New Delhi: The Government of India is planning to introduce a National Means cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme to check the drop out ratio in schools and encourage students to continue their education beyond class eight.

According to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the government is planning to introduce Rs 6,000 per year scholarship during the 11th Plan period for students in classes IX, X, XI and XII through a proper selection process.

During the same plan period, the Ministry is also planning to implement a revamped scheme for using information and communication technology (ICT) in schools to provide computer-aided education and ICT literacy using broadband connectivity across all government schools in the country.

The scheme, to be implemented in partnership with the states and private sector service providers, would cover over one lakh secondary and higher secondary schools of government and government aided schools and those run by the various local bodies.

According to Department of School Education and Literacy (SE&L) Secretary Arun Kumar Rath, the government has accorded high priority to elementary education as it is the foundation of the pyramid in the education system.

To ensure ‘Education for All', he said that the Department of School Education and Literacy has a multi pronged approach, where the flagship programmes are the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) programme.

While the SSA aims to achieve universal elementary education of satisfactory quality by 2010, the MDM supports it by way of enhancing attendance of children and simultaneously improving their nutritional status.

The Secretary further said that the funding pattern of SSA has been modified to make it more conducive to the states in a tapering off ratio, starting with 65:35 in just two years of 11th Plan which will become 50:50 in 2011-12 (last year of the 11th Plan).

He hoped that the enhanced budgets will help in closing infrastructure gaps as well improving the quality of learning in government and government aided schools in which more than 80 per cent of the country's children study.

"Under SSA, the government has not only been able to improve access to 98 per cent at primary level but also reducing out of school children to three to four per cent of 6-14 age group," Rath said.

The Secretary informed that during the 10th Plan, the basic infrastructure has improved through the opening of 1.87 lakh schools, appointment of 8.12 lakh teachers, construction of 1.70 lakh buildings and 7.13 lakh additional classrooms, besides 1.72 lakh drinking water facilities and 2.18 lakh toilets have been created.

He said that the efforts made under the SSA, the access to schools has improved to 98 per cent of habitations at primary level and 86 per cent at upper primary level.

Rath stated the dropout rates at primary level are declining and that of girls is declining more sharply, besides improving the gender parity from 0.81 (2001-02) to 0.93 at the elementary stage of education.

The Secretary further added that the transition rate from primary to upper primary (class V to VI) has improved to 83.72 per cent.

He said that more emphasis has been given on quality under the SSA, as specific provision for learning enhancement programme, remedial teaching and emphasis on teacher training is being placed. In fact 50 per cent of the SSA outlay is now going towards quality.

Rath said that till now 2,180 KGBVs have been sanctioned in educationally backward blocks and on the successful implementation of schemes, he added that 410 new KGBVs will be sanctioned in blocks and urban areas uncovered hitherto.
—iGovernment Bureau