Education Ministry reviews strategy to mainstream out-of-school children through NIOS initiative
New Delhi, May 16
The Ministry of Education on Saturday held a high-level meeting under the chairmanship of Department of School Education & Literacy Secretary Sanjay Kumar to review strategies for mainstreaming out-of-school children through a new initiative involving the National Institute of Open Schooling, states and district administrations.
According to a press release issued by the Education Ministry, during the meeting, Sanjay Kumar highlighted concerns over school dropouts, stating that out of every 100 children entering Class I, only 62 reach Class XII. He further said that, according to the latest PLFS estimates, over two crore children in the 14-18 age group are currently out of school, PIB said in a release.
The Secretary said economic compulsions, domestic responsibilities and livelihood-related challenges are major reasons behind children dropping out of the education system. He stressed that every child should have access to education up to the secondary and senior secondary levels, along with employable skills linked to local economic opportunities.
He further said that while efforts should focus on reintegrating children into formal schools, those unable to return should be connected with flexible learning pathways through NIOS and State Open Schools using Open and Distance Learning mechanisms.
Joint Secretary, DoSEL, Prachi Pandey, said the issue of out-of-school children is being addressed in mission mode with a data-driven approach and strong emphasis on last-mile outreach.
NIOS chairperson Akhilesh Mishra described the initiative as a people's movement for educational inclusion aimed at reconnecting children and youth with learning opportunities through flexible educational pathways.
NIOS Secretary Shakeel Ahmad presented the operational framework of the initiative, including identification of out-of-school children, deployment of NIOS facilitators, app-based monitoring systems and phased implementation plans.
The Ministry informed that pilot districts with high concentrations of out-of-school children have been identified in Odisha, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. In the first phase, the initiative will be implemented in 10 districts across the country.
The meeting concluded with participating states and district administrations assuring full cooperation to ensure that no child remains outside the education system.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good initiative but let's be real—NIOS needs massive improvement. My cousin tried open schooling and the study material was outdated, plus no proper guidance. If the app-based monitoring means just another data collection exercise without real support on ground, this will fail. The focus should be on making education relevant to local jobs, not just ticking boxes.
As someone who volunteers with street children in Mumbai, I can tell you economic compulsions are just the tip of the iceberg. Many kids drop out because they feel the curriculum is irrelevant to their lives. Linking education to local skills (like agriculture or small business) will definitely help. But we also need to address social stigma against open schooling. Let's hope the states actually cooperate this time. 🇮🇳
Impressive data-driven approach! Having worked in education policy, I know identifying out-of-school children is the hardest part—especially in remote areas. The 62% retention rate from Class I to XII is alarming but realistic. App-based monitoring sounds promising, but will facilitators have offline capability for areas with no internet? That's make-or-break for this mission.
The idea of a "people's movement" is heartwarming but action speaks louder. As a parent in a semi-urban area, I see many girls dropping out after Class 10 because of safety concerns during long commutes to school. NIOS can solve that by letting them study at home, but they need proper support. And please, ensure the skill training actually leads to jobs, not just certificates gathering dust. 💪
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