School dropouts

Ms. Vimala ramachandran’s article in the Hindu talked to right to education (Aug.9th)
A valid issue.
She reckons that considerable percentage of children do not attend school beyond standard 10, she puts it down to the inefficient system and poverty etc. We can debate about this till the cows come home.
She also reckons that NGO’s can help propagate education and that foreign aid is available for it both expertise and monetary wise.
Sometimes I wonder if we are over emphasizing this point of undergraduate etc. This question has popped after a peek view to the world of school dropouts.
Urvi is the daughter of an IAS officer, after standard 10 i.e. at the age of 14 she decided to drop out of structured schooling. Simply because she was not sure what she wanted to do. She has decided to take up a job till she figures out.
Divya has opted out of formal school too, she did a basic beauty course and works for a parlor she is picking along distance education and IGNOU courses as and when she see’s it right and up her need and interest.
Ravi is again a 10th standard dropout; he got sick of being singled out as the average sibling in a bouquet of brilliant ancestors and siblings. He started his career at a shoe factory, the flak that he had to face was tremendous, but today 25 years later he has an exceeding profitable leather goods manufacturing unit. His contention is that he has learnt the skills he needs, like a distance education program in tannery, one on shoe designing, one on business management. Very categorically he states my learning is ongoing, yes I did not have formal education that’s a different thing.
So it for Naveen a dental lab technician who after standard 10 joined his brother-in-law as man Friday, today 20yrs later he is a big name and has a thriving outfit. He goes annually to Germany for a 15 days hands down retreat. Again he does not regret not having formal education.
My maid Haseena’s son told me why bother with schooling and degrees, after that it is a pain to get a job. Working as a mechanic I learn the trade and earn simultaneously.
Look at the number of mid life career changes or people who have formal college in one stream and working in another.
Maybe the issues here are literacy and education vis-à-vis education and knowledge.
More importantly why salivate for a foreign aid; if it is important enough we pick ourselves and work towards it.