The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is the designated scheme for implementation of the Right of the Child to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009, with the aim of universalizing elementary education. National University of Educational and Planning and Administration (NUEPA) annually collects information in the form of Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) on various educational indicators. SSA has made significant progress in achieving near universal access and equity. As per UDISE 2015-16, enrolment in elementary schools has increased from 18.78 crore in 2009-10 to 19.67 crore children. There has been a significant reduction in the number of out of school children in the 6-14 years age group, from 134.6 lakh in 2005 to 81 lakh in 2009 and further to 61 lakh in 2014. The annual average dropout rate at primary level has come down from 9.11% in 2009-10 to 4.13% in 2015-16. The transition rate from primary to upper primary has gone up from 83.53% in 2009-10 to 90.14% in 2015-16. The Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) has improved from 32 in 2009-10 to 24 in 2015-16.
SSA aims to universalize access to elementary education by providing financial support for the creation of school infrastructure as per the norms and standards specified in the RTE Act, 2009. Since the inception of SSA in 2001 till 2016-17, sanction has been given for opening of 3,64,155 new elementary schools, construction of 3,11,622 school buildings, and 18,73,415 additional classrooms, 2,42,198 drinking water facilities and 10,36,470 school toilets. States and UTs have reported that 3,59,826 new elementary schools have been opened; construction of 3,02,919 school buildings and 18,37,445 additional classrooms have been completed; and 2,33,088 drinking water facilities and 9,88,449 toilets have been constructed as on 30.09.2016. Out of 19.49 lakh post of teachers sanctioned, 15.75 lakh teachers have been recruited by States and UTs as on 31.12.2016.
Further, under the Swachh Vidyalaya initiative, 4,17,796 toilets were constructed in 2,61,400 elementary and secondary government schools in a period of one year from 15.8.2014 to 15.8.2015, thus ensuring that every government school has a separate functional toilet for girls and boys. With this, about 13.58 crore children in 11.08 lakh government schools were given access to gender segregated toilets.
The Central Government reviews and monitors implementation of the SSA periodically with the States and Union Territories at different fora, including the State Education Ministers’ Conferences. It is reviewed twice every year by Joint Review Mission (JRM) comprising independent experts and members of external funding agencies, covering all States by rotation. The status of these evaluations and monitoring is placed in the public domain on the Ministry’s website.
This information was given by the Minister of State (HRD), Shri Upendra Kushwaha today in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question.
