Education

In a land of 453 million internal migrants, a majority among whom seek work in cities, children’s education is the greatest casualty. Government schemes notwithstanding, most migrant children never end up joining school in host cities or eventually drop out.

Heavy schoolbags have serious health effects. Yet, in many cities, children carry almost half their body weight on their backs. The recent central government order to reduce schoolbag weight also looks unlikely to make much difference.

With 18 institutions and 5,500 students at all levels, Education City in violence-stricken Dantewada is a novel and successful experiment. It is the only ray of hope for the children of a state ravaged by Naxalism.

Right from pre-schools to online digital academies for adult practitioners, educators are coming up with many innovative programmes to promote sustainability and spread awareness about the environment. The question is whether these can really create impact in the long run.

A young researcher in Mumbai asked high school students from the LGBT community to share their experience in their schools. Close to 200 people from across cities responded and their tales are alarming.

Equipping girls from all strata of society with the right set of tools to make informed choices and speak up for themselves will be critical for the progress of urban society and economy, writes Malini Gopalakrishnan.

Several reported instances of child sexual abuse in preschools across India, often by members of staff, raise concerns about the lack of regulation in the country’s pre-primary education sector. Akshatha M digs deeper.

The hike in fees of private schools by as much as 20 to 30% in some cases has created much discontent across India. But why is private schooling becoming so costly and what do schools have to say?