Even after two years of the right to education (RTE) being enacted, schools in Delhi lack the basic sanitation — a key provision of the universalisation of education law. Child Rights and You (CRY) conducted a survey of 318 toilets in 44 government and municipal corporation schools to find out about the sanitation and hygiene arrangements. It was found that 37 per cent of schools did not have clean toilets, and thus, boys urinated in the open, while the girls had no place to go. Schools in the northwest, northeast and outer districts of Delhi faced acute problems because of the lack of proper facilities.

As per the government rankings of states in school education released by union HRD minister Kapil Sibal in February last year, Delhi’s ranking has dropped from sixth to eighth in primary education and from seventh to eighth in upper primary education.

The rankings, calculated for each state by National University for Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), are based on the states’ performance in the teacher availability, teacher-pupil ratio, amenities and facilities, student enrolment and retention criteria.

The CRY report also shows that only 39 per cent of these schools had their toilets cleaned regularly, while the remaining 61 per cent had them cleaned only twice or thrice a month. Most schools, however, have permanent staff for the same. 15 percent of the total toilets were reserved for the school staff, prohibiting use by children. The staff toilets were in a better condition than those for children.

Also, the report says that 21 per cent schools had major infrastructural flaws like blocked sewer lines, broken toilet doors. Many schools in southwest district did not have buckets and mugs in their toilets.  24 per cent school toilets did not have water supply, while of the remaining 76 per cent toilets, 18 per cent had supply of contaminated or dirty water.

In Delhi, pre-primary and primary education comes under the municipal corporation of Delhi (MCD), the New Delhi municipal council (NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB). The directorate of education under Delhi government has just recently introduced primary classes in some existing secondary schools.