Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
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| Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan |
| Formation | 2001 |
| Type | Program |
| Jurisdiction | India |
| Parent organization | Ministry of Human Resource Development |
| Status | Active |
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is a flagship Indian program launched to universalize elementary education across states and union territories. It aimed to provide quality schooling, infrastructure, teacher training, and inclusive access while coordinating with entities such as the National University of Educational Planning and Administration, Central Board of Secondary Education, and state education departments in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and West Bengal. The program interacted with international agencies like the United Nations Children's Fund, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank to align with global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly and the Millennium Development Goals.
Background and Objectives
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan was initiated following policy frameworks such as the National Policy on Education (1986), the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and recommendations from commissions like the Kothari Commission and the Yashpal Committee. It targeted universal enrollment, retention, and bridging of gender and social gaps in states including Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab. The objectives referenced constitutional provisions in the Constitution of India and aligned with plans from the Planning Commission of India and later the NITI Aayog.
Implementation and Structure
Implementation followed administrative channels through the Ministry of Human Resource Development and state education departments, collaborating with institutions like the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, Central Board of Secondary Education, State Council of Educational Research and Training, and local bodies such as Panchayati Raj institutions and municipal corporations in New Delhi and Mumbai. The structure included project approval boards, district project offices in districts such as North 24 Parganas and Bengaluru Rural District, and resource centers modeled on entities like the District Institute of Education and Training and the National Council of Educational Research and Training. It worked alongside campaigns such as the Midday Meal Scheme and linked to schemes under the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Program Components and Interventions
Key components encompassed infrastructure development, teacher recruitment and training, curriculum support, inclusive education for children with disabilities, and community mobilization. Interventions drew on pedagogy from the National Curriculum Framework (2005), training modules from the Indira Gandhi National Open University, and assessment tools used by the National Council for Teacher Education. Special focus groups included scheduled castes and tribes as identified in Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act, and outreach worked with nongovernmental organizations like Pratham, CARE India, CRY (Child Rights and You), and Room to Read. Technology pilots engaged partners including Microsoft and Intel in select districts and coordinated with initiatives such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Resource Centres and Community Learning Centres.
Funding and Resource Allocation
Funding mechanisms combined central and state contributions with external assistance from financiers including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and bilateral agencies like United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Department for International Development. Budgeting reflected inputs from the Ministry of Finance (India), state treasuries in Kerala and Gujarat, and audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Resource allocation used norms influenced by reports from the T.S.R. Subramanian Committee and leveraged funds from corporate social responsibility initiatives under the Companies Act, 2013. Grants were routed via state nodal agencies and managed through systems in districts such as Jaipur and Patna.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Outcomes
Monitoring and evaluation employed management information systems inspired by models from the District Information System for Education and assessments referencing standards from the Programme for International Student Assessment for comparative analysis. Outcomes showed improvements in gross enrollment ratios and reductions in out-of-school children reported by agencies such as the UNESCO Institute for Statistics and the National Sample Survey Office, with district-level case studies from Kollam, Pune, and Chennai. Evaluation studies by institutions like the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Indian Statistical Institute, Centre for Policy Research, and Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad informed policy adjustments and curricular reforms influenced by the National Curriculum Framework.
Challenges and Criticisms
Critiques highlighted persistent disparities across states including Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, teacher absenteeism reported in surveys by Transparent India and scholarly studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University, and concerns about learning outcomes raised by the Annual Status of Education Report published by Pratham. Other challenges involved fiscal sustainability debated in forums such as the Economic Survey of India and legal debates around implementation under the Right to Education Act. Debates engaged stakeholders including the Supreme Court of India, state education ministers, civil society groups, and international partners like the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.