Better Education for Children

Freshly released Census 2011 data has revealed two alarming facts: as many as 78 lakh Indian children are forced to earn a livelihood even as they attend schools while 8.4 crore children don’t go to school at all.
Although the share of working students is low, compared to the whole student population, the numbers are sufficiently big to show how much importance is placed on education by families and the children themselves. They also point to the increasing cost of education, which should ideally be free for the age group of 5 to 17 years.
Among students who work, 57 per cent are boys, the remaining 43 per cent are girls. Not surprising in a country where women account for only 27 per cent of the workforce because of patriarchal attitudes and lack of jobs force them into domestic work.