A PROGRAMME FOR UNIVERSAL ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

DEVELOPMENTS SO FAR

• Cabinet approval on 16 November 2000
• National Mission constituted on 3 January 2001
• SSA Framework for implementation approved and circulated for action
• PPA funds sanctioned for 294 non-DPEP districts and 54 district in 30States/Uts.
• Annual Plan 2001-2002 approved for 223 non-DPEP districts and 218 DPEP districts in 21 States.

OBJECTIVES OF SSA

• All children in school by 2003
• All children complete five years of primary schooling by 2007
• All children complete eight years of elementary schooling by 2010
• Focus on elementary education of satisfactory quality with emphasis on education for life
• Bridge all gender and social category gaps
• Universal retention by 2010

SSA AS A FRAMEWORK AND AS A PROGRAMME

• FRAMEWORK- Reflecting all investments in elementary education in a district Government and non-Government.
• PROGRAMME – Additional resource provision for UEE under a Separate Budget head.

MAIN FEATURES

• Institutional reforms in Centre and States-to improve efficiency of delivery system
• Sustainable financing – long term partnership between Centre and States
• Community Ownership – VEC, PRIs, Women groups
• Capacity building – NCERT / NIEPA / NCTE / SCERT / SIEMAT / DIET to have a major role
• Community – based monitoring with transparency
• Focus on girls and other special groups
• District pre-project phase
• Thrust on quality
• Central role of teachers – Focus on their development needs through BRCs / CRCs
• Habitation as a unit of planning
• District Elementary Education plans

FINANCIAL DETAILS

• Sharing between Centre and State
• 85:15 in IX plan, 75:25 in X plan and 50:50 thereafter
• State Government to maintain their investment at 1999-2000 level SSA share will be above this
• All present schemes, except MDM scheme and Externally aided programmes, will converge after IX plan
• District Plan would show funds under various components like PMGY, JGSY, PMRY, MP?MLA funds, etc.,
• All legal agreements related to Externally Aided funds would continue to apply

ACTIVITIES AND NORMS UNDER SSA

• Teachers-One teacher for 40 children; at lease two in a primary, one for every classroom in Upper Primary
• New Scfhools
• Primary, a school within one Kilometere of every habitation
• One UP school for two PSs, provided enough number of students are there.
• Classrooms – A room for every teacher/grade, in UP a separate room for HM
• Free textbooks- to all SC, ST girls up to upper primary, provided State does not give it already
• Civil Works
• - 33% limit on expenditure on civil works
• - Rs.5000 per year per school for repair and maintenance by the community.
• TLE for primary at Rs.10000/- for upper primary at Rs.50,000/-
• Rs.2000 school grant, Rs.500 teacher grant for primary and upper primary
• Teacher Training-20 day in-service, 60 day referesher for untrained teachers and 30 day orientation for newly-recruited teachers
• Setting up of SIEMAT- one time Rs.3 crores grant
• Training of community leaders
• $Rs. 1200 per disabled child
• Rs.125lakhs for any innovative activity for girls, SC/ST, ECCFE, Computer education, up to Rs. 50 lakhs in a district
• 6% limit on management cost
• Rs.1500 per school for monitoring, supervision, research and evaluation
• Provision for BRC/ CRC – civil works and deeployment of coordinator
• interventions for out-of-school children-as per norms already approved under the EGS & AIE scheme

FOCUS IN PREPARATORY PHASE OF SSA

• Micro planning, school mapping, household surveys;
• Community mobilization, school-based activities;
• Establishing information system with provision for computers, office equipment
• Training and orientation of community leaders, PRIs, etc.,
• Baseline diagnostic studies

PLANNING PROCESS

• Habitation as unit of planning
• Perspective plan and Annual plans
• Household survey to prepare Village/Slum level Education Register
• Village/Slum level plans to provide basis for district Elementary Education Plans
• Formation of core group of Government/non-Government Personnel.

WHAT A DISTRICT PLAN SHOULD INCLUDE

• Survey of

• Available school facilities
• 0 – 6 and 6 – 14 age – group population with projections till 2010

• Relocation of teacher units, and after rationalization arriving at requirement of teachers.
• Training requirements and steps to fulfill these.
• Other requirements like school facilities, TLMs, etc.,
• Civil work plan
• Strategy to tackle marginal groups.
• Effective Community participation – VECs, etc.,
• Convergence.

DISTRICT PLANS – APPRAISAL

• Plans will be appraised by National/State level missions.
• Things to be assessed in appraisal

• Level of mobilization and community participation
• Identification of problem areas
• Sanctity of data relied on for planning
• Interventions suggested for various components
• Convergence

• Norms to be followed as given in SSA/State-specific norms

MONITORING

• Community – based monitoring with full transparency
• Statement of expenditure in each school to be public document
• Joint review by Government of India and the State Government
• 2 Supervision missions in a year
• Detailed monitoring guidelines and reporting format already communicated to states – prescribing format for reporting at each level.
• Concept of nodal officers for weaker districts.

QUALITY ISSUES

• Decentralized curriculum development-district level
• Focus on good quality books.
• Use of local dialects
• Primacy to cultural activity/sports/art, etc.,
• Content-based and Motivational teacher training
• Child to Child learning
• Resource groups at State/District/Sub-District level
• Increasing role of DIETs / BRCs / CRCs

MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

• National level

• National Mission headed by Prime Minister
• Executive Committee, headed by Minister of HRD
• JS (EE) as Director Generazl; of National Mission

• State Level

• State Mission Authority to be headed by CM
• State implementation Society for implementation to be implemented through mainstream administrative structure; only contractual appointments permitted.

IMPORTANT STATE LEVEL ACTIONS

• Completing pre-project activity
• Implementation of Annual Plan already sacntioned
• Preparation of Annual Action Plan 2002-2003
• Preparation of Perspective plan till 2010
• Teacher Rationalization and filling up of vacancies in institutions
• Proper monitoring and periodic reporting.