Free and compulsory education has been a fundamental right for children aged 6 to 14 in India since 2002. Before this age, only about 35% of children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in pre-school education (Source: Terre des Hommes, 2018). The early years of the cycle are well attended, but the percentage decreases as the child grows older, boys are often sent by their families to work, and girls marry early. Thus, in addition to the quality of the education received, most young Indians do not receive sufficient schooling, as India has the highest number of illiterates in the world.

Schools are divided into two categories, public and private schools, of which more than 60% are private at secondary level (Source: UNESCO 2013). The colonial legacy is still very much felt in these systems, as is the weight of caste and gender, which disadvantages girls. There are still many challenges to be overcome for successful schooling: financing of public schools (of better quality), appropriate place of study, access to textbooks, teacher absenteeism, vacancy during classes, sexual abuse, ...