India 2018

Education 161
b) School and Teacher Grants: SSA also provides annual teacher grants of ` 500 to
all teachers for developing contextual teaching aids. DIETs and BRCs hold
regular workshop and training programmes to develop subject and topic related
low cost teaching aids. In addition, an annual school grant of ` 5000 is provided
to each primary and ` 7,000 to each upper primary school separately, to meet
the cost of school consumables, ` 7500 per school is given to each school for
maintenance purposes. For new schools, onetime 'Teaching Learning Equipment'
grant a ` 20,000 per new primary school and ` 50,000 per new upper primary
school is provided for school equipment and setting up expenses.
c) Computer aided learning: Under SSA, grant up to ` 50 lakh is available to each
district for strengthening computer aided learning in schools to support
enhancement of children's learning. Activities include providing computer
equipment or labs to schools, development of curriculum-based e-learning
materials in local languages, and training of teachers in computer use. Since
inception of the programme, approximately 1,06,753 schools have been benefited
from this intervention.
d) Learning Enhancement Programmes: 2 per cent of the total SSA outlay for each
district has been made available for 'Learning Enhancement Programmes' that
aims specifically at improving the quality of learning processes and learning
outcomes.
e) Improving student learning outcomes: The impact of various quality interventions
of SSA are reflected in the enhancement of children's learning levels. Being a
major thrust area, NCERT launched a programme to measure the achievement
level of all children studying in classes 3, 5 and 8. Improving student learning
outcomes has been the key component of SSA.
VII. Infrastructure
RTE-SSA provides flexibility to states in the execution of civil works. Neither
designs nor unit costs are centrally prescribed. States are free to evolve building
designs based on local site conditions and develop cost estimates based on the
State Schedule of Rates notified by the state governments. School infrastructure
provisions, however, is not a standalone activity. The design and quality of school
infrastructure has a significant impact on enrolment, attendance and retention
of children in schools. Thus 'civil works' under SSA are undertaken to provide
all weather building as per provision of RTE Act. RTE-SSA encourages
participation by the local community in all civil work activities in order to instil
a sense of ownership in them.
RTE-SSA also supports repair of old school buildings, provision of school
buildings in respect of building less, dilapidated schools and retrofitting of school
buildings to make them hazard resistant.
School Management Committees and Community Participation
SSA has always acknowledged the importance of 'community ownership'
pertaining to effective functioning of government schools. As per norms it has