The Royal Audit Authority, RAA’s performance audit report recommends schools in Thimphu Thromde to upgrade Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities. According to the report, most schools lacked toilet facilities that met all the specified design features outlined in the National Standards for WASH in Schools 2024. The audit was carried out to assess the adequacy of WASH facilities and services in schools.
The audit report revealed notable gaps in the adequacy of WASH facilities in most schools, such as an insufficient number of toilets for both male and female students.
For instance, 12 schools faced a shortfall of 63 male toilets, 17 schools saw a shortage of 269 urinals, and 15 schools faced a shortage of 149 female toilets.
Only eight out of 20 schools met the required standards for male toilets, and only five schools met the standards for female toilets.
Moreover, only five out of 20 schools met the required standards of one drinking water tap for every 50 students.
It revealed that there is no dedicated budget line for WASH facilities. Many schools lacked adequate basic hygiene and sanitation supplies, with 16 schools citing insufficient budgets for maintenance and nine schools relying on external contributions for items like soap, sanitary pads, and toilet paper.
Over 21 per cent of students stated they rarely or never used school toilets in the absence of soap or other items.
A significant number of WASH facilities were found to be non-functional in schools, with student surveys revealing that only 36.5 per cent of students reported toilets functioning properly most of the time.
Many facilities, especially older ones, showed signs of deterioration, structural damage, and disrepair due to inadequate preventive measures and limited routine maintenance.
Water in six schools under Thimphu Thromde was contaminated with E. coli during August and September 2024, and two schools did not conduct tests in August but had unsafe water in September.
Over 46 per cent of students reported missing school due to waterborne diseases.
The report further revealed that the lack of a monitoring and evaluation framework hindered progress tracking and informed decision-making.
According to the report, Thimphu Thromde acknowledges the existing gaps, noting that many of the current WASH facilities were established before the Ministry of Education and Skills Development introduced the WASH Standards in 2024.
As a result, some infrastructure does not yet fully comply with the updated requirements. However, these gaps are being progressively addressed through ongoing improvement efforts.
The RAA recommends that the Ministry of Education and Skills Development develop a prioritised plan for adequacy, ensure continuous water supply and alternative storage, provide sustainable budget allocation and develop a comprehensive management plan for operations and maintenance, among others.
Sonam Yuden
Edited by Phub Gyem
