Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyan or SSA,
is an Indian Government programme
aimed at the universalisation of elementary education "in
a time bound manner", as mandated by the 86th Amendment to the Constitution of India making
free and compulsory education to children between the ages of 6 to 14
(estimated to be 205 million children in 2001) a fundamental right.
The programme was pioneered by former Indian Prime MinisterAtal Bihari Vajpayee.
History
As an intervention programme,
SSA has been operational since 2000-2001.However,
its roots go back to 1993-1994, when the District Primary Education Programme
(DPEP) was launched, with an aim of achieving the objective of universal
primary education. DPEP,
over several phases, covered 272 districts in 18 states of the country.The
expenditure on the programme was shared by the Central Government (85%) and the
State Governments. The Central share was funded by a number of external
agencies, including the World Bank, DFID and UNICEF. By
2001, more than US$1500 million had been committed to the programme, and 50
million children covered in its ambit. In an impact assessment of Phase I of
DPEP, the authors concluded that its net impact on minority children was
impressive, while there was little evidence of any impact on the enrolment of
girls. Nevertheless, they concluded that the investment in DPEP was not a
waste, because it introduced a new approach to primary school interventions in
India.
The Right to
Education Act (RTE) came into force on 1 April 2010. Some
educationists and policy makers believe that, with the passing of this act, SSA
has acquired the necessary legal force for its implementation.
Features
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is
a programme for Universal Elementary Education. This programme is also an
attempt to provide an opportunity for improving human capabilities to all
children through provision of community -owned quality education in a mission
mode. It is a response to the demand for quality basic education all over the
country.
Main features
Programme with a clear time frame for universal
elementary education.
1.
A response to
the demand for quality basic education all over the country.
2.
An opportunity
for promoting social justice through basic education.
3.
An expression of
political will for universal elementary education across the country.
4.
A partnership
between the central, state and the local government.
5.
An opportunity
for states to develop their own vision of elementary education.
6.
An effort at
effective involving the Panchyati Raj Institutions, school management
Committees, village and urban slum level Education Committees, parent’s
Teachers’ Associations, Mother-Teacher Associations, Tribal Autonomous councils
and other grassroots level structures in the management of elementary schools
Aims
To provide useful and elementary education for all
children in the 6-14 age group.
1.
To bridge
social, regional and gender gaps with the active participation of community in
the management of schools.
2.
To allow
children to learn about and master their natural environment in order to
develop their potential both spiritually and materially.
3.
To inculcate
value-based learning this allows children an opportunity to work for each
other’s well being rather than to permit mere selfish pursuits.
4.
To realize the
importance of Early Childhood Care and education and looks at the 0-14 age as a
continuum.
Objectives
All children in school. Education Guarantee Centre,
Alternate School, ‘Back-to-School’ camp by 2003.
1.
All children
complete five years of primary schooling by 2007.
2.
All children
complete of elementary schooling by 2010.
3.
Focus on
elementary education of satisfactory quality with emphasis on education for
life.
4.
Bridge all
gender and social category gaps at primary stage by 2007 and at elementary
education level by 2010.
5.
Universal
retention by 2010.
Aspects
It provides a wide convergent frame work for
implementation of Elementary Education schemes.
1.
It is also a
programme with budget provision for strengthening vital areas to achieve
universalisation of elementary education.
Padhe
Bharat Badhe Bharat
Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat is a nationwide sub-programme of Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyan.Children who fail to read in
early education lag behind in other subjects.The programme is designed to
improve comprehensive early reading, writing and early mathematics programme
for children in Classes I and II. Under this programme, ₹762
crore (US$110 million) was approved to States. The programme will not
only provide print rich environment, timely distribution of books but will also
include new teacher mentoring and appraisal system. SSA
has been operational since 2000-2001 to provide for a variety of interventions
for universal access and retention, bridging of gender and social category gaps
in elementary education and improving the quality of learning. SSA
interventions include inter alia, opening of new schools and alternate
schooling facilities, construction of schools and additional classrooms,
toilets and drinking water, provisioning for teachers, regular teacher in
service training and academic resource support, free textbooks& uniforms
and support for improving learning achievement levels / outcome. With the
passage of the RTE Act, changes have been incorporated into the SSA approach,
strategies and norms. The changes encompass the vision and approach to
elementary education, guided by the following principles : Holistic view
of education, as interpreted in the National Curriculum Framework 2005, with
implications for a systemic revamp of the entire content and process of
education with significant implications for curriculum, teacher education,
educational planning and management. Equity, to mean not only equal
opportunity, but also creation of conditions in which the disadvantaged
sections of the society – children of SC, ST, Muslim minority, landless
agricultural workers and children with special needs, etc. – can avail of the
opportunity. Access, not to be confined to ensuring that a school becomes
accessible to all children within specified distance but implies an
understanding of the educational needs and predicament of the traditionally
excluded categories – the SC, ST and others sections of the most disadvantaged
groups, the Muslim minority, girls in general, and children with special needs.
Gender concern, implying not only an effort to enable girls to keep pace with
boys but to view education in the perspective spelt out in the National Policy
on Education 1986 /92; i.e. a decisive intervention to bring about a basic
change in the status of women. Centrality of teacher, to motivate them to
innovate and create a culture in the classroom, and beyond the classroom, that
might produce an inclusive environment for children, especially for girls from
oppressed and marginalised backgrounds. Moral compulsion is imposed through the
RTE Act on parents, teachers, educational administrators and other
stakeholders, rather than shifting emphasis on punitive processes. Convergent
and integrated system of educational management is pre-requisite for
implementation of the RTE law. All states must move in that direction as
speedily as feasible.
Present
goals
Its
goals of 2015 are to:
·
The programme
seeks to open new school in those habitations which do not have schooling
facilities and strengthen existing school infrastructure through provision of
additional class rooms, toilets, drinking water, maintenance grant and school
improvement grants.
·
Existing schools
with inadequate teacher strength are provided with additional teachers, while
the capacity of existing teachers is being strengthened by extensive training,
grants for developing teaching-learning materials and strengthening of the
academic support structure at a cluster, block and district level.
·
Provide quality
elementary education including life skills with a special focus on the
education of girls and children with special needs
as well as computer education.
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