Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, emphasized the need to reintegrate over two crore children aged 14-18, currently out of school, back into formal education. He highlighted that only 62 out of every 100 children who start in Class I make it to Class XII. Kumar suggested linking children unable to return to regular schools to alternative learning pathways like the National Institute of Open Schooling and State Open Schools through Open and Distance Learning.
He stressed the crucial role of District Collectors and district administrations in implementing strategies effectively and turning the initiative into a nationwide campaign. Kumar identified economic constraints, domestic duties, and livelihood challenges as key reasons for children staying out of the education system. Urging immediate action, he stated that every child should have access to education up to secondary and senior secondary levels, along with skills relevant to local job opportunities.
Prachi Pandey, Joint Secretary, highlighted the mission-oriented approach to address out-of-school children, emphasizing data-driven strategies and last-mile outreach. She called for coordination among State, district, and local departments to ensure the successful identification, enrollment, and retention of out-of-school children. Pandey mentioned preparatory steps such as enrolling NIOS Facilitators, distributing starter kits, conducting surveys, and enrolling children before the official launch of the initiative.
The initiative will kick off in pilot districts with high numbers of out-of-school children, including areas in Odisha, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi. Initially, the program will run in 10 districts, with Memoranda of Commitment signed with participating States to support implementation. The plan is to expand the program nationwide based on insights gained from these districts.
