Education for All: Initiatives to Improve Access and Quality of Education in India

The Education for All (EFA) program was initially envisioned in 1990 during the World Conference on Education for All. Representatives of 155 countries agreed to the initiative and pledged that basic education would be available to all children, youth, and adults. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) formed another stronger front with this compact in 2000 to focus on universalizing primary education by 2015. Subsequently, MDGs were replaced by SDGs in 2015, where the fourth goal underscores the provision of high-quality and inclusive education to every individual while enjoying lifelong learning opportunities.

India, which includes a large education system consisting of over 1.4 million schools and having about 414 million students, is also considered responsible for promoting the cause of educational accessibility and advocating for increased worldwide investment in education. Indian authorities hiked the budgetary allocation to the education sector by 10% from the YoY level, amounting to Rs 1,24,638 crore (US$ 15 billion) in the 2024-25 Interim Budget.

Source: Education for All

The government has launched several programmes for expanding education access and improving educational quality. These initiatives include:

• Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)
• Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and
• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

Economic aid and manpower support from private entities, international organisations, and civil society further strengthened these initiatives.

The status of the Indian education system

School education: The Indian education framework comprises ~15 lakh schools, more than 95 lakh teachers, and ~26.52 crore students from pre-primary to higher secondary level, according to the FY22 annual report of Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+). The report further states that efforts are being made by central agencies to improve access and enhance the quality of education.

Mentioned below are a few highlights from the UDISE report 2021-2022:

Higher education: India boasts the third-largest higher education sector in the world. The sector has showcased impressive growth in the recent past, as evident from the data available from the All-India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-22.

The survey reveals the following key trends:

Challenges faced by the Indian education system

New initiatives to meet challenges

National Education Policy, 2020: The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has introduced an all-inclusive policy structure to reform India’s education system completely. It lays down the key principles of ensuring equity, promoting quality education, and lifelong learning for all. Core areas that are given priority include curriculum reform, experiential learning promotion, skill acquisition strengthening, teacher professional development improvement, technology integration, and research and innovation support.

Highlights of NEP 2020:

• Ensuring universalisation of education from pre-school to secondary level, aiming for 100% GER in school education by 2030.
• Adding 35 million seats in higher education and Increasing GER in higher education to 50% by 2035.
• Bringing 20 million out-of-school children back into the mainstream.
• Implementing a novel 5+3+3+4 educational framework, including 12 years of schooling and three years of pre-schooling.
• Emphasising foundational literacy and numeracy, with no rigid separation between academic and extracurricular streams in schools.
• Setting up a gender inclusion fund to provide equitable quality education to girls and transgender students.
• Teaching up to at least Grade 5 in mother tongue/regional language.
• Ensuring every child will come out of school adept in at least one skill.
• Allowing multiple entries/exits with appropriate certification.
• Establishing an Academic Bank of Credits to facilitate the transfer of credits.
• Setting up a National Research Foundation to build a strong research culture.
• Promoting increased use of technology with equity by creating a National Educational Technology Forum.
• Ensuring curricular reforms integrate 21st-century skills, mathematical thinking, and scientific temper.
• Promoting multilingualism in schools and higher education; even complex subjects such as engineering will be taught in over 13 Indian languages.

Enhancing Teacher Education: The Indian government implemented the following programs to improve the quality of teacher education:

• National Programme for Teachers’ Professional Development (NPTPD);
• Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP); and
• National Mission for Mentoring (NMM)

Right to Education Act, 2009: The Right to Education Act guarantees free education for children aged 6-14, ensuring equal access to quality education.

Samagra Shiksha: ‘Samagra Shiksha’, launched in in 2019, is an umbrella scheme to promote quality education, bridge social and gender gaps, universalize secondary education, and strengthen teacher training institutions. Following initiatives come under its purview:

• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA),
• Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), and
• Teacher Education (TE),

Skill India Mission: The Skill India Mission centres around delivering vocational training and skill development to enhance employability. MSDE has forged significant collaborations with renowned organisations to strengthen skill development initiatives. Skill India Mission includes programmes such as the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) to equip individuals with industry-relevant skills. The PMKVY is designed to offer industry-specific training to more than 10 million young individuals annually. Through effective collaboration with private enterprises, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has successfully devised and executed skill development initiatives in India. These programmes have had a significant impact, benefitting millions of individuals by ensuring that training aligns with prevailing industry standards. Until October 2023, over 1.40 crore candidates will be trained under PMKVY with funding of more than US$ 1.2 billion (Rs. 10,000 crore).

Source: Skill India-PMKVY Dashboard

Digital India Initiative: The Digital India initiative aims to narrow the digital gap nationwide by incorporating efforts such as the National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) and the Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) platform. These provide digital tools for educators and students, alongside enhancing internet access in schools.

Transformative trends: Navigating the future of education in India

The education system in India has been undergoing a transformation under the National Education Policy (NEP), which encourages STEM and skills-based education. This shift prioritizes experiential learning and digital literacy as the means of making education more accessible through technology. Among the significant updates are curriculum modifications that aim to create enjoyable learning experiences. The e-learning market in India is predicted to expand by about 20% per annum, with an estimated value of USD 2.28 billion by 2025, according to a KPMG report stating that India is emerging as a major global player in e-learning, with America leading the world. Also, a report by Praxis-ICVA predicts that the overall education market in India may reach US$ 225 billion by 2025, signalling a period rich with opportunities for educational advancements and innovations.

Summing up

The NEP 2020 serves as a beacon, aiming for universal access, improved quality, and a focus on lifelong learning. Initiatives such as the RTE Act and Samagra Shiksha are confronting access challenges against NEP’s emphasis on foundational literacy, multilingualism, and skill development, which promises a well-rounded education. Technological innovations, including the DIKSHA and NDEAR, bridge the digital gap, while the Skill India Mission promotes employability. With a target of 100% GER in pre-school to secondary level by 2030 and 50% in higher education by 2035, India aspires to empower its citizens with knowledge and skills for a brighter future.