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A dream fulfilled for four poor kids

The Hindu, July 28, 2007

NEW DELHI: For four underprivileged children -- Tanu, Naveen, Jitender and Pragati -- it was a proud moment when they received their school voucher certificates from Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at a function here on Thursday.

Since March this year, the Centre for Civil Society has been engaged in selecting 408 eligible students from Classes III to XI for the Delhi Voucher Project. Sixty-eight of the poorest wards of Delhi were selected for the project. The process started with an intensive on-the-field campaign that reached out to the parents. Subsequently the students filled up initial registration forms for the voucher. Finally, 408 students were selected through a public lottery drawn by the ward councillor of the area.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Dikshit observed: “I must say that the Centre for Civil Society has taken a very brave step by coming out with these certificates. We are with you to support this cause.”

Stating that the Delhi Voucher Project empowered parents and gave them a choice of where to educate their children, economist Gurcharan Das said: “I have always believed that we must fund students and not schools. The Centre for Civil Society is doing precisely this.”

Right to education

For Deepalaya CEO T. K. Mathew, implementation of the Right to Education was a distant dream. “Although the Right to Education is enshrined in the Constitution, it still has to get the legislature’s sanction. I feel that school vouchers enhance the implementation of the Right to Education and at the same time give parents a choice to place their child in an environment conducive for learning.”

For these children who were clutching their school voucher certificates at the function, it was the fulfilment of their dream to get good public school education.

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