Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is a program of the Indian government aimed at the universalization of elementary education "in a limited time", as required by the 86th Session of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change Amendment to the Constitution of India which provides that free and compulsory education for children between 6 and 14 years of age (estimated at 205 million children in 2001) is a fundamental right. The program was initiated by former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
History
As an intervention program, the SSA has been in operation since 2000-2001. However, its roots go back to 1993-1994, when the District Primary Education Program (DPEP) was launched, with the goal of achieving the goal of universal primary education. DPEP, through several phases, comprised 272 districts in 18 states of the country. The program expenses were shared by the Central Government (85%) and the State Governments. The central part was funded by a number of external agencies, including the World Bank, DFID and UNICEF. By 2001, more than $ 1500 million had been committed in the program and 50 million children covered in the program. In a DPEP Phase I impact assessment, the authors concluded that their net impact on minority children was impressive, while there was little evidence of any impact on girls' enrollment. However, they concluded that investing in DPEP was not a waste, as it introduced a new approach to primary school interventions in India. The Right to Education Act (TEN) came into effect on April 1, 2010. Some educators and policy makers believe that with the passage of this law, the SSA has acquired the necessary legal force for its implementation.
Advantages
1. Program with a clear time frame for universal elementary education.
2. A response to the demand for quality basic education throughout the country.
3. An opportunity to promote social justice through basic education.
4. An expression of political will for universal primary education throughout the country.
5. A partnership between central, state and local government.
6. An opportunity for states to develop their own vision of elementary education.
7. An effective participation effort of the Panchyati Raj Institutions, School Management Committees, Town and Urban Slum Education Committees, Parent Teachers' Associations, Teacher-Teacher Associations, Tribal Autonomous Councils and other grassroots structures in the Management of primary schools.