Written by Shravan Bakkiyaraj
Edited by Advik Mohan
Illustrated by Khushi Gangoria
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Imagine a young girl named Lakshmi, eager to learn but trapped in a village where education feels like a distant dream. Unlike the gleaming promise of "golden doors" often associated with education, Lakshmi faces a creaky, rusted shut door held back by poverty, cultural norms, and a lack of resources. This is the harsh reality for millions of children in rural India, locked out of quality education.
Urban India boasts a plethora of private schools offering diverse curriculums and well-trained teachers. In stark contrast, rural schools struggle with limited resources and infrastructure. Libraries and transportation, essential tools for learning, are often scarce. Families struggle to afford basic necessities like textbooks and uniforms, leading to high dropout rates. While initiatives like Tamil Nadu's free textbook and uniform program exist, cultural factors often play a role. Children are sometimes seen as economic assets, expected to contribute to the family's livelihood at a young age. A farmer might prioritize a child's help in the fields over schooling, further hindering enrollment rates.
It all boils down to 3 main challenges of the Indian society; language diversity, finance and affordability and cultural and traditional setbacks.
The Grip of Tradition
The 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India recognises a mere 22 languages, while India as a whole speaks more than 700 languages and several dialects within each language, making our country one of the most linguistically diverse in the international arena competing with the likes of Papua New Guinea. It is a common understanding that either the language, accent or dialect changes with every 100 kilometres within the country. How in such diversity can education be standardized to the language assigned to a state as that is how it has been divided? In several rural parts of the country, especially in the northern and northeastern regions, several niche languages are spoken, wherein education is difficult to offer. While the medium of instruction in urban areas is mostly English, it cannot be so in rural areas. It cannot be Hindi either, for several regions speak different dialects of the same. This makes it difficult for schools to personalize the text and the curriculums to serve the local population.
Financial Setbacks
Most rural areas in India have very little infrastructure such as libraries and transportation, which are key aspects of achieving literacy. Families in rural areas struggle to commute to their places of education. Furthermore, even if the transport is made to be free as they are for students in several states, families cannot afford textbooks, uniforms, food and other such expenses which the government might not be able to fund. This leads to a very low rate of enrollment and a very high rate of dropouts. Several states such as Tamil Nadu have made an effort to fund the children’s textbooks, uniforms and food, but even then there seems to be a low enrollment rate. Why? Tying in with cultural factors, families in rural areas see their children as assets for their livelihood. Children are often introduced to the same line of work as their parents from a very young age. For instance, if a farmer gets his children into the practice of agriculture and they become valuable in the field, it might become detrimental to the income of the family if the children now go to school instead of helping their father in the field. Thus, the farmer might refuse to send the children to school.
The financial constraints faced by rural schools extend beyond the limitations of parents' resources; they are deeply ingrained within the schools themselves. Unlike urban institutions, rural schools often lack the financial means to hire competent teachers and educators. Consequently, they must make do with a limited number of personnel responsible for teaching multiple subjects. This scarcity of staff inhibits the provision of personalized attention to students, a luxury more readily available in urban settings where schools typically boast larger faculties.
Moreover, the financial shortcomings of rural schools also impact their infrastructure. Many rural schools struggle to afford proper and full-fledged facilities, including basic amenities like sanitation. This deficiency disproportionately affects the female student population, as inadequate sanitation facilities can hinder their attendance and overall educational experience. To address these challenges, rural schools urgently require a significant improvement in both the quality and quantity of resources allocated to them. This would not only enhance the learning environment for students but also contribute to greater educational equity and opportunity for rural communities.
The Price of Prejudice
The major cultural setback in India must be gender inequality and disparity. In societies where education itself seems unnecessary, it is easier to state that it is not necessary for the female population. As such, most women in the rural areas of India are denied proper education; they barely even touch the handle of the creaky door. This ties in with the traditional thought of women being homemakers for a good part of their lives in rural areas. Hence parents do not see a need to educate them and this only saves them more money.
If gender discrimination is not enough, then comes caste discrimination. Many schools, especially in rural regions, serve certain castes and ostracize the rest. Even if the schools allow diversity in caste, there may be differences in treatment for lower caste students. This creates a hostile environment that deters them from enrolling. For example, Dalit students (formerly referred to as "untouchables") might be assigned cleaning duties more frequently than upper caste students, be forced to sit separately during lunch, or even be subjected to verbal abuse. This constant social exclusion discourages them from pursuing an education. Here is one such instance:
An Example
Bhanwari Devi, a young Dalit girl from Rajasthan, became a symbol of resistance against caste discrimination in education. In 1992, at the age of nine, Bhanwari was ostracized and forced to leave school after her upper-caste classmates objected to her attending the same school. Her father, a landless labourer, dared to challenge this discrimination and sent Bhanwari back to school. This act of defiance resulted in a brutal attack on Bhanwari by upper-caste men.
Despite the trauma, Bhanwari, with the support of her family and activists, continued her fight for education. Her case reached the Supreme Court of India, which in 1996 delivered a landmark judgement. The court condemned the attack and directed the government to take steps to prevent caste-based discrimination in schools. This included providing scholarships and ensuring the safety of Dalit students.
Bhanwari Devi's story highlights the courage required to fight for education in the face of entrenched caste discrimination. It also demonstrates the power of legal intervention in tackling such social evils.
Another recent cultural setback must be the scepticism shown to the entire education system itself, which according to most is Westernized. As concepts are developed, as history grows and as time passes by, the rural environment fails to acclimate to the changing times. For example: the topic of gender inclusivity is seen as a Western concept, one that might “corrupt” the minds of the children. This amount of unreasonable scepticism is not only unhealthy, but it fosters very low rates of enrollment and an even higher rate of drop-outs as curriculum changes for the higher classes with time.
Bridging the Gap: The Way Forward
For millions of children caught in a cycle of poverty and illiteracy, the proverbial golden doors of freedom in rural India remain elusive in their quest for quality education. However, when we face the enormous obstacles of linguistic diversity, budgetary limitations, and cultural setbacks; it becomes evident that these doors are more than just elaborate representations of opportunity. Rather, they are the real evidence of our shared dedication to justice and advancement. Education is the key to opening these golden doors, but it is also our collective duty to make sure that everyone can access them.
Transforming the creaky doors of rural education requires a multi-pronged approach. Bridging the urban-rural gap in resources is crucial. Government initiatives can prioritize allocating funds for qualified teachers, proper infrastructure, and scholarships for underprivileged students. Language barriers can be addressed by encouraging local language instruction in primary education, gradually transitioning to a broader curriculum as students progress.
Eradicating cultural biases requires sustained efforts. Promoting the importance of girls' education through awareness campaigns can challenge traditional norms. Fostering inclusive environments within schools will dismantle caste discrimination. More importantly, this is not just the government's responsibility. We, the citizens, can support rural education initiatives, volunteer our time, or sponsor children's education. By working together, we can unlock the golden doors of freedom for every child in India, regardless of their background.
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