COIMBATORE: In a shocking revelation, the Annual School Report prepared by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has found that 1,311 schools in Tamil Nadu do not have access to electricity and 385 schools have dysfunctional power systems. The list included schools situated in the city limits of Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai. Tirunelveli tops the list of districts with schools without electricity.
The Annual School Report Card for 2013-14 is based on a survey conducted by the District Information System for Education (DISE) in coordination with the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA). According to the survey, as many as 1,311 schools in the State do not have power connection, while 385 schools have dysfunctional electrical facilities, which meant that despite power connection, fans and lights were not in working condition because of poor maintenance. The report noted that with average temperature touching 40 degrees Celsius this summer in Tamil Nadu, oppressive heat might have made students’ life in schools really difficult, affecting their concentration. Though some schools were equipped with fans, lights and computers, impaired power supply rendered them worthless, the report added.
Of the 1,311 schools, 85 per cent (1,110) were situated in rural areas. The conditions were particularly worse in Tirunelveli district, where of the 219 schools without electricity, 218 were in rural areas. Next on the list were Thoothukudi and Vellore districts with 112 and 111 schools respectively. What was more worrying was that some schools in relatively developed cities, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchy, also lacked electricity connection.