As Pravesanotsavam was celebrated with much fanfare across Kerala on Monday with thousands of children being ushered into the world of knowledge, at least 88 migrant children in Ernakulam district, aged between 5 and 14 years, were denied admission to schools for various reasons, primarily the absence of Aadhaar cards.

The Kochi-based Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID) had mapped 126 migrant children, who had never been to schools before, for enrolment during this academic year. Most of them were from Assam and West Bengal, settled largely in known migrant worker hubs such as Perumbavoor, Muvattupuzha, and Kothamangalam. However, only 38 of the children could be enrolled in schools.

“Aadhaar cards have been made mandatory for the enrolment of students through the Sampoorna portal, based on the mandatory sixth-day headcount, and for students to be eligible for benefits such as free uniforms, textbooks, and midday meals. More importantly, only such students are counted for determining the number of divisions, which is critical to teachers’ vacancies in schools. At least two government schools refused to enrol students lacking Aadhaar cards, despite the Right to Education (RTE) Act mandating free and compulsory education up to the age of 14,” said Benoy Peter, executive director, CMID.

With migrant workers set to return in large numbers from Assam and West Bengal after Bakrid and the Assembly elections, more children face the prospect of being denied their right to education. Previously, schools were empowered to arrange Aadhaar enrolment for students, which is no longer the case.

“Jyothi, a programme launched last year by the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government to integrate migrant children into the public education system, seems inactive this time. Accessibility to schools, lack of information about schools in their neighbourhood, and ignorance among migrant parents about the importance of educating their children are other reasons for the denial of education to migrant children,” said Mr. Peter. With the workforce in short supply, employers are also reluctant to give migrant workers breaks to enrol their children in schools.

'Schools can’t deny admission'

Subin Paul, Deputy Director of Education, Ernakulam, said that no school can deny admission to children up to the age of 14. “Strict directions can be issued to any school that does so if specific cases are pointed out. As things stand, the problem is that students without Aadhaar cards will not be included on the official rolls of schools and hence will neither be included on the official headcount nor be eligible for resultant benefits,” he said.