Home / Education / Goa Schools Fail CWSN Toilet Access: Only 14% Compliant
Goa Schools Fail CWSN Toilet Access: Only 14% Compliant
17 Aug
Summary
- Only 14.1% of Goa schools have functional, CWSN-friendly toilets.
- Goa's accessibility falls below national average for CWSN facilities.
- Disability rights group threatens legal action over school inaccessibility.
As of the 2025-26 academic year, a concerningly low 14.1% of Goa's regular schools offer functional toilets for children with special needs (CWSN). This translates to only 208 out of 1,473 schools, falling significantly below the national average of 38% and the National Education Policy's goals for inclusive education.
The Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+) report highlights disparities across school types, with private schools (20.3%) showing better, though still insufficient, provision than aided (15.7%) and government schools (11.8%). Further data indicates that only 65.8% of schools have ramps, a figure also below the national average. While government schools fare well with ramps (92.9%), private and aided schools lag substantially.
Advocates like Avelino D'Sa from the Disability Rights Association of Goa express no surprise, noting their ultimatum to the Directorate of Education for improved accessibility. Roland Martins points to a general lack of awareness among education officials and school management regarding disability rights, stressing the need for a concerted, time-bound effort.
Goa currently has 4,719 CWSN enrolled across its educational institutions, from pre-primary to higher secondary levels. The lack of essential facilities like accessible toilets underscores a significant barrier to their equitable access and integration into mainstream education.
