THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The inordinate delay in getting the final approval by the Union government in the implementation of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has put the state in the dock. According to sources of SSA Kerala, the Union government needs to approve the minutes of the Project Approval Board (PAB) meeting comprising all state-level project directors which convened at New Delhi in May.
“We have done our part. In fact, we have completed all the proceedings related to implementing SSA. Now, the ball is in the court of the Union government. The project was to start in July. But it seems like it will be delayed further. However, we are expecting to get the approval of minutes by next week,” said an SSA officer, on condition of anonymity.
However, the centre has sanctioned an ad-hoc fund to the state to meet the expenses which are currently being spent by the state. The centre had earlier sanctioned Rs 729 crore for the implementation of SSA in all schools in the state.
“Though the sanctioned amount will be released only after the approval, the sanction of the ad-hoc fund has brought a respite to us,” sources added. Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan is an integrated scheme to ensure quality learning at the pre-primary to higher secondary school levels. To provide a holistic approach to the basic education format, the Centrally sponsored Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan was proposed in the country. The scheme is an upgraded version of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
Three months ago, the Ministry of Human Resource Development had sent a notification to all state Education Departments requesting them to implement the new system before the coming academic year. The upgraded scheme will subsume three Centrally sponsored schemes — SSA, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education.
The scheme envisages free and equitable secondary education with effective learning outcomes, irrespective of gender disparities, and vocational training for weaker sections, including persons with disabilities. It has been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for the period from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2020.