Education is not a privilege, but a fundamental human right. This means that states have an obligation to protect, respect, and fulfill the right to education for all its citizens, without any discrimination.

Article 45 of the Constitution of India declares that “the State shall endeavor to provide” free and compulsory education of all children until the age of 14. After India’s 86th Amendment Act of 2002, education was further guaranteed as a fundamental right for children ages 6 to 14.

Despite these laws, however, many continue to be denied the right to education in India, particularly women and girls. About 25% of its population remains illiterate. While male literacy stands at 84.7%, female literacy is at 70.3%, lower than the global average of 79%, says UNESCO.

The illiteracy rate is higher in the country’s tea garden population, where only about 52% can read and write, according to a survey conducted in 29 tea garden labour lines by the Human Life Development and Research Centre (HLDRC) in 2018.

The Covid-19 pandemic, now in its fourth year, has made life worse for the poor and many children have dropped out of school. India had the second longest school closures (82 weeks) in the world, and about 43% of students, mostly from poor households, had no access to online classes.

To help cushion the devastating impact of the pandemic, the HLDRC has launched 37 study centres, a free non-formal education (NFE) for children of Adivasi/Indigenous tea workers in the Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts of West Bengal.

The centres, which have a strong community participation, educate children about human rights, values, gender equality, and respect for diversity. A Child Protection Committee (CPC) with five local community leaders and a teacher manages each study centre.

In 2020, India announced a National Education Policy (NEP) that would pursue equity and inclusion in and through education by addressing all forms of exclusion and marginalization, disparity, and inequality in education, and in completion and learning outcomes.

Gender equality and inclusion are vital to achieve these aims and ensure no one is left behind. Early Childhood Education (ECE) is equally important, but it is not always available to students in local government schools, particularly those from tea gardens. HLDRC study centres help narrow the gap.

ECE helps children achieve optimal outcomes in motor development, cognitive development, socio-emotional-ethical development, cultural and artistic development, communication, literacy, and numeracy.

HLDRC study centres offer a ray of hope for poor and marginalized children, particularly girls, who suffer from patriarchal norms that discriminate against them. UNESCO estimates that one third of girls drop out of school because of domestic chores; a quarter are forced into early marriages.

HLDRC works with Canadian Jesuits International and other stakeholders to put the education of disadvantaged children at the heart of its development agenda. We recognize that education plays a critical role in bridging gender, social, economic, and political divides, and in helping people unlock their full potential.