Right to Education: Myth or Reality? The Scenario in Assam

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to identify that does a child really get the opportunity to enjoy their right to education, especially in developing states like Assam, India. In Assam, thousands of children are deprived of their right to education. Assam is affected by major floods every year, and due to this, many students lose their schools and homes, thus pushing them to the brink of uncertainty. This problem is a very serious problem because thousands of children are unable to get their education right, although they are very keen on completing their education. They are totally deprived of formal education because when floods uproot their schools, they have nowhere to go and get a formal education. This leads to their entrapment as child labour and also in their kidnapping and trafficking. Although the government is trying to tackle these problems individually, it has to be understood that these problems arise out of the inability of children to go to school. The state government has taken lukewarm steps to rebuild the schools destroyed by floods. The reluctance of the government to strengthen the infrastructure of the schools, the lack of accessibility to schools and the overburdening of school teachers with non-academic activities are responsible for children getting denied their right to education. Because of these, children gradually lose their potential and are unable to compete with real-life situations.