BENGALURU: While toilets are considered a basic necessity, more than 3,580 government schools in Karnataka lack functional toilets while nearly 4,000 schools do not have hand wash facilities.
The sorry state of government schools, which reflects on lack of functional toilets in 2,648 boys’ or co-educational schools and 937 girls’ or co-educational schools, was highlighted in the recently released Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2023-24 report, highlighting a glaring neglect of basic infrastructure in the state’s education system.
Experts question what is stopping the government from providing basic facilities in schools and argue that the government must halt its focus on promoting modern practices in schools and universities until it fixes these critical infrastructure issues in government schools.
Development Educationist Professor Niranjanaradhya stated that the figures are ‘underestimated’ and fail to represent the ground reality. “The availability of toilet facilities is far worse than what the report indicates. The actual numbers are likely three to four times more,” he lamented.
Providing basic facilities like functional toilets and drinking water are fundamental development rights, but development rights require adequate funding—something the state government seems unwilling to prioritise, he said.
Prof Niranjanaradhya stressed that the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which mandates these facilities, has been in place since 2010. “Fifteen years later, in 2025, if the government still cannot fulfil these bare minimum standards, what hope do we have for achieving anything beyond this?” he questioned.
Child rights activist Vasudev Sharma highlighted the dire state of washrooms, particularly in rural areas. He noted that many do not have running water, lack proper latches, or are located at inconvenient distances, making them inaccessible and unsafe for children. Further, he also questioned the government of why it makes improvements in urban areas alone.
Sharma said that during every child rights Gram Sabha, the first demand raised is always for proper, functional toilets. “Why is the government turning a deaf ear to such a basic and urgent need?” he questioned.
He called this not just a severe violation of the RTE Act, but also a betrayal of every child in government schools. “These reports expose the truth, yet the government refuses to act on them. How long will they continue to ignore these findings?” he asked.
Nagasimha G Rao, director of Child Rights Trust, criticised the government, for claiming to work for children, asking, “Where is the proof of this? Such figures only highlight the blatant neglect.”
Rao said that the government should examine the figures and identify where the gaps are being ignored. It must ensure that basic facilities are provided, creating an environment that welcomes students, rather than pushing them away, he added.