Slum Kids Forced To Drop Out Of Schools

SULM KIDS FORCED TO DROP OUT OF SCHOOLS

A year and half ago over 60,000 people were relocated from one of India`s largest slums, Yamuna Pushta in Delhi.

Among them were 20,000 children but till today nothing has been done to open schools for these children. Thousands have been forced to drop out and have even become child labourers.

Fifteen-year-old Tabasum was always a topper in her class but sadly she was forced to drop out of school a year back. She is one of nearly 20,000 children all of whom have been relocated from Yamuna Pushta to Bawana, which is 30 kilometres away.

We were relocated from the slums and thrown here in Bawana. This place has no schools. The ones, which are there are too far away. There is no money to pay the bus fare everyday and anyway the schools are not giving us admission, said Tabasum.

Temporary Schools

The new area unlike their old home only has a handful of schools, which are severely inadequate for so many relocated children.

Though the area does have five temporary government schools, the problem is that each one of them can only accommodate a maximum of 500 students and only provide education till class five.

For children like Tabasum who want to continue their education, the only option is to go to schools in the town. But those are far away and most of these families do not have enough money to afford the bus fare everyday.

Govt. Apathy

Some of the other dropouts have had to become child labourers picking garbage and helping their parents earn extra money.

Embittered parents feel the future of their kids is going down the drain. They say they have been cheated and that the government should have made arrangements before shifting them out of Yamuna Pushta.

We have to buy her clothes and books and we have no money. Otherwise she was a great student when we stayed in Yamuna Pushta, said Mohammad Ashraf, Tabasum`s father.

The government admits there is a huge shortage and plans are underway to improve the situation.

Yes, there is definitely a shortage. The government is in-charge of providing good education and we will work on solving this problem, said Arvinder Singh Lovely, Education Minister, Delhi.

For now there is hope that these schools will be opened soon or else it may be too late for children who want to continue with their education.

Thank You

Written by - Deepak Gupta