Education ministry to launch nationwide drive to identify, enrol out-of-school children, plans to boost NIOS

The Ministry of Education is stepping up efforts to achieve 100% enrolment in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with a strong push to expand the role of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). It will launch a nationwide drive to identify and enrol out-of-school children and dropouts and in parallel, make flexible learning more accessible for children who cannot attend regular classes due to social, economic, or personal challenges.

As part of this plan, the ministry is working to widen NIOS’ reach by increasing the number of study and examination centres across the country. It aims to set up at least one such centre in every block. Schools under the PM SHRI scheme, along with Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and government senior secondary schools, will also be used as NIOS centres to make the system more accessible and reliable.

At the same time, a new outreach initiative called “NIOS Mitra” is being rolled out. Under this, trained facilitators will connect with out-of-school and dropout children, guide them, and help them enrol. The programme will focus especially on marginalised groups, including tribal, migrant, and economically weaker communities, and will be monitored digitally to ensure transparency.

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NIOS drive to bring back out-of-school children

These steps are part of a larger nationwide effort by the Department of School Education and Literacy to identify children who have dropped out or never enrolled in school. The NEP 2020 has set a target of achieving a 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from pre-school to secondary level by 2030, but current data shows there is still a long way to go.

According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023–24, nearly 2 crore children aged 14 to 18 are not in school. Around 11% of children in Classes 3 to 8 are also out of the system, and more than 50 lakh students fail board exams each year.

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Officials believe open schooling can play a crucial role in addressing this gap. NIOS offers flexible admissions, multiple chances to clear exams, and skill-based courses that improve employability. By working closely with states and using district-level data, the ministry hopes to track these children, bring them back into learning, and move closer to universal school participation.