The scheme with a broad vision

The union budget 2018-19 proposed to treat the education of schools in a holistic manner without any fragmentation from pre-nursery to class 12th. Accordingly, Sarva Shiksha program was launched with the broad objective of improving school efficiency. It is a comprehensive program which extends from pre-school to class 12th. The broad goalmouth of this scheme is gauged from equal opportunities for schooling alongside equal learning outcomes.

Three schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, and teacher education comes under its purview. The best part of the scheme is that it offers sector-wide educational development helping systematize the implementation mechanisms. Moreover, it balances the transaction cost at all levels of education. It uses state, district, and sub-district resources and data. It will help in achieving Sustainable Development Goals of education and development.

The Sustainable Development Goal 4.1 states that "By 2013, ensure that all boys and girls complete free equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes". The scheme envisages the school as a continuous system from pre-schooling,  primary, upper-primary, secondary to senior- secondary levels. Inclusive education drives development that is sustainable in the long run.

The broad vision of the scheme is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education in school right from pre-school level to senior-secondary level. This broad vision is in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals of education particularly goal 4.1 and 4.5. Apart from its Sustainable Development Goals, it aims at bridging social and gender gaps in school education, ensuring minimum standards in school provisions and promoting vocationalisation of education. Furthermore, it aims at strengthening and upgrading of SCERT institutes and DIET's as a nodal agency for the training of teacher.

To fulfill all the aims and objectives of this scheme it is important to have proper allocation of resources especially fund sharing between centre and states.

At present the fund sharing pattern under the scheme between centre and states is in the ratio of 9:10 for 8 North-eastern states and three Himalayan States including Jammu and Kashmir. For all other states and union territories the ratio is 60:40. For hilly and himalayan states the ratio should be improved so that we get better teaching learning outcomes. When departments maximize their own budgets we find failures in the schemes and policies.

It is important for the government at both central and state level to work for the proper distribution of funds between centre and states. Poor states should be given more funds and more attention. Under any scheme or project, rather than maximizing their own budget, higher authorities must maximize the welfare of the people.

The principle of Maximum Social Advantage must be satisfied. Modern economists and public finance experts attach great importance to the canon of elasticity and any social welfare scheme is no exception. When it comes to Shiksha, this canon should be followed. Samagra Shiksha must give elasticity or flexibility to the States and UTs to plan and prioritize their objectives within the scheme norms and the overall resource pool available to them.

A dynamic Samagra Shiksha Model (SSM) must be developed taking account of broad determinants such as student enrollment ratio, learning outcomes, school management, school size, discipline, student motivation, teacher motivation, socio-economic profile of students, school size, gender-sensitivity in schools, productive guest lectures, and availability of infrastructural facilities in schools. As far as the funding allotted to schools are concerned, there should be an objective criteria based on all these key factors together with various performance based indicators.

Dr. Binish Qadri, Former Assistant Professor, Cluster University , Srinagar