The Ministry of Education, Government of India’s Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) Plus data paints a troubling picture. UDISE is a national data aggregation platform that tracks school-level information across the country. According to the latest 2023-24 report, school enrolment across India fell by 37 lakh students compared to the previous academic year. While 25.17 crore students were enrolled in 2022-23, the number dropped to 24.8 crore in 2023-24.
What’s even more alarming is the gender breakdown: girl students declined by 16 lakh, while boy students dropped by 21 lakh. In a country where the Right to Education guarantees free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14, such a massive drop signals a deep-rooted, systemic problem that goes far beyond numbers.
Illiteracy and Generational Neglect
One of the foundational issues behind low school attendance is generational illiteracy. In countless underprivileged families, education has never been part of their legacy. Parents who are unable to read or write themselves often don’t see the long-term value of formal schooling. Their immediate concern is survival—keeping food on the table, not test scores.
As a result, children are often kept at home to assist with domestic work, care for siblings, or earn income. This reinforces a cycle of poverty, where lack of education continues across generations.
Poverty: The Root of Many Barriers
Even with policies guaranteeing free education, poverty remains a powerful barrier. The system does not account for the hidden costs—uniforms, stationery, transport, exam fees—which can quickly overwhelm low-income families. In many cases, children are expected to help support the household by working.
The pressure is often greatest on adolescent boys, who are seen as potential breadwinners, and on girls, who are expected to take on care-giving roles or are married off early. These practices continue to be widespread in certain rural and low-income urban areas.
That’s why many children begin to believe that working is more practical than learning. School is seen not as a tool for empowerment but as a delay in acquiring employable skills or income.
The Dropout Dilemma
India’s dropout rate remains persistently high, especially at the upper primary and secondary levels. Children who do enroll often fail to complete their education, and the reasons are complex—financial distress, inaccessible schools, poor child friendly teaching quality, and societal pressure.
What makes it worse is the lack of accountability. In many government-run schools, there is no structured system to track or re-engage dropouts. Children simply vanish from the rolls, and no one asks why or where they’ve gone.
The Digital Divide
In the post-pandemic world, digital access has become essential for education. Unfortunately, millions of underprivileged children are cut off from online learning due to a lack of smartphones, computers, or even basic electricity.
This “technology gap” exacerbates existing inequalities. As wealthier children gain exposure to e-learning platforms and digital literacy, underprivileged students fall further behind—creating a second class of learners with limited access and opportunity.
Cultural Norms and Societal Pressures
Education isn’t always seen as a priority in some communities. Cultural norms, religious customs, and long-held societal beliefs can influence whether children—especially girls—are allowed to attend school.
In Bengali-speaking minority communities, for example, children are often sent to Madrasas that focus primarily on religious teachings. In other regions, girls drop out after Class 5 due to early marriage or domestic responsibilities. Meanwhile, boys may begin working in brick kilns, tea stalls, or small factories to support their families.
These practices aren’t always driven by choice but by circumstance and pressure. The struggle to meet basic needs often outweighs the desire for education.
Understanding the Term ‘Underprivileged’
The word “underprivileged” covers a wide spectrum. It includes children from tribal areas, scheduled castes, religious minorities, migrants, slum dwellers, orphans, and those with disabilities. Each group faces unique challenges—from language barriers to lack of access, from discrimination to displacement.
To address these issues effectively, we must segment and understand these different categories. A one-size-fits-all policy will not work. Only customised, community-specific strategies can offer real solutions.
Lessons from the Ground
Having worked with underprivileged children for over five years, I’ve come to understand that offering free education alone is not enough. Children in marginalised communities are eager to learn, but their environments don’t always support formal schooling.
We’ve seen far better results when a combination of informal education, vocational training, co-curricular activities, and nutritional support is offered. These children build trust, self-confidence, and motivation before being mainstreamed into formal schools.
This grassroots, multi-layered approach is more sustainable and impactful. It may be slow, but it’s deeply effective. It focuses not just on attendance but on genuine learning and growth.
Collaboration is the Key
Educational reform for underprivileged children is a multi-stakeholder responsibility. The government cannot do it alone. We need the collective effort of NGOs, community organisations, private sectors, and academic institutions.
Many NGOs are already doing remarkable work—training teachers, creating alternative schools, and innovating with bridge programs. The government must recognise, partner with, and fund these initiatives meaningfully.
These collaborations can solve infrastructure gaps, improve teacher training, and bring in technology, nutrition, and mental health support. It’s not just about building schools—it’s about creating ecosystems where learning thrives.
Rethinking the System
It’s time to rethink what “free education” really means. Providing a classroom isn’t enough. We must build environments that nurture:
- Digital literacy alongside traditional education
- Safe spaces especially for girls
- Transport facilities in remote and tribal areas
- Counseling services to address trauma and stress
- Skill-building programs to complement academic learning
- Career guidance to expand children’s vision for the future.
We must also ensure that school staff are trained to deal with dropouts, and that they are held accountable when children vanish from the system. Schools should become hubs of opportunity and safety, not institutions of passive instruction.
Beyond Free: Toward Full, Fair, and Empowering Education
The road to reforming education for underprivileged children in India is not easy, but it is essential. The sharp drop in enrolment revealed by the UDISE 2023-24 data is not just a statistic—it is a red flag. It tells us that millions of children are slipping through the cracks, even when the system claims to support them.
Education should not be just free. It should be accessible, relevant, holistic, and empowering.
We must invest in partnerships, innovate at the grassroots, and create child-centric policies that respond to the real issues children face. With collective responsibility and sustained effort, we can make education not just a right on paper, but a reality in every child’s life.
(All views and opinions expressed are author’s own)
