Across India, millions of children are out of school, though the exact number is difficult to pinpoint. Agencies that attempt to quantify the number of out-of-school children often differ widely in their calculations and approach, and therefore yield inconsistent results. Additionally, most reports likely underestimate the total number, at both national and state levels, because they often rely on household mapping and tracking to collect data. As such, children who are homeless or belong to migrant communities often remain under the radar and are therefore not included. Because of their invisibility in the system, estimating the size of this population presents a great challenge. There is also the case of those children who may be officially enrolled, but attend school so irregularly (if at all) that, in any practical sense, it would be difficult to consider them as being in school. Yet, they would not be included in the reported numbers since, technically, they are enrolled.
Most often, the children who find themselves without access to education belong to poor, marginalized and/or migrant communities. Because of their strained financial situation, parents will often prioritize income over education. Children are made to abandon their schooling in order to earn for their families, or to look after younger siblings and take care of household chores while their parents work. The latter is especially true with respect to girls. Other reasons children may be compelled or forced to leave school include child marriage, gender-based discrimination, low aspirations, and lack of value of education or family support.
According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation 2012, Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest share of child labour in the country. The report notes that “India has the largest number of child labourers under the age 14 in the world, often forced to work for as many as 18 hours a day, deprived of meaningful education and training opportunities that could prepare them for a better future. Nearly 85 percent of child labourers in India are hard-to-reach, invisible and excluded, as they work largely in the unorganised sector, both rural and urban, within the family or in household-based units.”
Many of our GyanSetu centers are run in heavily concentrated urban slums, called bastis. One such example is the GyanSetu center at Gomti Nagar Railway Station, which is located in the basti on railway land. It is inhabited by approximately 1200 people, living in 200 jhuggis (huts). The estimated average family size in such communities is 6 people. Most of the residents are labourers who earn daily wages and have migrated from nearby districts. Mothers work as maids, and children (especially girls) stay home and take care of their younger siblings. Many of the children themselves may work as vendors, rag pickers or helpers in road-side shops. Such conditions render the children who attend GyanSetu centers extremely vulnerable. As such, GyanSetu centers are designed to meet the educational needs of these children, address their specific needs, and act as hubs of community transformation.
