What is NIOS
NIOS is "Open School" to cater to the needs of a heterogeneous
group of learners up to pre-degree level. It was started as a
project with in-built flexibilities by the Central Board of
Secondary Education (CBSE) in 1979. In 1986, the National Policy on
Education suggested strengthening of Open School System for
extending open learning facilities in a phased manner at secondary
level all over the country as an independent system with its own
curriculum and examination leading to certification.
Consequently, the Ministry of Education
(MOE) , Government of India set up the National Open
School (NOS) in November 1989. The pilot project of CBSE on Open
School was amalgamated with NOS. Through a Resolution (No.
F.5-24/90 Sch.3 dated 14 September 1990 published in the
Gazette of India on 20 October 1990), the National Open School
(NOS) was vested with the authority to register, examine and
certify students registered with it up to pre-degree level courses.
In July 2002, the Ministry of Education (MOE) amended
the nomenclature of the organisation from the National Open School
(NOS) to the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) with a
mission to provide relevant continuing education at school stage,
up to pre-degree level through Open Learning system to prioritized
client groups as an alternative to formal system, in pursuance of
the normative national policy documents and in response to the need
assessments of the people, and through it to make its share of
contribution:
- To universalisation of education,
- To greater equity and justice in society, and
- To the evolution of a learning society.
What does NIOS do?
The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) provides
opportunities to interested learners by making available the
following Courses/Programmes of Study through open and distance
learning (ODL) mode.
- Open Basic Education (OBE) Programme for 14+ years age group,
adolescents and adults at A, B and C levels that are equivalent to
classes III, V and VIII of the formal school system.
- Secondary Education Course
- Senior Secondary Education Course
- Vocational Education Courses/Programmes
- Life Enrichment Programmes
Envisages schooling by providing a learning continuum
based on graded curriculum ensuring quality of education for
children, neo-literates, school drop-outs/left-outs and NFE
completers.
For implementation of OBE programme, the NIOS has partnership
with about 853 Agencies providing facilities at their study
centres. It is a sort of academic input relationship with
partnering agencies. The NIOS provides resource support (such as
adaptation of NIOS model curricula, study materials, joint
certification, orientation of Resource Persons and popularisation
of OBE) to the voluntary agencies and Zila Saksharta Samities
(ZSSs) etc., for implementation of its OBE programme.
At the Secondary and Senior Secondary levels, NIOS provides
flexibility in the choice of subjects/courses, pace of learning,
and transfer of credits from CBSE, some Board of School Education
and State Open Schools to enable learner's continuation. A learner
is extended as many as nine chances to appear in public
examinations spread over a period of five years. The credits gained
are accumulated till the learner clears required credits for
certification. The learning strategies include; learning through
printed self-instructional material, audio and video programmes,
participating in personal contact programme (PCP), and Tutor Marked
Assignments (TMA). Enrichment is also provided to the learners
through the half yearly magazine "Open Learning". The Study
Material is made available in English, Hindi and Urdu mediums. The
On-Demand Examination System (ODES) is in operation at Secondary
and Senior Secondary stage. NIOS offers 28 subject in eight mediums
(Hindi, English, Urdu, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati, Malayalam and
Odia) for Secondary Examinations and 28 subjects in Hindi,
English, Urdu, Bengali and Odia mediums for Senior
Secondary Examinations. Besides these, NIOS has provision of
offering Vocational subjects in combination with Academic subjects
at secondary stage and 20 vocational subjects in combination with
Academic subjects at Senior Seondary level.
Acknowledging the fact that the young entrepreneurs will be the
wealth of the nation, the learner friendly Vocational Education
programmes of NIOS provide excellent prospects for the learners. It
offers Vocational Education programmes in different areas such
as Agriculture, Business and Commerce, Engineering and Technology,
Health and Paramedical, Home Science and Hospitality Management,
Teacher Training, Computer and IT related sectors, Life Enrichment
Programmes and General Services. Knowledge, skills and qualities of
entrepreneurship have been made essential components in curricula
for Vocational Education with emphasis on practical and on the job
training in related industrial units.
In order to upscale and place the Open Vocational Education
Programme on a sound pedestal, NIOS is seeking collaboration with
leading organizations in different educational development sectors
like Industries, Medicines, IT etc. Within the overall provisions
of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF-2005), NIOS has brought
out a significant documnet titled "Vocational Educaiton and
Training: A Framework on Curriculum Imparatives with a Foucs on
Knowledge Acquisition and Skills Development: Initiative through
Open and Distance Learning". It is hoped that this document with
prove useful as the basis for preparing a well deliberated
Programme of Action (POA) for implementation of Vocational
Education Programmes through ODL.
The NIOS programmes pay special attention towards requirements
of the first generation learners, physically, mentally and visually
challenged learners and candidates from disadvantaged sections of
the society.
How does NIOS Function?
NIOS operates through a network of five Departments, 23 Regional
Centres, two Sub Regional Centres, two NIOS Cells, and more than
7400 Study Centres (AIs/AVIs) spread all over the country and
abroad.NIOS is the largest Open Schooling system in the world with
cumulative enrolment of 4.13 million (during last 5 years).