AUTHOR DETAILS
| Author Mohini Kushwaha | Co-Author Satya Prakash Vidyarthi |
| Corresponding Author Email kushwahamohini13@gmail.com | Publication Date 15/02/2026 |
ABSTRACT
Over the years, though there have been significant improvements in primary school enrolment in India, secondary school dropout among girls continues to remain a grave concern. The reasons behind this can be traced to socio-economic disparities, domestic responsibilities, infrastructural challenges, and safety concerns, along with cultural barriers. In this context, the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) acts as an alternative pathway to obtain academic certification by offering flexible and inclusive education through its Open and Distance Learning (ODL) model. This study adopts a qualitative and descriptive approach to study the opportunities provided by NIOS and the barriers that limit its effectiveness. In doing so, the study uses secondary data from government reports, NIOS publications, and academic literature. Thematic and comparative analysis with the Education Access Framework (Availability, Affordability, and Acceptability) is used to draw findings. The findings reveal that while NIOS functions as a vital pathway for dropout girls to re-enter education, barriers like low awareness, digital divide, limited academic support, and persistent socio-cultural norms continue to limit its effectiveness. The study concludes that increasing awareness and outreach, strengthening digital access and setting up institutional support systems can help in achieving gender equity in education through NIOS. Ultimately, NIOS can be used as a powerful tool to achieve the NEP 2020 goal of universal secondary education.
| Keywords: child marriage, digital divide, dropout girls, NIOS, open and distance learning, secondary education |
1. INTRODUCTION
The secondary school dropout rates among girls in India remain a critical challenge. It is caused by grave socio-economic disparities, cultural norms and inefficiencies in the system. The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) is a vital alternative for the marginalised female students. NIOS provides a flexible and inclusive framework for female students to re-enter academic settings and work on their qualifications.
This study examines the challenges faced by dropout girls and analyses the opportunities provided to them through NIOS. The study uses qualitative and descriptive methodology to analyse secondary data and work on themes of institutional barriers, issues of regional access, and the impact of domestic responsibilities on the education of girls from marginalised communities. Preliminary findings suggest that while NIOS offers an opportunity for empowerment, its efficiency is hampered by a lack of social support and the digital divide.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of open schooling and provide insights into the ways to strengthen non-formal educational frameworks to ensure equity in education for girls in India.
Girls’ education in India has made significant progress as of 2026, but is laced with serious structural gaps. While primary school enrollment has made strides, the transition to secondary education remains questionable.
India has made significant progress in basic education through policies and initiatives like Samagra Shiksha and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao. As of early 2026, the national Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for girls at secondary education has reached approximately 80.2% (PIB, 2026). However, there exist deep disparities in regions and communities throughout India. The inclusion of marginalised communities continues to be a challenge.
A sharp contrast exists between educational stages, as for the primary level, the national dropout rates have dropped to roughly 0.3% to 2.3% in recent years, which is supported by the no-detention policy and the proximity of schools. In contrast, the secondary level dropout rates have increased significantly, with the national rate between 8.2% and 11.5% for 2024-25. There exists a grave regional disparity, as for states like Odisha and Bihar, the dropout rates in 2025 were as high as 25.9% and 19.5%, respectively (Admin, 2025).
Socioeconomic poverty remains a vital reason behind dropout rates in girls, as families prioritise immediate labour or household chores over long-term schooling. Approximately 65% of girls who have dropped out assist with domestic work or beg, as reported in 2018 (Staff, 2018). Additionally, the deep-rooted norms regarding child marriage remain, and approximately 48% girls are married before the age of 18 (NFHS, 2022). Many families do not let their girls continue secondary education because of the lack of secondary schools within a 5 km radius, due to concerns about commutes.
NIOS was established in 1989 and works as a critical safety net for education for those who have to drop out. It offers both flexibility and inclusion through its Open and Distance Learning Model (ODL). NIOS has no upper age limit and offers both credit accumulation over five years and a choice of vocational subjects. Specific schemes like the NIOS-KGBV collaboration provide vocational training to girls in residential schools and help them gain certifications equivalent to formal boards.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 goal of 100% GER by 2030 requires understanding non-formal ways of education like NIOS. The study is vital in understanding the problems existing within the NIOS system and the way traditional barriers like domestic labour and child marriage can be dealt with to achieve the goal and foster inclusive education for all.
2. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following are the primary objectives of the research:
1. To identify the key factors that lead to school dropouts among girls in India. This includes investigating socioeconomic pressures, like household labour and poverty, and cultural barriers, including early marriage and safety concerns.
2. To examine the role of NIOS in providing educational opportunities to dropout girls by evaluating its effectiveness. The study focuses on the role of NIOS as an alternative, its credit accumulation system, and integration with vocations and its standing when compared to certifications of formal boards.
3. To analyse the challenges faced by girls who are pursuing education through NIOS by identifying institutional and personal barriers like digital divide, lack of local study centers and difficulty balancing self-paced learning with domestic responsibilities.
4. To suggest recommendations to improve the reach and effectiveness of NIOS by providing actionable policy insights.