(a) whether the Government proposes to implement the principle of equity in primary
education in rural areas;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government proposes to prepare an action plan to strengthen the infrastructure
and quality of primary education in rural areas;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ''NISHANK'')
(a) & (b) : The Government of India has launched Samagra Shiksha - an Integrated Scheme for
school education, w.e.f. 2018-19, which is an overarching programme for the school education
sector extending from pre-school to class XII and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality
education at all levels of school education. It envisages the ‘school’ as a continuum from
pre-school, primary, upper primary, secondary to senior secondary levels and susbsumes the
three erstwhile centrally sponsored schemes i.e. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya
Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
Bridging gender and social category gaps at all levels of school education is one of the major
objectives of the scheme. The scheme reaches out to girls and children belonging to Scheduled
Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), minority communities and transgender. The scheme also
gives attention to urban deprived children, children affected by periodic migration and children
living in remote and scattered habitations. Under the scheme, provision has been made for giving
preference to Special Focus Districts (SFDs), Educationally Backward Blocks (EEBs), LWE
affected districts, and aspirational districts while planning interventions like setting up of
primary schools, upper primary schools, construction of additional classrooms, toilets, Kasturba
Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs).
(c) to (e) : The Samagra Shiksha scheme supports States for strengthening of school
infrastructure including in rural areas. The scheme provides for infrastructural strengthening of
existing government schools based on the gaps determined by Unified District Information
System for Education (UDISE) and proposals received from respective States/UTs. The
scheme also provides for annual maintenance and repair of existing school buildings, toilets and
other facilities to upkeep the infrastructure in good condition.
Samagra Shiksha focuses on improvement in quality of education by providing support for
different interventions like in-service training of teachers and school heads, conduct of
achievement surveys at state and national level, composite school grant to every school for
providing a conducive learning environment, grants for library, sports and physical activities,
support for Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan, ICT and digital initiatives, School Leadership
development programme, remedial teaching for academically weaker students, support for Padhe
Bharat Badhe Bharat, etc.
Besides, the following are some of the steps taken to improve infrastructure and the quality of
primary education:-
(i) Since the inception of the erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Scheme, Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan, in 2001 till 31.03.2018, construction of 3.12 lakh school buildings, 18.87 lakh
additional classrooms, provision of 2.42 lakh drinking water facility, construction of
3.95 lakh Boys’ toilets, 5.18 lakh separate girls’ toilets and 1.41 lakh CWSN toilets have
been sanctioned to States and UTs, out of which States and UTs have reported
construction of 2.94 lakh school buildings, 18.03 lakh additional classrooms, provision
of 2.35 lakh drinking water facility, construction of 3.76 lakh Boys’ toilets, 5.07 lakh
separate girls’ toilets and 1.21 lakh CWSN toilets.
(ii) The Central rules to the RTE Act, 2009 have been amended on 20th February, 2017 to
include reference on class-wise and subject-wise learning outcomes, which have
accordingly been finalised for all subjects upto the elementary stage and shared with the
states and UTs.
(iii) National Achievement Survey for classes 3, 5 & 8 based on Learning Outcomes was
conducted on 13th November, 2017 to enable States & UTs to identify gaps in learning
outcomes at district level and design strategies to address these gaps.
(iv) Section 23(2) of the RTE Act has been amended to extend the period of training of
untrained in-service elementary teachers to 31st March, 2019.
(v) The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) has been entrusted to conduct this
training through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode. The online D.El.Ed course
has been started from 3rd October, 2017. More than 13 lakh teachers have joined these
courses.
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