In a unique move to make school admissions easier, the Delhi government has launched a QR code-based initiative to help identify and enrol out-of-school children. These QR codes are pasted in public places like slums, construction sites and shelters, where people can simply scan them to fill out a form requesting help with school admission. This initiative is part of a larger effort to ensure that no child in the city remains uneducated due to lack of information or access.
I wanted to write about this topic because it’s one of those rare examples where technology is being used in a very simple but powerful way to solve a ground-level problem. Many families living in tough conditions like jhuggis or construction camps may not even know how or where to enrol their children. Government schemes exist, but they are often out of reach due to poor awareness. This QR code drive helps break that gap between policy and people. As someone interested in education and social equity, I think this step deserves attention, especially because it shows how local-level innovation can lead to real change.
What Is the QR Code Education Initiative?
The Delhi Education Department has started putting up QR codes in areas where out-of-school children are most likely to be found—such as under flyovers, jhuggi clusters, near labour camps, shelter homes and other urban poor localities. These QR codes are linked to a Google Form, which anyone can fill to inform the government about a child who is not going to school.
Once the form is submitted, a special team from the Directorate of Education visits the area, verifies the case, and helps the child get enrolled in a nearby government school. The idea is to reduce dependency on formal offices and bring the admission system to people’s doorsteps.
Who Can Use It and How?
This drive is open to anyone—parents, relatives, neighbours, social workers, or even passersby. All they have to do is:
- Scan the QR code using any smartphone.
- Fill in details like name, age, location of the child and the name of the person referring.
- Submit the form.
No documents are required at this stage. Once the team visits and confirms the child’s situation, they help with the entire admission process, including arranging necessary documents.
Why This Approach Matters
There are thousands of children in a city like Delhi who are not in school due to poverty, migration, or simply because their parents don’t know how the system works. Traditional campaigns often miss these children because they don’t reach their living areas.
This QR code method solves two problems at once:
- Accessibility – Anyone with a phone can fill the form in less than 2 minutes.
- Accountability – The form goes directly to the education department, cutting delays.
Also, since the form is digital, the government gets real-time data on where the problem areas are, making it easier to plan further outreach.
Early Impact on Ground
As per reports, hundreds of such QR codes have already been pasted across Delhi. In areas like Sarai Kale Khan, Sangam Vihar, and parts of East Delhi, many children have already been enrolled after someone filled the form for them.
What’s impressive is how even children are using this—some kids who already go to school have helped their neighbours by scanning the code and filling the form. This shows how tech, when kept simple, can be used by anyone regardless of age or income.
How Can This Be Taken Forward?
If this works well in Delhi, other states can easily adopt it too. It doesn’t cost much. All that is needed is:
- A simple Google form linked to a QR code.
- Teams to follow up on each form.
- Publicity in local language through posters, social media, and radio.
Also, the government can train teachers and community volunteers to paste these QR codes in more remote parts of the city.
