The Widening inequality

Summary

The article discusses the stark inequality in India, particularly focusing on the disparity in children's access to education and opportunities based on their socioeconomic status.

Abstract

The author encounters a poignant scene of a child sleeping on the footpath with a dog, which starkly contrasts with the life of privileged children. This scene serves as a catalyst for reflection on the wide inequality in India, where children from impoverished backgrounds face a future likely to be trapped in a cycle of poverty and menial labor due to limited access to quality education and resources. Despite improvements in school dropout rates, significant disparities persist, especially in the poorest regions. The article questions the guarantee of college education and employment even for those who complete school, highlighting the issue of degree-holding graduates lacking necessary skills. It emphasizes education as a crucial means of escaping poverty but points out that it remains inaccessible for many due to the need for basic living conditions. The author advocates for providing opportunities and the right environment for underprivileged children to break the cycle of poverty and suggests they could excel if given the chance.

Opinions

The author believes that education is the key to lifting individuals out of poverty but acknowledges that it is often out of reach for those who need it most.
There is a critical view of the education system, where a degree does not necessarily equate to employability or the possession of required skills.
The article implies that the current state of affairs leaves many children in a vicious cycle of poverty, with limited prospects for a better future without external intervention.
It is suggested that with proper guidance and opportunities, underprivileged children have the potential to outperform their privileged counterparts.
The author seems to support the idea that providing a home and access to education is essential for these children to have a chance at a decent life.

The kid on the footpath

I was walking back to the metro station after dinner when I spotted a kid sleeping next to a dog on the footpath. It hit me. I turned around but didn’t know what to do.

The inequality is stark: At one end, we have kids popping their heads from sunroofs of their car, beaming, and at the other end, we have kids sleeping on the footpath, beside a dog.

Although the kid was sleeping peacefully, the sight wrenched my heart.

What future does the kid have who was sleeping on the footpath? Probably, enrol in a government school, but what after that? At some point, the kid would have to leave school and take up a menial job to support the family, and the job would keep the kid in a vicious cycle: earning just enough to live to see another day, but beyond that nothing much kid can hope for.

And though India’s school drop rate has improved, some pockets in the country have higher than the national average dropout rates. And these pockets are the poorest in the country.

Education after school

And even if a student completes school, what’s the guarantee that the student will enter the job market? Who’s going to pay for the college? And we live in an era where unless you have a degree, you won’t find a job.

Some would argue that’s changing, but let’s be realistic, most recruiters still depend on a degree to screen candidates, although a degree may not ensure that the person has the required skills.

A few years back, one of the top executives of an Indian software giant said, “85% of engineering graduates not immediately employable…need to improve quality of education.”

Can everyone get education?

Education is the only way by which they could be lifted out of poverty, but education is out of reach for these kids, the only hope they have to live a decent life, so how do we make education available to all? And even if they get access to schools, they need a home to go back to from school. They can’t stay on the footpaths.

So, how do they get out of the vicious circle of poverty? And I believe if these kids get an opportunity, they can outperform kids with privileges, but how do we ensure they get an opportunity? Without the right guidance and environment, they can easily go astray and find themselves in a dark place, a place that they can’t get out of easily.

The Widening Inequality

The kid on the footpath

Education after school

Can everyone get education?