UP Govt to launch ‘School Chalo Abhiyan 2026’ from April 1 to enrol dropouts, out-of-school children

The Uttar Pradesh government has announced the launch of School Chalo Abhiyan 2026, an initiative to provide free and compulsory education to every child between the age of 6 and 14. The campaign will be conducted in two phases, and aims to reconnect every dropout and out-of-school children to education.

SP Goyal, chief secretary, UP Government has issued instructions to all district magistrates, stating that the School Chalo Abhiyaan’s first phase will be held from April 1 to 15, while the second will take place from July 1 to 15 for the academic session 2026-27.

Explaining the objective of the abhiyaan, Sandeep Singh, state minister for basic education (independent change), said: “The Yogi government is continuously striving to provide quality education to every child. The "School Chalo Abhiyan" is an important initiative in this direction. Through the campaign, dropouts and out-of-school children will be specifically identified and enrolled, ensuring their integration into the mainstream of education.”

Officials in the UP government have also been instructed to ensure 100% enrolment of children who have completed three years of age in Anganwadi/Balvatika and those who have completed six years of age in Class 1, according to an official notification.

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Reading items for children with disability, special needs

“All children aged 7 to 14 who are out of school for any reason should be identified and enrolled in schools. Under the campaign, special emphasis has been placed on ensuring 100% transition of students from Anganwadi to Class 1, Class 5 to Class 6, Class 8 to Class 9, and Class 10 to Class 11,” it added.

The key part of the initiative is inclined towards the education of girls, and “special efforts" will be made to enrol children deprived of education due to domestic work, social reasons, or the distance from school, the official statement reads.

Every girl will be admitted in Kasturba Gandhi Girls schools, while children with disability and special needs will be identified, enrolled, and provided with reading materials as per their needs, it said.

Partha Sarathi Sen Sharma, additional chief secretary, basic and secondary education, said that the School Chalo Abhiyan will be implemented in a systematic and effective manner this year.

“Extensive coordination will be established between the Education Department, Health, Child Development, Panchayati Raj, and other departments. District officials will regularly review the campaign's progress and ensure that no child is denied admission due to lack of documents. All schools have been instructed to enthusiastically welcome children on the first day of the new academic session and to make the school premises attractive and clean,” Sharma said.