Govt takes steps to support school drop-outs, orphaned kids due to COVID-19

Union Minister of Education, Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan in a written reply in the Lok Sabha Department of School Education & Literacy (DOSE & L) has developed an online module for compiling the data of out of school children (OoSC) identified by each State/UT and their mapping with special training centers (STC) on the PRABANDH portal (http://samagrashiksha.in). The concerned state/UT validates the child-wise information of the identified OoSC and STC uploaded by the concerned block resource center of the state for monitoring the progress of mainstreaming of OoSC.  Under Samagra Shiksha, for the first time in 2021-22, financial assistance up to Rs 2000 per annum has been envisioned for supporting out-of-school children of the age group of 16-19 years for completing their education through NIOS/SIOS, for accessing course materials and certification.

DOSE&L and Ministry of Women & Child Development have issued notice to facilitate education for children orphaned due to COVID-19 by bringing them under the fold of the various schemes run by the Department of School Education & Literacy and outlining the role of teachers, district education officers, and child welfare committees.