Right
To Education At Crossroads
In Jharkhand
By
Gladson Dungdung
03January,
2008
MyNews.in
"Education is the movement from darkness to light."
-- Allan David.
Though
the 'Right to education' became the fundamental right after the 86 th
amendment of the Constitution of India in 2002 but the grassroots realities
still remain the same. The right to education has been incorporated
in the Article 21a of the Constitution, which clearly says that the
state shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of
the ages of 6 to 14 years. The Central and the State government are
implementing numerous education programmes in the state for ensuring
the right to education of children at the grassroots. The 'Total Literacy
Programme' is the most populous among them. At the same time, Mid-day
Meal scheme was also introduced to ensure the presence of children in
the schools.
But unfortunately
the situation in many schools in Jharkhand has been the other way. Authorities
have been forced to discontinue the mid-day meal scheme after children
refused to consume food cooked by Dalit women. In September 2007, students
of a government middle school at Putki, 15 km from Dhanbad district
headquarter, refused to eat food cooked by a women belonging to the
Bawri (Dalit) Caste. Though the authorities tried to persuade the parents
but they protested against it and the scheme was suspended for three
months. It was restarted only after a 'higher caste' cook was appointed.
The authorities threatened the parents that they would prosecute them
under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 but it went on vain
and the schemes remains suspended in many schools in the district.
The slogan
of the total literacy programme "Adhi Roti Khayenge, Phir Bhi School
Jayenge" (we shall go to school even with the half stomach) remains
painted only on the walls. The government of India had sanctioned crores
of money to the state government but the result is quite disappointing.
The Total Literacy programme has no meaning to more than 4 lakhs children
who are still engaged as child labourers in the state. They have no
ideas about their right to education and mid day meal as well.
The Census
Report 2001 shockingly mentions about the denial of right to education
to the rural masses. The report says that 348 villages among 32,620
villages of Jharkhand are still waiting for a literate person to come.
1291 villages have only 10 percent literate people and not even a single
woman is literate in 1433 villages. 4573 villages have merely 10 percent
literate women. 382 villages are waiting for a literate man and 665
villages have only 10 percent literate men. In total, the state has
53.6 percent literacy including 67.3 percent male and 38.9 percent female.
The right
to education also must be checked between urban and rural population.
Comparison of education between rural and urban masses, it shows that
the urban people are more privileged. The only 45.7 percent people of
rural areas are literate meanwhile 79.1 percent literate people are
from urban areas. Among them 60.9 percent men are literate in rural
areas and 87.0 percent in urban areas. On the other hand, 29.9 percent
women are literate in rural areas and 70 percent literate women are
in the urban areas.
The status
of education also can be analyzed by district wise. The East Singhbhum
district occupy the top position with 68.8 percent literacy and Pakur
district falls on the bottom with merely 30.6 percent literate people.
The education was completely dominated by men in Dhanbad district with
79.5 percent but Pakur district disappoints them as they come with merely
40.2 percent literacy. Women came in the top in East Singhbhum with
57.3 percent but they lost in Pakur district as they have merely 20.6
percent literacy.
The most
marginalized communities of the state - tribal and Dalit are at the
bottom of the education ladder. The tribal community has merely 33 percent
literacy including 48.76 percent male and 22.11 percent female literacy
while only 29.90 percent people from Dalit community are literate with
41.28 percent male and 17.85 percent female literacy. On the other hand,
the NGOs have also received crores of rupees for providing education
to tribal and Dalit children but the outcome is not visible. Therefore
there is a thrust need of the honest and strong efforts to be taken
up for improving the status of education in the state.
In the era
of the information technology, one can not even imagine of development
without the quality education. But we have not even achieved the graph
of cent percent literacy even after 60 year of Independence of India.
On the other hand, the practices of untouchability in schools are going
on, which is a big obstacle and a great shame for us. When would the
state become accountable for these entire grimy situations? The social
justice can not be delivered to the marginalized people without education
and awareness; this is why the decision makers enjoy the privileges
after knowing these drawbacks of the poor. The poor and marginalized
people will not be given their rights and privileges unless and until
they insist for it.
© 2007 mynews.in
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