In the mornings, one would find eight-year-old Vishal in the streets of Jaipur performing magic tricks. His swift hand movements and his confidence invite many especially children to watch his tricks. He vanishes a coin from his hand and pulls it down from a child’s nose who is watching the trick, sending the audience to explode into laughter. Five minutes later, he ends the show with a thank you and a gesture to donate. Collecting the few coins that were given, he walks for a mile or two before he begins his act once again for a new audience. But before the noon time, Vishal walks swiftly and heads to the Government Model Primary School at Sanganer, a remote suburb of Jaipur.

Vishal’s mother works as a daily wage labourer. She says, “I am forced to send my children to earn since I don’t get work everyday. Every parent has a dream but the question is how can I fulfill them when my day-to-day thoughts are all about feeding our hungry stomachs.” Vishal’s father doesn’t stay with the family, with no roof over their head, Vishal, his brother, his sister and his mother stay with the grandparents. Vishal’s mother says, “Earlier I would tell him to work the entire day but because he gets good food and at the same time learns some lessons, I allow him to attend school most of the days.” There are no big dreams but she hopes that Vishal doesn’t lead a life of hardship and hopes that the education will transform his life someday.

The Principal explains that most children in the school are rag pickers or street magicians. They are forced to do it by their parents because of their poor economic background. Pointing to Vishal she says, “He is usually regular to school but there are times when he doesn’t attend school for a few months and then returns. It’s only yesterday; he came back to school after a month’s gap." Vishal says, “My brother took me to Jodhpur to perform tricks at a local fare, since it is over , I have come back.”  Due to the exposure to the outside world, the children are smart and pick up the lessons soon, “They do forget the lessons that were taught when they don’t come to school for a month or more, but they are quick to relearn them and catch up with the other children,” says the Principal Indra Sharma.

The Principal further pointed that, “Children like Vishal were enrolled into school as part of the Right To Education (RTE). Though this is not the first attempt where we have enrolled children like Vishal who are child labourers in one way or the other, this time we have been more successful. Earlier they would come for a day or two in a week or a month but today because of the mid-day meal programme they attend school without a fail.” The children are given rotis and dal at the school mid-day meal. The menu changes each day so as to meet the nutritional requirement of a growing child. The classes begin only after the children have had their meal. She says, “Most children come hungry. Initially it was the food that attracted them to attend school and soon they picked up the lessons that were taught. Constant awareness and a strong focus on the significance of education have led many of them to show a continued interest to study and thus over a period of time they avoid missing classes.”