Elementary education and economic reforms: Impact on marginalized communities

In India children from the lower socio- economic and marginalized classes have to fight myriad battles to access and exercise their basic fundamental rights; one such being the right to education. Such classes largely depend upon the government school system as they lack the wherewithal to access private schools. However, the government schools have debilitated on various parameters over the last two decades. The economic policies implemented in India beginning 1991–92 created an atmosphere where catch phrases like ‘fiscal prudence’ and ‘increased private participation’ greatly reduced financial resources available to the social sector- education in particular. A gendered analysis of the process of debilitation reveals that young girls are doubly disadvantaged owing to socio- cultural factors that keep them from pursuing education and the State's reluctance to intervene and ensure quality education for them.