Question : Conference of School Education Ministers

(a) whether the Government has organized National Conference of School Education Ministers recently and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the aims and objective of organizing such Conference;
(c) the number of delegates participated in the Conference along with the issues discussed in the Conference and its outcome;

(d) whether the Government plans to set up Vidya Samiksha Kendra at State level, integrating it with district/ block/school level for the purpose of analysis and diagnostics of learning levels in schools to be used as a tool for further improvement of learning outcomes and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the other steps taken by the Government to make education system more robust, vibrant and in tune with the requirements of the 21st century and aspirations of a new India?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

(SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a) to (e): Yes, a two-days School Education Ministers Conference was organized by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Department of School Education, Gujarat in Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat on 1st and 2nd June, 2022.
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The focus points/ issues discussed in the conference are indicated below:
1) Discussion on roll out and progress of NEP 2020 Implementation.
2) To exchange ideas and strategies for Learning Recovery after School Re-opening
3) Best practices in the use of technology for tracking Learning Outcomes (LOs)
A total of 153 dignitaries participated in the National Conference of School Education Ministers at Gandhinagar, Gujarat held on 1st and 2nd June, 2022.
In order to enable States and UTs for tracking student enrolment, progress in their learning levels, information on Out of School Children mainstreamed, textbook delivery, support required by teachers and schools, etc., financial assistance under Samagra Shiksha has been provided for setting up Vidya Samiksha Kendra.

The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 as the first education policy of the 21st century envisions a massive transformation in school education through– “an education system rooted in Indian ethos that contributes directly to transforming India, that is Bharat, sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high-quality education to all, thereby making India a global knowledge superpower.”

To assist States and UTs in this task, the Department of School Education and Literacy has released an indicative and suggestive Implementation Plan for School Education, called ‘Students’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement through Quality Education (SARTHAQ)’. The Department has also aligned its existing schemes i.e. Samagra Shiksha and PM Poshan Shakti Nirman Yojna with the recommendations of NEP 2020. Many important initiatives such as NIPUN Bharat Mission for Foundational Literacy & Numeracy (FLN), Structured Assessments for Analyzing Learning (SAFAL), PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), Vidya Pravesh, Vidyanjali 2.0, etc. have been undertaken for the implementation of NEP 2020.
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