By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 11: Opposition Congress MP from Tura constituency, Saleng A Sangma, has raised concerns in Parliament over the improvement of educational infrastructure.
Sangma sought clarification on the measures to enhance teachers’ capacity for delivering foundational learning under the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) Bharat Mission, steps to improve educational facilities in rural and underprivileged areas, particularly in the Northeastern Region, and the government’s approach to monitoring and evaluating the impact of these interventions on children’s learning outcomes.
In response to the unstarred question, Minister of State (MoS) for Education, Jayant Chaudhary, outlined several initiatives.
He highlighted the launch of NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement) online in October 2020 via the DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) platform. The programme, aimed at elementary and all-level teachers, provides text modules, videos and interactive content aligned with developmental goals and foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes.
To develop a cadre of high-quality Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) teachers in Anganwadis, NISHTHA-ECCE and FLN were launched in July 2022. Chaudhary stated that the initiative trains Anganwadi workers and preschool teachers in developmentally appropriate pedagogy for holistic child development, contributing to quality foundational education.
Under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, Chaudhary explained, states and union territories prepare Annual Work Plans and Budgets (AWP&B) based on their requirements and ministry guidelines. These plans are appraised and approved by the Project Approval Board (PAB) in consultation with states and UTs.
To improve educational infrastructure, particularly in rural and underprivileged areas, the scheme provides for separate toilets, labs, libraries, ICT labs and smart classrooms. Northeastern states receive funds at a 90:10 ratio compared to the 60:40 ratio for other States and UTs, the MoS said.
Addressing student progress and learning evaluation, Chaudhary noted the implementation of the National Achievement Survey (NAS) by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education. Conducted every three years for Classes III, V, VIII, and X, the survey provides insights into the education system’s health. In NAS 2021, approximately 34 lakh students from 1.18 lakh schools across 720 districts were assessed. Reports detailing student performance at national, state, and district levels are publicly available on the NAS portal.
He also highlighted PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), set up under NCERT, and its State Educational Achievement Survey (SEAS) 2023.
SEAS-23 assessed around 8.4 million students and six lakh teachers from four lakh schools across 6,416 educational blocks, shifting focus to block-level learning gaps. The survey evaluated competencies in foundational literacy, numeracy, language, and mathematics across foundational, preparatory, and middle stages.
These measures, Chaudhary stated, aim to enhance educational infrastructure, teacher capacity, and learning outcomes, with a focus on rural and North-Eastern regions.
