The Education Ministry discussed a new NIOS initiative aimed at bringing out-of-school children, especially those aged 14-18, back into education.
New Delhi, May 16: The Ministry of Education has initiated discussions on a new intervention programme aimed at bringing out-of-school children, particularly in the 14-18 age group, back into the education system through flexible and inclusive learning pathways.
A high-level meeting on the issue was chaired by Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, with participation from senior officials of the Centre, State governments, district administrations and the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
The meeting focused on the growing concern over school dropouts and strategies for implementing a proposed NIOS initiative targeting children who are unable to continue formal education.
Among those present at the meeting were Prachi Pandey, Joint Secretary, DoSEL, Prof. Akhilesh Mishra, Chairperson of NIOS, Col. Shakeel Ahmad, Secretary of NIOS, senior Ministry officials, representatives from State Education Departments, and District Collectors and District Magistrates from selected pilot districts.
Addressing the participants, Sanjay Kumar said the issue of school dropouts remained a serious concern in the country. Referring to available data, he stated that out of every 100 children entering Class I, only 62 reach Class XII.
He also cited the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) estimates, which indicate that more than two crore children in the 14-18 age group are currently out of school.
According to Kumar, economic hardship, domestic responsibilities and livelihood-related challenges are among the major reasons preventing children from continuing their education.
He stressed the need for urgent intervention and said that every child should have access to education up to the secondary and senior secondary levels, along with skill development opportunities linked to local economic conditions.
Kumar said the priority should remain on reintegrating children into formal schools wherever possible. However, for children unable to return to regular schooling, flexible systems such as NIOS and State Open Schools could provide alternative pathways through Open and Distance Learning (ODL).
He also underlined the importance of district administrations in ensuring effective implementation of the programme at the grassroots level and called for transforming the initiative into a nationwide movement.
Joint Secretary Prachi Pandey said the issue of out-of-school children was being addressed in “mission mode” and that the initiative would follow a data-driven strategy focused on last-mile outreach.
She emphasised the need for coordination between various departments at the state, district and local levels to ensure identification, enrolment and retention of children outside the school system.
Pandey informed the meeting that preparatory activities would begin before the formal launch of the initiative. These would include enrolment of NIOS facilitators, distribution of starter kits, preliminary surveys and initial enrolment of children.
Prof. Akhilesh Mishra, Chairperson of NIOS, described education as a source of hope, dignity and opportunity. He said the key challenge was reaching children who remained disconnected from the education system.
He termed the proposed programme a people’s movement for educational inclusion and said it aimed to reconnect children and youth with learning opportunities through flexible educational models.
During the meeting, NIOS Secretary Col. Shakeel Ahmad presented the operational framework of the initiative. The presentation included mechanisms for identifying and categorising out-of-school children, deployment of NIOS facilitators, app-based mapping and monitoring systems, incentive structures and district-level convergence strategies.
Pilot districts with high numbers of out-of-school children have been identified for the first phase of implementation. These districts are located in Odisha, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.
Officials said the initiative would initially be implemented in 10 districts across the country. Memoranda of Commitment (MoCs) will be signed with participating states for smooth implementation.
Based on the experience and feedback from the pilot phase, the programme is expected to be expanded nationwide in later stages.
The participating states and district administrations assured full cooperation for successful implementation of the initiative and agreed to share relevant data and suggestions to further strengthen the framework.
The meeting concluded with a collective commitment to ensure that no child remains outside the education system and that children are provided access to education, skills and opportunities for a dignified future.
