The Education of Street Children in India.

UNICEF has divided the category of street children into two – children ‘on the streets’ and children ‘of the streets’. The children ‘of the streets’ are those children who are homeless and live on the streets. The children ‘on the streets’ are those children who earn their livelihood from the street, such as child beggars who earn a living by begging on the streets. These children come home to their families at night and have contact with their families. The education of street children in India should be a priority for the government of India.

In 1993, India was ranked as the country with the largest population of street children in a report by the UNHCHR (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights). The 1991 Census estimated the number of children in India to be around 18 million. A large population of these children live in metropolitan cities and they face several issues such as malnutrition, illiteracy, health issues and a variety of other problems arising from poverty. A combination of numerous social, economic and political factors influence them heavily. They suffer heavily from abuse, poverty, instability etc. Street children grow up in dangerous environments and are vulnerable to risk, as a result of which some of their fundamental rights are compromised.

Street children do not have access to adequate nutrition. They are often malnourished as they eat what they can find. Street children are also often illiterate and the education of street children in India is a difficult task.

The health of children growing up on the streets is poor in general, and they do not even get access to basic sanitary facilities. As a result of this they are exposed to different diseases. Street children also battle numerous physical and mental health issues. They are more prone to gang violence and substance abuse.

As street children are denied education, they do not have the same opportunities as other children to build a better future for themselves. They receive no professional training and this makes it extremely difficult for them to find a job and get off the streets.

Many children work menial jobs and face the strains and hazards of these jobs. They do not get access to education or training that could enable them to escape their vicious cycle of poverty. They often perform jobs such as begging, street vending, prostitution and other forms of child labour. Save the Children is one of India’s most trusted NGOs committed to making a difference in the lives of millions of underprivileged children.