Panaji: Come June 5 and thousands of students from 272 government primary schools in Panaji, (Goa) will be have to study in schools that do not have any facility for toilets.

However, sources from the Directorate of Education (DoE) inform that, out of the total 938 government primary schools, with a student population of around 75,000 students, the construction of toilets in 272 schools is in full swing under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

Of the 938 government primary schools, around 120 schools have no water connections. Incidentally, about 70 schools do not have compound walls and another 19 schools are yet to receive electricity connections.

"Most government primary schools are within the complex of a government high school. Students of the primary section use the toilets of the high school. As far as the lack of other facilities is concerned, we have to manage without them," said, Shivaji Patil, headmaster of the government high school, Kerim.

Headmistress of the government high school, Dona Paula, Sunita A Nasnodkar, said that the situation was worse before and has improved tremendously since the launch of SSA in Goa.

"Our school is one of the few government schools that have all of the facilities. Ever since the introduction of the SSA, most schools have been provided with facilities that they initially lacked", she said.

Suhas Sawant, assistant district education inspector for Bardez said, "Schools that do not have the facilities are in the process of being provided with the infrastructure under the SSA scheme. In the case of schools not having toilets, students utilise the neighbouring open areas. Also, most schools are located close to habitation and the teachers and students most often utilise the toilets of neighbouring houses."