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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Children in News Prof. Imtiaz Ahmad A Selection of Articles and News Clippings on Children Sociologist Former Faculty of JNU, Dept. of Sociology, Delhi Vol. XXVII, 2016 This isssue is supported by Misereor, Germany Dr. Nasreen Fazalbhoy Mumbai University, Former Faculty, Dept. of Sociology Mr. Colin Gonsalves CONTENTS Director, HRLN Justice R.S. Narula Former Chief Justice Editorial 2 Punjab and Haryana High Court About the issue 4 Dr. Vasanthi Raman Sociologist and Activist Special Feature : Children and Social Exclusion 5 Ms. Vidya Ben Shah Theme Articles 6 Former Chairperson, Central Social Welfare Board Newspapers & Magazines Covered 40 Editor-in-Chief Children and Society 41 Ms. Rita Panicker Director, Butterfiles Child Abuse and Neglect 50 Editorial Collective & Documentation Shinu Joseph, Sakshi Manocha Children and Law 72 Assistance: Children and Economy 84 Nirmala Nair, Dilip Mahato, Mathew Skaria Children in Conflict with Law 87 Compiled & Published by: Advocacy and Research Centre Education 111 Butterflies Protecting & Empowering Children Since 1989 Girl Child 136 U-4, Second Floor, Green Park Extn., New Delhi - 110016 Children and Media 140 Tel.: 011-46471000,26163935, 26191063 Fax: 26196117 Health 142 E-mail: [email protected] Demography 150 Suggested Contribution-Per Copy Rs. 100/- (INDIA) Right to Play 160 US $10 or equivalent (SAARC Countries) US $35 (Developed Countries) US $20 (Other Developing Countries) Children of the Disadvantaged Group 163 Design Concept: Himalini Verma Child Labour 167 Design Assistance: Sujay Joseph Cover Photo: Ghanshyam, Abhishek & Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances 181 Namrata, Okhla Mandi CDC Street Children 183 Disclaimer: The views expressed by the authors are their own and not that of the Welfare Programmes and Policies 193 Editorial Board. Index 204 Designing and Printing: R K Advertising +91-7503000790, 9313741097 [email protected] CHILDREN IN NEWS VOL XXVII, 2016 1 Editorial Dear Readers Social exclusion and discrimination are harsh realities affecting the life of children across the globe. K. Duffy (1995) defined social exclusion as: “low material means and the inability to participate effectively in economic, social, and cultural life, and, in some characteristics, alienation and distance from the mainstream society”. Social exclusion incorporates multidimensional aspects of deprivations and basis of which varies from gender, caste, class, religion, ethnicity, region, etc. Social exclusion can take many forms, with children reporting a range of experiences from being deliberately excluded from the communities on the basis of social inequalities of caste, class, gender and also disability. These social inequalities have been identified as the major causes for the social exclusion and discrimination among children in India. For instance, Caste is one of the prominent forms of social exclusion and discrimination in India. A study titled ‘Blind Spots to the Polio Eradication Endgame: Measuring the Limitations of Polio Vaccination Delivery in Dalit Communities in Gujarat’ commissioned by a Seattle based NGO, East West Management Institute (EWMI) in 2013 found that a fifth of Dalit Children (20 per cent) in rural Gujarat did not get polio drops due to untouchability (Indian Express, 2nd April 2013). Such instances highlight the debilitating effect of exclusion and discrimination on the holistic development and wellbeing of children. The disadvantaged population in our country has to face multiple discriminations and are excluded from different development programmes. There are ample evidences of the practices of discrimination against the children from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, most vulnerable people of our nation in different spheres and varied forms. Educational disparities, which contribute a great deal to the persistence of the massive inequalities in Indian society, also largely derive from more fundamental inequalities such as those of class, caste and gender (Dreeze, 2003). A large population of the children from the poor socioeconomic backgrounds and socially disadvantaged groups is either denied access to school or failing to complete elementary education. Large majority of children, particularly from the Dalit, Adivasi or Muslim communities, and children with disabilities, drop out without completing elementary education or school education till class X due to extreme poverty. The India Exclusion Report 2013-14 anchored by the Centre for Equity Studies, New Delhi corroborates the same that poverty is the main reason for the exclusion of children from the education. According to the report that in 2012-13, the Net Enrolment Ratio of school children was estimated to be 90.78 percent at the primary level, but fell to 62.24 percent at the upper primary level. The report also shows that poorer children have lower educational participation indicators like enrollment and attendance, and higher dropout rates. ‘Children, Social Exclusion and Development’ – working paper published by Institute of Dalit Studies, New Delhi in 2009 reports that there are also classroom processes that tend to deny Dalits fair participation in curriculum transaction and give them a voice in classroom discourse. The study highlights the labeling by teachers of Dalit children as ‘weak’, giving them inadequate pedagogic attention and the failure to give them the confidence to ask questions and clarifications in class. Such studies reveal that schools can be sites for exclusion of children from marginal groups. Exclusion from education will not only lower the self-esteem of the child but will also negatively 2 BUTTERFLIES shape the way he/she will position him/her self in the social world and participate in the society. Thus, schools should generate a conducive and welcoming atmosphere for the marginalized, deprived and socially disadvantaged groups. It would motivate the first generation learners to be the part of the education. Education would help them to come out of the intergenerational cycle of illiteracy and poverty. Right to Education Act 2009, various schemes and scholarships by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MoHRD), Government of India are envisioned and instrumental to attain the compulsory elementary education. Children on the street also suffers a whole range of significant deprivations. It includes homelessness, isolation, compulsion to work in unsafe and unhygienic conditions, denial of food, malnutrition, violence, harassment of law enforcing agencies and sexual abuse. Further, they have the denial or low access to schooling. For the children who spend a greater part of the day in school, experiences of discrimination, neglect, biasness or prejudice, and ill-treatment from teachers and peers would result in the drop out or frequently absent out of fear , insult or harassment. Exclusion of marginalised children from the mainstream society and system may bring about the deep estrangement and isolation of the children and their families. It would create unfavorable consequences for the child, school, family and society. However, it is imperative to make efforts and create ample opportunities for the social inclusion of the children. This issue of the ‘Children in News’ is dedicated to the theme ‘Children and Social Exclusion’. The leading articles highlight the prominent forms of social exclusion and discrimination and also challenges faced by the deprived and vulnerable sections of the society. Editor-in-Chief Rita Panicker CHILDREN IN NEWS VOL XXVII, 2016 3 The theme for this issue is Children and Social Exclusion Play, recreation and sports are considered to be cornerstone of children’s health and well-being Playing together provides oppor- tunities for social, moral as well as emotional development. 4 BUTTERFLIES SPECIAL FEATURE Children and Social Exclusion CHILDREN IN NEWS VOL XXVII, 2016 5 Social exclusion and school participation in India : Expanding access with equity* Rangachar Govinda • Madhumita Bandyopadhyay Abstract growth trajectory of elementary education in the country. In recent years, increased demand and The first factor is the increased direct massive expansion have brought into Indian involvement of the central government in schools huge numbers of children who might not strengthening the infrastructure and delivery of have attended in the past. Still, large numbers, elementary education since the adoption of the and specific groups, of children remain excluded National Policy on Education 1986 (GoI 1986), from schooling for various reasons, jeopardizing which stands out as a landmark in educational equitable access to elementary education. Further policy making. The 1986 policy established accentuating this inequity in provision, the quality the central government as the prime mover of education remains deeply unsatisfactory, in designing and implementing development particularly for children from disadvantaged initiatives in elementary edu-cation in many groups. This article explores the dimensions and states, though the situation is far from uniform issues related to exclusion from education and across the country. the policies and actions required to make edu- The second factor is the adoption of the district cational expansion more equitable, which would as the base for planning development inputs for contribute to pluralism and harmony and promote elementary education and the concurrent move greater social cohesion. to decentralize governance by empowering local Keywords self-governance