H U M A N R I G H T S “They Say We’re Dirty” Denying an Education to India’s Marginalized WATCH “They Say We’re Dirty” Denying an Education to India’s Marginalized Copyright © 2014 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-62313-1203 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org APRIL 2014 978-1-62313-1203 “They Say We’re Dirty” Denying an Education to India’s Marginalized Glossary ......................................................................................................................................... i Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Failures in State Responses .................................................................................................................. 5 Key Recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 8 Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 9 I. Providing Universal Access to Education .................................................................................... 10 “Education for All” ............................................................................................................................... 11 Mid-Day Meal Scheme ........................................................................................................................ 12 Constitutional Right to Education ........................................................................................................ 13 Challenges to the Right to Education Act ..............................................................................................15 International Law ................................................................................................................................ 16 II. Exclusion of Children from Marginalized Communities .............................................................. 19 Dalits and Tribal Groups ...................................................................................................................... 20 Vijay and Shyam in Pindra, Uttar Pradesh ...................................................................................... 23 Naresh in Kamtachak, Bihar .......................................................................................................... 25 Rajesh in Mittenchak, Bihar .......................................................................................................... 26 Madhu in Patna, Bihar .................................................................................................................. 27 Priya in Gaya, Bihar ...................................................................................................................... 29 Pankaj and Meena in Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh ............................................................................ 30 Sharda in Patna, Bihar .................................................................................................................. 33 Malini in Gaya, Bihar .................................................................................................................... 34 Muslims .............................................................................................................................................. 34 Sahir and Javed in Goyala Dairy Slum, Delhi .................................................................................. 37 Sara in Delhi ................................................................................................................................. 38 Salman in Delhi ............................................................................................................................ 39 III. Implementation, Monitoring, and Accountability ..................................................................... 40 Monitoring Mechanisms ...................................................................................................................... 44 Enrollment Does Not Guarantee Attendance ........................................................................................ 45 Failure to Identify Dropouts and Children at Risk ................................................................................. 46 Rani and Barkha in Mahbubnagar, Andhra Pradesh ....................................................................... 49 Veena in Mahbubnagar, Andhra Pradesh ...................................................................................... 52 Seventeen Children in Pindra, Uttar Pradesh ................................................................................. 53 Ajay in Patna, Bihar ...................................................................................................................... 54 Shaheen in Bajardihan, Uttar Pradesh .......................................................................................... 55 Seema in Patna, Bihar .................................................................................................................. 57 Failure to Provide Bridge Classes for Migrant Children ......................................................................... 58 Samar in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh .................................................................................................. 61 Reema in Gurgaon, Haryana .......................................................................................................... 62 Mita in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh ................................................................................................... 64 Poor Supervision by the Education Department ................................................................................... 64 Corruption and Other Malfeasance by School Authorities .................................................................... 65 The Challenge of Community and School-Level Monitoring Systems..................................................... 67 Role of the Panchayat (Local Village Council) ....................................................................................... 69 Ineffective Grievance Redress ............................................................................................................. 70 IV. Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 72 To India’s Central Government ............................................................................................................ 72 To State Governments ......................................................................................................................... 73 To Foreign Donors, Aid Agencies, and Concerned Governments ........................................................... 74 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................ 75 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................... 76 Civil Society Guidelines to End Discrimination in Education ................................................................. 76 Glossary Anganwadi Government-run early childhood care and education center. Anganwadi workers’ duties include providing nutritional supplements to pregnant and lactating mothers. Block Administrative division of a district. Block Education Official Official in a state government’s education department responsible for monitoring at block and village level. Block Resource Centre Academic resource center at block level to facilitate (BRC) training for teachers. The coordinators in BRCs provide in- service training and on-site support to schools for improvement of school quality. Cluster Resource Centre Academic resource center at village level. The (CRC) coordinators in CRCs provide in-service training and on- site support to schools for improvement of school quality. Monthly teacher meetings are held here. Dalit So-called “untouchables,” at the bottom of the caste hierarchy. District Administrative division of a state. Elementary education Education up to grade VIII covered under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009. Gram Panchayat Village-level councils. Gram Sabha A cluster of villages governed by a village council. Mandal Another name for block (administrative division of a district) in the state of Andhra Pradesh. I HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | APRIL 2014 Musahar A sub-caste among the Scheduled Castes. Musahars are among the poorest and the most marginalized communities, and face discrimination