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EDUCATION GUARANTEE SCHEME AND ALTERNATIVE & INNOVATIVE EDUCATION
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3. Overall Framework of EGS & AIE : Salient features 3.1
The EGS & AIE would cover children in the age
group of 6-14 years, however, for children with disabilities, it would
cover children upto the age of 18 years complying with the provisions of
Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection or Rights and
full Participation) Act, 1995. It will continue to have 3 components as in
the earlier NFE scheme: State-run
centres (now EGS/schools or a variety of alternative schools / back to
school camps run by the state government). EGS/Learning
centres or alternative schools run by Voluntary Agencies (VAs). Innovative
and Experimental projects and DRUs run by VAs. 3.2
EGS
& AIE is based on the assumption that the planning for
universalisation of elementary education (UEE) for all children in the
6-14 years age group should be done in a holistic manner.
In most states, the planning for NFE for ‘out of school’
children has followed a ‘parallel track’ approach to the formal
system.
The underlying assumption being that for ‘out of school’
children the only option is part-time, non-formal education. The
EGS & AIE clearly states that every district should initially target
enrolment of all children in the 6-8 years age group in formal schools
only (with some motivational camps or bridge courses, if necessary).
For elder children
(9-11 years age) also, the effort should be towards mainstreaming
(admitting children to formal schools) through appropriate interventions
like bridge courses, residential camps etc.
Thus, the thrust is on ensuring enrolment and retention of children
in formal schools as far as possible.
Of course, it is recognised that children in the 12-14 years age
group (who have never been enrolled or have dropped out early) and certain
difficult groups like street children, children who migrate, bonded child
labour etc cannot be admitted into formal schools and would require
alternative interventions for some time. Such
an approach envisages that child-wise planning is undertaken for each
‘out of school’ child and the possibility of enrolment/mainstreaming
of ‘out of school’ children into formal schools is explored first
before deciding on the alternative approaches that are necessary.
This would require that the non-formal and formal systems converge
totally at all levels.
Presently, in several educationally backward states the NFE and
elementary education structures are quite separate and independent of each
other and have no linkages at block, district and state levels. Since
EGS & AIE would be implemented as an integral part of the UEE effort
under SSA, the structures and personnel for EGS & AIE would therefore
necessarily have to converge with or be a part of the elementary education
structures at all levels. The
EGS & AIE would form a part of the SSA. Under SSA, every district
would prepare a District Elementary Education Plan (DEEP) which would
include a range of interventions for school improvement, incentives for
children, recruitment of teachers quality improvement in regular schools,
ECE etc. along with intervention for ensuring education of ‘out of
school’ children. The component for ‘out of school’ children would
be funded under EGS & AIE. It is expected that by the beginning of the
Xth plan, the EGS & AIE would be merged with the SSA programme and
would cease to exist as a separate scheme. The interventions supported
under EGS & AIE would then be funded under SSA directly. 3.3
EGS & AIE supports flexible strategies including schools in
unserved habitations, seasonal hostels or condensed courses for migrating
children, bridge course, residential camps, drop-in centres for street and
slum children, remedial coaching for
children enrolled in formal schools, short duration summer camps
etc.
3.4
The EGS & AIE would accord a priority to setting up of EGS
centres (primary level) in unserved habitations where no school exists
within a radius of 1 k.m. and atleast 15 children in the age group of 6-14
who are not going to schools are available. In exceptional cases
e.g. remote habitations in hilly areas of Jammu & Kashmir and parts of
North East India, EGS schools could be supported even for 10 children
within the overall cost norms of the scheme VAs could also apply for
setting up of EGS schools.
A second category of interventions that would be accorded priority
are bridge courses, back to school centres or camps that aim at
mainstreaming of ‘out of school’ children into formal schools. 3.5
Conduct of microplanning exercises, including house to house
surveys and evidence of demand from the community and community’s
commitment would be a pre-requisite for preparation of proposals under EGS
& AIE.
For the EGS component, evidence of norm- based school mapping
exercise for ensuring universal physical access would need to be provided.
Based on the demand from the community, the state would ensure setting up
of the EGS schools if the demand is found
valid as per norms, within a reasonable period to be decided by
individual state governments. 3.6
The EGS component viz. the setting up of alternative school in
small, unserved habitations would cover the entire country according to
the actual requirement. Alternative education interventions for specific
categories of very deprived children e.g. child labour, street children,
migrating children, and elder children (in the 9+ age group especially
adolescent girls) would be supported under EGS & AIE in the
non-educationally backward states also. Preference would however, continue
to be given to the 10 educationally backward states, under the EGS &
AIE. 3.7
The State Level society would be responsible for appraising and
approving district level proposals under EGS & AIE.
The district level proposals would include proposals for state-run
schools/centres and also VA projects. All VA proposals would form part of
the district level EGS & AIE proposals.
VA proposals would also be approved by the Grants-in-aid Committee
of the State Society **.
The funds for EGS & AIE would be shared on a 75:25 basis
between the central & state governments for all state run schools.
VA’s would recive100 per cent grants under the scheme. 3.8
As one of the first steps, the State Government will need to sign
an MOU with the Department of Elementary Education & Literacy,
Government of India. Funds from Government of India for state and VA run
projects would be transferred to a state level society identified for
implementation of the scheme. In view of the fact that EGS & AIE would
form a part of the overall UEE effort through the SSA, the state society
for EGS & AIE would necessarily have to be the same as that identified
for SSA.
The state society would be responsible for coordination and
monitoring of the implementation of VA run programmes also.
3.9
In districts/blocks where centrally sponsored or externally funded
projects / programmes for universalisation of primary / elementary
education are being implemented e.g. DPEP, LJP, Janshala (GOI-UN)
Programme, the interventions for ‘out of school’ children (including
EGS and EGS like alternative schools) would continue to be funded under
these projects / programmes till the end of the project period. In project
districts EGS & AIE could support interventions for ‘out of
school’ children in the following conditions:-
In
districts not currently covered under projects (DPEP, LJP, GOI-UN) and SSA
only proposals for EGS schools would be supported, during 2000-01. 3.10
The state society would have the power to approve all EGS & AIE
proposals (State run or VA) which have centre costs within an overall
ceiling of Rs. 845/- per child per annum for primary level and Rs. 1200/-
per child per annum for upper primary level.
All proposals that have unit costs higher than these would need to
be sent to the central government for approval. The ceiling for any
proposal under the EGS & AIE is Rs. 3000 per child per annum. This
ceiling would be applicable also for proposals under the Innovative and
Experimental component to be funded directly from the Government of India. 3.11
Proposals that exceed the ceiling of Rs. 845/- (primary level) or
Rs. 1200 (upper primary level) including proposals under the Experimental
& Innovative component (to be funded directly by the central
government) should not form more than 15% of the overall budget allocation
for a particular year. 3.12
In view of the requirement of microplanning, emphasis on EGS
schools, and changes in several parameters of the scheme, the planning for
EGS & AIE would need to be undertaken afresh. Thus NFE centres
currently functional in the state-run and VA projects would need be
discontinued to allow for a proper planning for the scheme.
All existing NFE projects including VA projects would therefore, be
discontinued prior to 31-3-2001.
States could commence EGS schools (or propose funding of existing
EGS schools from EGS & AIE) prior to 31-3-2001 provided all NFE
centres within 1 km of the habitations where EGS schools are
proposed/functioning have been discontinued. 3.13
During 2000-01, SSA is likely to be launched in about 100
districts.
It is expected that these districts would be able to undertake
microplanning exercises and prepare comprehensive plans for ‘out of
school’ children.
Districts not covered by DPEP or SSA may not be in a position to
take up detailed microplanning exercises or be able to implement flexible
strategies under EGS & AIE which would require appropriate staffing,
capacity building of personnel etc.
Therefore, in districts not covered currently under projects (DPEP,
LJP, GOI-UN) or SSA, only the EGS component (alternative schools for
school-less habitations) would be supported under EGS & AIE during
2000-01.
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