New Delhi : A high-level meeting chaired by Sanjay Kumar was held by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education to discuss strategies for addressing the issue of out-of-school children, particularly in the 14–18 age group, and to review the implementation plan for a proposed new initiative of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Education, representatives from State Governments, District Collectors and officials of NIOS and State Education Departments. Among those present were Smt. Prachi Pandey, Prof. Akhilesh Mishra and Col. Shakeel Ahmad.
Addressing the gathering, Sanjay Kumar expressed concern over rising school dropout rates and said that only 62 out of every 100 children entering Class I currently reach Class XII. Referring to the latest PLFS estimates, he said more than two crore children in the 14–18 age group are presently out of school.
He pointed out that financial hardships, domestic responsibilities and livelihood-related challenges are among the key reasons forcing children out of the education system. Stressing the need for urgent intervention, he said every child should have access to education up to the secondary and senior secondary levels along with employable skills linked to local economic opportunities.
The Secretary said that while efforts should focus on reintegrating children into formal schools, those unable to return should be connected with flexible learning systems such as NIOS and State Open Schools through Open and Distance Learning mechanisms. He also underlined the importance of district administrations and District Collectors in ensuring effective implementation at the grassroots level.
Joint Secretary Prachi Pandey said the issue of out-of-school children is being addressed in mission mode and the proposed initiative would follow a data-driven approach with emphasis on last-mile outreach. She highlighted the need for coordination among departments at State, district and local levels for effective identification, enrolment and retention of children outside the school system.
She added that preparatory activities, including enrolment of NIOS facilitators, distribution of starter kits, preliminary surveys and initial enrolment drives, would begin before the formal launch of the programme.
NIOS Chairperson Akhilesh Mishra described education as a source of hope, dignity and opportunity, and said the major challenge lies in reaching children disconnected from the education system. He termed the initiative a people’s movement for educational inclusion aimed at reconnecting children and youth with learning opportunities through flexible pathways.
NIOS Secretary Shakeel Ahmad presented the operational framework of the initiative, detailing strategies related to identification of out-of-school children, deployment of facilitators, app-based monitoring systems, district-level convergence mechanisms and phased implementation plans.
Pilot districts with a high concentration of out-of-school children have been identified across states including Odisha, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. In the first phase, the initiative will be implemented in 10 districts across the country.
The Ministry informed that Memoranda of Commitment will be signed with participating states to support implementation, following which the programme will be expanded nationwide based on lessons learned from the pilot phase.
State governments and district administrations assured full cooperation for the initiative and were requested to share relevant data and suggestions to strengthen the framework further.
The meeting concluded with a collective commitment to ensure that no child remains outside the education system and that every child is provided opportunities for education, skill development and a dignified future.