Education
Cabinet approves formulation of a new Integrated Scheme for School Education from 1st April, 2018 to 31st March, 2020
The scheme comes in the backdrop of PM’s vision of Sabko Shiksha, Achhi Shiksha and aims to support the States in universalising access to school education from classes pre-nursery to XII across the country.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal of Department of School Education and Literacy to formulate a Integrated Scheme on School Education by subsuming Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE) from 1st April, 2018 to 31st March, 2020. An estimated allocation of Rs 75,000 crore over the period has been approved which is a 20% increase over the current allocations.
The scheme comes in the backdrop of PM’s vision of Sabko Shiksha, Achhi Shiksha and aims to support the States in universalizing access to school education from classes pre-nursery to XII across the country.
Main Features of the Scheme:
The vision of the Scheme is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education from nursery to senior secondary stage in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goal for Education. The main emphasis of the Integrated Scheme is on improving quality of school education by focussing on the two T's – Teacher and Technology.
The objectives of the Scheme, across all levels of schooling, are:
Provision of quality education and enhancing learning outcomes of students;
Bridging Social and Gender Gaps in School Education;
Ensuring equity and inclusion at all levels of school education;
Ensuring minimum standards in schooling provisions;
Promoting vocationalization of education;
Support States in implementation of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009; and
Strengthening and up-gradation of State Councils for Educational Research and Training (SCERTs)/State Institutes of Education and District Institutes for Education and Training (DIET) as nodal agencies for teacher training.
Impact:
The Scheme gives flexibility to the States and UTs to plan and prioritize their interventions within the scheme norms and the overall resource envelope available to them. It will help improve the transition rates across the various levels of school education and aid in promoting universal access to children to complete school education. The Scheme, by providing quality education, aims to equip the children with varied skills and knowledge essential for their holistic development and prepare them for the world of work or higher education in the future. It would lead to an optimal utilization of budgetary allocations and effective use of human resources and institutional structures created for the erstwhile Schemes.
Benefits:
Holistic approach to education
Inclusion of senior secondary levels and pre-school levels in support for School education for the first time
An integrated administration looking at 'school' as a continuum
Focus on Quality of Education- Emphasis on improvement of LearningOutcomes
Enhanced Capacity Building of Teachers
Focus on strengthening Teacher Education Institutions like SCERTs and DIETs to improve the quality of teacher training
Enhanced use of digital technology in education through smart classrooms, digital boards and DTK channels
Specific provision for Swachhta activities – support 'SwachhVidyalaya'
Improve the Quality of Infrastructure in Government Schools
Enhanced Commitment to 'BetiBachaoBetiPadhao'- Upgradation of KGBVs from class VI -VIII to upto class XII
Emphasis on 'KaushalVikas' in schools
Support 'Khelo India' – provision for sports and physical equipment
Preference to Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs), LWEs, Special Focus Districts (SFDs), Border areas and the 115 aspirational districts
Image courtesy – Pixabay (used for representational purpose only)