have expressed concerns regarding the lack of toilets in the school, they said the male students who leave the premises to relieve themselves often come back late. The situation has turned into an opportunity for boys to stay away from school, even if only for a bit, they added. “Making them come back to the classroom has become a bigger issue. This will affect their education,” a teacher said. According to sources, the other corporation schools surrounding the area also face a similar situation regarding toilet facilities.