Many children in India (who belong to low-income families) are embroiled in real world battles very early in life. In a country where the Right to Education is a law, up to 126,66,377 children work in various sectors just to earn their daily meal. However, a constant shift has been brewing in which today’s children are opting for education over work.
Every child should be educated
Previously, many families viewed a child as an additional source of income to feed the family and feed the children. This has changed considerably over the years. Thanks to the initiatives and plans of the Government of India, many children are now encouraged to attend school. Also, when the children began to benefit from the noon meal programs in the schools, they began to bring their siblings, which solved the problem for most of the parents.
Changes over the years
India’s 1998 national census estimated the total number of working children, ages 4-15, to be 12.6 million, out of a total child population of 253 million in the 5-14 age group. . India’s 2011 national census found the total number of working children, ages 5 to 14, to be 4.35 million and the total child population 259.64 million in that age group. So yes, the numbers have dropped, but the problem of getting children to school remains unsolved.
A National Policy on Child Labor was formulated in 1987 and since then, the government has tried to ensure that children attend school. One of the government’s most notable steps has been the enactment of the “Children’s Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act” or the Right to Education Act, also known as RTE. It was promulgated on August 4, 2009, outlining the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 years old in India under Article 21A of the Constitution of India. Furthermore, the government set out to accelerate the various policies on early childhood education in its existing system.
One of those steps was the launch of the Noon Meal Plan in 2004. This plan has undergone several reforms over the years with a view to including all public schools in the system. The main purpose of the Noon Meals Program is to feed children a healthy meal to encourage them to attend school. The government has partnered with non-governmental organizations to efficiently implement MDMS in schools to reach as many children as possible.
Benefits of the midday meal program
Children are now encouraged to attend school and so far this has proven to be beneficial for parents from economically weaker backgrounds. Parents are now realizing that they can feed children by relying on school lunch programs. The Half Day Meal Program has benefited children in more ways than one. Properly nourished children are more motivated to work hard at their studies, experience general physical and mental growth, and understand the importance of having ambitions for the future.
The impact on children’s lives has been tremendous since the organizations implemented their Half Day Meal Program. There are stories of hope where children have really benefited from the Food for Education mission. You can be a part of this amazing cause by encouraging children to attend school. Sponsor a child today!