Snakes and Ladders - ERU Consultants Pvt. Ltd.

for both. Enhancing access without ensuring quality defeats the very purpose of educational
access.
Summing up:
This study explores the situation of children in diverse poverty situations. An unambiguous
message from this study is that even the poorest of poor families acknowledge the importance of
education in the lives of their children despite the cumulative nature of social and economic
exclusion that circumscribes their experiences of education. The research, by focusing on children
in different age groups along the integrated child development continuum is clearly able to
illustrate and explore the latter. Health, nutrition, and education are no doubt the three main
sectors that impact on a child’s development, while poverty continues to exert a strong influence
on nutrition of children, on health seeking behaviour of households, and framing access
to/experience of education.
The economic situation of the households affects children in several other ways. A large number
of children from poor households work long hours – if enrolled before and after school, or at
times seasonally and resulting in chronic absenteeism. Hence, we cannot afford to take an
uncomplicated position of work or schooling since the situation on the ground is far more
complex and makes it critical to distinguish between child labour and child work. Similarly, caste
and community of children influence educational participation and outcomes along with the
economic status. The attitudes and prejudices of teachers and children regarding social and
community identities of marginal groups in the school also play an important role in defining
educational outcomes for the latter. Gender relations in the family, community and in the society
too exert significant influence on the ability of girl children to access services, nutrition,
immunisation, healthcare (especially during bouts of illness) and schooling.
Services/institutions relating to health, nutrition, and education also impact on the ability of
children to access and successfully complete primary schooling. Reliable and regular
immunisation, maternal and child care facilities and, above all, nutritional support and pre-school
education through the ICDS programme can make the initial difference in accessing primary
schooling. Hence, notwithstanding social, economic and cultural factors, the presence of a
functioning government school can help surmount most barriers. Across all the 3 states, between
70 to 80% of children from poor households are enrolled in government schools. The growing
numbers of private schools do not cater to the poorest of the poor. Most poor children are also
Educational Resource Unit Page 91 April 2003