A social audit of government schools under the Samagra Shiksha in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district has found that none of the 154 surveyed schools fully meet the infrastructure standards mandated under the Right to Education Act.
Nearly 74% of schools in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur lack barrier-free access for children with disabilities and 85% do not have accessible toilets. None of the surveyed schools had professional counselling services, and monitoring systems were found to be weak, with many institutions lacking regular inspections and complaint mechanisms.
This comes on the heels of reports in 2024 wherein ut was found that as many as 30 schools affiliated to Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education had recorded zero per cent result in the Class X board examination. Besides, the result in 116 schools had been less than 25 per cent.
Now comes the audit report conducted by a team from Himachal Pradesh University led by Assistant Professor Dr Randhir Ranta that covered nearly 20% of the district’s 809 government schools in its first phase. Findings were presented at a public hearing, highlighting gaps in classrooms, safety systems, accessibility, and overall school governance.
Key concerns include inadequate infrastructure, with around 40% of schools lacking sufficient classroom space and 44% reporting poor furniture availability. While drinking water is present in all schools, nearly 80% do not provide hygienic drinking water. Safety systems are also weak, with over a third of schools lacking safety committees and more than half without boundary walls or fencing.
Despite these shortcomings, the audit noted positives: over 90% of schools meet library infrastructure norms, and the mid-day meal scheme is largely functioning well, with only 1% lacking kitchen facilities.
