Post News Network
Cuttack, Oct 7:As many as 1,207 primary schools in the state do not have drinking water facility while 42,709 schools are yet to have proper playgrounds.
This was revealed in an affidavit submitted to the Orissa High Court by the state government in connection with the prevailing condition of primary education in the state.
According to the affidavit, 9,434 primary schools also have no toilets for boy students while 6,267 schools are yet to have the facility for girl students.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dhirendra Hiralal Waghela and Justice Bishwanath Rath termed the state government’s affidavit as insufficient and sought district-wise data on the infrastructure available
at schools.
The bench also directed the state government to furnish deadlines for providing basic infrastructure such as toilets for boys and girls, drinking water and playgrounds in the primary schools during the next hearing on the case, scheduled to be held October 28.
The standard of primary school education in the state is yet to witness substantial improvement despite the huge devolution of funds in this regard from the Union government. According to a few research papers, the enrolment ratio in primary schools has remained stagnant for the last few years while the dropout rate has
gone up.
There are also instances where not a single student attends classroom teaching in the schools. Having taken suo motu cognisance of the insufficiencies rampant in primary education in the state and the falling standards of education, the high court had filed a public interest litigation (PIL). The state government had submitted the affidavit in the High Court in response to the PIL.
