Noida police starts campaign to check forced child begging: send kids to schools

NEW DELHI: The Gautam Buddh Nagar Police has launched a campaign to check forced child begging and send the rescued children, who have lost their way out of education for myriad reasons, back to classrooms, officials said on Saturday.

The police would also ensure presence of teachers in slums across Noida and Greater Noida after it emerged that their absence since the COVID-19 outbreak has been an impediment in children's education, they said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Women and Child Safety) Vrinda Shukla said a larger campaign is underway in entire Uttar Pradesh with a focus on rescuing children engaged in beggary. 'In pursuance of that we have started the campaign in Gautam Buddh Nagar also with the support of the district child helpline and some NGOs," Shukla said.

As part of the campaign, she said, the police have identified some major slums in the district from where children are found engaged in beggary. "In the first phase, we are focusing on raising awareness in these places and encouraging adults there to send their children to school instead of engaging them in begging," the officer said. Shukla said when the police started reaching out to people in slums some residents informed them about difficulties in sending their wards to school. The people said some schools which had shut down at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have not resumed, impacting the education of their children, she said. "So, with the support of some NGOs and private companies we are trying to ensure the presence of teachers in these places so that children could return to education for their bright and better future, and not wander their way into begging or crime," Shukla added.