NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Wednesday asked its officials to ensure that children who have lost their parents to coronavirus infection are not expelled from the schools over non-payment of fees. As per its instructions, such students may be allowed to continue their studies in the same school under the freeship quota, if it is on Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land or plot allotted by the state government.
Private schools, allotted plots at concessional rates, are required to allot 20 per cent seats free of cost to children from the underprivileged sections. Under the second option, officials said, the Covid orphans can be co opted as a student belonging to the EWS category.
The Directorate of Education would reimburse fees of these students till a certain age. In May, Chief Minister Arvind Kerjiwal had announced to provide free education to children who lost their parents to Covid. He also stated that the Covid-affected children would be given a monthly financial assistance of `2,500 till they attain the age of 25.
“All deputy directors were asked to ensure that children who have become orphans or lost either of their parents after March 2020 either due to Covid-19 or otherwise, need due attention for enabling them to continue education. They may be adjusted in the same school, if running on DDA or government allotted land under the freeship rule, with the approval from a competent authority,” said an official. “They may otherwise be treated as a student studying under EWS or disadvantaged group category. Their fee may be reimbursed by the DoE. After Class VIII, the students may be given admission in any government school.”
The official added that directions are in line with the Supreme Court’s June order, which said that the states and Union Territories will ensure proper education arrangements for children who are orphaned due to Covid, without any break. According to the Women and Child Development (WCD) department, 268 children left orphaned during the pandemic were identified till mid-July. Nearly 5,500 childrenhave lost either of their parents from March 2020 when the pandemic began in the national capital.