Eighth

Preface
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The Eighth All India School Education Survey (8 AISES) was initiated by the
National Council of Educational Research and Training with reference date as 30
September 2009 with the objective of creating an extensive school database for
the country and making the data available in print and magnetic media for
educational planning and other purposes.
The Educational Survey Division (ESD), NCERT undertook the task of designing of
tools in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC). The feedback
received from various government departments, users, researchers and our past
experience led to the development of tools having several data items.
Subsequently, guidelines for State Survey Officers (SSOs) were prepared and a
training programme for them for conducting the survey was organised. The
printing and distribution of tools for collecting information from schools/blocks/
districts/states and organising training of a large number of officials and other
functionaries was a mammoth task. The training was organised at different
administrative units for explaining concepts, definitions, collection of data,
procedures for manual scrutiny and handling of filled-in tools. As per the advise of
the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the data entry work had been
given to the MIS unit of SSA in the States/UTs.
Many States/UTs have given high priority to this survey work and initiated steps
for collection of data as per time schedule. However, few States undertook the
survey activities much beyond the prescribed time scheduled due to various
reasons. Further, under-estimation of quantum of work by MIS units of SSA in
most of the states/UTs resulted in the discontinuation of work half-way. However,
some states have completed the work at their own level. Other cause for delay is
late initiation level in designing of the various modules of software such as data
entry modules, data analysis modules, report generation modules; very slow data
uploading from states/UTs at central server, processing of data, etc. also delayed
the process.
The generation of reports crucial activity, which involved a good amount of
thinking and work within Division. The first report for 'Provisional (Flash)
Statistics' was generated in January 2013 on the basis of the data collected
through a flash sheet attached with some of the tools. The reconciliation of this
data with other sources of information involved a good deal of correspondence
with State/UT governments. The Provisional (Flash) Statistics was made
available to the nation on AISES's web portal www.aises.nic.in.