Programmes and wps office

Programmes and schemes of DPEP and SSA

1. PROGRAMMES AND SCHEMES-DPEP AND SSA

2. District Primary Education Programme (DPEP)

3. DPEP The centrally—sponsored scheme of District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) was launched in 1994 as a major initiative to revitalize the primary education system and to achieve the objective of universalisation of primary education. DPEP adopts a holistic approach to universalize access, retention and improve learning achievement and to reduce disparities among social groups .

4. It also seeks to strengthen the capacity of national, state and district institutions and organisation, for planning, management and professional support in the field of primary education. DPEP is based on the principle of “additionally” and is structured to fill in the existing gaps by providing inputs over and above the provisions made under central and state sector schemes for primary education.

5. The first phase of the programme was launched in 42 districts in the states of Assam, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. Later the programme was launched in 80 districts of Orissa, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, UP, West Bengal and Gujarat. The DPEP has made decisive impact on increasing enrolment, reducing stagnation and improving class-room transaction.

6. While the DPEP has been operational in backward districts with female literacy below the national average, total literacy campaign has started up the demand for elementary education.

7. DPEP in Kerala The DPEP activities started in Kerala on 15th April, 1993. On this day, the Directorate of Education organised a meeting of DIET principals and staff representatives and educational officers at the State Institute of Education, Trivandrum. Besides, the existing educational scenario, the relevance of DPEP in Kerala were also discussed extensively and three educationally backward districts namely Malappuram, Wayanad and Kasaragode were selected for the programme.

8. These three districts have their own specific characteristic features. Malappuram is the largest district having highest percentage of Muslim population; Wayanad is mainly dominated by tribal population; Kasaragod is a bilingual district.

9. Faculty members from NIEPA, provided outlines on different steps involved in planning of the project. It included specification of objectives; assessment of the situation; specification of targets; strategies; programmes and activities; costing; phasing of the programmes etc. This was succeeded by other informative discussion on different dimensions in formal and non-formal education.

10. The basic objectives of DPEP To provide all children access to primary education through either the formal or non-formal stream. To reduce differences in enrolment, drop-out rates and learning achievement among gender and weaker section groups to less than five percent. To reduce overall primary dropout rates for all children to less than 10 percent. To rise the average achievement rate by 25 percent by measured baseline level and ensuring achievement of basic literacy and numeracy competencies and minimum of 40 percent achievement in other competencies by all primary education children.

11. Achievements of DPEP Decentralised and participatory planning and administration at the district level, involving village leadership, NGOs, schools, district and block personnel. Specific strategies to increase enrolment and retention of girls, SC and ST students (identified as gender, caste and tribe 'gaps' in primary education). Focus on enhancing capacities of teachers by providing workshops for teachers and production of new teaching learning materials to improve student achievement of learning. Administrative capacity building at the district and block levels. Collection of data and setting up an Education Management and Information System (EMIS) [MHRD 1995].

12. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

13. S S A Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan or SSA, is an Indian Government programme aimed at the universalisation of primary education "in a time bound manner", the 86th Amendment to the Constitution of India making free and compulsory education to children between the ages of 6 to 14 (estimated to be 206 million children in 2001) a fundamental right (Article- 21A).

14. The programme was pioneered by former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It aims to educate all children between the ages 6 to 14 by 2010. However, the time limit has been pushed forward indefinitely. As an intervention programme, it started in 2002 and SSA has been operational since 2000-2001. However, its roots go back to 1993-1994, when the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) was launched, with an aim of achieving the objective of universal primary education. DPEP, over several phases, covered 272 districts in 18 states of the country.

15. The expenditure on the programme was shared by the Central Government (85%) and the State Governments (15%). The Central share was funded by a number of external agencies, including the World Bank, Department for International Development (DFID) and UNICEF. Some educationists and policy makers believe that, with the passing of this act, SSA has acquired the necessary legal force for its implementation.

16. The basic objectives of SSA To study the status of students and teachers at the learning centers. To study the adequacy of infrastructural facilities available at the centres. To study the academic achievement of learners belonging to learning centers with regard to adequateand inadequate infrastructure and facilities. To study the attitude of the teachers towards learners and learning centers. To compare the academic achievement of learners belonging to learning centers with regard toadequate and inadequate infrastructural facilities. To study the relationship between teachers behavior and academic achievement of the learners.

17. Achievements of SSA To achieve the goal of universalisation of elementary education in India, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has been playing a pivotal role. SSA, a flagship programme of Government of India, has been operational since 2000–2001 and as an intervention programme since 2010. SSA was launched to achieve universalisation of elementary education in a time-bound manner, as mandated by 86th amendment of the Constitution of India making free and compulsory education for the children of 6–14 years age group, as a fundamental right .

18. To improve the quality of the programme, the Government of India has taken many initiatives and positive results of these initiatives are visible. In view of the 26.0% illiterate population in India, SSA programme should be continued as a regular programme or till an alternate regular system be evolved to achieve the goal of universalisation of elementary education in the country.