No school building meets infra standards in Bilaspur

A social audit of the Samagra Shiksha scheme in government schools in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district has revealed that none of the surveyed school buildings fully met the infrastructure standards prescribed under the Right to Education 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 — in the first phase of the audit, which will cover all schools in four subsequent phases, a statement issued here on Wednesday said.

The findings were presented during a public hearing in Bilaspur on Tuesday that was attended by Deputy Director (Education Quality) Nisha Gupta. Samagra Shiksha is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2018 to improve school education from pre-primary to class 12. It combines three earlier schemes – Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and Teacher Education and has been aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

According to the statement, the audit found significant deficiencies in infrastructure, student safety, accessibility, governance and educational quality, raising concerns about the effective implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act. It also found that none of the surveyed schools had access to professional counselling services.

Facilities and support systems for children with special needs were inadequate, indicating significant gaps in inclusive education practices, the statement said. Presenting the report, Ranta said the audit’s primary objective was to promote transparency, accountability and community participation in the education system while improving the quality of education.

Over 175 questions covering six key components necessary for quality education were examined. According to the report, none of the surveyed school buildings fully met the infrastructure standards prescribed under the RTE Act. Nearly 40 per cent of the schools lacked adequate classroom space and sufficient rooms for teaching and non-teaching staff while around 44 per cent reported inadequate furniture. Drinking water facilities were available in all schools, but nearly 80 per cent did not provide hygienic drinking water.