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Study Related Issues of Slum Girls in India |
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| Paper Id :
19678 Submission Date :
2025-01-01 Acceptance Date :
2025-01-14 Publication Date :
2025-01-17
This is an open-access research paper/article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.14851484 For verification of this paper, please visit on
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| Abstract |
This article examines the study-related issues in slum areas of India, with a focus on slum girls’ education. In the slum area, girl face a lot of difficulties in accessing their education due to poor living conditions, and poverty. Inadequate infrastructure, early marriage, socio-cultural norms, and gender differences. The government started many education policies but slum dwellers experience many barriers. This paper analyzes the educational landscape in slum areas, highlighting girl’s education, enrollment, dropout rates, and gender disparity. Government policies; Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Right to Education Act (2009), and the Mid-Day Meal scheme made progress in the education of slum dwellers but implication gap still existsin gender-sensitive, infrastructure, and teacher training. To overcome these challenges, recommendations include enhancing school infrastructure, providing alternative education pathways and vocational training, offering financial incentives, fostering community engagement, and incorporating gender-responsive teaching methods. Nutrition and health are also important because they affect school performance and attendance, especially for girls. Ultimately the article emphasizes the need for a collaborative and multi-stakeholder approach, encompassing government. Community and NGOs efforts to reduce gender disparity, help to increase girls’ education, and alleviate poverty in India’s urban slums. |
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| Keywords | Slum dwellers girls, education, gender disparity, barriers to girls’ education, poverty, health, and nutrition. | ||||||
| Introduction | Education is a lifetime achievement for humans. Education plays a crucial role to the overall development of students; intellectual, and spiritual. Social, emotional, and physical. It transforms people from animals to human beings and prepares them to interact with society so education is very important for all children whether girl or boy. Education means not only gaining marks in your class. It improves your logical and critical thinking and producestheknowledge in your life to achieve anything India’s slum are marked by dirty living conditions, including severe overcrowding, poor sanitation and limited access to fundamental necessities like potable water, electricity and medical care. The slum is an area where people migrate from rural to urban and start living in search of better economic opportunities. According to World Bank data, 49% of the Indian urban population lived in slum areas in 2020. Education, is one of the most significant challenges faced by slum dwellers. Schools in slum areas often suffer from untrained teachers, school fees, low enrollment, Family restrictions, and poor school buildings. Even more problems in education for girls- safety concerns, domestic responsibilities, gender disparity, health issues, and other related problems. The dire circumstances in these areas perpetuate a vicious cycle of poverty, where inadequate education restricts job prospects, exacerbating economic and social disparities ( Drize and Sen, 2013) |
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| Objective of study |
This article examines the study-related issues in slum areas of India, with a focus on slum girls’ education. In the slum area, girl face a lot of difficulties in accessing their education due to poor living conditions, and poverty. Inadequate infrastructure, early marriage, socio-cultural norms, and gender differences. |
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| Review of Literature |
Overview of Education in Slum areas in India Education is a pivotal factor in enhancing the socioeconomic status of a community. Conversely, the combination of poverty and lack of education can lead to dire circumstances, often evident in urban slums. A substantial segment of India’s urban poor resides in slums, which are characterized by deplorable living conditions, inadequate housing, and a severe shortage of basic amenities. These overcrowded and densely populated areas lack essential services and education is a critical concern due to alarmingly low literacy rates. Right to Education Act (2009) every child from 6 to 14 yearshas to right free education but despite it slum children frequently attend informal or private school, which typically lack of sufficient resources, infrastructure, and unqualified teachers, compromising the quality of education. Despite ongoing efforts, a substantial number of children in India – numbering in the millions continue to be out of school a stark reminder of the country’s ongoing education challenges. Researcher Mr. Vydyanathan Lakshman write persuit of education is influenced by a range of personal factor, such as financial resources, academic interest, family dynamics, and other individual circumstances. Drop out rate is increased, number of student stop their education after 6th or 7th standard due to lack of intersest, domestic responsibility, safety concern,early marriage many more reason. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also played a strong role for the education of slum children. They start different- different types of programs; day-dream school, awareness compaigns, less fees school classes, nutrition and health program. Numerous NGOs in modern india strive to bridge these gaps by providing essential education to underprivileged urban children, including those residing in slum and child laboresrs, through innovative and effective methods (Chakravarty, 2002). Non-government educational organizations have been a becon of hope in india providing high quality education to slum children and essential social services, thereby contribution to the country is overall development and progress. Sustained interventions from both government and community-based organizations are crucial to address the deeply ingrained girls education in slum areas and foster meaningful change.To promote educational empowerment awareness compaigns emphasizing the importance of girls’s education, adult education and vocational training should be conducted by the government, NGOs, and school in these ares (Das, Lakhahira, 2005). To bring about meaningful change in the lives of slum families, select NGOs are faciliting Self Help Groups that focus on organized saving and credit initiatives, thereby promoting economic empowerment and self-sufficiency. |
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| Main Text |
Problem faced by Slum
Girls in Completing their Education Through Right to Education Act government expected to increase the number of students from slum area, after that lots of student are drop out from school due to economical condition, safety issue, lack of interest, family responsibility etc. a dropoutrate of girls are more than boys. The attributed reasons are as under. Gender disparity- Gender disparity is a condition where a girl is treated less than a boy because of their gender. Gender discrimination is conspicuous in every field and also exist in the field of education. According to government rule education is the primordial right of every citizen who is living in country. In the field of education discrimination is a big barrier to achieve knowledge. In slum area girls are completely neglected for education. Their orthodox thinking said that girl’s education is waste of money and they focus on their son’s life. They think girls have no need for education. Educational Infrastructure &Safety Concern- Women safety are the major issue in the field of education. Girls are not able to go to school because the school is far from home. Due to the school being far away parents are not allowed their daughter to go to school. They are fear for their daughter’s safety. And school buildings are in very bad condition where there is no provision for female toilet, hence girls refuse to go to school. Early Marriage- Early Marriage is also a big barrier in the field of education in slum area. In slum areas, parents marry their children very early, due to this reason girls have to leave their studies in midway.In poorer communities, early marriage remains a widespread practice, driven by the notion that daughters constitute a financial burden, leading to their premature marriage and curtailed education (Kabeer, 2012). Health and Nutrition- Women’s health is very important. But in slum area poor living condition, unsanitize area, poor water condition Affected the girl’s health. Lack of nutrition their health condition is not very good so they are unable to go to school. Lack of Support- In slum area girls are unable to continue their studies because they do not get support from their family and society. Some girls are interested for their study but lack of support they drop out from school. Family think girls education is waste of money and there is no benefil to educate them Uneducated Parents and Unawreness- In slum areas parents are uneducated they don’t know the value of education. According to them there is no need for education. Some who know the value of education they preferred to educate their son because they think that in future only the boy will be their support and the girls will get married and have to do the household work only. They are not aware the girls education is also important as well as boys education. Domestic Responsibilities- A common phenomenon in slum areas is the expectation that young girls will undertake considerable domestic work, including household chores and sibiling care, thereby limiting their opportunities for education and personal development(Tembon & Fort, 2008). Both parents go about their work, father goes to this work mother goes to cleaning the house of people, where girls are given the responsibility of the house. Poverty and Insufficient Educational Resources- Poverty is also a big barrier in field of education. Slum dwellers areeconomically very poor. Once they afford the fees of schools but limited access to basic educational materials, including textbooks, writing supplies and digital resources, is a pervasive challenge facing children in slum areas.they have enough money to survive their life and if they can afford the fee and stationary materials they prefer to educate their son, they think boys education is necessary more than boys. National Programs and Policies for Improving Educational Outcomes in Indian Slums Government takes initiate to improve the quality of education and provide the material for education and try to decrease the drop out rate from school through their programs and policies, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA)- Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, launced in (2000). The initiatives focus on strengthening elementary education by upgrading infrastructure, increasing accessibility, and promoting equality for disadvantaged children in rural and urban slum communities Mid-Day Meal Scheme-To address hunger and education disparities, this programs supplies free meals to children in government and aided schools, fostering a supportive learning environment and encouranging regular attendance among disadvanteaged student. Right to Education Act (2009)- Right to education act provide free and compulsory education from 6 to 14 yrs children. The law includes special provisions to promote inclusive education, enabling children from disadvantaged backgrounds, including slum dwellers, to access quality learning opportunities.And this act mandadates a 25% reservation quota in private schools for students from economically weaker sections. Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV)-In 2004, the Indian government introduced the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya scheme to provide residential educational facilities to girls from marginized backgrounds, including those living in urban slum, with the goal of promoting gender equality in education. Improving Education for Girls Improving education for girls in slum areas of India requires a holistic approach addressing economic, social, and cultural barriers. Here are key steps that can be taken: Awareness and Advocacy Community Engagement: Conduct campaigns to sensitize communities about the importance of girls' education. Role Models: Highlight stories of successful women from similar backgrounds to inspire families. Collaborations with Religious and Community Leaders: Gain support from local influencers to encourage education. Financial Support Scholarships and Stipends: Provide financial assistance to cover tuition fees, books, uniforms, and transport. Conditional Cash Transfers: Offer incentives to families who send their daughters to school regularly. Free Education: Ensure government schools are equipped to offer quality education without hidden costs. Access and Infrastructure Local Schools: Establish schools within slum areas to reduce travel barriers. Safe Transportation: Provide secure and affordable transport options for girls. Basic Facilities: Ensure schools have clean toilets, menstrual hygiene management, and drinking water to make them girl-friendly. Quality of Education Teacher Training: Focus on gender-sensitive pedagogy and capacity-building for teachers. Supplementary Education: Offer remedial classes, tutoring, and after-school programs to bridge learning gaps. Digital Learning: Introduce affordable e-learning tools and community learning centres with internet access. Breaking Socio-Cultural Barriers Combat Early Marriage: Work with NGOs to prevent child marriages and advocate for keeping girls in school. Parental Involvement: Conduct workshops to educate parents on the long-term benefits of girls' education. Community Champions: Train women from the community as educators and advocates. Health and Nutrition Support Mid-Day Meals: Provide nutritious meals at school to incentivize attendance and improve focus. Healthcare Access: Address health issues that hinder education, such as anemia and menstrual health challenges. Monitoring and Accountability Data Tracking: Maintain records of enrolment, attendance, and dropout rates to identify trends and intervene early. Community Feedback: Set up mechanisms for families and students to voice concerns about the education system. Partnerships Public-Private Partnerships: Collaborate with NGOs, corporations, and international organizations to fund and implement educational programs. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Engage companies to support education initiatives under CSR activities. Vocational and Life Skills Training: Provide older girls with vocational training, entrepreneurship skills, and financial literacy to make education relevant and practical. Policy Implementation and Advocacy Advocate for better enforcement of laws like the Right to Education Act and policies targeting gender equality in education. Push for increased government spending on education infrastructure and teacher salaries in marginalized areas. |
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| Conclusion |
The formation of
slums is driven by several factors, including rural to urban migration,
economical inequality and the scarcity of affordable housing in cities, As
people migrate to urban areas in search of better economic opportunities.By
receiving the literature it can be concluded that education in slum area is
very problematic- lack of interest, uneducated parents, poor economic
condition, early marriage, gender disparity etc. Boys don’t want to leave their
job (labourer) and girls don’t go for study due to household responsibility and
take care of their younger sibilings. Despite all the government policies
significant challenges remain in ensuring equitable infrastructure gaps,
teacher capacity issues, and socio-economic obstacles that disproportionately
affect children living in slums. Government and organization are commited to
supporting the education of children in slum areas through implement policies
and initiatives, recognizing that sustained efforts are necessary to overcome
systemic barriers and ensure that every child has the opportunity to receive a
quality education. And also focus on awareness program for awre parents for
their children,s education, higher the qualified teacher, some interesting
activities should be done so that children feel good and motivated coming to
school, school have give to facility for, children’s facilities should be taken
care of in school especially for girls. Government should take steps to reduce
the drop out rate through awareness program, trained teacher, good school
environment. |
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