Majority of Delhi’s NIOS students fail Class 10 despite special support: RTI

A recent Right to Information (RTI) query has exposed concerning results from Delhi’s NIOS Project, revealing that nearly 70% of students enrolled in Class 10 under the scheme have failed over the past four years.

The initiative, designed to support academically weaker students and reduce dropout rates in Classes 9 and 10, appears to be struggling to meet its objectives.

Data provided by the Delhi Directorate of Education (DoE) shows that in 2024, only 2,842 of the 7,794 students registered under the program, or 37%, passed their Class 10 exams.

Similar trends are evident in previous years, despite the project offering additional academic support to struggling students.

The NIOS Project allows government schools to register students who fail or face difficulties in Grades 9 and 10 with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), providing them with separate classes tailored to their learning needs.

However, the RTI data indicates that this remedial system has not produced significant improvements.

Between 2017 and 2023, tens of thousands of students were enrolled: 8,563 in 2017, 18,344 in 2018, 18,624 in 2019, and 29,436 in 2023.

Yet, only a fraction passed: 3,748 in 2017, 12,096 in 2018, 17,737 in 2019, and 7,658 in 2023.

The average pass rate over the last four years stands at just 30%, according to the DoE.

A government school teacher, speaking on condition of anonymity, cited lack of coordination between teachers and parents and minimal classroom engagement as key factors behind poor outcomes.

Many NIOS students are reportedly excluded from regular school environments, widening their learning gaps, while parents are often not informed about attendance or academic progress.

Concerns have also been raised about school principals transferring academically weaker students to NIOS to artificially improve their schools’ Class 10 board results.

Educators say this practice sidelines vulnerable students rather than providing them meaningful support.

Ashok Agarwal, President of the All India Parents Association and senior advocate at the Delhi High Court, criticized the project, saying government schools are “playing with the future of poor children” by offering a “substandard curriculum” that is less rigorous than CBSE.

He added that even those who pass through NIOS are often limited to the Arts stream in Class 11, restricting their future opportunities.

Repeated attempts to reach Hari Ram Sharma, Deputy Director of the NIOS Project at the DoE, for comment were unsuccessful.

The findings raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of the NIOS Project and highlight broader challenges in supporting academically weaker students within Delhi’s government school system.