ipc2021

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Education of Children affected by Seasonal Migration of Parents: Findings from a Field Study in Jalna District, Maharashtra, India

Kailash Chandra Das, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Ram Bhagat, International Institute for Population Sciences, India
Archana K. Roy, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Abdul Jaleel, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Dronacharya Wankhede, International institute for population sciences,Mumbai.
Niharika Rao, International Institute for population sciences
Lahu Rathod, India

Every year, nearly 200,000 children below the age of 14 accompany their parents when they migrate to work in sugarcane harvesting. This qualitative study examines the effect of seasonal migration of parents on the education of children. Data for this study were collected online from 13 villages of Jalna District in Maharashtra during February-April 2021. Methods such as Case Narratives, Participatory Rural Appraisal, In-depth interviews and Key Informant Interviews were adopted for data collection. Migrant children are found more vulnerable in terms of education and capability formation. Many migrant children do not go to school as schools are far from worksites, or due to the language barrier. They are unable to go to school as they often work in the field or look after their younger siblings and helping with domestic chores. For the stay-back children, seasonal migration constitutes a distinct form of parent-child separation. In the absence of their parents, these children receive no supervision and they suffer due to household responsibilities and exposure to work. The shift of schooling from classroom to online due to the Covid-19 induced lock down also affected many children as they have no access to smartphones and internet facilities.

Keywords: Children and youth, Qualitative data/methods/approaches, Internal migration

See extended abstract.

Presented in Session 97. Achieving Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education for Children and Adolescents from Vulnerable Households