NIOS stresses round-the-year remedial teaching for out-of-school children with special needs

The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) highlighted its remedial teaching and flexible learning support for Children with Special Needs (CwSN) during the Inclusive Education Summit held from January 21 to 23, 2026, in New Delhi.

The summit, organised by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) under the Ministry of Education, focused on improving access, retention and learning outcomes for CwSN, while pushing for “equitable and barrier-free education systems”, an official statement by NIOS stated.

Under the theme, “Inclusive Education Pathways,” Akhilesh Mishra, chairman of NIOS, delivered a session on “Remedial Teaching for Out-of-School CwSN Seeking Admission through NIOS”.

He said NIOS was set up in 1989 as an autonomous institution under the ministry of education to support learners who cannot continue in conventional schooling, including out-of-school children, rural youth, working learners, disadvantaged groups and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).

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NIOS support for CwSN learners

Mishra stressed that remedial teaching for CwSN should not remain limited to short-term academic support and must be part of “flexible, continuous, and dignity-centred learning models,” as per the release.

The press note also outlined NIOS’s key mechanisms aimed at improving inclusion, including round-the-year admissions, two public examination cycles each year, and the On-Demand Examination (ODE) system, which helps learners whose education is disrupted due to health issues, mobility barriers, learning challenges or lack of accessible schooling options.

NIOS has also developed accessible digital learning resources such as DAISY, e-PUB and Indian Sign Language (ISL)-based content, shared through platforms including PM e-Vidya, SWAYAM, YouTube and NIOS-DEEP, Mishra shared.

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To support equity in assessment, NIOS provides exam accommodations such as scribes, permission for assistive devices, extra time and barrier-free centres through Special Accredited Institutions for Education of Divyangjans (SAIEDs).

The release further noted that NIOS introduced ISL as a subject at the Secondary level in 2021, and extended it to the Senior Secondary level in November 2025, expanding pathways for Deaf education in the country.