Sansad TV: Samagra Shiksha | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

In 2006, the Government of India introduced a scheme called "The Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration" to recognize and reward the exceptional work carried out by Districts and Organizations of the Central and State Governments. Over the years, the scheme has undergone several restructurings and has evolved into "Samagra Shiksha," an overarching program for the school education sector. This article delves into the details, goals, and major features of Samagra Shiksha, as well as its impact and challenges.

Background

The proposal for Samagra Shiksha emerged from the Union Budget 2018-19, which aimed to treat school education holistically, covering pre-nursery to Class 12. Samagra Shiksha was designed with the broader objective of improving school effectiveness, ensuring equal opportunities for schooling, and promoting equitable learning outcomes. It amalgamates the three previous schemes: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), and Teacher Education (TE).

Goals and Development

Samagra Shiksha is a sector-wide development program that seeks to harmonize implementation mechanisms and reduce transaction costs across all levels of the education system. The scheme emphasizes improving systems-level performance and schooling outcomes, focusing on good governance, qualitative achievements, and last-mile connectivity. The major objectives of the scheme include providing quality education, bridging social and gender gaps, ensuring equity and inclusion, setting minimum standards, promoting vocationalization of education, supporting the implementation of the Right to Education Act, and strengthening teacher training.

Major Features

Samagra Shiksha adopts a holistic approach to education, treating it as a continuum from pre-school to Class 12. It encompasses interventions for senior secondary and pre-school levels, which were previously not included. The scheme introduces a unified administrative structure that fosters harmonized implementation and provides flexibility to states to prioritize their interventions. Enhanced funding has been allocated to education, with grants being allocated based on learning outcomes and steps taken for quality improvement.

Focus on Quality of Education

Samagra Shiksha places a strong emphasis on improving the quality of education by focusing on two critical aspects: teachers and technology. The scheme enhances capacity building for teachers and school heads, particularly in areas such as digital literacy, inclusive education, and early-grade reading. It promotes digital education by providing ICT labs, smart classrooms, virtual classrooms, and other digital resources. Initiatives like Shala Kosh, Shagun, Shaala Saarthi, and the digital portal for teachers called "DIKSHA" are strengthened to upgrade the skills of teachers.

Strengthening of Schools

The scheme aims to enhance the overall quality of infrastructure in government schools. It provides improved transport facilities for children, increased grants based on school enrollment, specific provisions for Swachhta activities through the "Swachh Vidyalaya" initiative, and a focus on girl education. Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) are upgraded, and increased allocations are made for children with special needs. Self-defense training for girls is also emphasized.

Focus on Skill Development

Samagra Shiksha recognizes the importance of skill development and integrates vocational education into the curriculum for classes 9-12. It aims to expose students to vocational skills at the upper primary level and make vocational education more practical and industry-oriented.

Focus on Sports and Physical Education

The scheme promotes sports and physical education by providing sports equipment to all schools. Sports education is integrated into the curriculum, emphasizing the relevance of sports in school life. The scheme aligns with the national initiative "Khelo India" to further support sports development.

Focus on Regional Balance

Samagra Shiksha aims to achieve balanced educational development by giving preference to educationally backward blocks, districts affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), special focus districts (SFDs), border areas, and aspirational districts identified by Niti Aayog. The scheme strives to ensure equitable access to education across different regions.

Impact and Challenges

Since its implementation, Samagra Shiksha has yielded positive results in various aspects of the education sector in India:

• Increased Enrolment: The scheme has contributed to a significant increase in enrolment rates across primary, upper primary, and secondary schools.
• Improved Infrastructure: Samagra Shiksha has played a crucial role in improving school infrastructure by providing basic facilities such as toilets, drinking water, and playgrounds.
• Enhanced Teacher Training: The scheme has focused on enhancing the quality of education by providing training and support to teachers, with a particular emphasis on digital literacy, inclusive education, and early-grade reading.
• Increased Gender Parity: Samagra Shiksha has contributed to reducing the gender gap in education and ensuring equal access to education for girls.

Despite its positive impact, Samagra Shiksha faces several challenges:

• Quality of Education: While the scheme has focused on increasing enrolment and improving infrastructure, there is still a need to improve the overall quality of education in schools across India.
• Inadequate Funding: Insufficient funding remains a significant challenge in the education sector, requiring increased investment to provide the necessary resources for quality education.
• Inequitable Access: Disparities in enrolment rates and learning outcomes persist between different regions, socio-economic groups, and genders, necessitating targeted interventions to ensure equal access to education.
• Teacher Shortage: Many parts of India face a shortage of trained and qualified teachers, particularly in rural areas. Addressing this shortage is crucial to providing quality education to all students.
• Out-of-School Children: Despite efforts to increase enrolment rates, there are still millions of children in India who are out of school. Comprehensive measures are required to address this challenge and provide support to vulnerable children and their families.

Can India Attain 100 Percent GER by 2030?

• Attaining a 100 percent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at the school level by 2030, as envisioned by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, is an ambitious target. While India has made substantial progress in increasing enrolment rates, achieving 100 percent GER will require significant efforts and investments.
• The government needs to adopt a multi-pronged approach, focusing on improving access to education, enhancing the quality of education, and ensuring equitable and inclusive education for all children. This includes investing in infrastructure, teacher training, curriculum development, and appropriate teaching-learning materials. The NEP 2020 provides a roadmap for achieving this goal, but its successful implementation requires sustained political will, adequate funding, and effective strategies.

Conclusion

• Samagra Shiksha has emerged as a comprehensive program aimed at transforming the education sector in India. It has made significant strides in increasing enrolment, improving infrastructure, and enhancing teacher training. However, challenges remain in terms of quality of education, funding, equitable access, teacher shortage, and out-of-school children.
• The ambitious goal of achieving 100 percent GER by 2030 requires a collective effort from the government, civil society, and the private sector. By implementing the measures outlined in the NEP 2020 and addressing the challenges at hand, India can make significant progress towards providing quality education to all its children. It is a journey that demands commitment, investment, and sustained dedication to the cause of education in the country.