Lok Sabha Question No. 2162 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-01
Subject: Shortcomings in SSA
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: PARAYAMPARANBIL KUTTAPPAN BIJU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2162 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 st  JANUARY, 2018

## Shortcomings in SSA

## 2162. DR. P.K. BIJU:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has noticed any shortcomings in the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  details  of  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve  the  pupil-teacher  ratio  to achieve the objectives of SSA; and
- (c) the details of findings of the independent study commissioned for assessing the present status of school dropouts and the action taken by the Government thereon?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

(a): The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has been designated as the  vehicle  for  implementing  the  provisions  of  the  Right  of  Children  to  Free  and  Compulsory Education  (RTE)  Act,  2009.  Since  the  inception  of  SSA  in  2000-01,  opening  of  3.64  lakh  new elementary schools, construction of 3.12 lakh school buildings and 18.87 lakh additional classrooms,  2.42  lakh  drinking  water  facilities,  3.94  lakh  boys  toilets,  5.17  lakh  separate  girls' toilets,  1.40  lakh  Children with Special Needs (CWSN) toilets and 19.33 lakh teacher posts have been sanctioned to States and UTs. Out of this, 3.59 lakh elementary schools have been opened, 2.93 lakh school buildings and 17.90 lakh additional classrooms have been constructed, 2.32 lakh drinking water facilities have been provided, 3.69 lakh boys toilets, 5.01 lakh separate girls toilets, 1.19 lakh CWSN toilets have been constructed and 15.16 lakh teachers have been recruited as on 31 st March, 2017.

The implementation of SSA has been reviewed twice every year by a Joint Review Mission comprising  independent  experts  and  external  funding  agencies  covering  States.  The  Ministry  of Human  Resource  Development  convenes  periodic  meetings  with  State  Education  Ministers  and Secretaries  to  review  the  programme  implementation.    Educational  data  is  collected  through  a Unified  District  Information  System  for  Education  (UDISE)  every  year.    The  status  of  these evaluations and monitoring is placed in the public domain on the Ministry's website. A National

Achievement Survey (NAS) across all States and UTs was conducted on 13.11.2017 to assess the learning achievement of students of classes 3, 5 and 8.

(b): The  RTE  Act,  2009  in  its  Schedule  lays  down  the  Pupil  Teacher  Ratio  (PTR)  for  both primary and upper primary schools.  At primary level, the  PTR should be 30:1 and at the upper primary level, it should be 35:1.  As per UDISE 2015-16, the PTR at national level for elementary schools is 25:1 in all Government Schools.

The recruitment, service conditions and deployment of teachers are primarily in the domain of  the  State  Governments/UT  Administrations.    The  Central  Government  has  been  consistently pursuing the matter of expeditious recruitment and redeployment of teachers with the States/UTs at various forums.  Advisories on this issue have also been issued to States and UTs from time to time.

(c): As  per  an  independent  survey  commissioned  in  2014  by  Ministry  of  Human  Resource Development, 60.64 lakh children were estimated to be out of school in the age group of 6 to 13 years.

Universal enrolment is the primary objective of SSA, and hence all efforts have been made to bring all children to schools. Under SSA, 2.06 lakh primary and 1.61 lakh upper primary schools have been provided for ensuring universal access to schooling facilities. Preference for opening of school  is  given  to  tribal  areas  and  areas  with  high  concentration  of  Scheduled  Caste,  Scheduled Tribe  and  minority  population.  In  addition,  3703  Kasturba  Gandhi  Balika  Vidyalayas,  which  are residential schools for girls at upper primary level, have been sanctioned to the States for improving access to marginalised girls particularly out of school, either drop out or never enrolled.

Under SSA, provisions have also been made for residential schools/hostels and transportation/escort facility for children living in sparsely populated areas, children living in areas where  schools  cannot  be  opened  due  to  unavailability  of  land  and  children  in  need  of  care  and protection. Special training is also provided to all such children who are school dropouts and long absentees.

Additionally, other strategies adopted under SSA such as strengthening school infrastructure, improving  pupil-teacher  ratios,  providing  incentives  like  free  textbooks,  uniforms  for  eligible category  of  children  and  mid-day  meal  in  schools  have  proved  to  be  useful  in  increasing  the enrolment of children in elementary schools.

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