Roughly half of all Indian public-school students drop out before eighth grade, and most of the dropouts are from lower caste, Muslim or tribal communities, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch. The report, which looked at four Indian states, places the blame, in part, on discrimination in the public education system. Teachers often address poorer students using derogatory terms and order them to perform unpleasant chores, like cleaning toilets. “Teachers are products of a society that discriminates against marginalised communities, and they bring these attitudes into the classroom,” says Jayshree Bajoria, the report’s author.
