ABSTRACT

During the life course, disadvantaged children face varied forms of impediments in their access and participation in the educational arena. While for some quality education is a far cry either due to their inability to pay for it or demand, even if it is made available through the state resources; for some even if they have access to it, they do not possess the capability and the functionings to be able to effectively participate in the educational arena. In the light of the aforementioned backdrop, the paper, aims to understand the schooling experiences of the socially disadvantaged children and the negotiations involved in their overall participation in school. The paper draws on primary data collected through an ethnographic study in a school in Agra District of Uttar Pradesh.

Analysis carried out in this paper highlights that the framework of equality of educational opportunity has not taken into account ‘substantive access and participation’ of the disadvantaged children rather it is only the ‘protected access and participation’ that we have been able to address. ‘Substantive access and participation’ in simple terms would imply that a child is not only granted physical and material access to the school, but is provided with all the ability and the capacity to actively engage himself/herself in the overall schooling progression.

The paper argues that the mandate of equality of educational Opportunity should take into account the process that goes on in the entire schooling progression of these children. Education should empower a child with higher capabilities and functionings. Schooling progression bereft of either of these holds little meaning in terms of access and participation. Substantive equality of educational opportunity requires a framework of accountability on the part of the school to ensure that these children are not excluded.