Question

letter to editor for sarvashiksha abhiyan

Answer 1

Fifteen years on, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has outlived its utility. In most states today, the programme is doing more harm than good to the education system. I make this strong statement responsibly as someone who has helped conceptualise and implement the SSA for many years and studied the SSA implementation in several states over the past five years.
The SSA has contributed remarkably to improving school infrastructure, establishing new schools, and appointing new teachers, and these achievements have come at a much quicker pace than they otherwise would have. That said, the SSA is not an appropriate vehicle to meet the critical challenges of revitalising teacher education institutions and improving student learning, which should be our focus now. My arguments below highlight the urgent need to phase out the SSA programme