The constitution Of India clearly states that elementary education is a fundamental right of children in the age of 6-14 years. In order to meet the demands of the growing population, India has about 688,000 primary schools and 100,000 secondary schools. If the statistics are taken into account, then two third of the children, of the school-going age, are admitted to schools. But the reality of the situation is that most of them leave school halfway or do not attend regularly. So, even though the government is trying its best to uphold basic education for all, some issues remain unsolved.
Economic Disparity
The social conditions in India do not encourage education. Poverty clouds the minds of majority of India's population and therefore earning quick money to relief the burden of family life is more important than education. Many children who are enrolled for primary education have to drop out simply to support their families.
Gender Disparity
Even though the Government has made considerable efforts, girls' education is India is still a concern. India being a patriarchal society, the orthodox families of the rural areas refuse to send their girls to schools. They are married off as soon as they reach a marriageable age or in some cases, child marriage also takes place. Lack of basic education leads to lack of awareness of social and human rights and therefore leads to tolerance of abuse.
Child labour
One of the primary issues with elementary education in India is the child labour. The Government of India has banned child labour in all forms yet it rears its ugly head time and again. It hampers the basic education of the child. Some of the children enrolled in schools do part time jobs and are unable to concentrate on the lessons taught in school.
Lack Of facilities
India lacks the infrastructure to support the minds of its youth. The rural areas have few schools and sometimes, children have to travel from villages far away to attend school. Most of the guardians refuse to send their children to these schools for the fear of safety. Basic amenities like water, electricity and proper food are missing from these educational centres. There has been many a case where the food or water provided by the school has caused health problems in students.
Lack of good teaching faculties
Good education can only be imparted when good teachers take on the responsibility of teaching the youth. At present, the rural areas lack good quality teachers who want better infrastructure, better working conditions and better pay. Sadly, the authorities fail to provide to their needs and they leave for better positions.
Elementary education in India is in need of a fix immediately. The lack of resources and investment in acquiring good quality education will only lead to further damage to the minds of the youth. Development of skills and better working conditions are also required for the teachers of the country.
Tags:
India
Elementry
Drawbacks
Issues
