BY: SYLVIA LOOI

IPOH, MALAYSIA: Ten-year-old K. Tharsini wants to go to school. But she can't.

The Arutperum Jothi Children's Welfare Home resident does not have a birth certificate.

And despite an Education Ministry announcement in February that children with no birth certificates can be enrolled into schools, no school will take her.

Her guardian Babaji Indhu Adigalar said that besides Tharsini, his four other charges aged between five and 11 years were also facing the same problem.

"I have been trying to enrol them into primary schools since 2004 but the children were turned away because they do not have birth certificates," said the 60-year-old, adding that he had documents proving the children were born in Malaysia.

Speaking to reporters from their home in Buntong here yesterday, Babaji said he thought his problems were over when the ministry made the announcement.

"However, the children and I were again left disappointed when the schools that I approached refused to admit them as they claimed there had been no circular on the matter," he added.

Babaji, who sought the assistance of Perak MIC, said the five children had been abandoned by their parents.

"Because of that, I face difficulty in getting them birth certificates," he said, adding that attempts to get in touch with the children's next-of-kin had failed.

As a result, the children have only attended kindergarten.

They are currently being home-schooled, he said, adding that he did not know what to say when the children asked him they could not attend school like their friends.

On Feb 22, Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein announced in Putrajaya that the Cabinet had decided that children from estates or rural areas without birth certificates could be enrolled as long as they got a letter from the village headman or security and development committee members saying they were citizens.

All school heads have been directed to accept such pupils, he had added.

However, State MIC chairman Datuk G. Rajoo said a check with the Education Department on Monday confirmed that such a circular had not been issued.

"I urge the Ministry to do so fast as the children's future is at stake," he added.