The government will expand NIOS coverage to bring out-of-school children back to school, with the goal of achieving universal enrollment by 2030

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Education will launch a nationwide drive to identify and enroll out-of-school and dropout children through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) as part of efforts to achieve 100 per cent Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) from pre-primary to secondary level by 2030.Data from the Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24 shows that nearly 20 million children in the 14-18 age group are not attending school. About 11% of children in grades three to eight remain out of school, while more than 5 million students fail board exams every year.Officials in the school education and literacy department said open schooling would be used to bring these 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 admissions, multiple attempts to pass, on-demand exams, and career courses, and its certifications are recognized equally 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 in schools through targeted outreach. A program called ‘NIOS Mitra’ will be launched to support this effort. Trained counselors will identify children, counsel families and assist with admissions and academic guidance, focusing on marginalized and disadvantaged populations.To improve services, the Ministry plans to expand the network of NIOS centers. Currently, NIOS has more than 10,800 learning and examination centers across the country. The government aims to establish at least one center in every neighbourhood.PM SHRI Schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas and Government Higher Secondary Schools will be used as NIOS centers to support admissions and examinations.