Education Inequality

My first community visit to a low income community (Yerawada area) in Pune was on Saturday. I was excited to visit a low income locality and see closely, what could be the mind set and hardships faced by them.

We were a group of 106 people, and I along with one of my friends (who was also an intern like me in the NGO) went about to understand and connect with the children’s of that locality. We walked a bit far into the locality and took a small detour from the main road and entered a narrow lane, where we saw a number of children in the age group of 5-6 years.

My friend then started to talk with 2 children, and I went a little more inside the lane to survey the children who were sitting as a group outside a house. The houses were all single room; the women were washing the utensils and clothes outside their houses; and some houses had TV’s.

The first thing I did was to roll down my sleeves to hide my watch which seemed the most useless but the most expensive thing out there. I went near the group and asked what are they doing? Two ran to their houses seeing a stranger (that could be the reason) but three remained seated there. As we were instructed to ask in English, I asked to the eldest child there, “What is your name?” Shahdad was the reply. “Which school?” XXX English School. Next was which class? He replied class 6^th.   

Then I asked the other child but he did not know English, as he went to a Marathi school. Next, I asked the most silent kid (her name was Sana), who after much coaxing spoke she was in class 2. I asked her to write from 1 to 10. She was silent. I promised her, I will give my pen if she even tells me from 1 to 10. She somehow managed from 1 to 8. I gave her the pen and asked her to draw 5 circles on an A4 size paper I was having. I was shocked to see that the kid struggled to even catch the pen properly. She tried hard and managed to draw 5 shapes resembling circles all very widely in size.

One interesting thing I noticed was, throughout the time their mothers stood there and after this the girl’s mother came to me and said she can sing a poem. She sang 2 English poems one was “Johnny Johnny Yes Papa”. The parents also enquired what were we doing; a survey or something else. They never complained about the schools where their children went, but definitely I have seen my cousin in class 2 who is solving computer programs. Is this education inequality found everywhere, was the question I asked myself?  

Next I met a class 8^th boy who was observing me from the last 1 hour. I had a chat with him. Getting to know he was in class 8^th, I asked him what subjects he was studying. He said nothing. I told English, Marathi, Hindi, Science, on hearing science he gave a puzzled look. I then asked Chemistry, Physics, but still he was confused. I sensed his uncomfortable look and diverted him from that topic and asked him what game he plays. I expected Cricket but, when he said Football I was really happy and asked him what he wants to become in future. He said he wanted to be an engineer. The innocent but determined look in his eyes made me feel sad because in schools you need to teach science which can help a child to pursue his engineering dreams.

Then I met a 9^th standard boy whose dream was to become an army person. I asked him why not air force, when you are in Pune. “Have any of your relatives ever been in Army?” He said no. “Then why kid”. He told,” Bhaiya, I want to serve the nation”. I also came to know, he runs every day, plays football, hockey and cricket for increasing his physical endurance. I told him never to lose confidence and was about to leave when he asked,” Bhaiya, do we need science for getting into army.” I didn’t expect this from a 9^th grade student. I told him,” As you know Mathematics; you just need to know the basics of Physics and Chemistry for the written exam.” He looked a bit relaxed after my answer in which I intentionally reduced the importance of science in written exams.

Just think about the metropolitan kids who start their IIT preparation by class 8^th. These low income society’s children neither get good education, resources, reading materials but still their goals seem clear than the overqualified people. Presently the Government’s duty is to ensure every child attends school, which is quite achievable because parents are motivated and want their children to get education (The mother of a 4 year old girl told me, she will send her child to school so that she can stand on her feet). But which Government can ensure that all these children will pass school. Even after 10^th class, without a pass certificate from college, very few people can earn money (commonly stated example Bill Gates). And these children can’t even pass 10^th class, leave alone college.

Solutions can be many, but this truth of education inequality should be dealt fast because children go to school and also work hard but they don’t get to know that slowly and with years they are getting eliminated out of the competition.