Educational Achievements and Advancement among Street Children in Out-Of-Home Placements of Kolkata, India
The phenomenon of street children is becoming a global one, and they are now often part of the urban scene in all the poor and developing countries. Street children represent a marginalized, vulnerable, and victimized segment of society. The United Nations has estimated the population of street children worldwide at 150 million, with the number raising daily.
UN defines street children as “Any boy or girl…for whom the street in the widest sense of the word, has become his or her habitual abode/or source of livelihood, and who is inadequately protected, supervised or directed by responsible adults.” UNICEF categorizes street children as under:
- a) Children of the street;
- b) Children on the street; and
- c) Abandoned children.
The present Research Paper on ‘ Educational achievents and advancement among Street Children in out-of-home placements, in Kolkata, India , is an attempt to study and examine the educational achievents and advancement of street children living in out-of-home placements ( Open Shelters ) in Kolkata and Howrah Municipal Corporation Areas, run by the Non-Governmental Organisations, with the finanancial support of the Union Government of India and Government of West Bengal.
The general objective of the study is to provide information about street children, their various problems, and conditions in which they live. The significance of this study is to get authentic data about the number of these destitute children in Kolkata, but also to find out their educational achievements and advancement during last five years and to give a complete methodology for rehabilitation process of these children.
It is identified that majority of street children have successfully achieved educational advancement while living in the “out-of-home placements -Open Shelters” The study would also help the policymakers to formulate child friendly policies in the country-India, as well as other poor and developing countries.