ABSTRACT:
This paper explores the issue of child labour in Tamil Nadu’s brick kiln industry through the lens of social justice and inclusive education. Drawing on the latest labour statistics (2024–2025) and recent field studies, it highlights how caste, migration, and poverty intersect to trap children in cycles of labour and educational exclusion. Despite legal safeguards such as the Right to Education Act (RTE) and the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, structural inequalities continue to deny many children their right to schooling. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with its emphasis on equity, inclusion, and flexibility, serves as a useful framework to examine why these children remain outside mainstream education. Adopting a rights-based and socio-political perspective, the paper analyses the gaps between policy promises and on-ground realities, particularly for migrant and marginalised communities. The study uses district-wise data, visualised through a bar chart, to show the scale of the problem and proposes practical, context-sensitive strategies to reintegrate affected children into formal schooling. It further discusses community-led interventions and the unique educational challenges posed by seasonal migration. Finally, the paper argues for flexible and child-friendly schooling models to ensure that every child—regardless of caste, class, or mobility—has access to continuous and meaningful education, breaking the cycle of intergenerational marginalisation.
Cite this article:
A. Jerold Antony Ephream. Redefining Access: Catalysing Educational Inclusion for Child Labourers in Tamil Nadu. International Journal of Reviews and Research in Social Sciences. 2026; 14(2):108-4. doi: 10.52711/2454-2687.2026.00018
Cite(Electronic):
A. Jerold Antony Ephream. Redefining Access: Catalysing Educational Inclusion for Child Labourers in Tamil Nadu. International Journal of Reviews and Research in Social Sciences. 2026; 14(2):108-4. doi: 10.52711/2454-2687.2026.00018 Available on: https://www.ijrrssonline.in/AbstractView.aspx?PID=2026-14-2-3
7. REFERENCES:
1. Basu, K., & Tzannatos, Z. (2003). The global child labor problem. World Bank Economic Review.
2. Right to Education Act (2009). Government of India.
3. Ministry of Labour and Employment (2016). Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act.
4. Government of India (2020). National Education Policy 2020.
5. Government of Tamil Nadu (2025). Annual Report on Child Labour Eradication.
6. Drèze, J., & Sen, A. (2013). An uncertain glory: India and its contradictions.
7. Silver, H. (1994). Social exclusion and social solidarity.
8. UNICEF (2021). Education and Child Labour: Policy Brief.
9. Gupta, R., & Sharma, S. (2019). Inclusive Education and NEP Challenges.
10. Kapur, A. (2021). COVID-19 and child labour: Emerging challenges.
11. UNESCO (2022). Inclusive Education and the Marginalized Child in South Asia.
12. Rajendran, P. (2022). Foundational literacy for migrant children.
13. NCPCR (2023). Evaluation of RTE Act Implementation.
14. News Reports (2025). Newspaper Articles on Child Labour.
15. ILO (2021). Child Labour: Global Estimates 2