Cabinet approves continuation of Samagra Shiksha Scheme for School Education

Source: PIB 

What is the News?

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for the continuation of the revised Samagra Shiksha Scheme for a period of five years, i.e. from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

About Samagra Shiksha Scheme:

• Samagra Shiksha is an Integrated Scheme for School Education. It has been launched throughout the country as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with effect from the year 2018-19.
• Merged Schemes: The scheme subsumes the three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), and Teacher Education (TE).
• Aim: To ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school education.
• Coverage: It is an overarching programme for the school education sector, extending from pre-school to class XII. It covers 11.6 lakh schools, over 15.6 crore students, and 57 lakh teachers of government and aided schools (from pre-primary to senior secondary level).

Samagra Shiksha Scheme(SSA) 2.0:  The upgraded version has been aligned with recommendations of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Based on this, interventions incorporated are:

• All child-centric interventions will be provided directly to the students through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
• Provision of up to Rs 500 per child for Teaching Learning Materials for pre-primary sections in Government Schools.
• For disabled children and children belonging to the SC/ST community in the age bracket of 16-19 years, ₹2,000 will be provided per child to complete their secondary/senior secondary levels through NIOS/SOS.
• Additional Sports grant of up to Rs. 25000 to schools in case at least 2 students of that school win a medal in Khelo India school games at the National level.
• The child tracking provision has been included for ensuring the safety of students of government and government-aided schools.
• A sum of ₹6,000 per annum will be extended to secondary level school students for availing transport facility
• Provision of training of master trainers for Anganwadi workers
• Incinerator and sanitary pad vending machines in all-girls hostels.