Kids studying in unsafe environment: CRY study

Three years after the government made the right to education a fundamental right for children below 14 years, a study conducted by NGO Child Relief and You (CRY) reveals significant gaps in compliance to ensure free and quality elementary education. Vanita Srivastava reports.

Three years after the government made the right to education a fundamental right for children below 14 years, a study conducted by NGO Child Relief and You (CRY) reveals significant gaps in compliance to ensure free and quality elementary education.

The study, released on Wednesday, reveals that many children are studying in unsafe schools with no electricity, water or toilets.

The study — ‘Learning Blocks’ — was conducted across 71 districts in 13 states and found school infrastructure, all-weather buildings, toilets and drinking water facilities, fencing or boundary walls, pupil-teacher ratio and the one-classroom-one-teacher practice missing.

Acknowledging that a lot had to be done, HRD minister Dr M M Pallam Raju told HT that a circular had been send to all state governments to ensure proper water supply and useable toilets. “The idea is to have a wholesome environment in schools.”

CRY head Puja Marwaha said: “ Lack of basic infrastructure — especially facilities for drinking water and separate toilets for girls — is one of the key factors that push children out of school.”