Tamil Nadu: Government schools need 5,880 toilets

CHENNAI: Government schools in the State need 5,880 toilets, including 3,142 for boys and 2,738 for girls, according to an infrastructure assessment by the School Education Department for 2026-27.

The estimated cost of providing these toilets is around Rs 620 crore.

The toilet requirement is part of a larger infrastructure deficit identified by the department, with government schools also needing 5,641 classrooms, 1,340 drinking water facilities and 2,361 laboratories.

The department estimates that 5,641 classrooms would cost around Rs 1,465 crore. Drinking water facilities at 1,340 locations are estimated to require around Rs 59 crore, while 2,361 laboratories would cost Rs 1,598.24 crore.

The department has estimated that up to Rs 4,200 crore could be required to meet the infrastructure needs identified in government schools.

The requirements for classrooms, toilets, drinking water facilities, and laboratories were compiled after the School Education Department sought details from government schools. The schools submitted their infrastructure requirements, based on which the department prepared an estimate of the cost.

Another Rs 458 crore has been estimated for compound walls in government schools.

The infrastructure assessment comes after the Budget allocated Rs 44,527 crore to the School Education Department.

The scale of the requirements has raised expectations among students, parents and educationists over when and how the government will address the infrastructure needs of government schools.