Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Education Department has introduced a new initiative aimed at improving the monitoring of toilet cleanliness in government schools across the state. Under the latest directive, village and ward secretariats have been tasked with overseeing this critical aspect of school hygiene. The responsibility now falls on the Education Welfare Assistants and Ward Education Secretaries to visit schools every Monday and Thursday, take photographs of the toilets, and upload them to the IMMS app developed by the School Education Department.
Srinivasa Rao, In-charge Director of Comprehensive Punishment SPD, and Dokka Seethamma Midday Meal Scheme, has formalized these orders. In addition to the secretariats’ duties, the Education Department has recommended that the chairpersons and members of the School Management Committees also participate in this monitoring process. They are expected to capture and upload images of the toilets on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Previously, the responsibility of documenting toilet conditions fell on the headmasters (H.M.) of the respective schools. However, there were complaints from headmasters that their primary role was educational, not administrative tasks such as photographing toilets. Despite these objections, the previous Jagan government mandated the practice, which led to controversial measures including the forcible removal of walls to facilitate proper inspection.
This new arrangement aims to streamline the process, ensuring that the facilities are consistently monitored and maintained to uphold hygiene standards. By delegating this task to dedicated officials and integrating technology through the IMMS app, the Education Department seeks to enhance transparency and accountability in maintaining cleanliness in government school toilets.
