NEW DELHI: The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) is planning to provide free education to the children of homeless staying in its shelters. The children will also be enrolled in schools later. DUSIB has 215 shelter homes across Delhi, wherein, 5,000 homeless people reside. Among these, 32 night shelters are for those who are homeless and have a family. Nearly 1,000 children aged up to eight years stay with their parents in these 32 night shelters. Since such families are usually not bothered if their children receive formal education or not, the children can be seen playing around the shelters throughout the day. Without education, these children may end living a life similar to their parents.
Bipin Rai, Member, DUSIB, said that in order to give the children a better life, the Board is planning on engaging volunteer teachers who are ready to teach children at the night shelters. “In due course, the children will also be enrolled into schools,” Rai added.
An official of the DUSIB said that the parents will be counselled to enroll their children to study and also monitor their daily routine. This is especially important for families living in night shelters because in most families, both the parents do off jobs and spend their day out, leaving their children without supervision or guidance.
The classes may be started in a couple of these shelters starting this month itself.