Ensure toilet facilities in schools, State told

Kochi: A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday directed the State government to ensure that toilets, urinals and drinking water facilities were provided at all aided and government schools.

The Bench comprising Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice S.S. Satheesachandran issued the directive when a petition filed by the State government seeking to review a directive to provide these facilities at all the schools came up for hearing.

The directive came on a writ petition filed by the secretary of the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad, Vadakkanchery zone, in March 2009.

The court said the situation was alarming and the State government had a duty to ensure that such facilities were provided at all schools. These facilities were the basic need of students. They had a right to have such facilities in schools.

The Bench said it was part of their fundamental right. Those principals or mangers who were not aware of these requirements did not deserve to continue in their posts.

The Bench also ordered the Director of Public Instruction (DPI) to ensure that such facilities were provided at all aided schools as well. The DPI should also obtain compliance report regarding the directive for establishing the facilities from the Deputy Directors, District Educational Officers and the Assistant Educational Officers.