Access+to+Education

(Gabriela Dziki and Kerstin Freudenhagen)
 * Access to Education: What Limitations Exist?**

India is a land of various kinds of diversity: ethnic, religious, linguistic and socio-economic. The latter is perhaps the most obvious as there are many examples of the very rich and the very poor living next door to one another. Although India is working hard to join the ranks of developed nations, there are still a lot of people who remain without an education in the country. Poverty, religion/caste, gender, and disability are some of reasons for education deprivation in India.

India is both a very old and a very religious country, and many peoples’ lives are rooted in traditions, good or bad, that date back thousands of years. That is why the caste system is still one of the reasons of educational inequality in India, even though it was abolished by the government roughly 50 years ago. Members of the previously designated ‘lower castes” are not prohibited from being educated or enrolling in colleges anymore, but they are still disadvantaged.

Most of these individuals reside in rural parts of the country. The structure of a rural town is the same nearly everywhere in India. “The most powerful people, usually upper class ones, live in the centre of the town and the others live around them - often so far away that they cannot even reach the centre of their own town. Most of the roads are inaccessible or hard to take.” (Interaction with Village Women; Sadhana) Even if there are viable roads leading to the town, lower class people are still sometimes forbidden to use them.

This is why some children from lower classes are disadvantaged in comparison to upper class children. Even though they are allowed to go to school they cannot go because the schools are impossible to reach. According to village women associated with the NGO Sadhana Village, “the government didn’t allow us to use the streets. We tried to fight for 6 feet but they finally only allowed us to use two feet of the street.” (Interaction with Village Women; Sadhana). Not only do some local level government officials still distinguish between the classes but also the schools by itself. Children from a lower cast have lower chance to be enrolled in private school because their last names shows their origin, which has an bad reputation of being criminal and not showing up in school. (Ashraya Initiative for Children: c/o Elizabeth Sholtys)

But being in school in India doesn’t mean getting educated. The government schools lack teachers and hence about two teachers are responsible for the children of one or even more towns. Furthermore there are not enough utensils and facilities to teach the children.

Sanaa Shaikh (works for the NGO Aseema), when asked a few questions about the education in India, has answered with very good points form her point of view as a NGO worker. Refering back to the caste system influencing the education of the children, she answered, “The caste system has greatly influenced the social standing of people in India today and therefore has influenced their access to education. Today, however, poverty is seen across the castes and it plays a bigger role in the literacy of the people than the caste.” (Shaikh)

To the question of //how religions influence the education of children//, Sanaa answered, “Traditional ways of thinking and customs play a role in the importance that families lay on education. In this respect, education is influenced by religion. Some communities build schools and education centers for their children and lay greater emphasis on charity. Children from these communities then benefit through the services and encouragement offered to them” (Shaikh). What Mrs. Shaikh is saying here is that a lot of people help children to get education, so hopefully the education system for children in India will improve through help of others.

The following is the rest of the interview that we have conducted with her, and her opinions on the education in India,

//Do you think the children on the streets have no possibility to go to school, because they cannot afford it or do you think they chose it because they need to make money?// Primary education in India is free and compulsory. Therefore the question of not being able to 'afford' primary education does not arise. The problem lies in the accessibility and quality of the education provided to the children. BMC schools often lack the basic infrastructure that children need in a school. The education provided seems meaningless and superficial and children lack motivation to come back to school. This is coupled with the need to make money to support oneself and the family.

//Do you think the mentally challenged children are supported enough in India? Would it be possible to address more of them especially the kinds living on the streets?//

Children facing all kinds of challenges - mental and physical – need greater attention. In addition to basic infrastructural changes and increase in services, there is also a need for awareness building and sensitivity training. Child care workers and the general public must be sensitized towards the needs of special children.

//How do you think can we support the development of education for all and what do you think is important to mention in advertising?//

India is home to a large percent of the world's illiterate population. It is important to understand that this is not a problem that will affect only one area of development. An illiterate population would translate into challenges in all other areas of development - economic, social, etc. Unless this is tackled at its root, we will be unable to progress as a nation.

//What do you think would be the easiest way of addressing the problems which were mentioned in this interview?//

There is no 'easy' way of addressing these issues, as the problems are deep rooted and of great magnitude. We have several laws and policies made in favour of children to ensure they receive the education they are entitled to. What we do need, is openness to newer ideas and greater accountability and responsibility at each level. Though these are not immediate or quick-fix solutions, they will help ensure better services and a longer lasting impact in our education system.” (sheikh)

This interview has been a great help in answering the big question about education in India. The interview addresses the main issues about education in India and thankfully to Ms. Sanaa Shaikh the main points have been explained.