Thestar-IPOH: The five children abandoned without birth certificates in a home in Buntong are a step closer to realising their dreams of attending school.

A five-man team from the Welfare Department visited the Arutperam Jothi orphanage yesterday to help S. Velan, K. Tharsini, both 10, and N. Pandian, 7, Dineshkumar, 6, and Roja, 5, apply for their birth certificates.

State Welfare Department director Chong Phaik Hee and adviser to the Women, Family and Community Development minister, Datuk Shamsiah Abdul Rahman, were also present.

An official from the National Registration Department took down the children's particulars to help ascertain their identities.

The five, who can count, read and write in Bahasa Malaysia and English at kindergarten level, can now smile as the Welfare Department will approach the Education Ministry to see whether they can be enrolled in primary school before they get their birth certificates.

Last week, their guardian and the founder of the home, Indu Adigalar, enlisted the aid of state MIC chairman Datuk G. Rajoo to solve their problems.

Rajoo had asked the Education Ministry to allow the children to go to school until their birth status is determined and they are registered.

Indu has attempted to enrol the children in numerous primary schools since the first unregistered child arrived at the orphanage in 2004.

Shamsiah and Chong said the Education Ministry would be contacted and their decision on the children's admission would be relayed to the home immediately.

Chong said the problem of unregistered children had far-reaching implications beyond just identity or citizenship.