What use is a laptop in a toilet-less school?

This article appeared in The Sentinel on October 30, 2013

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.

For want of a shoe the horse was lost.

For want of a horse the rider was lost.

For want of a rider the message was lost.

For want of a message the battle was lost.

For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.

And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

The popular proverb may have referred to the death of Richard III of England at the Battle of Bosworth Field, but it also describes how a small situation may gradually but inexorably worsen due to a minor initial impediment.

This proverb often reminds me of a young girl I met once in a village in Assam. Her name was Papori. She was a bright young girl, an expert weaver. She used to attend the local high school in her village before she decided to drop out of school altogether. Why?

As a child she used to look forward to go to school, but as she grew older and attained puberty, she began to feel the absence of a toilet in her school. She began to feign sickness during those days every month and to avoid her parents' questions, started paying more attention to housework. As time went by, she began to avoid school altogether, deciding to stay at home instead and help her parents make some extra income by weaving.

When I look back at the incident, I do not just see Papori working at her loom as children walk past her house on their way to school. I see her growing into a young person, a wife and a mother, deprived of basic education. I see deprivation of the next generation as well, because her ignorance of many crucial aspects of life will affect her and her children throughout their lives. And all will happen because Papori's school does not have a toilet.

At this point I want to refer to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). As of March 2011 Assam had a dropout rate of 8.3 percent in lower primary schools and 15.2 percent in upper primary schools. The document, 'Chief Minister's Vision for Women and Children 2016' also indicates that there is a serious problem of school dropout, especially among the girls. The CM's vision document also indicates that female enrollment in government schools in Class I in 2011-12 was 3.86 lakh, while it was 2.58 lakh in Class V. This further dropped to 1.19 lakh in higher secondary and junior colleges following high dropout rates in classes IX and X.

As the country strives to achieve the third of the Millennium Development Goals—to promote gender equality and empower women—it is really a matter of grave concern that girls are dropping out of schools without completing their education. According to official statistics, of all girl students enrolled in schools, the average dropout rate for girls has increased from 5.0 percent in 2009-10 to 11.9 percent in 2011-12 at primary level; and from 13.5 percent in 2009-10 to 14.3 percent at the upper primary level.

Studies conducted in this regard have discovered the biggest reason for this: absence of clean and hygienic toilets in schools for students, especially teenage girls. Studies by UNICEF indicate that while 54 out of 100 schools across the country have separate toilets for girls, on average, only one in every nine schools in Assam have separate toilets for girls.

The CAG report also found that 40.18 percent schools across the state did not have any girl’s toilet. The same report also pointed out that there were no toilet facility at all in 15.57 percent schools, nor was drinking water available in 18.85 percent schools, despite the state education department having incurred an expenditure of Rs 12,631.47 crore during 2006-2011 on elementary education, resulting in a declining trend in enrollment and high dropout rate of students in the state.

But ironically, while girls are deprived of education for absence of toilets, the state government has been spending crores of rupees every year since 2005 awarding the first division holders in the HSLC, High Madrasa and Senior Madrasa exams with the Anundoram Borooah Award.

Around 1,40,000 personal computers and laptops have been distributed to such students since the award was instituted. In 2013, another 26,788 first division holders in the HSLC, High Madrasa and Senior Madrasa exams will receive the Award district wise.

This article does not want to disparage the achievement of young students who have performed well in their exams and deserve appreciation. There can be other ways to encourage students like special scholarships or fee exemption in colleges of their choice, while the funds spent on procuring personal computers and laptops can be diverted to construction of toilets and sanitation facilities in schools so that few more girls can complete their education.

The Government should ensure proper sanitation facilities in all the schools by creating special provisions in the annual budget. Voluntary organizations should generate awareness among the guardians on the need for basic amenities like toilets in schools and help them monitor whether basic requirements are in place in the schools where their children are studying.

School teachers too should keep tab on their students, especially girl students and encourage them to come to school and motivate others who decide to drop out.

But this would be possible only when our leaders responsible for policy making can understand the importance of proper sanitation facilities in schools. So we need a visionary leadership who can prioritise the need for a toilet over a laptop.

After all, we do not want a rendition of the original proverb in this form—

For want of a toilet, a girl student was lost.

For want of a girl student, an educated  mother was lost,

For want of an educated  mother, a responsible child was lost,

For want of a responsible child, a good citizen was lost,

For want of a good citizen, an able generation was lost,

For want of an able generation, a powerful country was lost,

And all for the want of a toilet in school.