Kids recommended by DCPCR, CWCs must be admitted to schools, Delhi govt issues order

new delhi: Schools in the city run by the Delhi government can no longer deny admission to children referred to them by the Delhi Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) or Child Welfare Committees, according to a recent circular issued by the Directorate of Education.

"The heads of government schools, which fall under Directorate of Education are directed to allow all the admission cases forwarded by Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) at the school level," read the circular issued from the education department here.

According to the child rights body, children in need of care and protection (CNCP), require more attention as they are vulnerable. "CNCPs can be trafficked children, child beggars, rag pickers, children living on the streets. There is also a possibility that they have never gone to a school and might not have any kind of documents," an official said.

According to one official, government schools in the Capital have to give admission to these children as per their age. "DCPCR and CWCs can also recommend the classes to which these children should be admitted," the official said, adding that once the children start getting education it will help them build a good future. "This order will help children to get hassle-free admission in government schools. Not only that, after the admission, we will also be able to keep a tab on the CNCP child whether he or she is going to school or not," the official added.

Ranjana Prasad, the advisor from DCPCR told Millennium Post that their main focus is to ensure that no child is left out of school.

The DCPCR had earlier pointed out that they are focusing on keeping track of school attendance of children in Delhi government and MCD schools as a possible marker of family vulnerabilities the child might be facing. According to officials, attendance of students studying in these schools can play an important role to check whether the child is in a safe environment at home

or not.

The DCPCR has also identified a couple of procedural and operational issues with the implementation of various provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules, 2016 in Delhi, which include the absence of procedural guidelines for conducting regular inspection of jails meant for adults by the JJBs and the absence of procedural guidelines for transferring or referring a child from the Juvenile Justice Board to the Child Welfare Committee by declaring him or her as a child in need of care and

protection.