Following multiple instances of children being forced to clean toilets in schools coming to light in the State, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) has issued an order prohibiting the use of schoolchildren to clean toilets.
“The government has considered the cases of children cleaning toilets in schools seriously. Henceforth, it is prohibited to use students to undertake cleaning and maintenance of toilets in all government primary and high schools of the State under any circumstance,” the department said in the order.
At least three instances of students being forced to clean school toilets came to light in the last two weeks - at a residential school in Malur, Kolar, at a school in Andrahalli, Bengaluru and at a school in Shivamogga.
Recently, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had termed the recent reports of students being forced to clean school toilets as an “extremely deplorable act” and said that such acts were “intolerable”.
The order from DSEL follows the Chief Minister pulling up the department and ordering a survey of the situation of toilets in all government schools across the State. The order, a copy of which has been accessed by The Hindu, warns all DSEL officials, teaching staff and other staffers that the department will take disciplinary action against them and file FIRs if anyone makes students clean toilets. The order issued by B.B. Cauvery, Commissioner, Department of School Education, also includes guidelines for cleanliness of toilets in schools.
The department has already released the ‘School Maintenance Fund’ for the current year to all government schools. It has been suggested that this grant should be used on priority for toilet maintenance, with the cooperation of the respective School Development and Monitoring Committees (SDMCs), using locally available resources. SDMCs should sensitise and create awareness among students and teachers about toilet cleanliness and ensure that no student is involved in cleaning school toilets, the department said.
Officials should visit the schools frequently and check availability of separate and usable toilets for girls and boys in the schools and check cleanliness of toilets during school hours, the order further said. Block Education Officer (BEO) and Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) will be held responsible if any such instance recurs, the order warned.
Umesh G. Gangavadi, president, Karnataka SDMCs Association, said that all SDMCs will be directed to collect donations from donors at the local level, school alumni and other organisations to help clean school toilets.
