In a bid to identify those schools that lack in basic infrastructure, the School Education Department has mapped every school in the State using the Geographic Information System (GIS).
The State hopes to use this data to ensure that every school can provide for basic facilities in the next three years, as required under the Right to Education Act.
Deposing at a public hearing before the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights Secretary of School Education, D Sabitha, said that following orders from Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who wanted to ensure that every child in the State had access to quality education, the GIS survey had mapped infrastructure facilities in all schools.
The survey, she said, has provided valuable insight as far as the requirements of each and every school are concerned.
Using this information, the government plans to devise strategies to put in place all basic infrastructure in schools in Tamil Nadu by 2015 in a phased manner.
However, Sabitha also pointed out that a recent Supreme Court order has mandated that all schools should be provided with toilet facilities in the next six months.
“We are working together with the Rural Development Department to achieve this target within the stipulated time,” she said.
Also, efforts are being initiated to demolish open wells prevalent inside many school premises.