was made that the two initiatives would be merged under the umbrella of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, along with teacher education (see below).
Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan Launched in 2015, Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan (‘National Invention Campaign’) aims to encourage greater enquiry, creativity and interest, specifically within the areas of science, mathematics and technology in education. 153 The campaign, which received Rs 198 crore in 2017–18, intends to create stronger links between schools and higher educational institutions through school mentoring programmes, student exchanges and development of science labs, linked to RMSA initiatives. 154
Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan More recently, the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (‘Composite Education Campaign’), 155 launched in 2018 and allocated Rs 30,254 crore, 156 aims to bring together SSA and RMSA along with teacher education under one scheme that views education more holistically from preschool to higher secondary education. The focus on full access, quality education and greater equity and inclusion are continued in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4, along with vocational, digital and physical education elements and further strengthening of teacher education institutions. Local quality initiatives under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan include the ‘Happiness Curriculum’ launched in over 1,000 Delhi government schools in 2018, 157 focusing on holistic, values-based education and mental health from preschool to upper primary levels, and the ‘Joyful Saturday’ initiative in Rajasthan in 2018. 158 This had similar aims, including developing values, honing creativity and play across all primary and secondary classes, with Rs 1,000 per school for provision of necessary resources.
153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162
National Education Policy 2019 The Draft NEP follows the initiative of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan to create a more holistic, unified education system, with greater continuity, foci on longer free and compulsory education (from age three to 18), and a Foundation stage that ensures greater school readiness when children begin primary school. It proposes a reduction in core curriculum content to allow for subjects previously perceived as being co- or extra-curricular to be integrated into a curriculum that promotes a wider range of interests (including music, art and physical education) and provides for vocational subjects at higher levels. It also stresses a need to move away from rote learning and high-stakes exams towards more ‘constructivist’, ‘discovery-oriented’, ‘studentcentred’ pedagogy that involves more formative assessment of a wider range of cognitive, social and ‘21st century skills’.
Other recent initiatives Other initiatives include a focus on girls’ education through the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (literally ‘Save girls, educate girls’) scheme, launched in 2014, aiming both to celebrate the girl child and to ensure the survival, safety and education of girls. This included a commitment to building 100,000 girls’ toilet and drinking water facilities in schools to benefit ten million girls in its initial phase, thereby reducing the number of female dropouts. 159 Provision for the modernisation of madrasas (traditional Muslim schools) has also been made through the Scheme to Provide Quality Education in Madrasas, 160 aiming to provide education at national standards to one million Muslim children, certified through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). Quality initiatives include the School Assessment Programme (2014– 15, Rs 0.3 crore; 2018–19, Rs 0.7 crore 161), and the Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya’s Teacher Training Programme (2014–15, Rs 900 crore 162), which aims to benefit nearly 20,000 teacher trainees studying at teacher education institutions.
https://mhrd.gov.in/rashtriya-avishkar-abhiyan www.pib.nic.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1527326 http://samagra.mhrd.gov.in/about.html http://samagra.mhrd.gov.in/docs/letter_240418.pdf http://vikaspedia.in/education/education-best-practices/promoting-activity-based-learning-through-happiness-curriculum-a-delhi-government-initiative http://vikaspedia.in/education/education-best-practices/joyful-saturday-initiative-by-the-rajasthan-government https://www.savethechildren.in/articles/five-education-initiatives-that-are-changing-india https://mhrd.gov.in/spqem http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=187952 https://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/PMMNMTT%20English.pdf
The school education system in India
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