Lok Sabha Question No. 799 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-23
Subject: Education Goals
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.799 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2018

## Education Goals

## 799. PROF. PREM SINGH CHANDUMAJRA:

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

(a)  whether  the  Global  Education  Monitoring  Report  by  UNESCO  has  highlighted  the  major challenges faced by the country in achieving global education goals;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the response of the Government thereto;

(c)  the  steps  taken  to  ensure  universal  education  of  good  standard  to  all  the  students  in  the country; and

(d) the funds allocated for the purpose during the last three years?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

(a) & (b)  The  Global  Education  Monitoring  Report  -Accountability  in  Education:  Meeting Our  Commitments  2017/8  by  UNESCO  has  highlighted  challenges  faced  by  various  countries including  India  in  achieving  global  education  goals.  These,  inter  alia  include  provision  of compulsory pre-primary education,  completion  of  upper  secondary  school,  inclusive  education, teaching  in  home  language,  adequate  sanitation  in  primary  schools  and  availability  of  trained teachers.

(c) Samagra Shiksha - an Integrated Scheme for School Education has been launched throughout the country as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with effect from the year 2018-19. This programme subsumes  the  three  erstwhile  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  of  Sarva  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (SSA), Rashtriya  Madhyamik  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (RMSA)  and  Teacher  Education  (TE).  It  is an overarching programme for the school education sector extending from pre-school  to class XII and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school education.   It envisages  the  'school'  as  a  continuum  from  pre-school,  primary,  upper  primary,  secondary  to senior secondary levels.

The major interventions under the scheme are: (i) Universal Access including Infrastructure Development and Retention; (ii) Gender and Equity; (iii) Inclusive Education; (iv) Quality; (v) Financial support for Teacher Salary;  (vi) Digital initiatives; (vii) Entitlements under the  Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 including uniforms, textbooks  etc.;(viii)  Pre-school  Education;  (ix)  Vocational  Education;  (x)  Sports  and  Physical Education;  (xi)  Strengthening  of  Teacher  Education  and  Training;  and  (xii)  Monitoring  of  the scheme.  The main emphasis of the Scheme is on improving quality of school education and the strategy  for  all  interventions  would  be  to  enhance  the  Learning  Outcomes  at  all  levels  of schooling.

The Right of children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 was amended in 2017 to ensure that all teachers acquire the minimum qualifications prescribed under the Act by 31st  March,  2019.  This  would  ensure  an  improvement  in  the  overall  quality  of  teachers  and teaching processes, and consequently learning outcomes of children.

Rules to the RTE Act were also amended in 2017 to include, for the first time, the class wise, subject  wise  Learning  Outcomes till Class VIII, thereby emphasising the importance of quality education.

National Achievement Survey (NAS) which was earlier based on textbook content is now a competency based evaluation. NAS for classes 3, 5 and 8 were conducted in November 2017 and for class X in February 2018. District Report Cards have been prepared bringing out the shortfalls in  learning  outcomes  of  students  which  would  enable  formulation  of  district  level  strategies  to improve performance.

- (d)  The  funds  allocated  for  the  purpose  for  school  education  by  the  Department  of  School Education & Literacy during the last three years are mentioned in the following table:

## Year wise Budget Allocation of D/o School Education & Literacy

(Rs. in Crore)

|                 | D/o School Education &Literacy   | D/o School Education &Literacy   |
|-----------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| Financial Years | Budget Estimates                 | Revised Estimates                |
| 2015-16         | 42219.50                         | 42186.50                         |
| 2016-17         | 43554.00                         | 43896.04                         |
| 2017-18         | 46356.25                         | 47006.25                         |
| 2018-19         | 50000.00                         | --                               |

Source IF-1 MHRD

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