Many children in India (belonging to low-income families) throw themselves into real-world battles very early in their lives. In a country where Right to Education is a law, 126,66,377 children work in different sectors to earn a day’s food. Nevertheless, a rapid change is taking place where today children are adopting education rather than work.
every child should be educated
Previously, many families considered a child as an additional resource to feed the family and obtain income to feed the children. It has changed a lot over the years. Thanks to the initiatives and schemes of the Government of India, many children are now encouraged to attend school. Additionally, when children started getting benefits from mid-day meal schemes in schools, they started bringing their siblings along, which solved the problem of most parents.
change over the years
The 1998 National Census of India estimated the total number of child laborers in the age group 4-15 to be 12.6 million, out of a total child population of 253 million in the age group 5-14. In the 2011 National Census of India, the total number of working children in the age group 5–14 was 4.35 million, and the total child population in that age group was 259.64 million. So yes, the numbers have declined but the problem of sending children to school is yet to be solved.
A national policy on child labor was formulated in 1987 and since then, the government has tried to ensure that children go to school. One of the more notable steps of the government has been the enactment of the ‘Children’s Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act’ or the Right to Education Act also known as RTE. It was enacted on 4 August 2009, which spells out the importance of free and compulsory education for children between the ages of 6 and 14 in India under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution. In addition, the government in its current system began to accelerate various policies regarding the education of children.
One such move was the launch of the mid-day meal scheme in 2004. The scheme has undergone several reforms over the years with a view to include all government schools in the system. The primary objective of the mid-day meal program is to feed children a nutritious meal to encourage them to attend school. The government has tied up with NGOs to efficiently implement MDMS in schools to reach more and more children.
Benefits of Mid Day Meal Program
Children are now encouraged to go to school and this has so far proved to be a win-win for the parents of the economically weaker section. Parents are now realizing that they can rely on school lunch programs to feed children. Children have benefited in many ways from the mid-day meal scheme. Properly fed children feel more motivated to work hard on their academics, experience an overall physical and mental development and understand the importance of having ambitions for the future.
Ever since the organizations implemented their mid-day meal program, it has had a tremendous impact on the lives of children. There are stories of hope where children have been genuinely benefitted in the mission of food for education. You can be a part of this wonderful cause of encouraging kids to go to school. Sponsor a child today!