How a simple QR code can be first step to a child's education in Delhi

Indian Express

3 days ago

A simple QR code could now be the first step for a child in Delhi to return to school. As part of a new education campaign, the Delhi government is using digital forms and community outreach to identify children who have never been enrolled or who have dropped out.
The initiative, called Shiksha Aarambh, is being run by Samagra Shiksha-Delhi to identify out-of-school children, including those with special needs. The QR codes, pasted in public spaces near government schools, open a simple online form that anyone can fill. The form allows residents to report children who have never been enrolled or who have dropped out. It is available in both Hindi and English and can be submitted by parents, neighbours or any concerned citizen.
A departmental circular issued in May stated, 'This year, Samagra Shiksha-Delhi is launching an initiative Shiksha Aarambh to collect primary data on never-enrolled children through a publicly accessible QR code. All teams are requested to widely circulate this QR code in all catchment and inspection areas.'
It added, 'This initiative aims to ease the admission process, ensure maximum enrollments, and achieve the goal of no child left out of school.'
'The details of the child's name, location, and reason for not being enrolled yet are shared in the form. It is available in both languages so that it is accessible to all people,' said Sunita Yadav, state project coordinator with Samagra Shiksha. She added that both dropouts and children who have never been enrolled in a school and whom authorities might miss out during surveys are targeted in the campaign.
The form asks for key information such as the child's name, age, gender, address, contact number, parents' names, and whether the child has a disability or has migrated from another location. It also captures whether the child is working, the last class attended, and the approximate period of dropout.
This information is then shared with the Samagra Shiksha headquarters and forwarded to the concerned District Urban Resource Centre Coordinator, according to Yadav.
'They verify the data, reach out to the student and coordinate with nearby schools. Children identified through this process are to be given admission within three days,' Yadav added.
This digital step supports a large-scale summer survey carried out from May 13 to June 30 across 13 district-wise divisions of Delhi. More than 240 teams were deployed to identify children who were never enrolled or had dropped out. Teams included teachers, special educators and local officials.
They visited homes, spoke with families, and encouraged people to use the QR code if they knew of children not attending school, as per the officials.
To ensure a smooth transition into classrooms, the education department earlier directed all government schools under the Directorate of Education, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Delhi Cantonment Board to set up Special Admission Cells. Each cell includes the school principal, an admissions in-charge, a vocational or guidance counsellor, and a cluster resource centre coordinator.
These cells are responsible for ensuring that children are enrolled quickly, guiding parents through the process, and limiting paperwork. They also track attendance, follow up on academic progress and coordinate with Special Training Centres where children may need a bridge course before joining a regular class.
Admissions for all identified children are to be completed by July 31. The department will continue verifying entries and following up with families over the next month, as per officials.