As an addendum to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme, the government has approved a new program named the ‘National Programme for Education of Girls at Basic Level (NPEGEL)’ to provide extra components for girls’ education at the elementary level. The NPEGEL will be a part of SSA and will be executed under its auspices, but with its own identity.
The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme was launched in 2001-02 to ensure universal access to primary education.
It is an endeavor to provide an opportunity for all children, including girls, to improve their human capacities through the provision of community-owned quality education in a mission mode. However, because SSA only provides little financial support for girls’ education in the form of “innovations” at the district level and free textbooks, an additional component is required.
As a result, NPEGEL was created as a unique and independent gender component plan of SSA for the education of underprivileged/disadvantaged girls in grades I through VIII. To accomplish UEE for females in educationally underserved locations, the gender component is required.
SCOPE
The plan could be used in the following areas:-
(a) Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs): An EBB is a block whose rural female literacy is below the national average and the gender gap is more than the national average.
(b) This initiative will be implemented in blocks of districts with at least a 5% SC/ ST population and an SC/ ST female literacy rate of less than 10%.
c) Selected slums in cities.
Intentions:
At the basic level, there is a considerable gender difference in enrolment, which is much more pronounced for schedule caste and scheduled tribe girls, who have a gender gap of about 30% at the primary level and 26% at the upper primary level. The decrease of the gender gap has now reached a halt, and continued reduction would necessitate a deliberate effort to reach out to the most difficult-to-reach demographics. As a result, particular interventions addressing the specific needs of girl children must be included. NPEGEL’s goals are to:
(a) providing block-focused initiatives with clearly defined results for girls at risk or in tough situations.
(b) to create and promote facilities that enable girls to have access to and remain in school, as well as to ensure increased engagement of women and girls in the educational field.
(c) to increase education quality through a variety of interventions, emphasizing the importance and quality of girls’ education for their empowerment.
The Nagel’s district implementation unit will produce a separate sub-plan for the ‘Girls Education Component.’ As with DEEP, these plans will be evaluated by the resource group at the state level before being forwarded to the national cell, which will appraise the plans with the assistance of external agencies/consultants as needed. The plans will be evaluated by a team formed specifically for this purpose. These sub-plans will be approved by the SSA Project Approval Board (PAB). While approving these plans, the PAB will invite two eminent persons/NGOs with experience and knowledge in girls’/women’s education.