In all meetings with various stakeholder groups, the one common characteristic that we find is the tendency of a majority of people to screen children for excellence and talent. That is not a wrong concept. Not in the least. Children who excel in either academics or any other field should be provided with the very best of facilities and guidance to nurture this talent and potential to the fullest possible extent.

However, the one question that nags us is: what about the rest of them? It is absolutely essential to get the best talent from slums, streets and other marginalized communities but at the same time, it is imperative to not stop at just that. There has to be good quality education that is provided to those who not only have had the misfortune of being born among cruel circumstances but are also regular, average people like most of us from privileged backgrounds are.

So in a case against screening, we urge that while all possible facilities should be provided to those who are outstanding, the regular children from deprived backgrounds HAVE to be provided with solid, basic education that is also the foundation for them to then veer off into a vocation of their choice. This education is also crucial because the children will grow up to be parents who will understand the value of education in the lives of their children. Taking care of only our very best will never be able to reduce the scale of illiteracy in the country.