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Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service
Faridkot, April 21
The state Education Department has announced the merger of three Centrally-sponsored schemes — Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE) — with Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.
The Director General School Education Department (DGSE), Punjab, on Friday sent a draft of the new scheme to all district education officers (DEOs) and asked them to formulate a plan for the 2018-19 academic session.
In the draft, the financial and programmatic norms, schedule of the annual work plan and budget meetings for the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan have been mentioned.
The draft also envisages that children from Classes I to VIII can reach their schools easily and for them, there is a provision of the transport and escort facility. The facility will be provided to the children hailing from sparsely populated and urban areas where schools are not available. There is also a provision of Rs 6,000 per child in a year for urban deprived children.
The new scheme also provides residential facilities to urban deprived and children without adult protection. The draft foresees elimination of gender disparities in education and ensures equal access to all levels of education and vocational training by 2030.
It will ensure that all boys and girls get complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education, leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes, reads the draft.
DGSE Prashant Goyal said an orientation programme on the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan would be organised for all DEOs at the state headquarter in the coming days.
So far, the SSA covered the elementary level (Classes I to VIII), the RMSA covered Classes IX and X and the TE was providing teachers’ education through a proper institutional setup for both pre-service and in-service training across Classes I to X.
Earlier in November last year, the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) had asked the state government to integrate the SSA, RMSA and TE for the universalisation of elementary and secondary education.
As the SSA and RMSA, with a common agenda, operate though separate state implementation
societies with separate bank accounts and project offices and project personnel, it leads to duplication of efforts. Therefore, it has been decided that the administrative structures at various levels created for the SSA and the RMSA in the state will be integrated, the MHRD said.
Sources in the department said the merger was proposed as there was non-utilisation of funds.
A senior education officer said, “If a state government works sincerely in improving education
at primary and elementary levels, there is no need to spend a lot of funds at the secondary level. With the merger, effective implementation of the SSA will save its funds. The saved funds can be used for the betterment of elementary education.”
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