A Happier School

Context: Samagra Shiksha scheme 2.0 aims to make learning equitable and joyful.

Samagra Shiksha 2.0 Scheme

• Recently, on August 4, Samagra Shiksha 2.0 scheme was approved by the Union government.
• Samagra Shiksha or holistic education is essentially joyful education: It encompasses the physical, social, emotional, and mental well-being of the child alongside academic and skill development in an integrated format.

Significance of Samagra Shiksha 2.0

• Providing affordable quality access to education: The scheme has been funding basic school infrastructure, textbooks, uniforms and admissions to private schools under RTE Act since its inception. 
  • For the first time, pre-school infrastructure and workshop/laboratory cum classroom for vocational education shall also be funded in the 2.0 scheme. 
  • For retention after classes 8 and 10, the scheme will provide transport for students to attend formal school. It aims to attract 16 to 19-year-old out-of-school children through the Open School system.
• Increasing the foundational literacy and numeracy skills: The NIPUN Bharat Mission for foundational literacy and numeracy is a first-time component under the new Samagra Shiksha.
  • Play and toy-based teaching-learning will be the cornerstone of building this foundation which is strongly linked to cognitive, language, thinking, communication, collaboration and psychomotor skills.
• Gender-related interventions: 
  • By giving additional funds for extending Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas to grade 12 and provisioning of sanitary pad vending machines and incinerators in all girls’ hostels. 
  • The self-defence training component is now extended from grades 6 to 12. 
  • Disabled girls from pre-school to grade 12 will now get a separate amount as a stipend and separate funding for aids and appliances, etc.
• Disability provisions: There are 21 disabilities identified under the PwD Act of 2016, many of which are difficult to identify in a classroom setting.
  • For the first time, it provides block-level camps for the identification and training of special educators and equipping Block Resource Centres and home-based schooling for severe and profound disabilities.
• Maintenance of quality and standard: There is a shift towards competency-based education.
  • Aside from DIKSHA, ICT Labs, other digital initiatives, science labs, engaging teaching-learning material, curricular and pedagogical reforms, the inclusion of a holistic progress card, topic circles, bagless days, criterion-referenced item banks, and school complexes for efficient schooling.
  • For every school that gets at least two medals in Khelo India at the national level, a grant of Rs 25,000 awaits.
• Capacity building: 
  • Capacity building will now focus not just on in-service teacher training but also on building capacities of stakeholders — school management committee members, parents, PTA, etc.
  • A special assessment cell is being set up in each SCERT to take assessment reforms forward in all states/UTs. 
  • The earlier system of funding subject streams has been done away with, and any combination of subjects will now be funded.

Conclusion: Infusing joy at every stage and in every aspect of school education in a holistic manner, with the complete support and participation of all stakeholders, is the way forward not only for inducing positivity in the system but also for bringing synchronicity in the experience of both teachers and learners.