The Haryana government has directed officials to make proper arrangements for children living in child care institutions who wish to pursue their education in private schools, signalling a focus on expanding educational choices for children without family support.
The Chief Minister said that children residing in child care institutions who want to study in private schools should be provided the necessary assistance and arrangements. The direction aims to ensure that a child’s educational aspirations are not restricted because of their institutional circumstances.
The Chief Minister stressed that orphan children living in child care institutions should receive every possible assistance in their education and upbringing. The government’s responsibility, he said, should extend to creating opportunities through which these children can obtain quality education and eventually become self-reliant.
The decision to facilitate private schooling is significant because educational requirements and aspirations can differ from one child to another. Providing appropriate arrangements for those seeking admission to private schools could give such students access to educational environments suited to their individual needs and ambitions.
At the same time, the emphasis remains on ensuring that children in institutional care receive consistent educational support irrespective of the type of school they attend.
The government has therefore directed officials to look beyond basic institutional care and focus on the long-term educational future of these children. Better schooling, financial assistance where required and continued support during their upbringing are being treated as important elements in helping them move towards independent lives.
The Chief Minister’s directions place the educational future of children in child care institutions at the centre of the welfare agenda, with the stated objective of ensuring that vulnerability or lack of family support does not determine the quality of education they receive.
