PM SHRI Schools- The Laboratory of New Education Policy

Why in news?

On Teachers Day, PM Modi announced the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) Scheme to transform 14,500 schools into model institutions to achieve the objectives of National Education Policy, 2020.

To know more about National Education Policy 2020, click here

What is the scheme?

• Under the scheme, a total of 14,500 schools across the country to empower student with 21^st century skills.
• The scheme will provide high-quality education in an equitable, inclusive environment that takes care of the diverse background, multilingual needs and different academic abilities of children.
• These state-of-art schools will be the laboratory of the new education policy.
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme, in which the cost of implementation is mostly split in a 60:40 ratio between the Union government and the states/UTs.

What are the key features of the scheme?

• Improvement of school infrastructure
• Early childhood care and education – Balvatika, foundational literacy and numeracy
• Development of Green schools
• Modern facilities including ICT
• Counselling focused on well-being and career
• Sports and arts for every child
• Appropriate infrastructure for girls and those with special needs
• Encourage mother tongue and local languages
• Adopting holistic, integrated and learner-centred methods by teachers
• A ‘School Quality Assessment Framework’ to measure the progress and performance of these schools
• Connecting the schools with the local entrepreneurial ecosystem and higher education institutions

A few States like Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal have opposed the new NEP for imposing a centralised education system when education is a Concurrent subject.

What about the procedure for selecting the schools?

• All elementary schools, secondary and senior secondary schools that are managed either by the Centre, State, UT, local bodies and have a UDISE+ code can apply.
  • Step 1- Schools will be considered only if the State government agrees to implement the NEP in its entirety.
  • Step 2- Schools that fulfil the minimum benchmark will be shortlisted.
  • Step 3- Teams from States, Kendriya Vidyalaya or Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya schools will visit the applicant institution to inspect and recommend the selected schools to the Ministry of Education.
• The ministry will select a maximum of two schools from a block or urban local body, as applicable.
• The final decision will be taken by an expert committee.

Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) initiated in 2012-13 is one of the largest Management Information Systems on School Education.

How will the PM SHRI scheme benefit schools and students?

• Model schools- Institutions developed under PM SHRI will become model schools and will encapsulate the full spirit of NEP.
• Holistic nature- Pedagogy adopted in these schools will be more experiential, holistic, integrated, toy-based, discovery-oriented, learner-centred, discussion-based and enjoyable.
• Mentorship- PM SHRI Schools will mentor other existing schools in respective regions to spread the NEP Policy at a larger level.
• Tech driven- The PM SHRI Schools will incorporate environment-friendly tools along with being technology driven.
• Conceptual understanding- Assessment for children will be based on conceptual understanding and application of knowledge to real life situations and will be competency-based in every grade.
• Quality assessment- A School Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF) will assess the resources available and their effectiveness.
• Employment- The PM SHRI scheme will cater for internships by collaborating with Sector Skill Councils and local industry thus providing better employment opportunities.

References

1. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/education-scheme-pm-shri-nep-policy-details-model-schools/article65865846.ece?homepage=true
2. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/pm-shri-education-scheme-national-education-policy-school-features-explained-8133816/