Childescence (childhood and adolescence) is a time of significant change in an adolescent with growth and development in all life spheres, be it psychological, cognitive, behavioural or physiological. The recent CRY report has revealed that only one in every two adolescents between 15 to 18 years is studying in India.
The data throws light on deprived access to secondary education. Of the 100 million children, only 56 per cent continue to access classrooms through formal schooling. Childescents who are accessing education through other modes of learning such as open or distance learning are restricted to two per cent.
With respect to enrollment and dropout rates in school, it was observed that 29 per cent of Childescents in secondary education and 24 per cent in higher education are not appropriately enrolled as per their age. The data suggests that a substantial percentage of children either leave school on a temporary basis and then re-join later, or may have joined school late.
Against 100 children expected to be in secondary school by this age, only 30.5 per cent are transitioned into secondary and higher secondary schooling. Around 29 per cent of Childescents in urban areas do not attend school while the proportion is far higher in the rural areas— 40 per cent children who stay in rural areas don’t attend school at all.
Explaining CRY’s objectives and emphasising on the issue, Puja Marwah, CEO, CRY, said: “Secondary education is a window of opportunity that can lead to gainful adult employment, therefore universalisation of a secondary education, along with focus on quality improvement is of great importance. Special focus is needed for children who belong to the socio-economically weaker backgrounds by creating systems that help identify and track children who are at risk of dropping out of school, remedial support and appropriate provisioning to keep them purposefully engaged in Education.”
There are a lot more solutions that can help in approaching the problem, such as urgent implementation of universalisation of secondary education. Doing so will allow the children, especially from marginalised communities, to choose a positive trajectory for their lives.
No more than 60 per cent of all Indian children complete secondary school, so there is an alarming need to improve net enrollment rates in secondary education. Children who are in difficult circumstances and have to combine work with school are prone to frequent migration, or married Childescent girls are often the ones with highest likelihood of dropping out from school. Systems need to be set up for identifying and tracking the children at risk, those in need of remedial educational support, and those who need flexible timing or scheduling changes.
Making gender equality a primary goal of school system will go long way in improving their second class status throughout life. Inviting Positive Role Models, including parents who have supported girls to take up higher aims in life, societal achievers, entrepreneurs and self- help groups are strategies that could be followed.
The availability of competent subject experts in schools where most vulnerable children may be enrolled is the test of India’s public education system. Not having this basic minimum standard would result in a system that is ineffective at its roots. While following this approach, investing in adequacy of teachers and training them in pedagogical tools that combine subject and emerging technologies to serve world class education should be accorded high priority.
A bouquet of choices should be available to allow childescents to transition successfully from school to work and to gain transferable skills that are beneficial in the long term and contribute in positions of either employability or entrepreneurship in future.
“It is of utmost importance to recognise that childescence as a life phase comes with unique vulnerabilities, challenges and opportunities at the levels of self, society and systems. We must commit to altering our social perception and treatment of these children in order to make their childhood happy, healthy and creative,” Marwah concludes.