News: The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre after Tamil Nadu reported that funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme have been separated from reimbursements mandated by the Right to Education (RTE) Act.
About Samagra Shiksha Scheme
- It is an integrated scheme for school education covering the entire spectrum from pre-school to class XII.
- It treats school education as a continuum in line with the Right to Education Act, 2009, NEP 2020, and SDG-4 on Education.
- Timeline: The scheme has been extended till 2025-26.
- Type: It is a centrally sponsored scheme.
- Beneficiaries: It covers 1.16 million schools, 156 million students, and 5.7 million teachers in government and aided schools.
- It involves all stakeholders: teachers, students, parents, community, school management committees, teacher educators, and volunteers.
- Integrates three earlier major schemes: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), and Teacher Education (TE) into one comprehensive platform.
- Objectives
- The scheme aims to provide quality education, enhance learning outcomes, and ensure equity and inclusion by bridging social and gender gaps across all levels of schooling.
- It focuses on maintaining minimum standards in schools, promoting vocational education, and supporting States in the effective implementation of the RTE Act, 2009.
- It also seeks to strengthen and upgrade SCERTs, State Institutes of Education, and DIETs as nodal agencies for dynamic and need-based teacher training.
- Features
- Holistic Approach to Education: Samagra Shiksha views school education as a continuum from pre-school to Class XII, bringing both pre-school and senior secondary into the fold for the first time.
- Administrative Reform: It introduces a unified administrative structure with flexibility for States and UTs to set priorities, ensuring integrated planning for the entire school system.
- Quality of Education: The scheme focuses on teachers and technology, strengthens SCERTs and DIETs, and makes SCERT the nodal body for training.
- It supports Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan, Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat, and provides library grants to all schools.
- Digital Education: Operation Digital Board, smart classrooms, and ICT expansion up to higher secondary aim to transform learning.
- Platforms like UDISE+ and Shagun are strengthened for monitoring and digital delivery.
- Strengthening of Schools: Transport facilities are expanded, composite grants increased, and Swachh Vidyalaya activities supported, with emphasis on improved infrastructure.
- Girl Education: Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas are upgraded to Class XII, self-defence training is provided, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is reinforced.
- Inclusion: Uniform and textbook support has been enhanced, while assistance for children with special needs has increased, with stipends for girls with disabilities.
- Skill Development: Vocational exposure begins at upper primary and extends to Classes IX–XII with practical, industry-linked training.
- Sports and Physical Education: Sports are integrated into the curriculum, with grants for sports equipment across all school levels.
- Regional Balance: Priority is given to educationally backward blocks, LWE-affected districts, border areas, and aspirational districts identified by NITI Aayog.
