When it comes to our very own country, unfortunately, the disparity in education has no bounds even in this day and age. India’s education landscape is highly uneven. Differences based on caste, class, and gender are examples of how these inequities show up and end up in our very own society. Children in India, especially rural India, have substantially lower chances of having access to schooling in English. Geographical differences can make these disparities worse. It also has to do with the incapacity to instil a passion for learning in the younger generation. Lastly, the purpose of education for most children is carrying forward one’s family legacy, getting a secure job and supporting their family until one reaches retirement. There obviously can be so much more value added to this purpose.
Why does educational inequality exist?
Not one but various factors have led to educational inequality in India. Factors such as lack of infrastructure, class, linguistic exclusion, geography, gender inequality, caste discrimination and so on are collectively responsible for educational inequality. Additionally, in contrast to attempting to make the kids like learning and let them take it from there, the majority of teachers believe they simply need to teach children in order to achieve good test scores. Due to income inequality in our nation, many young people have no choice but to work in order to support their families and cannot devote all of their time to studying. Given below is a detailed analysis of the various factors leading to inequality in education in India.
Class
According to data conducted by Oxfam in 2020, the richest 10 per cent of Indians controlled approximately 74 per cent of the nation's wealth. The disparity between the rich and the poor has always played a huge role in inequalities in education in India. India is a developing nation, with most of its opportunities cushioned in the urban cities. On the other hand, children from rural areas and socially disadvantaged groups such as SC, ST, and OBC do not receive fair chances or an equal number of opportunities in the educational system to succeed at the top of their abilities. Numerous governmental programmes have been developed throughout the years to reduce the gap between various socioeconomic categories.
Linguistic Exclusion
While it is probably a major contributor to issues with educational access and socioeconomic mobility in multilingual emerging cultures, language has been generally ignored in studies of inequality. In post-colonial countries, it is typical for elites to hold onto their positions of authority while disenfranchising the majority of the population, which communicates in local languages, through the employment of European languages in formal education, government, and the economy.
The case of linguistic minorities has received the majority of attention in studies of language-based inequality thus far, while the developmental implications of a more equitable environment for widely spoken languages in education, training, and access to livelihoods have received much less attention. Additionally, despite the recent rise in interest in the economic implications of language, the management of multilingualism in the economic sphere and its implications for economic growth has not yet received enough attention.
Due to Geography
First, let's talk about geographical disparity, often known as the inequality that students and teachers experience based on geographical circumstances. The main factor for geographical inequality in India is the disparity in development levels between urban and rural areas. In India, all significant development initiatives take place in cities, which encourages the establishment of brand-new, state-of-the-art educational facilities in metropolitan areas. Urban educational institutions have superior amenities with nicer furnishings, smarter facilities, playgrounds, clean water availability, medical facilities, competent teachers, counselling, more job options, and much more. Rural institutions not only lack all these amenities, but also even the most fundamental sanitation and hygiene provisions. Unfortunately, numerous government schools in India lack basic amenities including adequate classroom space, clean water, and preparations for good lighting. These deficiencies contribute to growing inequality.
Gender inequality
When we think of gender inequality in India, health, educational, economic, and political disparities between men and women in India are naturally factored in. The profoundly rooted patriarchal structures are primarily to blame for gender inequality. Systemic subordination is the practise of discriminating against women from before conception. Men and women are both impacted by the complex issue of gender inequality in India. Since the goal of education is to create knowledge makers who can utilize their acquired information to the greatest financial advantage, gender equality and equity in education are closely tied to the democratic growth of society.
Caste Discrimination
Education disparity has been further exacerbated by the unequal allocation of opportunities based on social class and caste. One of the main causes of educational inequality in India is the caste system. India is a diverse nation with many different social groupings, each with its own set of ideals and principles. They operate in accordance with their values, and anything that goes against their values is unacceptable to them.
The rigidity of various socio-cultural groupings is creating problems in our nation’s very own educational system. The prospects for education for the youth of this nation are strongly impacted by the significance of social ideas and the function of caste in every individual's life in India. Caste has a significant impact on decisions about children's schooling. Children from Dalit communities in India frequently must travel further to attend the village's main school, which may be caste-segregated as they prefer studying in schools with a higher percentage of single teacher and schools with poor infrastructure.
How does educational inequality affect the disabled?
Even in today’s world, where technology and our very own perspectives have evolved significantly, educational inequality in India still happens to affect the disabled. The Indian education system is not well designed to suit the disabled. Inclusionary education is described as 'a system of education where students with and without disabilities learn together and the system of teaching and learning is suitably adapted to meet the learning needs of different types of students with disabilities' by the national Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPWD Act). For children with special needs, the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan have created a road map for implementing residential Bridge Courses that would help them build readiness skills, academic competencies, and enthusiasm for effective integration into regular schools.
COVID-19
The issue of educational inequality in India and other countries got worse because of COVID-19. The drive for online-based learning in India's quest to establish a 'new normal' wasn't viable in the long run according to India TODAY's report. There is much too much diversity and difference among students across the nation whilst the access to the internet and technology is on the lower end. According to data conducted by Oxfam in 2020, the top 10 per cent of the nation's wealthiest families have access to digital learning tools, while more than 320 million young people do not. By striving to get children back into classrooms as quickly as possible, we can stop the imbalance from COVID-19 from getting worse.
How to counter educational inequality?
The government policies have had and will always have a huge role to play in overcoming educational inequality in India. Government policies could change the course of infrastructure, facilities, and job opportunities as well as educate the citizens of India about the importance of quality education. A few suggested solutions to bring about a positive change and improvement in the condition of families with lower levels of income include making public transportation easily accessible, improving sanitation facilities, providing clean water and surroundings, and giving special consideration to educational institutions.
It’s safe to conclude that economic, social, technical, geographical, and ownership factors all contribute to the disparity in education. The signs and the root reasons for India's uneven educational system are well known and comprehended. Some of the actions that must be taken to address educational equity include concrete modifications to legal provisions, initiatives to educate and train teachers, improvements to government implementation, monitoring, and enforcement capacities and increased funding for education.
FAQs:
1) Is there inequality in education?
Absolutely. For adults from lower-income households, the rise in inequality is accompanied by a statistically negligible decline in the number of years spent in school. These two estimates, when combined, suggest that rising economic disparity was linked to rising inequality in educational attainment.
2) Can proper and equal education reduce inequality in India?
Equal access to formal education may significantly reduce inequality in our nation. Schools may be locations where children from affluent and low-income households can make friends and overcome barriers to inequality. They may fight the laws that maintain economic injustice in society at large and provide young people with the skills they need to go out into the world and create more just societies.