On the Margins of ‘Opportunity’: Urbanisation and Education in Delhi’s Metropolitan Fringe

Abstract

This paper probes the social and spatial distribution of educational resources in the dynamic space of an urban fringe of Delhi. It is based on the recognition that formal structured education, is a non-negotiable in the urban shift towards non-agricultural occupations and for realisation of better living conditions and higher incomes. It draws upon primary sources including ethnographic data collected by the author from an urban fringe of Delhi, which has been given the pseudonym of Morpur. There are reflections here based on data gathered through questionnaires, land records, and school reports as well as longitudinal findings from detailed interviews conducted between 2005 and 2012 with 85 students and their families living in the area. To elaborate the meaning of an urban fringe of a metropolis and the nature of urban agglomerations, the first part of this paper highlights the specific case of Morpur, followed by an exploration of the educational institutions, services and information that pose as educational opportunity in the area. In the final section, drawing upon the space and its social configurations, urban fringe is identified as being on the margins of ‘opportunity’. This brings us back to concerns about educational inequalities, as urbanisation expands its roots in India. In this scenario a few possible interventions are contemplated, which could expand access and improve the quality of educational opportunity available in an urban fringe.