The Ministry of Education held a high-level meeting to review strategies for bringing out-of-school children, particularly those aged 14 to 18 years, back into the education system through flexible learning initiatives led by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). The meeting was chaired by Sanjay Kumar and attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Education, NIOS, State Governments and district administrations.
Addressing the meeting, Kumar highlighted the growing concern over school dropouts, stating that only 62 out of every 100 children entering Class I currently reach Class XII. He also noted that more than two crore children in the 14–18 age group remain outside the formal education system, according to recent estimates.
Officials identified financial pressures, domestic responsibilities and livelihood challenges as major reasons behind students dropping out of school. Stressing the need for urgent action, Kumar said children unable to return to regular schools should be connected with flexible learning pathways through NIOS and State Open Schools.
The proposed initiative will focus on identification, enrollment and retention of out-of-school children using a data-driven approach and district-level coordination. Pilot implementation will begin in 10 districts across states including Odisha, Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Delhi. According to officials, preparatory activities such as surveys, enrollment drives, appointment of NIOS facilitators and app-based monitoring systems will be undertaken before the formal launch of the programme.
Akhilesh Mishra described the initiative as an effort to reconnect children and youth with education and skill development opportunities through inclusive and flexible learning systems. The programme is expected to be expanded nationwide after evaluating the pilot phase.
