Category 1: Street children who do not attend school currently or have completely missed formal school education.

One batch of children who come to ISHWAR belong to this category. Teachers employed by us, teach and train the children according to their age-group and government prescribed syllabus with the aim to admit them back into formal school after passing the mandated written examination.

At an average, ISHWAR is successful in admitting 40-60 children into formal schooling at government / private schools in the area.

ISHWAR’s centre at Neb Sarai, New Delhi, is an out-reach initiative to cater to village / slum children who grow up roaming the streets, taking to petty work, and many-a-times indulging in criminal activities. The aim was to take education to the children, rather than to expect them to come to a distant education centre. Since the children have missed their age of admission into formal school, they cannot get admitted without intervention.

This is the flagship education programme of ISHWAR and is designed to cater to the poor sections of society – particularly children of illiterate parents, labourers, daily-wagers etc. Children as young as 4-5 years, upto the age group of 15-16 years attend the NFE programme. ISHWAR is socially-inclusive and does not distinguish between the normal and the differently-abled children, or their beliefs and faith.

Category 2: Children who are admitted into school but need tuition help and remedial classes to continue with their formal education.

Children who are admitted into formal school after studying at ISHWAR’s centre, require help with their home-work, remedial classes, tuition etc., else they run the risk of falling out of school. This is even true as their illiterate parents are unable to help them in their studies or even spend money to hire tutors.

The second batch of children who attend ISHWAR’s centre belong to this category, resulting in a negligible drop-out rate from school.

Category 3: Young girls who are forced to miss school due to their responsibility to look after their younger siblings.

ISHWAR is extremely sensitive to the education of the girl-child; as an uneducated girl of today will probably lead to an illiterate family tomorrow. Education of the girl-child is therefore a focus-point at ISHWAR.

 Objectives of the NFE programme:

• Admit street children into school after imparting basic education.
• Special focus on the girl child as she is left looking after younger siblings or doing house-hold chores.
• To teach children hygiene, community living and impart basic education.
• Provide remedial classes to school-going children to help them with their home-work as no other family member is literate enough.
• To encourage and motivate more and more street children into schools, giving example of the ones already admitted.
• To counsel parents of children on the importance of health, hygiene and literacy for their children.
• Check school dropout rate by providing help and assistance to the children, as their parents generally do not take the initiative.
• Provide a healthy mix of education and extra-curricular activities like music, dance, sports and outdoor picnics.

Strategy Adopted

• This out-reach programme targets the villages in and around Neb Sarai, Delhi.
• Social workers conduct house visits to identify and bring out those children who do not attend school or have dropped out of school due to various reasons.
• Parents are counselled extensively into permitting their children, especially girls, to attend the NFE programme.
• The children receive basic education and training to enable them to appear in the entrance tests of various government schools.
• ISHWAR helps and guides the parents to complete all the admission formalities for admission of their children into school.
• Our social workers are in constant touch with the school to ensure the regularity and attendance of the children admitted under this programme.
• Children attending our programme are provided with a small mid-day snacks / meal consisting of biscuits / soya bean, daily.

Children who are admitted into formal school after studying at ISHWAR’s centre, require help with their home-work, remedial classes, tuition etc., else they run the risk of falling out of school. This is even true as their illiterate parents are unable to help them in their studies or even spend money to hire tutors.

The second batch of children who attend ISHWAR’s centre belong to this category, resulting in a negligible drop-out rate from school.