CHENNAI: Rotary districts has partnered with The Namma School Namma Ooru Palli of the school education department to create and maintain water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in government schools in the state. Rotary has set a target of reaching 1,000 government schools to ensure that children, especially girls and differently-abled students, have access to safe, clean, and well-maintained toilets within a year.
As per the latest UDISE+ report for 2023-24 released by the Union Ministry of Education in December last year, only 72.5% state government schools in the state had functional toilets for boys while it was 94.7% for girls. Overall, 97.1% state government schools had functional toilets while 18% had toilets for children with special needs.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Rotary International President Francesco Arezzo, and Rotary International Director Muruganandam M at ‘Lead 25 - Aim High’ during the Rotary India Leadership Conclave held at the Chennai Trade Centre.