The Union Budget, 2018-19, has proposed to treat school education holistically without segmentation from pre-nursery to Class 12 The major objectives of the Scheme are;
- 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; and
- Strengthening and up-gradation of State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERTs)/State Institutes of Education and District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) as nodal agencies for teacher training
Important features
Holistic approach to education
- Treat school education holistically as a continuum from Pre-school to Class 12
- 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 the harmonized implementation
- Flexibility to States to prioritise their interventions under the Scheme
- An integrated administration looking at ‘school’ as a continuum
Focus on Quality of Education
- Enhanced focus on improving the quality of education by focusing on the two T’s – Teachers and Technology
- 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
- Support for Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan to promote Science and Maths learning in schools
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 Unified District Information on School Education(UDISE+), Shagun, to be strengthened
- Strengthening of ICT infrastructure in schools from upper primary to higher secondary level
Strengthening of Schools
- Enhanced Transport facility to children across all classes from I to VIII for universal access to school
- Specific provision for Swachhta activities – support ‘Swachh Vidyalaya’
Focus on Girl Education
- Up gradation of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) from Class 6-8 to Class 6-12.
- Self-defence training for girls from upper primary to senior secondary stage
Focus on Inclusion
- Allocation for uniforms under RTE Act enhanced from Rs. 400 to Rs. 600 per child per annum.
Focus on Skill Development
- Exposure to Vocational Skills at Upper Primary Level would be extended.
- Vocational education for Class 9-12 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 Education to be an integral part of curriculum
Focus on Regional Balance
- Preference to Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs), LWE affected districts, Special Focus Districts (SFDs), Border areas and the 117 aspirational districts identified by Niti Aayog
Implementation
- The Scheme will be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme by the Department through a single State Implementation Society (SIS) at the State/UT level.
- At the National level, there would be a Governing Council headed by Minister of Human Resource Development and a Project Approval Board (PAB) headed by Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy.
