Lok Sabha Question No. 2947 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-07
Subject: Initiatives of Government towards Minimum Level of Learning
Ministry: Education
Asked by: D. Ravikumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2947

## ANSWERED ON 07.08.2023

## Initiatives of Government towards Minimum Level of Learning

2947. SHRI RAVIKUMAR D.:

- Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) the  procedure  followed  by  the  Government  to  ensure  the  Minimum  Level  of Learning ( MLL) for all school going children, since there is learning gap in children as per  their  standard  even  after  a  decade  of  enactment  of  the  Right  to  Free  and Compulsory Education Act; (b) the steps taken by the Government to enroll returned migrants, child labours and weaker sections children in schools in the years 2020, 2021 and 2022; (c) the steps taken by the Government to ensure the availability of toilets in schools; (d) the steps taken by the Government under the Right to Education (RTE) Act 2019 to  ensure  School  Management  Committees  to  trace  school  dropouts/  out  of  school children and bring them back to schools; and the  procedure  followed  by  the  Government  under  RTE  Act  2019  to  ensure regular  monthly  meeting  of  the  School  Management  Committees  which  will  be
- (e) beneficial for tracing the out of school children?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a):    The  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  has  launched  an  Integrated Centrally Sponsored Scheme for School Education-Samagra Shiksha with effect from the year 2018-19.  Samagra Shiksha scheme has been aligned with the recommendations of NEP 2020 to ensure that all children have access to quality education with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment which should take care of their diverse background, multilingual  needs,  different  academic  abilities  and  make  them  active  participants  in  the learning process.

The  Ministry  of  Education,  Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  has conducted  National  Achievement  Survey  (NAS)  on  12.11.2021  in  717  districts  of  the country to assess learning levels of sampled children of grades 3, 5, 8 and 10. The aim and objective  of  NAS  is  to  evaluate  children's  progress  and  learning  competencies  as  an indicator of the health of the education system, so as to take appropriate steps for remedial actions at different levels. National, State/UT and District Reports for NAS 2021 have been released on 25.05.2022 and are available at http://nas.gov.in.

(b): In order to mitigate the impact of challenges thrown by the COVID-19 pandemic for migrant children and for preventing drop outs, lower enrolments and loss of learning, this department  has  issued  guidelines  dated  13.07.2020  for  identification,  smooth  admission process  and  continued  education  of  migrant  children,  inter-alia,  requesting  the  States  to identify and enroll all children without any procedural formalities and maintain a database of children so admitted. Also, to ensure that children have access to education with quality and equity and to minimize the impact of the pandemic on school education in the country, Ministry of Education has shared guidelines dated 7th January, 2021 with all States which, among  others,  include  identification  of  out  of  school  children  from  age  6-18  years, enrolment  drives  and  awareness  generation,  student  support  while  schools  are  closed, continued Education for children with Special Needs (CWSN), student support on school reopening and Teacher capacity building.

The Department of School Education and Literacy vide letter dated 4th May, 2021 has shared a comprehensive Covid Action plan with States/UTs and other stakeholders for mitigating the learning gap. Further, an Alternate Academic Calendar has been prepared for learning solutions including self-assessment for grade 1 to 12 for both children with and without  device.Section  12(1)(c)  of  the  RTE  Act,  2009  provides  for  admission  of  children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups in the schools specified in subclauses (iii) and (iv) of clause (n) of section 2 in Class I (or below) to the extent of at least 25 percent of the strength of that class.

(c): The Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education is implementing Samagra Shiksha from 2018-19 to support States and UTs for strengthening of  existing  Government  schools  and  for  creation  and  augmentation  of  infrastructure facilities  including  toilets  for  boys  and  girls,  based  on  the  gaps  determined  from  Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+) and proposals received from respective State/ Union Territory. The need for schools and also the infrastructural facilities in  schools are worked  out  every  year  by  the  respective State/Union  Territory  on incremental basis depending on their need and priority and reflected in their Annual Work Plan & Budget (AWP&B). These plans are then appraised and approved/estimated by the

Project  Approval  Board  (PAB)  in  the  Department  of  School  Education  &  Literacy  in consultation with the States and Union Territories.

Department  of  School  Education  &  Literacy,  Ministry  of  Education  had  launched Swachh Vidyalaya Initiative (SVI), in partnership with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and  Private  Corporates,  to  provide  separate  toilets  for  girls  and  boys  in  all  Government schools,  within  one  year.  Under  the  initiative,  the  gaps  in  availability  of  toilets  was addressed  and  construction/  re-construction  of  4,17,796  toilets,  including  1.91  lakh  girls' toilets,  was  completed  in  2,61,400  Government  Elementary  and  Secondary  schools,  as reported by the States and UTs.

The Department of School Education & Literacy has approved a project on Rejuvenation of Basic Infrastructure in approximately 1.20 lakh Government schools across the  country  with  an  overall  budget  estimate  of  Rs.  4590  crore  under  Samagra  Shiksha scheme.  The  interventions  covered  under  the  project  are  major/minor  repairs,  functional toilets  (boys/girls),  electricity  connections,  functional  drinking  water  facility  and  boundary walls.

There  is  also  a  provision  in  Samagra  Shiksha  for  sanction  of  budget  for  taking  up repairs to toilets / providing running water etc.   Every year as per the proposals submitted by the State / UT during the Project Approval Board meeting of Samagra Shiksha, sanction is accorded for  repairs for toilets / water facility etc. States and UTs have been repeatedly advised to ensure that all the schools in their jurisdiction should have provision for separate toilets for boys and girls and safe and adequate drinking water facilities for all children.

(d) & (e): Section 21(1) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act,  2009  provides  for  a  School  Management  Committee  (SMC)  in  schools  other  than unaided schools and envisages dynamic role of the community in effective monitoring of schools. Section 21(2) of the Act lays down the following functions of the SMCs namely: (i) Monitor the working of the school (ii) prepare and recommend school development plan (iii) monitor  the  utilization  of  the  grants  received  from  the  appropriate  Government  or  local authority or any other source (iv) perform such other functions as may be prescribed.

Samagra Shiksha scheme assigns special importance to decentralised planning and implementation  with  active  involvement  of  community  members,  teachers,  parents,  local bodies including Panchayati Raj Institutions, Municipal Bodies, and other stakeholders in the  management  of  schools  through  SMCs.  Under  Samagra  Shiksha,  there  is  specific provision of financial assistance of up to Rs.1500 per school under  'Community Mobilisation'  and  upto  Rs.  3000  per  school  for  Training  of  SMC/SDMC  members  for Government Schools.

*****