Delhi's Education Crisis: The Plight of Out-of-School Children
For 12-year-old Dev, the journey out of school was a slow, painful unraveling rather than a sudden decision. After losing his mother at a young age, his father, who was frequently ill, also passed away. His stepmother abandoned him, leaving Dev to reflect, "Everything in my life stopped." Now residing in Shakurpur with his sister, he attends occasional tuition but remains formally out of school. In his case, education did not fail; it was overshadowed by the harsh demands of survival.
A Widespread Issue in the Capital
Dev's story is far from unique. It mirrors the experiences of numerous children across Delhi, where exclusion from education is a complex, multifaceted problem. At a recent stakeholder consultation titled 'Ensuring Access to Education for Out-of-School Children in Delhi,' organized by CHETNA NGO in collaboration with the Delhi education department's Samagra Shiksha, such cases took center stage. Each narrative revealed a different path leading to the same outcome: children being pushed out of classrooms early in life.
Take Junaid, for instance, who knows nothing about formal schooling. Living under the Sarai Kale Khan flyover, his days are dictated by the basic urge to survive, often involving selling papayas. A brief glimmer of hope emerged when a volunteer taught him to write, but the pandemic abruptly ended those lessons. Today, his barrier to education is not a lack of intent but identity. "Without an Aadhaar card, I cannot be admitted anywhere," he explains.
Complex Factors Behind Exclusion
The cases of Dev and Junaid illustrate that exclusion from education rarely stems from a single cause. Gender further complicates the equation. Girls often stay in school longer, as dropping out can lead to early marriage, while boys face pressure to earn, often being drawn into jobs during their teenage years. In both scenarios, staying in school proves as challenging as gaining entry initially.
According to Rita Panicker, director of the NGO Butterflies, problems begin early. "Many migrant children lack birth certificates, which impedes their entry into the formal education system. While anganwadi records can help secure an Aadhaar, awareness is low," she states. She adds that while Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan surveys help identify such children and facilitate enrollment, sometimes by initiating documentation, implementation remains uneven. Moreover, enrollment alone is insufficient; without sustained support, first-generation learners frequently drop out.
Gaps Within Childcare Institutions
Inside childcare institutions, the educational gaps become even more apparent. Neelu from Salaam Baalak Trust notes that even after admission, age-appropriate placement poses a significant challenge. A 14-year-old might be enrolled in Class 9 on paper but still struggle with basic literacy. This mismatch results in classrooms where children are present but unable to participate meaningfully, leading to low attendance and unaddressed traumas. "The challenge is not just getting them into school, but making learning consistent and relevant," Neelu emphasizes.
Systemic Efforts and Barriers
Sanjay Gupta, Director of CHETNA, highlights that the collaborative consultation aims to facilitate surveys of out-of-school children and support the establishment of special training centers in childcare institutions. It will also strengthen coordination between Samagra Shiksha, the Department of Women and Child Development, and NGOs across every district. Additionally, this initiative is expected to expedite Aadhaar card access for underprivileged children.
For children living on the streets or engaged in informal work, barriers are immediate. Pooja from CHETNA explains that many travel 10 to 15 kilometers daily, selling small items just to ensure a meal. "They want to study, but their lives don't allow fixed schedules," she says. Without stability, formal schooling remains out of sync with their realities, prompting experts to propose flexible learning models to accommodate irregular attendance.
Innovative Solutions and Policy Measures
Efforts are underway to bridge these gaps. Child rights advocate Varun Pathak points to early warning systems that can track children at risk. In one instance, a child skipping school triggered an alert, enabling swift intervention. At the policy level, Sunita Yadav from Samagra Shiksha highlights a QR code-based system. Once an out-of-school child is identified, alerts are sent to nearby schools for follow-up action. Children are then placed in special training centers for three months to two years before being mainstreamed.
The Aadhaar Debate and Legal Framework
A persistent question remains: Does Aadhaar determine access to education? Col Nikhil Sinha from UIDAI clarifies that Aadhaar is not legally mandatory. "Schools cannot deny admission for lack of Aadhaar. The law calls for inclusion first. Documentation can follow. Yes, a lack of birth certificate can create problems," he states.
Women and Child Development Secretary Rashmi Singh notes that Delhi was among the first states to enable Aadhaar enrollment for the homeless by using surveys to overcome verification challenges. Highlighting systemic gaps, she says many children in open shelters remain out of school. Calling for special training centers within childcare institutions, she asserts, "Every day a child misses school is a loss." Systems like the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) alert mechanism help track dropouts in real time, she adds.
Singh also focuses on the need to address the mental health of such children through counselors linked to child welfare committees and juvenile justice boards, while advocating for stronger digital integration between anganwadis and schools.
