Nearly 150 out-of-school children identified in Ezhil Nagar; gaps in schooling, counselling and support remain
A report by the IRCDUC identifies 148 out-of-school children in Ezhil Nagar, noting that many have been excluded from education for several years. The study highlights systemic barriers including lack of documentation, poverty, and family substance dependency.
Why it matters
This assessment underscores the persistent challenges in achieving universal education and the need for targeted social interventions in urban resettlement areas.
An assessment by the Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC) has identified 148 out-of-school children in Ezhil Nagar — a resettlement site near Kannagi Nagar — nearly half of whom have remained out of school for one to three years.
IRCDUC began working with children and families in the settlement in June 2024. It identified 99 out-of-school children in March 2025.
By September 2026, the number had risen to 148, comprising 81 boys and 67 girls. The organisation attributed educational exclusion to multiple factors, including lack of essential documents, learning difficulties, distance from schools, inadequate availability of higher secondary schools, and substance dependency within families, a report compiled by IRCDUC notes.
Adolescents accounted for the bulk of those identified. As many as 110 children (74.3%) were aged between 11 and 18. Of these, 60 were in the 16-18 age group, while 50 were aged 11-15.
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