PREFACE
Moving towards Universalisation of Secondary Education (USE) after achieving
encouraging progress in nation’s efforts to universalise elementary education
through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan(SSA), the Ministry of Human Resource
Development has launched a Scheme of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan
(RMSA) in March 2009 in partnership with state governments and other
stakeholders and came out with RMSA framework to guide the states/UTs on the
implementation of this scheme. RMSA is a holistic and convergent programme
which addresses access, equity and quality goals targeting both secondary and
higher secondary stages of school education with a clear time frame.
The States/UTs have initiated school mapping exercise to develop their
perspective plan and annual work plan for the implementation of RMSA in their
State/UT under the guidelines provided by the RMSA Framework. During the
appraisal process of these plans, it was felt that States/UTs focus more on access
related aspect and need more comprehensive guidelines for planning quality
interventions under RMSA which will further help them to plan for the
management of the resources which states/UTs receive as part of RMSA.
Although, the framework includes a complete chapter on planning for quality,
yet it allows States the flexibility to prepare plans, which correspond to their
specific needs, but actually States and Districts need more clarity as to what
RMSA will finance and what it will not. Availability of clear norms and guidelines
will facilitate districts and states to plan for the quality and equity components
more effectively.
This has generated the need for a document which can guide State/UT
functionaries for implementing the scheme at different levels, build the capacity
of different institutions and individuals concerned with planning, programming
and monitoring of quality secondary education under RMSA at all the levels.
The Ministry of HRD, discussing with the World Bank and DFID on possible support
for RMSA during the Preparation Mission held in New Delhi from 8 to 21 April, 2010
entrusted NCERT with the task of development of a “Vision and multi-layer
strategic guidelines for improvement of quality of secondary education” (letter is
annexed as annexure I) in active consultation with State Governments to chart
out a road map for secondary education upto 2020 and also to explore
inclusion of quality improvement strategies, activities an norms into RMSA
planning process.
The Secondary Education Group which was set up to address the concerns of
RMSA w.e.f. from 15th April, 2010 (vide letter no F.1-2/2010/E.I) and now
upgraded as the Department of Secondary Education (vide letter no F.9-3/2010(C&P) Part File dated Nov. 26, 2010) with the approval of the MHRD (vide letter
no. F.1-21/2010-Sch.4 dated Nov. 24th, 2010) undertook this task.
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Going through a process of intense discussions and deliberations with
representatives from organizations such as MHRD, NUEPA, NCTE, IGNOU, COBSE,
Ed.CIL, World Bank, DFID, EU and the constituent units of NCERT (details of the
meetings/workshops and list of the participants is at annexure-II), the document
is designed to cover the following quality components (1-5) embedding equity
within that to guide the States /UTs for each of these components providing
essential and indicative norms in terms of modalities as well as finance (as
discussed under points no. 6-7):
1. Curriculum Reform
Curriculum reform is a major quality aspect of secondary education,
which includes –
a.
Revision of State Syllabi and Textbooks at secondary stage in
accordance with the NCF-2005.
b.
Improving classroom processes and school management to
implement the curricular and pedagogic shift for enhancing
participation in learning process and providing success experience to
all learners.
c.
Assessment and Examination in consonance with the emerging
perspectives on Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation as well as
examination reform at secondary stage
2. Teacher Preparation
The quality issue related to teacher preparation is evolving a mechanism
for continuous in-service professional development in States/UTs to cover
a large no. teachers for continuous updating of content knowledge and
of pedagogic concerns in view of improving school-classroom setting.
3. Researches and Monitoring for Quality
Researches play a very important role for providing feedback on the
quality interventions, which have gone into the system exploring deeply
the intervention, process and outcomes. Many a times findings of these
researches also provide for policy inputs. Hence, researches and
monitoring mechanism for quality are not only helpful in ensuring quality
but also improving modalities for quality inputs as and when required
4. Information and Communication Technology
Information and communication technology is seen integral to the
Secondary Education. This quality component is infused in each of the
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quality initiatives such as Curriculum Reform, teacher preparation,
research and monitoring.
5. Quality Indicators
Monitoring quality interventions require concrete measurable and
observable indicators for various aspects such as curriculum, pedagogy,
assessment, etc.
6. Roles of various national/state/district level agencies
Each State/UT has various structures to deal with the planning and
implementation of the programme. For quality secondary education it is
imperative to bring clarity on the roles of these institutions to further
increase synergy among them.
7. Multi-layer strategic guidelines and indicative financial norms
Each of the aforesaid quality aspects requires guidelines and norms for
stakeholders operating at different levels under RMSA for the effective
implementation of the programme. In the context of quality components
the guidelines and norms presented here are specific with main objective
to improve real school-classroom setting and learning of students.
Building on the aforesaid design and quality issues that discussed with various
stakeholders the document deal mainly with two aspects. The first aspect reflects
the vision for quality improvement at the secondary stage and the second
aspect presents multi-layer strategic guidelines for the implementation of quality
components at the secondary stage.
The document suggests creation of academic structures in the form of National
Resource Group (NRG), State Resource Group (SRG) and District Resource Group
(DRG) clearly specifying their academic roles and functions alongwith
manageable modalities. The document also emphasises creation of separate
budget allocation for quality interventions in the form curriculum and
examination reform.
The document spreads over eleven chapters beginning with the general issues
concerning universalisation of secondary education and subsequently focusing
on specific quality inputs embedding equity concerns within them. Each chapter
provides the rationale and context behind each quality component along with
the strategies and action plan for implementing the same.
Chapter I of the document provides the background of our efforts towards USE.
Drawing insights from the initiative taken up by the MHRD towards USE i.e. report
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of the CABE sub-Committee set up to deliberate upon the issue of USE, discusses
the guiding principles of Universal Access; Equality and Social Justice; Relevance
and Development and also the Structural and Curricular Aspect. While reiterating
vision of USE, the Chapter also discusses the nature and scope of Secondary
Education and emergence of RMSA as a programme for achieving the goals of
USE. To plan for quality interventions school education, it is necessary to
understand concept of quality and also the challenges that it places before us.
The Chapter II deliberates upon internationally accepted definition of quality to
sensitise concerned stakeholders towards various quality challenges and issues in
the context of secondary stage learners and education and helps in developing
an understanding of the concept of quality, its components as well as the ways
and means of planning for quality secondary education.
In view of orienting stakeholders viz., curriculum planners, developers and
implementers on the perspectives of the NCF-2005 on various quality imperatives
such as revision of curriculum, syllabi and textbooks and other teaching –learning
material, creating enabling school environment, revamping assessment
practices require detailed guidelines. Chapter III, IV and V deal with these
aspects in detail drawing insights from the NCF-2005.
Chapter VI of this document deals with the in-service teacher preparation
aspect, which is crucial and holds the centre stage in all debates related to
quality school education. While discussing various components related to inservice teacher preparation, the chapter focuses on evolving a mechanism of
continuous In-service Teacher Professional Development model providing
indicative norms and guidelines for States/UTs to further move in this direction.
Chapter VII while elaborating upon the potential of ICT in secondary education
also deals with the related challenges. The Chapter comprehensively guides
stakeholders to use ICT effectively for providing effective quality interventions in
the areas of curriculum reform, teacher preparation and research and
monitoring. Chapter VIII emphasising the need of research in the area of
secondary education elaborates upon the types of researches that are
required. The chapter also suggests areas, strategies and action plan for
conducting these researches.
Chapter IX provides measurable and observable quality indicators in the areas
of curriculum, classroom processes, assessment and school management with
an objective to help concerned stakeholders for the effective monitoring of
quality. Chapter IX focusing on the monitoring of quality components under
RMSA stresses the need of designing quality interventions with in-built
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mechanism of feedback loop and monitoring. The chapter provides detailed
guidelines for the same.
Chapter XI provides detailed guidelines for developing and implementing
strategies in the context quality interventions under RMSA for all the stakeholders
operating at different layers of administration. This chapter also discusses about
indicative financial norms to address the quality issues and provide specific
quality interventions by the State/UT.
The chapters in the present document have been developed basically for the
capacity building of planners, administrators, appraisers, professionals and
personnel at all levels involved in the planning, implementation and monitoring
the RMSA programme in the states and districts. The main objective of the
document to equip them with a better understanding of quality dimensions of
secondary education and to help them in devising ways and means for
improving the overall quality of education in the context of RMSA.
The draft document was also presented at the conference of State Secretaries
on 15th December, 2010 for obtaining suggestions and feedback. The suggestions
received on the draft document were carefully looked into and analysed for
incorporation in the document.
I am grateful to Mrs. Anshu Vaish, Secretary, School Education and Literacy and
Mr. S.C.Kunthia, Joint Secretary, Dept. of School Education and Literacy for
providing NCERT an opportunity to present and share draft document with State
Secretraries in the aforesaid meeting and also providing valuable suggestions for
the document.
I wish to express my sincere thanks to the external experts Prof. K.K.Vashishtha,
Prof. V.P. Garg, Prof. J.L. Pandey, Prof. A.B.L Srivastava, Prof. Marmar
Mukhopadyay, Dr. S.S. Sehrawat, Dr. Gopa for their guidance and contribution in
the Planning Meeting and then in the subsequent workshops.
I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Prof. C.B. Sharma, Mr. D.V.
Sharma, Mr. Puranchand, Dr. (Mrs) Shabnam Sinha, Ms. Deepa Shankar, Ms.
Aasthi Zaidi, Mr. Sam Carlson, Ms. Alka Mishra, Dr. Binay Pattanayak, Ms. Jayshree
Sharma, Dr. Kuldeep Aggrawal,
Prof. G.T. Bhandage, for their active
participation and contribution in the development of this document.
I express my sincere thanks to all the Heads of NIE Departments of NCERT for
providing support for this programme and also to the authors (faculty of DSE and
DCETA), team of reviewers, editors and the programme coordinator for their
valuable inputs in the successful completion of the project.
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It is hoped that this document would help and guide the users in developing
better understanding of quality dimensions of secondary education and provide
relevant quality interventions at various levels for the improvement of quality at
secondary stage of education. This will also be helpful in capacity building of
functionaries at various levels in states. Further this will also be helpful for national
and state level institutions to propose their programmes setting up the priorities
for addressing the needs of secondary education on various quality aspects.
We would be happy to receive comments and suggestions for further
improvement of the document.
Prof. H.O. Gupta
Head,
Department of Secondary Education,
NCERT, New Delhi
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