The Ministry of Education will begin tracking students who fail Class 10 and 12 board exams. This new plan starts from the 2025–26 academic year . The goal is to connect these students with open schooling options like the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to help them finish their studies and reduce the number of students leaving school early.
Why This Plan is Needed
This decision comes because many students fail board exams each year. In 2024 , about 50 lakh (5 million) students across all boards did not pass their Class 10 and 12 exams. This large number shows a clear need to offer more ways for students to continue their education.
How the Tracking System Will Work
The Ministry will use data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) Plus . UDISE+ is a big education database for the whole country. This data will help find students who do not clear their Class 10 or 12 exams. Once identified, their information will be shared with NIOS. This allows NIOS to reach out to these students. They will encourage students to join flexible learning programs and complete their education.
- The system will identify students early.
- It will connect them with alternative learning choices like open schooling.
- Counselling will be offered to students.
- The main aim is to lower dropout rates.
Support for Students
To make sure money problems do not stop students from continuing their education, the Ministry is looking into using Samagra Shiksha funds . These funds could help pay for NIOS fees for students from poor families. This step will make it easier for more students to re-join schooling without worrying about costs.
Education officials also want to change how people think about open schooling. They say that open schooling is a good and valid option for all students, not just for those from poor backgrounds. More outreach will show open schooling as a strong choice for continued learning.
Understanding Dropout Reasons
Government studies show that fewer students leave school up to middle school. However, dropout rates increase again at the higher secondary levels. This often happens because of money problems or students needing to start working early. The new tracking plan aims to find these students who are out of school. It will offer them structured ways to get back into formal education or get recognized certificates through open schooling.
