Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani said on Monday that the government, under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), has opened 2,02,112 primary schools and 1,55,390 upper primary schools till September 30, 2014.
In her written reply to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha, she also informed that that 1,77,432 primary and 1,02,628 upper primary schools have been constructed.
In addition, 16,29,990 additional classrooms, 8,17,036 toilets have been constructed, and drinking water facility has been provided in 2,25,440 schools.
Irani further revealed that a total of 19.85 lakh teacher posts have been sanctioned under SSA at elementary level to improve the PTR (pupil-teacher ratio), against which 15.06 lakh teacher posts have been filled up.
States and union territories have been provided academic support for the distribution of free textbooks to all children, two sets of uniforms to all girls, SC/ST and BPL (Below Poverty Line) boys, through Block Resource Centre and Cluster Resource Centre, she said.
Also Read
The minister further stated that different States have developed programmes to evaluate and grade their schools.
Sambalan in Rajasthan, Shalegagi Navu-Neevu in Karnataka, Pratibha Parv in Madhya Pradesh and Gunotsav in Gujarat are some of these initiatives, she added.
Irani said that the Centre has commissioned the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) to develop a national school standards and school evaluation/assessment framework for the government school sector, with the objective of school improvement and performance accountability, based on national best practices and international comparative experience.
