Half of SSA funds to go into quality control

RUN-UP TO THE BUDGET 2008-09

The government schools covered by the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan lack in quality and the Union human resources development ministry has admitted it.

Hence the Budget this year and the Eleventh Plan will see the ministry dedicate half of the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan funds to quality control.

Secretary (Elementary Education) A K Rath said the move would include improvements in teacher training programmes, teaching material, evaluation and monitoring.

The allocation for school education this year was Rs 14,779.29 crore, while the allocation for Sarva Siksha Abhiyan in the Eleventh Plan is Rs 71,000 crore, up from the Tenth Plan outlay of Rs 17,000 crore.

The education budget will also make provision for the entry of private players in the government's school education programmes. Rath said 6,000 model schools would be set up, mostly upgrades of existing schools.

Of these, a third would be run in partnership with private players, including corporate foundations, NGOs and others. "These schools are expected to start functioning from next year," he said.

The allocation for higher education is expected to get a boost with the proposals to set up eight new IITs, seven new IIMs, three Indian Institutes of Science, 16 central universities and 20 Indian Institutes of Information Technology, besides 600 polytechnics.

The Eleventh Plan has proposed a budget of Rs 85,000 crore for higher education.