SHIMLA/CHAMBA, JUNE 18: Crores of rupees spent over the years under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and various school education schemes appear to have yielded little improvement on the ground, with a social audit exposing shocking deficiencies in infrastructure, student safety, basic amenities and educational quality across schools in Chamba district.
The findings have raised serious concerns over the utilisation of public funds meant to improve learning outcomes and ensure quality education under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.
The audit has fuelled allegations that remote schools have become convenient dumping grounds for expenditure with little accountability for results.
Presented at a public hearing attended by more than 600 parents, teachers, School Management Committee members, elected representatives and education officials, the report highlighted a glaring mismatch between government spending and the conditions in which thousands of children continue to study.
The social audit covered 342 schools and revealed widespread shortcomings across the education system. Conducted by a team from Himachal Pradesh University led by Dr. Randhir Ranta, the exercise assessed nearly 20 percent of Chamba's 1,636 schools, including institutions in the remote tribal areas of Bharmour.
The lack of adequate classrooms has emerged as one of the biggest obstacles to quality education. Nearly one-third of the schools surveyed do not have sufficient classroom space or rooms for teaching and non-teaching staff, adversely affecting academic activities and school management.
The shortage of furniture has further exposed the poor state of educational infrastructure. About 50 percent of schools lack adequate desks and seating arrangements, forcing many students to study in conditions unworthy of institutions receiving regular government funding.
Student safety has also been found compromised in a large number of schools. More than half of the schools do not have boundary walls or fencing, exposing children to risks and highlighting the failure to provide basic protective infrastructure.
Road connectivity remains a major barrier to education in remote areas. Nearly 85 percent of schools surveyed are not connected by motorable roads, making access difficult for students and teachers and virtually excluding many children with disabilities.
Basic facilities promised under the Right to Education Act remain absent in several institutions. The audit found that 16 percent of schools lack separate toilets for girls, 17 percent do not have drinking water facilities and three percent are functioning without kitchens for the Mid-Day Meal programme.
Menstrual hygiene facilities have been neglected despite repeated policy commitments. More than 90 percent of schools do not provide sanitary pads to adolescent girls, creating barriers to attendance and affecting the health and dignity of students.
Support services for vulnerable children are virtually non-existent. None of the schools surveyed had professional counselling facilities, while adequate infrastructure for children with special needs was absent across the board.
Libraries and learning resources have failed to meet prescribed standards. More than 80 percent of schools were found lacking library facilities that comply with departmental norms, reflecting the poor priority accorded to academic enrichment.
Weak monitoring and poor governance have compounded the crisis. The audit found that education officials were not conducting mandatory inspections regularly, allowing deficiencies to persist despite continuous expenditure under various schemes.
The findings have intensified demands for an investigation into how education funds are being utilised in remote areas. Participants at the public hearing questioned how schools continue to lack classrooms, toilets, drinking water and furniture despite substantial financial allocations over the years.
The audit ultimately exposes a disturbing reality behind official claims of educational progress. While expenditure figures may reflect success on paper, the ground situation in Chamba suggests that quality learning, safe school environments and basic educational facilities remain elusive for thousands of children, raising serious questions about accountability and the effectiveness of public spending.
