Sign MoU for PM SHRI: Pradhan responds to Stalin letter for Samagra Shiksha funds

Sign MoU for PM SHRI: Pradhan responds to Stalin letter for Samagra Shiksha funds

Subject: Schemes

Sec: Education

Context:

After Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week asking the Centre to expedite the release of its share to the state under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan responded urging him to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for the PM SHRI scheme and stating that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 “fully supports the idea of teaching Tamil in the schools of Tamil Nadu.”

PM SHRI Scheme:

• Centrally sponsored scheme by the Government of India.
• Its objective is to establish over 14,500 PM SHRI Schools, overseen by the Central Government, State/UT Governments, local bodies, as well as Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS).
• These schools aim to create an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for every student, ensuring their well-being and providing a secure and enriching learning environment.
• The goal is to offer a diverse range of learning experiences and ensure access to good physical infrastructure and appropriate resources for all students.
• This aligns with the vision of the National Education Policy 2020, striving to build a society characterized by equity, inclusivity, and pluralism.

Features of PM SHRI Schools:

• These schools will not only focus on enhancing cognitive development but also creating holistic and well-rounded individuals equipped with key 21st-century skills.
• The pedagogy adopted in these schools will be more experiential, holistic, integrated, play/toy-based (particularly in the foundational years), inquiry-driven, discovery-oriented, learner-centred, discussion-based, flexible, and enjoyable.
• The schools will be upgraded with labs, libraries, and art rooms. They will be developed as green schools with water conservation, waste recycling, energy-efficient infrastructure, and integration of the organic lifestyle as part of the curriculum.
• The focus will be on the learning outcomes of every child in every grade.
• Assessment at all levels will be based on conceptual understanding and application of knowledge to real-life situations and will be competency-based.
• A School Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF) is being developed, specifying the key performance indicators to measure outcomes. A quality evaluation of these schools at regular intervals will be undertaken to ensure the desired standards.
• The duration of the scheme is from 2022-23 to 2026-27, after which it shall be the responsibility of the States/UTs to continue to maintain the benchmarks achieved by these schools.
• The selection of PM SHRI schools will be done through Challenge Mode, wherein schools compete for support to become exemplar schools.

Samagra Shiksha Scheme:

• It supports implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 and National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• The scheme has been extended for a period of five years i.e., from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• The Samagra Shiksha scheme is an integrated scheme for school education covering the entire gamut from pre-school to class XII.
• The scheme treats school education as a continuum and is in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal for Education (SDG-4).
• The scheme aims to ensure that all children have access to quality education with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment.