New Delhi: In a cramped lane of northeast Delhi, Sarvesh worries every morning about his daughter, who cannot walk without support because of a locomotor disability. He once enrolled her in a nearby school, but the routine became impossible as someone had to escort her daily and bring her back. For a family surviving on daily wages, one person staying home meant losing income. Eventually, her education stopped.
Survey During Summer Break
Stories like Sarvesh’s are the reason the city is launching an extensive survey during the school summer break. The survey, conducted under Samagra Shiksha Delhi until June 30, aims to identify out-of-school children, particularly children with special needs (CWSN), and connect them with nearby schools.
225 Teams Across Districts
Across Delhi, 225 survey teams have been formed district-wise to trace children who remain invisible to the education system. At 27, East district has the highest number of teams, followed by South East with 25. Schools under the Directorate of Education, MCD, NDMC, and DCB will participate in the process.
The teams include resource persons and special educators who will identify children requiring additional support and connect them with educational facilities and interventions available to them. Along with school admissions, the process also seeks to link children to support mechanisms, such as home-based education and special admission cells, which are expected to assist families in both enrolment and retention.
Home-Based Education
“Home-based education ensures that children with severe disabilities who are unable to access regular schooling are not excluded from learning. It brings educational support directly to the child’s home through special educators and individualised interventions. There are customised learning plans and regular visits to monitor progress. The aim is to ensure that children left out because of physical conditions continue to remain connected to the education system,” an official said.
Experts said the reasons children with special needs remain outside schools often extend beyond disability itself. Poor accessibility in schools, a shortage of trained educators, lack of assistive devices, transportation difficulties, and limited awareness among families frequently combine to create barriers. Social stigma and the perception that regular classrooms cannot accommodate children with disabilities usually worsen the problem.
Repeated Disappointments
For many families, exclusion begins with repeated disappointments. Rupali, a child with hearing impairment, spent many mornings standing near the entrance of her rented house in Shiv Vihar, watching neighbourhood children leave for school in their uniforms. Her mother had attempted to enrol her in a nearby government school, but difficulties in communication support and the absence of trained staff made the process challenging. “She could not fit in,” said Deepa, her mother.
Over time, repeated struggles and discouraging experiences made the family feel that mainstream classrooms had little space for children like her. Eventually, Rupali remained at home while children of the same age moved ahead with their education.
Bridging Gaps
The official said the survey is intended to bridge such gaps by reaching children directly at the community level instead of waiting for families to approach schools. “To improve accessibility and public participation, the department has also introduced the ‘Shiksha Arambh’ QR code system. Through this, parents, guardians, or community members can directly submit details of children who are out of school or require support,” the official added.
Scope of the Survey
The exercise is not limited to children with special needs. It also covers children who have dropped out, never enrolled, or are considered at risk of discontinuing education. Teams will track children across age groups and submit daily progress reports, while district-level reports are scheduled to be completed by June 30. The identified children are expected to complete admissions by July 31.
