The district yet to comply with RTE ratio for toilets:With Mysore district yet to comply with Right to Education(RTE) norms, in terms of toilets at schools, the department of Public Instruction has sought Rs 11.01 crore from the State government for the construction of the same.

RTEstipulates one toilet unit for 25 girls (25:1) and one unit for 40 boys (40:1) in schools. In order to satisfy the regulations, the department has proposed to build 2,741 toilets. Of the number, 1,721 toilet units will be for girls and 1,021 units will be for boys. Of the proposed toilet units, 2,032 units will be built in 629 primary schools, while 709 toilets will be constructed in 171 high schools of the district.

Even though all of the nine educational blocks of the district are to meet the RTE guidelines, the shortage of toilets is more in Hunsur, H D Kote, Mysore rural and Nanjangud educational blocks. While Hunsur has sought funds for the construction of 424 units for primary schools, Mysore rural and Nanjangud blocks require 472, and 475 units in primary schools to comply with the norms. High schools of Nanjangud blocks require 178 units, Mysore rural 111 units and H D Kote requires 106 units.

Proposal: Speaking to Deccan Herald, Deputy Director of Public Instruction, H R Basappa said that the department had identified schools, where such units were necessary. “Even though all the schools in the district have toilets, we are trying to meet the RTE ratio. We have already submitted a proposal to the State government and are awaiting funds for works to start,” he said.

RTE seats: Data also shows that a good number of seats in private educational institutions, under RTE quota remained unutilised. In the year 2014, of the 4,486 seats available under RTE, only 3,790 students from economically backward sections availed the seats, with 696 seats remaining vacant. Of the seats, 211 remained vacant in H D Kote educational block, 185 seats in Mysore rural, 140 in Mysore South block. In the year 2013, 937 RTE seats remained unutilised in the district. 

Basappa said that several schools in the district did not attract any application under RTE, and hence the vacancy. “Four schools of the district have approached High Court regarding admission of students under RTE. In some cases, parents have applied for the seat but have not admitted their children to the school,” he said.

When asked about 211 of the 465 RTE seats pending in H D Kote, he said that there was discrepancy in the data, as the number of seats under RTE included aided and minority institutions. A clarification regarding the same has been sent to the Commissioner of the department,” he added.

Source:http://www.deccanherald.com/content/435858/rs-11-crore-sought-toilets.html