07-09-2013, 03:07 PM
SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN A PROGRAMME FOR UNIVERSAL ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
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Introduction
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is a comprehensive and integrated flagship programme of
Government of India to attain Universal Elementary Education (UEE), covering the entire country
in a mission mode. SSA has been launched in 2001-2002 in partnership with the State
Governments and Local Self Governments. The programme aims to provide useful and relevant,
elementary education to all children in the 6 to 14 age group by 2010. It is an initiative to
universalize and improve quality of education through decentralized and context specific planning
and a process based, time bound implementation strategy. The programme lays emphasis on
bridging all gender and social category gaps at elementary education level with time bound
objectives. On one hand, SSA is a programme with its own targets, norms and processes and on the
other it is an umbrella programme covering other programmes like District Primary Education
Programme (DPEP), Lok Jumbish, Operational Blackboard, etc. The gigantic dimensions of the
programme and the financial implications call for a meticulous planning and a rigorous appraisal.
Objectives of the Manual
With the enactment of the 86th constitutional amendment act, “free and compulsory
quality education upto elementary level” has become a Fundamental Right, thus making it
mandatory for the central and state Governments to provide for such education to each and every
child. In the face of socio-economic and geographical diversity prevailing in the country and the
dimension of school age population, planning has become utmost important to achieve the
targets in the stipulated time period. With this in view, a need was felt to revise the existingManual for Appraisal of Plans brought out by MHRD in 2002 to lay more emphasis on planning
process. The present edition of the manual, aims at providing a comprehensive overview of
various aspects and components of SSA for planning and appraisal. This would be beneficial for
the planners and appraisers at all levels.
Block and district level teams
There would be core planning teams at block and district level. Apart from
Education Department functionaries, NGOs, teachers – present and retired, representative of
PRI, parents etc. are included in the core planning teams to make it brand based. At the district
level there could be a larger advisory body. This body should have representatives of various
Departments like - Education, Health, Public Works, Social Welfare, Women and Child
Development, Tribal Welfare, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), NGOs, etc.
This body will facilitate "convergence" and help remove bottlenecks, if any, not only in
collection of information, but also at the time of implementation. It will be the responsibility of
the core district team to develop the plans as per the norms laid down in the SSA framework by
prioritizing the various proposals emanating from various levels.
Convergence and Linkages
SSA investments are an additionality, over and above the state Govts. level of
investments in elementary education, as in 1999-2000 provisions, besides those that are being
provided from other schemes/sources. The emphasis of SSA is on assessing comprehensively the
interventions made in the district in the educational sector from all the sources. It is in this
context that information on the existing schemes of other Departments/Agencies or of the
Education Department for the activities not covered under SSA are to be provided in the plans to
have a clear idea of all the investments in the sector. This information should be clearly provided
in the chapter on convergence and linkages.
MAJOR COMPONENTS
Introduction to Component-wise Planning
Planning, in general, refers to working out the interventions to meet the felt needs with resources available
internally and externally. Educational planning under SSA is aimed at universalizing elementary education in a given
time frame and in a way suited to the local conditions, aspirations of the people and learning abilities of the children.
The two main planks of planning under SSA are the decentralization of planning process and making the plans
contextual.
The main areas of UEE are: (i) universal access, (ii) universal enrolment, (iii) universal retention and (iv)
quality elementary education to all children. Quantification of the targets while planning the first three components
is important and feasible but it is not as applicable to the fourth aspect. The interventions for the last aspect will be
qualitative in nature, which requires proper visualization and translation of steps and activities. However, it is
important to note that all the activities and interventions reflected in the plans are for achieving UEE goals and are
within the SSA broad framework.