Government to expand NIOS outreach to bring out-of-school children back, targets full enrollment by 2030 india news
New Delhi: The Union Education Ministry will launch a nationwide campaign to identify and enroll out-of-school children and dropouts through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) as part of efforts to achieve 100% Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) from pre-school to secondary level by 2030.Data from the Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24 shows that nearly 2 crore children in the age group of 14-18 are not going to school. About 11% of children from classes III to VIII remain out of school, while more than 50 lakh students fail board examinations every year.Officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy said open schooling will be used to bring such children back into the education system, especially those who are unable to attend regular schools due to economic, social or geographical reasons. NIOS offers flexible admission, multiple attempts to qualify the exam, on-demand exams and professional courses with recognized certification at par with other boards.The ministry will work with states and union territories to identify out-of-school children using district-level survey data and enroll them through targeted outreach. A program called “NIOS Mitra” will be launched to support this effort. Trained facilitators will identify children, counsel families and assist with enrollment and academic guidance, focusing on marginalized and disadvantaged groups.To improve access, the ministry plans to expand the network of NIOS centres. Currently, NIOS operates more than 10,800 study and examination centers across the country. The government aims to set up at least one center in every block.PM SHRI Schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas and Government Senior Secondary Schools will be used as NIOS centers to support enrollment and examinations.


