Socialist Party (India) concluded its week-long campaign to mobilize people to support the demand of making ti compulsory for children of those people who are drawing government salaries and people’s representatives to study in government schools. During this campaign, Socialist Party supporters staged a demonstration in front of offices of Basic Education Directorate Nishatganj, Secondary Education office Park Road and Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA)’s office Jagat Narain Road Lucknow. The campaign ran from 30th September to 6th October 2014 daily from 11am to 12 noon.
Socialist Party has decided to make this demand a political issue because unless it is made compulsory for government employees and people’s representatives to send their children to study in government schools, it is very unlikely that the plight of government schools will become any better. We also call upon other political parties to take a position on this issue.
Just like Indira Gandhi led government had nationalized all banks in India, similarly all educational institutions should be nationalized. When government will takeover and run all schools, then not only all teachers will draw equal wages but all children will also get free and same education, with same curriculum and facilities.
When we are eating or sipping tea at a roadside eatery we often do not realize that the serving hands should instead be holding pencil and books. It is common sight that we often do not care to ask even the names of these working chilren who are often referred to as ‘Chhottu’. Many such children do hard labour at eateries, motorcycle or cycle repair shops, fire cracker or glass manufacturing units, knitting units or working as domestic helps.
Articles 24, 21-A and 45 of Indian constitution should have been sufficient to stop child labour. Now we have many more laws too such as manufacturing workshop Act 1948, Mining Act 1952, child labour (prohibition and control) Act 1986, justice for minor children (protection and security) Act 2000, and right to free and compulsory education Act (RTE) 2009. If we had implemented these laws honestly then we would not have seen working children. Despite these laws to stop child labour, children are forced to work all around the country. This situation implies that neither the government is serious about implementing these laws to stop child labour nor the citizens have any problem with working children. We the citizens instead often rationalize child labour on pretext of some or the other excuse such as family compulsions of the child, no impact of education in that child’s life, etc.
If we are enjoying a service in which children are made to work then we too are responsible or this situation. We also have to ask a moral question from our ownself that who has given us the right to snatch childhood from someone?
If we are denying education to a child then we are also closing doors on him to progress in life. Many a times it is cited that due to poverty a child is unable to study. But this is also a truth that if that child has to break the vicious cycle of poverty then she has to get educated. Most child labourers are from Dalit and Muslim communities which are one of the most underserved communities in our society. If we continue to deny education to their children then it also implies that we want them to remain stuck in the poverty.
Development indicators will improve only when essential basic needs are met for everyone with dignity (such as food, clothing and shelter) and everyone has access to free and quality education and health services. Most nations that have succeeded in improving development indicators for all their citizens have made quality education and health services free for all.
All developed countries and many developing nations have achieved 99-100% literacy rates but half of India’s children are not even able to complete school level education – half of these are working as child labourers. Countries which have been successful in achieving 99-100% literacy rates have implemented same education system for all children – which means all children have free access to almost same quality of education.
That is why we are demanding same education system for all children and appeal to the government to nationalize all educational institutions in the country.
Girish Kumar Pande, state President; Dr Sandeep Pandey, national Vice-President
Socialist Party (India)
Phones: 94154-02311 (Girish ji), 0522-2347365 (Sandeep ji), 98390-73355 (Bobby)
