The Union Budget 2018-19 held on 1st February 2018 has proposed to treat school education holistically without segmentation from pre-nursery to Class 12. Accordingly, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in its meeting on 28th March 2018 , has approved Samagra Shiksha  , an Integrated Scheme for School Education (ISSE) by subsuming Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE) from 1st April 2018. 

Samagra Shiksha  is an overarching programme for the school education sector with National Vision “Sabko Shiksha Achchhi Shiksha (सबको शिक्षा अच्छी शिक्षा)” extending from pre-school to class 12 with the broader goal of improving school effectiveness measured in terms of equal opportunities for schooling and equitable learning outcomes.

MAJOR OBJECTIVES OF SAMAGRA SHIKSHA

• 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 Vocationalisation of education;

• Support States in implementation of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009;

• Strengthening and up-gradation of State Councils for Educational Research and Training (SCERT)/State Institutes of Education (SIE) and District Institute for Education and Training  (DIET) as a nodal agencies for teacher training.

IMPLEMENTING AGENCY AT STATE LEVEL

• The Scheme is implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme by the Department through a single State Implementation Society (SIS) at the State/UT level.

• As per the direction of MoE, a State Implementing Society named Samagra Shiksha UT Mission Authority (SS UTMA) has been formed for the implementation of Centrally Sponsored Scheme named Samagra Shiksha under Education Sector .

• The SAMAGRA SHIKSHA, UT Mission Authority is governed by its own bye-laws duly approved by the Hon’ble Lt. Governor, A & N Islands and is registered under Societies Registration Act 1860 vide registration no. 1624 dated 05/02/2019. 

• AT UT level, The scheme is governed by the Governing Council headed by Hon’ble Lt. Governor, A & N Islands and executed by the Executive Committee headed by the Chief Secretary, A & N Admn. being its Chairman, . The Secretary (Education) is the Vice-Chairman of the Executive Committee. 

• The Director (Education) is the head of the project as State Project Director (SPD). 

• The State Project office is the most crucial unit for actual implementation of the programme, headed by the State Project Officer (SPO) from the Department of Education with the assistance of  UT Technical Support Group (TSG) for providing technical support in planning and managing the scheme.

• The fund sharing pattern for the scheme between Centre and UT is at present in the ratio of 100:0 for A & N Islands i.e. 100% centrally sponsored.

• The Ministry of Education provide 100% grant-in aid to A & N Islands being UT without legislature to achieve the targeted goals of SDG (Sustainable Development Goal).

MAJOR FEATURES OF SAMAGRA SHIKSHA

Holistic approach to education

• Single Scheme for the School Education Sector from Classes I to XII- extension of interventions to senior secondary stage.

• Treat school education holistically as a continuum from Pre-school to Class 12

• Supporting States to initiate pre-primary education

• Inclusion of senior secondary levels and pre-school levels in support for School education for the first time

Administrative reform

• Single and unified administrative structure leading to harmonized implementation

• Flexibility to States to prioritise their interventions under the Scheme

• An integrated administration looking at ‘school’ as a continuum

Enhanced Funding for Education

• The budget has been enhanced.

• Learning outcomes and steps taken for quality improvement will be the basis for allocation of grants under the Scheme.

Focus on Quality of Education

• Emphasis on improvement of Learning Outcomes

• Enhanced Capacity Building of Teachers

• Focus on strengthening Teacher Education Institutions like SCERTs and DIETs to improve the quality of prospective teachers in the system

• SCERT to be the nodal institution for in-service and pre-service teacher training – will make training dynamic and need-based.

• Key focus on quality education emphasizing capacity building of teachers in online and offline mode as well as strengthening of Teacher Education Institutions SCERT/DIET/BRC/CRC/CTEs/IASEs.

• Annual Grant per school for strengthening of Libraries

• Almost 1 million schools to be given library grant .

• Enhanced focus on improving quality of education by focus on the two T’s – Teachers and Technology

• Outcome oriented allocation of resources

Focus on Digital Education

• Support ‘Operation Digital Board’ in all secondary schools over a period of 5 years, which will revolutionize education- easy to understand, technology based learning classrooms will become flipped classrooms.

• Enhanced use of digital technology in education through smart classrooms, digital boards and DTH channels

• Digital initiatives like ShalaKosh, Shagun, Shaala Sarathi to be strengthened

• Strengthening of ICT infrastructure in schools from upper primary to higher secondary level.

• “DIKSHA”, digital portal for teachers to be used extensively for upgrading skills of teachers

• Enhanced Use of Technology to improve access and provision of quality education – ‘Sabko Shiksha Achhi Shiksha’

Strengthening of Schools

• Emphasis on consolidation of schools for improvement of quality

• Enhanced Transport facility to children across all classes from I to VIII for universal access to school

• Increased allocation for infrastructure strengthening in schools

• Composite school grant increased and to be allocated on the basis of school enrolment.

• Specific provision for Swachhta activities – support ‘Swachh Vidyalaya’

• Improve the Quality of Infrastructure in Government Schools

Focus on Girl Education

• Empowerment of girls

• Self-defence training for girls from upper primary to higher secondary stage

• Stipend for CWSN girls to be provided from Classes I to XII. – earlier only IX to XII.

• Enhanced Commitment to ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’

Focus on Inclusion

• Allocation for uniforms under RTE Act enhanced per child per annum.

• Allocation for textbooks under the RTE Act, enhanced per child per annum. Energized textbooks to be introduced.

• Allocation for Children with Special Needs (CWSN) increased from Rs. 3000 to Rs. 3500 per child per annum. Stipend of Rs. 200 per month for Girls with Special Needs from Classes 1 to 12.

• Commitment to ‘Sabko Shiksha Achhi Shiksha’

Focus on Skill Development

• Exposure to Vocational Skills at Upper Primary Level would be extended.

• Strengthening of vocational education at secondary level as an integral part of curriculum

• Vocational education which was limited to Class 9-12, to be started from class 6 as integrated with the curriculum and to be made more practical and industry oriented.

• Reinforce emphasis on ‘Kaushal Vikas’

Focus on Sports and Physical Education

• Sports equipment will be provided to all schools under this component.

• Sports Education to be an integral part of curriculum

• Every school will receive sports equipments under the scheme to inculcate and emphasize relevance of sports in the school curriculum

• Support ‘Khelo India’