Hyderabad, June 6 -- Hyderabad's children are falling through the cracks of its public school system, and the people who work in its slums every day have the numbers to prove it.

At a meeting held at Sundaraiah Vignana Kendram (SVK) in Baghlingampally on Saturday, June 6, social activists and grassroots workers from across 34 municipal divisions in Hyderabad came together with ward-level data, field surveys and personal testimony. They all point to the same conclusion - the city's government school infrastructure has failed to keep pace with its population and children, especially in its poorest neighbourhoods, are paying the price.

On average, only around 13 per cent of children living in these divisions attend government schools. The ...