Children Inclusion from Marginalised Communities: With Special Reference to India

The Right to Education Act, 2009 and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (Amendment) 2012 in India guarantee free and compulsory education to all children of India between the age group of 6 – 14 years. Yet, 8.1 million children are out of school. Moreover, 40% children drop out of school before completing 8 years of education. A national award-winning NGO named LAMP (Liberal Association for Movement of people) has been working to ensure that children from all the marginalized and excluded communities attain their Rights to Education, in line with Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2 to achieve universal primary education, the Education for All (EFA) goals and international human rights instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In India, net primary school enrolment for 6 to 14 year olds is 98% but is only 58% for 11 to 14 year olds. Only 70% of children who are enrolled to attend school regularly. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are two groups of people who have been historically excluded and oppressed in social, cultural, economic and political affairs. As a first step in the exercise of bringing children from marginalised communities into school a careful mapping of these children -who they are and where they live - will have to be undertaken systematically. Exclusionary practices mostly begin even before a child reaches the school premises. A Dalit/Tribal/Muslim child especially girl, for instance, traveling through an upper caste village on her way to school may face harassment on his/her way that could well discourage him/her, and dissuade his/her parents from sending him/her to school. There are many active civil society groups like LAMP and others that have gained substantial experience and knowledge of working with these children. Active involvement of these groups must be sought to enable their inclusion in the education process.