New Delhi: It started off like any other event — a quiet room, a screen, a few rows of chairs. But everything changed as soon as a catchy song filled the hall — honest and straight from the heart. It talked about child labour, abuse under POCSO, and the kind of childhood that ends too soon. “Even saying ‘POCSO’ was tough,” one child said. “But now we know what it means, and what to do.”What gave the lyrics meaning was the fact that the children who sang them were right there in the room. These weren’t just performers. Some had dropped out of school. Some were forced into adulthood too soon. Some were trying to return to school. Some already had. Each of them carried a story that lingered long after the music ended.Like Sunil (name changed), who used to spend his days picking through garbage. School was never an option for him till Childhood Enhancement Through Training and Action (Chetna), an NGO, helped him get into Class III. That was the first time he held a pencil instead of a scrap. Or Kamla (name changed), whose eyes brimmed with emotion even before her story began. She dropped out twice — first because her family couldn’t afford to keep her in school, and then after she was pushed into child marriage. Now, she’s holding on to the hope of starting again. Until then, art and craft are her escape. Far away from her home in Bihar, Anushka (name changed) moved to Delhi just last year. Now, in Class IX, this is the first time she’s seeing what a real school looks like.On Thursday, many young minds like them came from different corners to know what stakeholders really have to offer. Officials from key departments like the women and child development and education, and child rights activists all gathered for the stakeholder convergence organised by Chetna in collaboration with NACG EVAC.The discussion focused on how systems can better support children like them . A comic book created by kids, “Chotu and Shera,” reiterated the same struggles while advocating for child rights.But the question remains, how to strengthen the system on the ground. “We’ve submitted recommendations to the secretary, including the need for a Delhi State Child Protection Policy, new Juvenile Justice Rules, and a State Creche Policy,” said Madhavi Kotwal Samson, state convenor of NACG EVAC. “We’re glad the suggestions were received positively.”Responding to the proposed suggestions, women and child development secretary Rashmi Singh stressed the importance of creating the right communication channels between children and stakeholders, adding, “No child should be left behind. These children are smiling — and that’s what we should aim for .”Sanjay Gupta, director of Chetna, highlighted the importance of such meets in laying a strong foundation. “Delhi, as the capital, has a unique opportunity to showcase exemplary models in child participation, development and protection.”However, the way to a brighter future for the kids is fraught with challenges. Pankaj Bhatia, a cluster coordinator of the West Delhi district, said that once, a girl stood before a mobile awareness van with tears in her eyes. The van, part of the Sandesh Vahan initiative, played videos about the right to education and the joy of learning. When asked why she was crying, she simply said, “I want to go to school.” But her reality was harsher — she stayed home to care for her younger siblings while her parents worked. It took a determined cluster coordinator, Pankaj Bhatia, to enrol the siblings in an anganwadi.A recent survey conducted by Samagra Shiksha identified around 11,000-12,000 children who dropped out or were never enrolled. “This time, a standard operating procedure was released because documentation was a major hurdle in the previous years. However, despite identifying the children, enrolling them is a separate challenge altogether,” said Sunita Yadav, coordinator, out-of-school children, Samagra Shiksha. For Nahar Singh, joint director (retd), SCERT, the issue isn’t just about enrolment. It’s about the integrity of the system itself. “Where are the remaining kids?” he asked, pointing out that daily attendance in govt schools hovers around 72%. Some of this, he says, is due to manipulations by parents who admit the same child to multiple schools using different names. On the ground, those connected directly to the school system, like Simmi Sachdeva, former principal, NDMC, and OSD to director, NDMC Education, are trying to create ecosystems that make school a place children want to come to.
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