Even at a time when scientists have advanced to the stage of searching for life in other planets, education remains an unattainable right for millions of children around the world. Unemployment and illiteracy of parents, ignorance, illness and malnutrition are the causes behind non-schooling and drop-out rate of children.

In most cases a family has to choose between eating a single meal a day and educating a child. For them the basic needs of food, water and shelter are often so difficult that sending their children to school remains a distant dream. Such families are inclined towards engaging their children in skilled and unskilled labour instead of educating them, so that they can earn a daily wage.

When I started reading the surveys, the figures shocked and saddened me. Around the world in 2012, more than 31 million primary-school pupils worldwide dropped out of school and 32 million children repeated a grade. In the sub-Saharan region, 11.07 million children leave school before completing their primary education.

While girls are less likely to begin school, boys are more likely to repeat grades or drop out altogether. According to a survey conducted by UNESCO, 61 million children were not enrolled in school, and out of them 47% were never expected to enter school, 26% attended school but left, and the remaining 27% are expected to attend school in the future. Children living in rural environments are twice more likely to be out of school than urban children. Additionally, children from the wealthiest 20% of the population are four times more likely to be in school than the poorest 20%. In developing, low-income countries, every additional year of education can increase a person’s future income by an average of 10%.

It is high time all the governments make primary education compulsory. Education is the passport to the future, because tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. As the legend Nelson Mandela has said –

“Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.”