Friday, 9 May 2014

The Alternate System of Education: NIOS




For the 105 million children who drop out of school every year due to various socio-economic reasons, 10 million differently-abled children excluded from the mainstream education system and 240 million adult illiterates denied access to secondary school, NIOS is a boon.


What is NIOS?



The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) is the Board of Education for Distance education, under the Union Government of India. It was established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India in 1989. Its main objective was to provide education inexpensively to remote areas.

Through a government resolution of September 14, 1990 published in the Gazette of India on October 20, 1990, NIOS was vested with the authority to register, examine and certify students up to pre-degree level programmes.

It had a cumulative enrollment of about 1.5 million students from 2004–2009 at Secondary and Senior Secondary levels and enrolls about 350,000 students annually which makes it the largest open schooling system in the world.


Who opts for NIOS?

Many like you, outstanding sports personalities, Cinema stars, specially talented persons looking for special curriculum (like painting , home Science, Computers ), people with domestic liabilities, working in Govt and Private institutions, those in remote areas ( where academic and Vocational Institutions are not available), women restricted  of  free movements, feeding mothers, nuns , priests,  those not studied Science group in Higher Secondary and wanting to do Medicine/Engg/Pharma/Nursing etc are a few to name.


How is NIOS advantageous to children with Learning difficulties and other disabilities?

India hosts an estimated 10 million physically and mentally challenged children with an estimated 80 percent suffering learning disabilities. Given the internal curricular rigidity of national and state boards, NIOS is an attractive alternative study and examinations option for them. Therefore unsurprisingly, an estimated 3,000 special schools countrywide are affiliated with the NIOS board.

The great advantage of NIOS is that it enables every enrolled student to study at her own pace and choose subjects of his/ her interest.

Students writing the class XII exam can select from a menu of 21 subjects, of which they need to clear five subjects. The students can choose to complete small portions of the coursework every three months by attending exams that are held twice a year — in April and October — and students have nine chances to clear the class X/XII exams during a liberal five-year period.

Subjects include: English, Mathematics, History, Geography, economics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, Political science, Painting, Mass communication, Home science and so on.

Also many relaxations are provided to support children based on the disability. Visit the link below for various relaxations provided:

Thus NIOS is a very flexible form of education as well.



D.K.’s Learning Centre is one among many institutions where school subjects are taught using remedial techniques that best work with children based on the needs and difficulties.
Madhu (name changed) is one such child with dyslexia who was denied mainstream schooling because of her disability. It was only because of her supportive parents she was put for NIOS. She attended classes in D.K.’s where tailor-made techniques were followed to teach subjects. To everyone’s surprise, Madhu scored 80% in her 10th board exam via NIOS. Now Madhu is confidently preparing for her 12th board exams.

Like Madhu, there are many students who are pursuing their board exams with support from D.K.’s. Five children are already pursuing their higher education – one pursuing Bachelors degree, one in Hotel management, one doing diploma in animation and so on.

NIOS’ class X and XII certification is officially recognised by the Association of Indian Universities for admission into the country’s 509 universities and 31,000 colleges.

Moreover by offering an alternative learning system to differently abled children, an inclusive school education system is created. With the introduction of vocational education programmes in 1993, NIOS is now in the forefront of preparing youth without formal college degrees with skills for the workplace.
 NIOS primarily focuses on content that is practical and life oriented, not theoretical as in the curriculums of other exam boards.  NIOS certification is officially on a par with CBSE, CISCE and state exam boards.



Can I take admission in any course of NIOS along with the course am undergoing in a School/College/University?
Of course you can.

Courses offered by NIOS
NIOS offer the following courses:
  • Open Basic Education Programme, Which includes following three levels courses
    • OBE 'A' Level Course—Equivalent to class III
    • OBE 'B' Level Course—Equivalent to class V
    • OBE 'C' Level Course—Equivalent to class VIII
  • Secondary Course—Equivalent to class X
  • Senior Secondary Course—Equivalent to class XII
  • Vocational Education Courses
Thus it is vital that the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) becomes a household name and national success which best supports children with disabilities. 

REFER:  http://www.nios.ac.in/


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