Nagaland Govt issues advisory to enrol children involved in begging into govt schools
Kohima, July 15 (MExN): In a move to safeguard the rights of underprivileged children and ensure their access to education, the Directorate of School Education (DoSE), Government of Nagaland, has issued an official advisory directing the identification and enrolment of children involved in begging into government schools.
The advisory was issued in response to recommendations made by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) concerning the protection and rehabilitation of impoverished and uneducated children, women, and differently-abled individuals engaged in begging.
The directive, signed by the Principal Director of School Education, Shashank Pratap Singh, IAS, urges NGOs, municipal, town and village councils, churches, student unions, and the general public to report such cases to the Child Helpline 1098 to facilitate the enrolment of affected children in nearby government schools.
The Department of School Education has specifically sought the identification of two categories:
"Out-of-school children aged 6–14 years who are not enrolled or have dropped out of school before completing elementary education, including those found begging;" and "Children aged 3–6 years whose parents are engaged in begging and are not enrolled in pre-school, Anganwadi, or Balvatika centers."
All District Education Officers (DEOs), Sub-Divisional Education Officers (SDEOs), and Senior SDEOs under Zunheboto district have been instructed to coordinate with the respective District Child Protection Units and Child Welfare Committees to ensure that such children are admitted in accordance with the provisions of the Right to Education Act, 2009.
