Found not enrolled in school, MCD puts 3,000 children back on track

A recent Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) survey across its 12 zones found that 4,829 children aged three to 11 in the Capital were not enrolled in any primary school.

During a special drive held over the winter break (December 2025-January 2026), MCD teachers helped nearly 3,000 of these children complete school admission formalities, a senior official said.

“Teachers conducted door-to-door surveys – mostly on weekends – identifying children not enrolled in government or private primary schools and collecting parents’ details,” the official said.

The civic body regularly undertakes such surveys, conducts admission drives, and carries out mapping of children with special needs to promote enrolment, retention, and inclusive education, the official said.

“Teachers fill the forms and parents only need to sign them. We accept whatever identity documents they can provide,” the official added.

However, resistance is sometimes faced, especially from homeless families and daily wage workers.

Narela tops list

Zone-wise data showed that the highest number of out-of-school children were in Narela at 1,319, followed by Shahdara South (495) and Shahdara North (450). Narela has 174 MCD primary schools.

Large-scale relocation from JJ clusters in Narela has contributed to the large number of such children, the official said, adding that many families have not registered their children in new schools.

The survey also tracked school-age children and those who dropped out due to displacement or migration. “We enrol them in the nearest MCD schools, usually within 1 km of their home,” the official said.

The official added that such surveys are conducted every year and were carried out in April and June last year.