Government to expand NIOS outreach to bring back out-of-school children, target full enrolment by 2030 | India News

New Delhi: The Union Education Ministry will launch a nationwide drive to identify and enroll out-of-school and drop-out children through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) as part of its 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 aged 14-18 years are out of school. About 11% of children in classes III to VIII are out of school, with more than 50 lakh students failing the board exams every year.Officials from the Department of School Education and Literacy said the open school will be used to bring such children back into the education system, especially those who cannot attend regular school due to economic, social or geographical reasons. NIOS offers flexible admissions, multiple attempts to clear exams, on-demand exams and vocational courses, with certificates recognized 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 endeavour. Trained facilitators will identify children, counsel families, and assist with enrollment and academic guidance with a focus on marginalized and disadvantaged groups.To improve access, the ministry plans to expand the network of NIOS centers. Currently, NIOS operates more than 10,800 study and examination centers across the country. The government aims to establish 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 facilitate enrollment and examinations.