As part of the School Choice Campaign I give speeches calling for a
education system based on school choice. One of the points I make is
the absence of toilets and absence of separate toilets for girls in
government schools (read schools for poor children). I point out why this
is not really an issue when parents have school choice, so on. (Check out my post –
Choice vs inspector raj).
I have heard this lack-of-toilet story many times in education
meetings and seminars. I have read about it in reports. But I had this
tinge of doubt, “can this be true in Tamil Nadu. One of the more
progressive and better governed states”. Well my doubt is cleared now.
Crystal cleared.
A piece by Meera Srinivasan in The Hindu: Toilets, yes; but usable? Hardly clarifies that doubt once and for all.
This is the 21st century. After 60 years of central planning,
passing law after law, regulating and criminalising private initiative,
this is what public education has achieved.
The report said one of the main reasons for girls dropping out of school was the lack of proper toilet and sanitary facilities.
The insanity does not end there. Now we need the UNICEF to teach
these geniuses–administrators, teachers and an alphabet soup of
government programs’ officials– hygiene!
The poor conditions and maintenance of toilets in
schools notwithstanding, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
in an attempt to spread awareness about the importance of clean toilet
habits, is involved in organising workshops as part of the School
Sanitation and Hygiene Education (SSHE) programme. It is intended to
support the State Government implement the Total Sanitation Campaign
(TSC) of the Centre.
Initially, Kancheepuram, Tirunelveli, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri
were identified as focus districts where officials and teachers were
trained. It was later extended to a few other districts, including
tsunami-affected areas. It is expected to be extended to city schools
this year.
UNICEF’s project officer A. Devaraj said they offered similar
training programmes to Corporation schools in 2003-04. Issues such as
separate toilets for girls and boys and child and girl
students-friendly toilets were addressed.
“We found that awareness about hygienic practices was very poor.
These days, girls attain puberty early. Students of class six upward
need to be sensitised about hygiene during menstruation.” UNICEF has
therefore been insisting that sufficient water be made available for
girls. “We also train students in aspects like safe disposal of
sanitary napkins,” he said.
I especially love this one
It is intended to support the State Government implement the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) of the Centre.
In a five thousand year old civilisation, in the land of Mahatma
Gandhis, Vinoba Bhaves and Baba Amtes, we need the Central government
bureaucracies to teach our state government bureaucracies to teach us
the how-to of total and complete sanitisation.
I guess this is the final state of a centrally planned society. All
citizen become the equivalent of caged monkeys. With zoo keepers and
department officials civilising the enfeebled monkey, teaching him how
to keep himself clean, telling him how to take care of his young ones,
teaching him about the birds and the bees, ….
Yet our NGOwallas and Jholawallas look far and wide, under every
grant and loan, for colonisers–white skinned ones I suppose. All the
while unaware of the true nature and form of colonialism. When
government officials start toilet training you, you know you have been
colonised. Surrender! Resistance is futile!
In the long run, unlike what Keynes said, we are all not dead. We are just monkeyised. Or monkeyed. In the long road to serfdom, we are all enfeebled monkeys. In need of government planned and funded toilet training.
Title of this post is a twist on Surely You’re Joking, Mr Feynman, a semi-autobiography of Prof Richard Feynman, one of the greatest physicists ever.
Note to kids: do not try this–language, spelling and attempt at this kind of humour and sarcasm–at
home or school. Some of the words typed above, like monkeyised, do not
exist in the English language. I am not responsible for your failing
the English exam.
