A social audit of the Samagra Shiksha scheme in government schools across Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district has found that none of the surveyed school buildings fully complied with the infrastructure standards prescribed under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.
A team from Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), led by Assistant Professor (Rural Development) Dr Randhir Ranta, surveyed 154 schools, nearly 20 per cent of the district’s 809 government schools, during the first phase of the audit. The remaining schools will be covered in four subsequent phases, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.
The findings were presented at a public hearing in Bilaspur on Tuesday, attended by Deputy Director (Education Quality) Nisha Gupta.
Launched in 2018, Samagra Shiksha is a centrally sponsored scheme aimed at improving school education from pre-primary to Class 12. It merged three earlier schemes, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and Teacher Education, and has been aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The audit highlighted deficiencies in infrastructure, student safety, accessibility, governance and educational quality, raising concerns over the implementation of the RTE Act.
It found that none of the surveyed schools had access to professional counselling services. Facilities and support systems for children with special needs were also found inadequate, pointing to gaps in inclusive education.
Presenting the report, Dr Ranta said the audit was aimed at improving transparency, accountability and community participation in the education system. The team examined more than 175 questions covering six key components necessary for quality education.
The report noted that nearly 40 per cent of schools lacked adequate classroom space and sufficient rooms for teaching and non-teaching staff. Around 44 per cent reported inadequate furniture.
While drinking water facilities were available in all surveyed schools, nearly 80 per cent did not provide hygienic drinking water.
The audit also found shortcomings in student safety measures. More than 35 per cent of schools had not formed school safety committees, leaving students vulnerable to risks related to disasters, mental harassment and sexual abuse.
Around 56 per cent of schools did not have boundary walls or fencing.
“More than half of the schools in Bilaspur do not have boundary walls or fencing, posing safety and security threats, especially for girls,” said Bachan Singh, a member of the HPU social audit team.
Accessibility for children with disabilities remained another major concern. Nearly 74 per cent of schools lacked barrier-free access, while 85 per cent did not have toilets designed for children with special needs.
The audit further pointed to weak monitoring mechanisms, with field-level education officials not carrying out regular inspections and visits. More than half of the schools did not have complaint and suggestion boxes, despite such facilities being mandated under the RTE framework.
However, the report noted some positive findings. More than 90 per cent of schools met the prescribed norms for library infrastructure. The implementation of the mid-day meal scheme was also satisfactory, with only 1 per cent of schools lacking kitchen facilities.
Deputy Director (Education Quality) Nisha Gupta said Bilaspur had made progress in improving education quality but acknowledged that the report had highlighted gaps.
“Bilaspur district has made several achievements in improving the quality of education, but there are some gaps highlighted by the report which we will overcome in the near future,” she said.
“This social audit has identified factual deficiencies, and we will make sincere efforts to address them,” Gupta added.
