THE problem of children being deprived of schooling refuses to go away. Yet a survey carried out in January 2000 in Delhi by Pratham, a non-government organisation, revealed that almost 2,500 children in Trilokpuri were not attending any school. The most popular myth is that children are needed for work at home.
Girls work longer hours.
While there are a large number of working children in urban areas, the majority of children who live with their families do not work all the time and definitely do not work all through the day. The situation of street children and other children in difficult circumstances is no doubt very different. Talking to children and their parents, it becomes evident that the quality of schooling and overall school environment is an important issue. Poor teaching, lack of interest of teachers, overcrowded classrooms - all these gradually wear down the child and the family. A study conducted at the Dhobiatalab slum in 1993 revealed that 84 per cent of the children in the 6 to 14 age-group were out of school.