The HRD Ministry on Tuesday issued guidelines to States and Union Territories regarding the education of migrant workers’ children who have returned home during the COVID-19 pandemic, asking them to ensure that their names are not struck off the school rolls.
The States have been asked to prepare a database of children who have left the local area for their homes in other States or other parts of the Same state.
As per the guidelines, the state governments may direct all schools to give admission to any child who has recently returned back to the village without asking for any other documents, except some identity proof.
“In view of the lockdown due to COVID-19, a large number of migrant laborers are returning to their homes and are likely to stay there for varying periods. Along with the migrant workers, their families and children are also returning to their homes. For these children, this will lead to a disruption in their studies and learning,” read the HRD ministry’s guidelines.
“As a result, some states may see a reduction in numbers of children enrolled in their schools or they will be reported as absent, while others will see a surge in children requiring admissions. In order to ensure that there is no loss of learning or academic year for all such children, it is suggested steps may be carefully implemented by all states/UTs,” it added.
The Ministry has suggested the State government may direct all schools to give admission to any child who has recently returned to the village without asking for any other documents, except for some identity proof.
“They should not ask for transfer certificates or proof of class attended earlier. The information provided by the child’s parents may be assumed to be correct and taken as such for giving admission to the child in the relevant class in his or her neighborhood government or government-aided school,” the guidelines said.
“Such a database may be prepared by each school by personally contacting parents/guardians of all children studying in their school, through phone/ WhatsApp/neighbors/peer group, etc. Their tentative place of stay during this period may also be noted. Such children, who have left, may be shown separately in enrolment as temporarily unavailable/migrated,” the guidelines further read.
“While all care must be taken to ensure that their names are not struck off the rolls (as the possibility of their return anytime is always there), their numbers may be reported class-wise to Directorate of Education to compensate for any input costs to be incurred by the school such as mid-day meals, distribution of textbooks and uniforms if not already completed,” the ministry added.
