MHRD launches ‘SamagraShiksha’, integrates SSA, RMSA, Diet

NEW DELHI, MAY 24: The Ministry of Human Resource Development with the objective to overhaul the school education sector has launched ‘SamagraShiksha’ by integrating Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), National Secondary Education Campaign (RMSA), Teacher Training Institute (Diet) centers.

As per the government the Scheme is a paradigm shift in the conceptual design of school educationby treating ‘school’ holistically as a continuum from pre-school, primary, upper primary, secondary and senior secondary levels.

Speaking on this occasion, Prakash Javadekar, Mister of HRD said that the Ministry has taken a landmark step and completely overhauled the existing Schemes in School Education to treat schooling as a smooth transition from pre-school, primary, upper primary, secondary and senior secondary level. It focuses on improving quality of education at all levels by integrating the two T’s – Teachers and Technology.

Javadekar said that earlier the budget on the three schemes ie SSA, RMSA and Teacher Education was Rs. 28,000 crore in 2017-18. But the budget outlay on the new scheme will be now Rs. 34,000 crore in 2018-19 and Rs. 41,000crore in 2019-20 i.e. an increase of 20% which shows Central Government’s commitment for Education.

The Minister said that about one million schools will get library grant of Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000to strengthen the libraries to ensure that “Padhega Bharat Badhega Bharat”.

He further said every school will get sports equipment under the SamagraShiksha, at the cost of Rs. 5000 for Primary, Rs. 10,000 for Upper Primary & up to Rs. 25,000 for SSC & HSC schools to inculcate & emphasize relevance of sports to realise the dream of “Khelega India Khilega India”.

The scheme will build on the grade-wise, subject-wise Learning Outcomes and the largest National Achievement Survey (NAS) conducted in 2017-18 to strategize district level interventions for improving quality of education. This approach would help to shift the focus of student learning from content to competencies. The Scheme envisages active participation of all stakeholders especially the parents/guardians, School Management Committee (SMC) members, community and the state functionaries towards the efforts to ensure quality education to children.

Javadekar said that a teacher is the fulcrum of the school education system. Scheme will focus on strengthening this crucial pillar by making SCERTs and DIETs the nodal agencies for teacher training. These institutions would be strengthened to emphasize the integration of in-service and pre-service training structures in States to make it need-focused and dynamic. This would strengthen the quality of teaching in schools across levels.