Empowering Schools: The Impactful Journey from Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan

By Anisha Jison

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan represents a significant evolution in India’s approach to education, building on the foundation laid by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and addressing the gaps that persist.

The introduction of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in 2000 marked a turning point in India’s education system which had been plagued with numerous problems. The country registered high levels of dropouts, especially among girls and marginalized communities. Most areas particularly those in rural environments lacked adequate facilities, teachers as well as teaching materials. Quality of education varied greatly with notable discrepancies between urban and rural areas and between different states. High numbers of dropouts alongside low enrollments were alarming trends. Estimates indicated that almost 32 million children were out of school before SSA came into action. Economic pressures, socio-cultural factors, and lack of access to schools were the main challenges experienced.

Even before the launch of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in 2001-2002 in partnership with the State Governments and Local Self Governments, India had already taken some significant steps to reform its education sector by seeking financial assistance from international agencies, including taking substantial loans from the World Bank. These efforts aimed to address the dire state of elementary education at the time, characterized by high dropout rates, low enrollment numbers, and inadequate infrastructure. One of the major initiatives preceding even before SSA can be seen in the District Primary Education Program (DPEP), which started in the mid-1990s. The program was partly funded by substantial loans from the World Bank and other international agencies. The primary goals of DPEP were to reduce dropout rates, enhance the quality of education, and improve access to primary education, particularly for girls and students from marginalized communities. By the late 1990s, DPEP had expanded to cover over 200 districts across 18 states, impacting millions of children and laying a robust foundation for subsequent educational reforms.

The Achievements and Challenges of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan aimed to universalize elementary education. Since its inception, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has achieved notable milestones: the opening of 117,677 new schools, the construction of 77,342 school buildings, the establishment of 60,000 academic resource centers, and the appointment of 386,458 teachers. The number of out-of-school children decreased by 22.5 million between 2001 and 2005, with an increase in enrollment rate among the age group of 6-14 from 0.06% to 0.93%. It became possible through the Mid-Day Meal Scheme which now provides food to more than 120 million children annually making it the world’s largest school lunch program. Nevertheless, challenges persisted as more developed states performed better while the backward ones lagged struggling with enrolment and drop-out rates. Gender parity remains a far cry, especially in states having socio-cultural biases against girls’ education. For example, problems like teacher absenteeism, lack of proper training for teachers, and poor classroom transactions negatively affected learning outcomes in these schools. To foster transparency and accountability, effective monitoring of SSA funds and implementation processes was imperative.

Transitioning into Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan

In the year 2018 the Government of India established the Samagra Shiksha Program by merging Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), Teacher Education (TE). The aim of merging these programs is to treat school education holistically right from the pre-nursery level to the secondary level at class twelve. The scheme was designed to improve school effectiveness measured in terms of equal opportunities for schooling and equitable learning outcomes by integrating different stages of education. It was therefore a comprehensive approach that was supposed not only to address the fragmented nature of earlier schemes but also to provide a unified structure for planning, implementing, and monitoring school education.

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan to enhance the quality of education focuses on the following key components Infrastructure Development: It includes providing libraries, laboratories, and separate washrooms for girls in schools with the requisite infrastructure. It has also shown its commitment to the training of teachers, which constitutes a significant chunk of the budget and is heavily invested in quality programs for improving teaching standards. Reducing the student-to-teacher ratios by recruiting teachers, especially in rural and remote areas is crucial as well. Another very essential program is the integration of technology at Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. It envisages promoting the activity-based learning model of classroom transactions by using digital classrooms, e-learning content, and smart boards for students to access at home or from any edge of the country. This focus on technology is designed to close the digital divide and make sure students have the latest technology present to their avail.  Inclusive education is another key focus of the scheme, ensuring that even children with special needs receive adequate support. This includes the provision of aids and appliances, special educators, and barrier-free access in schools. Vocational education has also been introduced at the upper primary stage to provide practical skills and enhance the employability of students later, aligning with the national goal of creating a skilled workforce.

The merger of SSA, RMSA, and TE into Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan had clear objectives: to provide a seamless and integrated framework for school education from preschool to senior secondary levels, to ensure inclusive education for all children, particularly for girls and marginalized communities, and to enhance the quality of education through better infrastructure, trained teachers, and innovative teaching methods. Strengthened monitoring and accountability mechanisms are in place to improve the evaluation processes and ensure transparency in the implementation of education programs. The focus on learning outcomes is also a significant aspect of the scheme. Continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) systems have been implemented to regularly assess the performances of students and assess their learning outcomes. The emphasis is on not just enrollment but also on ensuring that children achieve age-appropriate learning levels.

Conclusion

It should be recognized that the Indian scenario was too complex and varied to be effectively captured by aggregate national figures. Some states would move quite close to the target by the end of the plan period, while some others would remain far behind. The right approach would be to replace the current practice of setting global targets and timeless for the whole country with disaggregated targets for different states and UTs. This would inject the much-needed sense of realism into the whole exercise of assessing the magnitude of the task and setting time frames.

Considering that education was on the concurrent list and the center had rightly provided high priority to elementary education, the appropriateness of a proactive approach by the center in designing development activities could not be questioned. There was a danger that after the initial enthusiasm, implementing agencies might seek financial assistance under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan but lose interest in and ownership of the program and action soon after. The real test of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan then would be its adaptability to the changing contexts of different states and its ability to enthuse the state governments to continuously innovate the strategies for demanding central assistance. Therefore, norms for support under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan should have the flexibility to accommodate new initiatives.

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan represents a significant evolution in India’s approach to education, building on the foundation laid by Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and addressing the gaps that persist. By integrating multiple schemes into a comprehensive framework, the government aims to create a more effective and equitable education system. The focus on holistic development, quality improvement, and inclusive education is crucial for ensuring that every child in India receives the education they deserve. Continued efforts and a comprehensive strategy, including enhanced monitoring, community engagement, and gender-focused initiatives, are essential for Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan to fulfill its vision and pave the way for a more educated and empowered nation.

Anisha is a Policy Research and Advocacy Intern at Sarkari School.in and is currently pursuing her Master’s in International Relations at the University of Mumbai.

References

  • Samagra shiksha. (n.d.). https://samagra.education.gov.in/
  • Ali, A. (2020). Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan-A paradigm shift in pre-primary education. I-Manager’s Journal on School Educational Technology, 16(2), 52.
  • Abhiyan, S. S. (2019). from the Girls’ Education Lens: An Initial Analysis. CBGA and Room to Read.
  • Thomas, F. B. (2021). A Study on Special Educators’ Point of view on the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan Scheme for Students with Intellectual Disabilities in an Inclusive Setting in the Kannur District of Kerala. RESEARCH JOURNEY, 15.

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