AN ANALYSIS ON RIGHT TO EDUCATION

By Tara Chawla and Saranya Vohra

INTRODUCTION
In the fundamental sense, education is being taught, learning to become an independent
individual, learning to fend for oneself. It's very subtext underlines, being aware of one’s rights
to actively weaponise them for self-defence, and then revolutionising the generation towards an
era of equality, of acceptance, of openness and transparency. One that highlights a developed
society, where each citizen is a reflection of the true essence of our constitution.

WHAT IS ARTICLE 21A?

According to Article 21A of the Indian
Constitution, the State shall provide free and
compulsory education to all children of the age of
six to fourteen years in such manner as the State
may, by law, determine.

CAUSES OF ILLITERACY
Illiteracy forms a complex web of socio-economic problems in our country, which again feeds
illiteracy. A large population of illiterate adults are unable to join the workforce and hence resort
to jobs that require manual labour. This causes a lack of awareness of their own rights. Not
having received an education themselves, they do not understand their children are entitled to the
same, regardless of societal standing, caste, religion and gender.

In rural areas, the number of children often go up to 6-7 per family, despite having barely enough
money to sustain a smaller one. (This might be driven by the fact that they want a male child,
and keep having children till they get one.) Due to this absolute shortage of money, instead of
sending these children to school, they are sent to manual labour sites. According to their parents,
more hands at work will automatically reflect more income. They forget to account for the fact
that a proper education would allow these children to acquire white-collar jobs that pay
sustainable salaries, rather than daily wages, which would be more beneficial in the long term.
One of the major causes of illiteracy in India is the social divide between different castes,
religions, genders and economic backgrounds.

Although the caste system has been politically eradicated, it is still quite predominant in villages.
This sharp divide causes the lowest caste to be ostracized. They are not allowed to learn in the
same classrooms, use the same toilets, which makes the learning environment extremely hostile.
This constant humiliation reflects in them not wanting to go to school at all. Furthermore, they
are often not giving admission on the grounds of their caste.

Gender discrimination is a leading cause of illiteracy in

many states. Many families still believe that a girl should
simply learn to serve her household and her husband, and
get her married at a young age, often to many years older.
This causes a sharp divide in the percent of male and
female literacy.

In private schools, many students aren’t admitted because of their economic background, despite
reservation made explicitly for the same. This also serves as a cause of illiteracy in urban areas.

Lastly, India does not have sufficient provisions for providing education to the differently abled.
People with mental and physical disabilities do not have a secure learning environment and
hence often opt out of going to school.

GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES
The provision of midday meals has served as a stimulus for providing many children with an
education. Many parents believe that it is easier to send their child to school as it would be one
less person to provide meals for, hence saving money.

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, translating loosely into ‘Save a girl child, Educate a
Girl Child’, is one of the most popular initiatives taken by our government. While
this aims to reduce gender-based discrimination, one of the aims of the programme is to ensure
the education and participation of the girl child.

The Shiksha Sahayog Yojana provides scholarships to academically strong students of grades
9,10, 11 and 12. These students can avail up to Rs.300 per quarter from the government provided
that their parents are a part of the Janashree Bima Yojana (which provides life insurances to the
economically backward.)

The Saakshar Bharat Yojana aims to higher the literacy rate to 80%. This
program targets women specifically, hoping to provide education to the
several uneducated adults throughout India. The program hopes to impart
education to 70 million illiterate adults throughout India in 15 years.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION

Education is one of the key components that bring growth and development in not only an
individual but society as a whole.

A good education does not only mean getting a degree from a

good school or college. Education allows us to become self-
dependent. It helps us become confident in our own abilities and
not rely on others for everything. It also encourages innovation
and creativity. Moreover, it helps us develop morals and ethics,
communication skills and resourcefulness. This improves our
standard of living.

People who are not educated are more susceptible to exploitation. When people are educated and
aware of their own rights, they are more likely to raise their voice against injustice. For example,
a victim of domestic violence, if educated and aware that the acts against them are a crime, can
stand against their offender. Also, problems caused such as superstition can be resolved by
education.
Education is extremely important for employment. It allows people to develop certain skills that
can help them build a successful career and find jobs that do not include manual labour.

Educations can also help put a stop to social issues such as

discrimination based on race, gender, sexuality, religion etc. Thus,
education can help us make the world a better place to live in for
everyone.

CONCLUSION
It is important to remember that education is a right, not a privilege. It is the civic duty of every
individual to attain, and promote an education. While some of us take our education for granted,
millions of children are denied this basic human right. It is imperative that we do everything in
our power to bring about a change in the world and make sure every child has the opportunity to
be educated.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Right To Education, righttoeducation.in/know-your-rte/about

. “PMINDIA.” Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao: Caring for the Girl Child | Prime Minister of India,
www.pmindia.gov.in/en/government_tr_rec/beti-bachao-beti-padhao-caring-for-the-girl-child/.

“Shiksha Sahayog Yojana Policy - Insurance Plan for Students From LIC.” Bankbazaar,
www.bankbazaar.com/life-insurance/shiksha-sahayog-yojana-plan.html.

Drishti IAS. “Saakshar Bharat.” Drishti IAS, 27 Nov. 2019, www.drishtiias.com/daily-

updates/daily-news-analysis/saakshar-bharat.

https://www.constitutionofindia.net/constitution_of_india/22/articles/Article 21A

Al-Shuaibi, Abdulghani. “(PDF) The Importance of Education.” ResearchGate, Unknown, 13

Jan. 2014, www.researchgate.net/publication/260075970_The_Importance_of_Education.

Cdadmin. “Importance of Education in Life.” Salient Features of Education, 7 Mar. 2020,

www.theasianschool.net/blog/importance-of-education/.