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Think of the countless migrants that rush to Bengaluru (and other cities in India) seeking livelihoods. In the city, they are on survival mode and ironically are unable to benefit from any of the grand schemes planned by the Government for their security. There are many reasons for this.

This is a blind spot in policy and we would argue in our collective conscience. That schooling should be a given Common Good is not quite a ‘given’ for many families in our country. Access is a problem and further retention is a problem where access exists. Either way it leads to school failure and the child not thriving.

For children aged 6 to 14, the Right to Education Act, 2009 says a migrant worker's child cannot be refused admission because it is sought late in the year (s.15). A child who never enrolled or dropped out joins an age-appropriate class with a right to special training (s.4). A late transfer certificate or missing age proof is not a lawful reason to refuse admission (ss.5(3), 14(2)).

The government defines FLN as “the ability to read with understanding and perform basic mathematical calculations by the end of grade three”. India’s NIPUN Bharat mission aims for every child to get there by 2026-27, the current school year.