Lok Sabha Question No. 2202 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-24
Subject: Setting up Higher Secondary Schools
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2202 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.12.2018

## Setting up Higher Secondary Schools

## †2202. SHRI SATISH CHANDRA DUBEY:

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

- (a) the  reasons  for  not  making  any  efforts  by  the  Government  in  setting  up  higher secondary  schools  for  providing  quality  education  equivalent  to  non-governmentschools  in  addition  to  setting  up  of  Kendriya  Vidyalayas  and  Navodaya  schools despite inclusion of education in a concurrent list of the constitution;
- (b) whether  the  Government  propose  to  open  such  schools  for  providing  quality education at affordable rate in a country; and
- (c) if not, the details of alternative measures proposed to be taken by the Government to meet the requirement of such schools?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. SATYA PAL SINGH)

(a) to (c) The  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of Rashtriya  Madhyamik  Shiksha  Abhiyan (RMSA) launched in 2009, envisages universalizing access to secondary schools by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance (5 kilometer) of every habitation and a higher secondary  schools  within  a  reasonable  distance  (7-10  kilometers).  When  the  Scheme  was launched in 2009-10, it was decided to implement it in a phased manner, the first phase was designed to make good quality secondary education available to young persons in the age group of  14-15  years. However,  the  other  components  of  integrated  RMSA,  viz  Information  and Communication  Technology  in  Schools,  Girls  Hostels,  Vocational  Education  and  Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage catered to Higher Secondary level also.

Now,  the  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  has  launched  an  Integrated Scheme for School Education-Samagra Shiksha, subsuming three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and  Teacher  Education  (TE).  The  Samagra  Shiksha  has  come  into  effect  from  1 st April, 2018. The new integrated scheme envisages school education as a continuum from preschool to senior secondary level and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels.  The main objectives of the scheme are provision of quality education and enhancing learning outcomes of students, bridging social and gender gaps in school education, ensuring minimum standards in schooling provision, support to states in the implementation of RTE Act, 2009 and strengthening of teacher education institutions.

During the year 2018-19, under Samagra Shiksha, 44 schools have been upgraded from secondary to senior secondary and additional subject streams have been approved in 851 senior secondary schools, based on appraisal of the proposals received from the States/UTs.

The  Samagra  Shiksha  scheme  focuses  on  improvement  of  quality  of  education  by providing  support  to  all  States/  UTs  for  different  interventions  like;  in-service  training  of teachers  and  schools  heads,  conduct  of  achievement  surveys  at  National  and  State  level, composite school grant to every school for providing a conducive learning environment, library grants,  provision  of  textbooks  and  school  uniforms  as  per    Right  of  Children  to  Free  and Compulsory  Education  (RTE)  Act,  2009,  Rashtriya  Avishkar  Abhiyan  (RAA),  remedial teaching  for  academically  weaker  students,  ICT  and  digital  initiatives,  grants  for  sports  and physical  education,  School  Evaluation,    Padhe  Bharat  Badhe  Bharat  (PBBB),    Performance Indicators  for  Teachers  (PINDICS),  Kala  Utsav,  Excursion  trips  for  students,  Twinning  of Schools and Student and Teacher Exchange Programme.

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