Context:
Recently, Women and Child Development Minister introduced about NIPUN BHARAT in Rajysabha.
Relevance:
GS II- Education
Dimensions of the Article:
- About NIPUN Bharat Programme:
- Anticipated Outcomes of NIPUN Bharat Mission Implementation:
- Samagra Shiksha
About NIPUN Bharat Programme:
Nodal: The Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education.
- It has been launched as a National Mission called “National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat)” in 2021.
- This Mission was launched under the aegis of the centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha.
- It will focus on providing access and retaining children in foundational years of schooling; teacher capacity building; development of high quality and diversified Student and Teacher Resources/Learning Materials; and tracking the progress of each child in achieving learning outcomes.
- It aims to cover the learning needs of children in the age group of 3 to 9 years.
- It emphasizes to focus on every child for developing basic language; literacy and numeracy skills which will help them develop into better readers and writers.
- It envisages making the experience of learning at the foundational stage Holistic, Integrated, Inclusive, Enjoyable, and Engaging.
- The unique feature is that the goals of the Mission are set in the form of Lakshya Soochi or Targets for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
- The success of NIPUN Bharat will primarily depend on teachers, so, there will be a special emphasis on capacity building of teachers.
- A special package for foundational literacy and Numeracy under NISHTHA is being developed by NCERT and around 25 lakh teachers teaching at pre-primary to primary grade will be trained this year.
Anticipated Outcomes of NIPUN Bharat Mission Implementation:
The following are some of the expected outcomes of the successful implementation of the goals and objectives of the mission:
- Reduced dropouts and improved transition rate: Foundational skills training will enable children to stay in class and improve their transition rate from primary to upper primary and secondary stages.
- Improved quality of education: Activity-based learning and a conducive learning environment will enhance the quality of education.
- Innovative pedagogies: Classroom transactions will incorporate innovative pedagogies such as toy-based and experiential learning, making learning a joyful and engaging activity.
- Capacity building of teachers: Intensive capacity building of teachers will empower them to choose pedagogies and provide greater autonomy.
- Holistic child development: The focus on different domains of development, such as physical and motor development, socio-emotional development, literacy and numeracy development, cognitive development, and life skills, will result in holistic development, reflected in a Holistic Progress Card.
- Improved learning trajectory: Children will achieve a steeper learning trajectory, which may have positive impacts on later life outcomes and employment.
- Equitable and inclusive education: The focus on early grades will benefit socio-economically disadvantaged groups, ensuring access to equitable and inclusive quality education for all children.
Samagra Shiksha:
Samagra Shiksha is a comprehensive program for the school education sector in India, covering pre-school to class 12. The primary aim of the program is to enhance school effectiveness, measured in terms of equal opportunities for schooling and equitable learning outcomes. Here are some key points to understand about Samagra Shiksha:
- Integration of three schemes: Samagra Shiksha subsumes three previous schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
- Sector-wide development: This program aims to harmonize implementation mechanisms and transaction costs at all levels, from state to sub-district. It also envisages one comprehensive strategic plan for the development of school education at the district level.
- Shift in focus: The focus is on improving system-level performance and schooling outcomes, rather than just project objectives. The scheme also incentivizes states to improve the quality of education.
Source: The Hindu
