Thousands of students, including school dropouts and adults enrolled in alternative schooling programs, are facing an uncertain future as the Union government delays approval for institutions offering distance education. These institutions, run by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), provide education to children and adults in remote areas where formal schools are scarce.
The education ministry has yet to renew the permission for NIOS to continue operating the Open Basic Education (OBE) centres, which offer primary and upper-primary schooling. The OBE programme, which began in 1994, aims to provide education to adult learners. In 2000, the programme expanded to include children aged 6 to 14. The centres, which include classrooms and teachers, offer a path to education for children in hard-to-reach areas. Students take exams in Classes III, V, and VIII, and those who pass receive certificates recognized as equivalent to formal schooling for further education or employment opportunities.
These OBE centres are especially important in areas with difficult terrain, where formal schools are often unavailable. There are currently nearly 1,000 OBE centres registered with NIOS, with over 100,000 students enrolled. The centres are run by registered bodies and have received periodic approval from the education ministry. The last permission granted was valid until March 31, but over two weeks have passed since the approval expired.
An official from NIOS expressed concern about the growing anxiety among students, who are unsure about their future due to the lack of a renewed approval from the government. In Jharkhand, state authorities are pressuring OBE centres to obtain recognition from the state government, as unrecognized institutions are not allowed to offer schooling. Some states have expressed reluctance to accept OBE centres under NIOS and would prefer students to transfer to formal schools. This could affect enrolment numbers in government schools.
Despite the uncertainty around the OBE programme, NIOS continues to administer exams for Classes X and XII, and these examinations remain unaffected by the ongoing issues.
Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, schools are required to meet certain standards, such as a teacher-student ratio of 1:35, adequate infrastructure, and other facilities. Most OBE centres do not meet these standards, and if the government does not renew permission, many of these centres could be forced to close.
An NIOS official warned that if the education ministry does not extend approval for the OBE programme, it could lead to higher dropout rates, as many students rely on these alternative schools.
An email has been sent to Sanjay Kumar, the school education secretary, for comment on the issue, but a response is still pending.
