The Importance of Child Education in India and the Measures Taken by Care India
More than 17 million children in India work in different sectors instead of being in schools. And 90% of them hail from rural India where poverty tends to reign supreme. The only way to lift a generation out of poverty and ensure that the subsequent generations do not fall back is through education and India is still struggling to find the right foot in keeping its children in schools. More than half of all Indian children aged between 6 to 14 years do not go to schools and only one-third of those who enroll reach grade eight successfully by not dropping out. This picture has improved, given the government’s initiatives and the development sector’s hard work, but more effort is certainly the need of the hour.
What is the importance of child education in India?
The primary benefit that child education can bring to the country is to uplift vast sections of people out of poverty. Educated sections are employable and India can progress as a whole. Second, studies show that children who work out of their families end up working for more than 21 hours a week that affect their health and upbringing. Uneducated children are more prone to domestic abuse and violence. Education can directly improve living standards and also the quality of life. Lastly, education can eliminate discrimination based on gender, race, and caste. And this will directly impact the core health of society. India loses one in every six girl children before they turn 15 years old and education can prevent this by improving awareness and perspectives.
What has the Indian government done about child education?
The Indian Government has taken comprehensive steps over the years to ensure adequate child education in the country. The most comprehensive among them all is The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009, more popularly known as the RTE Act. It directs all appropriate government bodies to provide free and compulsory education to children aged between 6 to 14 years in government schools. Special focus is given to the underprivileged group who face social and economic hurdles to complete education. The Samagra Shiksha program of the Indian government is designed to provide an equitable education to all children, boys and girls, of all minority communities. These children are entitled to free uniforms, mid-day meals, out-of-school vocational training and free textbooks.
The Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya and the Navodaya Vidyalaya schemes are also meant to forward quality child education in India but most of these programs are not bringing the desired results. While these schemes sound perfect on paper, implementing them adequately by the government alone is quite a challenge.
How can we ensure the Right to Education for every child?
Certainly, the education sector in India needs an infrastructure overall. And awareness needs to be spread more to prevent parents from sending their children to work. Teachers need vocational training to impart better education at the rural level and the officials need to reach social levels to bring the underprivileged children back to schools. India needs a solid educational foundation, and it has to go beyond schemes. CARE India — an NGO working for Child Education in India
How Care India is helping child education in India?
Care India’s Girl Education Program or GEP is designed to help girl children of various marginalised communities to enroll in schools and continue their education. Care India is the torchbearer of the RTE Act in most rural locations where the organisation works in collaboration with government officials and other NGOs to bring more children to schools. Through effective awareness and actionable steps, Care India is working at the grassroots level to build India’s educational foundation and ensure that no child is left behind when it comes to education and a better life.
