Findings On
Impact Assessment of
Rajasthan Education
Initiative (REI)
A study commissioned by Global e Schools and Communities Initiative
through IMRB International to Assess the Impact of the Rajasthan
Education Initiative (REI)on the schools of Rajasthan
Conducted for: Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI)
Conducted By: eTech Group, IMRB International
February 2009
Executive Summary
This report is based on the data collected from principals of 299 schools, 603 teachers and
1500 students from 11 of the 32 districts of Rajasthan. ^Major objective of the study is to profile
the current landscape of education in the schools being supported under REI. The study
focuses not only on measuring the current status of various initiatives but, provide the
benchmark for future assessment of REI and its programs.
This required development of a monitoring and evaluation of framework based indicators
reflecting the level of education. Some of the indicators identified for the purpose include growth
in enrolment, dropout rate, GPI, Teacher-Pupil ratio, etc
The data on the batch strength over a period of 4 years throws up some interesting facts. The
number of students has come down in last few years. This is attributed to new schools opening
up (both private and government), rising income levels which enable parents to send their
children to the private schools, existing image of government schools, dropping results of
government schools etc. All these factors lead to poor enrollment and increase in dropouts,
which thus lowers the total strength of students in the school.
The proportion of girl students has increased from 47% in 2004-05 to 50% in 2007-08. The
distribution of girls and boys at the primary level has remained unchanged whereas girls have
increased their share at the upper primary level. They have improved their share from 45% to
50% over a 4 year period. The proportion of girls among ST students has improved from 40% in
2004-05 to 48% in 2007-08. All this may be an impact of the efforts put in by the government,
NGOs and other stakeholders to promote girls’ education. The area of concern is the SC
category which has shown no improvement over a 4 year period.
The regularity index is measured in terms of attendance. The students are quite regular in
coming to school with 92% of them coming on all working days. The ST students have
registered 88% attendance levels which is an area of concern. Districts of Dausa and Sirohi
which are in ( Location) of the state also need to be looked into because of their unusually low
attendance levels.
The analysis of the exam scores over a period of 4 years indicates towards a clear trend. Girls
are scoring as well as the boys at the primary level. But the boys are out performing girls in
upper primary and secondary level exams. For e.g. out of the total students clearing class X
exams 38% are boys as compared to 23% of girls.
When it comes to ICT learning the situation is quite worrisome. 33% of the students replied in
negative when asked do you have computers in school. The basic infrastructure is non existent.
The schools which do have computers do not seem to encourage the students to use
computers. The use of computer, TV or CDs as educational aids is missing in most of the
schools surveyed. Only 15% of the students are allowed to use internet in school. The urban
districts of Jaipur and Ajmer fare no better in this regard. The districts that are at the bottom of
the heap when it comes to integrating ICT with the school curriculum are Sirohi, Bundi, Tonk
and Dausa. Pls mention location in the state – provide geographic perspective as to which area
needs more attention !
The positive note emerging out of all this is the realization by the students about the importance
of ICT. An overwhelming majority of the students have found learning through computers easier
and interesting. They eagerly wait for classes where they are taught using CDs. Most of them
realize the role ICT can play in their future careers and thus they want to learn computers.
The unfortunate part of the ICT story is that the students despite being enthusiastic about
learning computers are not able to do so in school. One of the reasons cited apart from the lack
of infrastructure is the inability to pay computer fees.
Many hurdles need to be crossed before ICT becomes fully integrated in
the traditional
education system. The hurdles are in the form of insufficient infrastructure and unyielding
mindset of the teachers which still needs some conditioning.
All the schools have pucca or semi-pucca building. Most of the schools have got compound
boundaries too. So the basic physical facility is in place. Toilet facility is provided in almost 95%
of the schools. So the students don’t face that difficulty. Separate girls toilets are present in
almost 85% of the co-educational schools surveyed and teachers’ toilet are present in almost
67% of the schools. In some of the schools, these facilities are currently under construction.
Drinking water facility is present in over 90% of the schools surveyed. So drinking water is now
easily accessible in most of the schools. But the kitchen to prepare the mid- day meals for the
students is not present in over half of the schools. More than 50% of the schools arrange their
mid-day meals from places outside the schools premises. So food quality is not very good due
to this reason. Either the quality is bad or the food is not warm or both.
Electricity connection is present in only 83% of the schools and that varies hugely among the
districts. Some districts’ schools do not get any electricity. The adequate number of fans and
lights are also not present in all the classes. Only 60% of the schools have got that facility. 41%
of the schools don’t have fans and considering the summers of Rajasthan, it is very difficult for
the children to attend classes then.
Tables and chairs are present in very few schools (37%) and it varies hugely across the
districts. Daris are used as an alternative for chairs and tables in most of the schools. Facility to
seat the students should be adequate or else the students don’t find a motivation to come to
school.
Separate library facility is present in 47% of the schools. So a lot of schools don’t provide
children with the facility of books other than normal course books and alternative course books
are also not provided due to library’s absence. Laboratory for science subjects is present in a
few schools only (20%). So the overall science purview is not available to the students in many
places.
Sports facility (67%) and playground (58%) is present in a few schools. A need to provide more
sports infrastructure will lead to more interest for the students and so their regularity will also
increase.
Computers are present in 213 schools out of 299 schools that were visited. So, 86 schools did
not have any computers at all. Jaipur is the best as far as numbers of computers are present
and Tonk has only 2 computers in the schools visited. Only 189 are in working conditions. In
many places computers are not running for many years and they have not been repaired.
Printers are present in 73% of the schools which are equipped with computers. Educational CDs
are present in only 57% of the schools where computers are present. So, the students do not
get the benefit of ICT based teaching techniques everywhere and their educational development
is not very bright. In some places the CDs are in working condition while computers are broke
and vice-versa.
Solar panels to run the computers are present in 33% of the schools and at many of the places
solar panels are not in working condition. Some of these have not even been set up. No one
ever came there to set up the solar panels. This verifies how the infrastructure provided by
Government is kept unutilized and is going waste. Integration of ICT initiatives in the non-ICT
initiatives is taking place only in 13% of the schools. A need for more integration is required so
that the student can benefit from ICT tools and techniques of education.
The ex sum is bereft of any word explaining the REI……we
have discussed this at length
Foreword
Rajasthan Education Initiative (REI) evolved in September 2005 to play the
role of a facilitator for public private partnerships (PPP) to improve the
delivery of educational services and fulfil goals of Universal Elementary
Education (UEE) in Rajasthan.
The initiative is being driven by four core partners – Global e-Schools and Communities
Initiative, the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Government of Rajasthan and the World
Economic Forum.
The REI has helped synergize the resources and opportunities in the Government and Private
sector to improve access to Quality Education through ICT and Non ICT interventions. It has
impacted children in underserved areas, especially from tribal groups, urban slums, and the girl
child. It has helped in community mobilisation, pedagogic innovations and e-literacy.
The greatest success of the Initiative lies in the fact that the Government of Rajasthan is
considering mainstreaming REI under SSA as a Thematic Component of the Flagship Program.
This is the greatest tribute any Project can aspire for.
I am thankful to GeSCI for all their support on the REI and also for commissioning the Impact
assessment report. I hope that this Report from IMRB International will guide us not only in
measuring the current status of various initiatives but will also provide insight into future options.
Ms. Shubhra Singh
Commissioner,
Rajasthan Council of
Elementary Education,
Govt. of Rajasthan.
Preface
This report is a result of research carried out by IMRB International between January
2008 and May2008. Its objective have been to provide an integrated, quantitative
evaluation of current state of affairs in schools of Rajasthan and develop a robust,
quantitative framework for monitoring and evaluation of the impact of REI initiatives in
the state.
Our focus was primarily to assess the impact of ICT and non-ICT stream initiatives
being run under Rajasthan Education Initiative (REI) on the landscape of education in
Rajasthan.
The 299 schools covered across 11 districts of Rajasthan – Ajmer, Bharatpur, Bikaner,
Bundi, Dausa, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Pali, Sirohi, Tonk, Udaipur represent a mix of those
covered under REI and those not under REI to draw the comparison in level of
education at relevant junctures in the report.
The associated survey thus aimed to capture impact on enrollment, retention, girl
education and community participation and contribution in enhancing the same;
performance of students as a result of enabling better teaching and greater learning
across social classes and gender.
In addition, we have presented views of principals, teachers and students on state of
physical and ICT infrastructure, inclusion of ICT in education, etc.
To depict the change in level of education since inception of REI, the data for school
related parameters like enrollment levels, GPI, drop-out, teacher-pupil ratio, pass
percentage, etc have been captured for the year 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08.
Our hope is that this report would help inform the progress made by a unique PPP setup in field of education and help create a pathway to make future endeavors more
effective in improving the quality of education
List of Contents
Sl.
No.
1.0
List of Contents
Getting familiarized with REI
1.1
Education scenario in India
1.2
Education scenario in Rajasthan
1.3
Instigation of Rajasthan Education Initiative (REI)
1.3.1 REI Vision Statement
1.3.2 REI Objectives
1.3.3 Scope of REI activities
1.3.4 REI Strategies
1.3.5 REI Partnerships
1.3.6 Appraising Progress made by REI
2.0
Impact on infrastructure of schools under REI
2.1
Profiling the schools surveyed
2.2
An overview of infrastructural facilities in schools under REI
2.2.1
State of Physical Facilities in schools
2.2.2
State of ICT Infrastructure
3.0
Impact on student related parameters in schools surveyed
3.1
Profiling students interviewed
3.2
Enrollment and Enrollment Based Parameters
3.2.1
Gender Parity Index (GPI)
3.2.2
Overall Enrollments
3.2.3
Proportion of Girl Enrollments
3.2.4
Enrollment by Social Categories
3.3
Strength in schools
3.3.1
Growth in strength
3.3.2
Strength Across Social Categories
3.3.3
Strength of girls
3.4
Regularity Index
3.5
Dropouts in schools
3.5.1
Overall dropouts in school
Page No.
3.5.2
Reasons for Dropouts
3.6
Performance of students
3.6.1
Pass Percentage (in 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 10th)
3.6.2
Pass Percentage: Proportionate Distribution
3.7
ICT Learning
3.7.1
ICT Usage in Schools
3.7.2
Perception of the Students towards ICT
4.0
Impact on teacher related parameters in schools surveyed
4.1
Profiling teachers interviewed
4.2
Strength of teachers
4.2.1
Overall Strength of teachers
4.2.2
Teacher Occupancy Rate
4.3
Enrollment of teachers
4.4
Teacher-Pupil Ratio
4.5
Drop-outs for teachers
4.6
Regularity Index
4.7
Teacher Training
4.7.1
Proportion of teachers trained
4.7.2
Details on type of training received
4.7.3
Views on training received
4.8
Views on inclusion of ICT in teaching
5.0
State ICT infrastructure facilities - DCEC
5.1
Outlining Role of DCEC
5.2
State of infrastructure in DCEC
5.3
Problems being faced by DCEC
5.4
Details on Training Provided
6.0
The Way Ahead
6.1
Concluding the impact made by REI
6.2
The Way Ahead for REI
ANNEXURE
1.0 Getting familiarized with REI
Primary education has a key role to play in realizing the vision of ‘Literacy for All’ in the course
of the United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012). This is because high illiteracy rates
negatively impact social and economic development of a society. Moreover, if people are to be
empowered to participate effectively in their society’s development, literacy comes to the mind
as one of the key pre-requisites. Language !
Realizing this, India has been focusing on provision of education for all since late twentieth
century.
Incorrect facts / pls mention the MDGs and their relevance vis a vis India’s
educational goals/ And sarva shiksha Abhiyaan
1.1 Education Scenario in India
The National Policy of Education 1986, as revised in 1992, had indicated three thrust areas in
elementary education:
(i) Universal access enrolment;
(ii) Universal retention of children up to 14 years of age; and
(iii) A substantial improvement in the quality of education to enable all children to achieve
essential levels of learning.
The objectives of National policy of Education were addressed during the Tenth Plan period
mainly through the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (hereafter referred to as SSA) which is the flagship
programme of Government of India being implemented in partnership with States and UTs. – pls
mention other partners – sp. World Bank
SSA, started in 2001-02, is a comprehensive and integrated flagship programme of the
Government of India to attain the objective of Universal Elementary Education (for children in
the age group of 6-14 years) in the country by 2010.
The objective of SSA is to universalize and improve the quality of education, adopting a timebound implementation strategy. The programme places emphasis on bridging gender and social
divides at elementary education level. Aims and objectives of SSA could be summarized thus:
(i)
All children in school, Education Guarantee Centre, alternate school, Back to School
Camp by 2003;
(ii)
All children complete five years primary schooling by 2007;
(iii)
All children complete eight years of elementary schooling by 2010;
(iv)
Focus on elementary education of satisfactory quality with emphasis on education for life;
(v)
Bridge all gender and social divides at primary stage by 2007 and at elementary education
by 2010 ;
(vi)
Universal retention by 2010.
SSA thus, is concentrating on aspects defining Quantity and Quality of education. Some of the
key focus areas for SSA comprises encompassing provision of basic infrastructure in schools;
girl education; student and teacher enrollment; reduction in out of school children; education of
children with special needs (CSWN); performance of students; teacher training, etc.
In addition, the Mid Day Meal and Teacher Education Schemes have also contributed towards
progress in the above objectives.
Progress against key targets of SSA:
Sl.
No.
Item
Targets
including
2005-06
Achievement up to
31.3.2006
% Cumulative
achievement
1
Opening of New Schools
157967
129893
82%
2
Teachers appointed
772345
587388
76%
Construction of :3
Completed
InProgress
Completed
Completed &
In-Progress
a. School Buildings
120629
71143
31587
58%
85%
b. Additional classrooms
329690
155814
170225
47%
99%
4
Children receiving free
textbooks
6.14 cr.
5.35 cr.
87%
5
Teachers trained
3053285
2347017
77%
The 86th Constitutional Amendment Act 2002 made education a Fundamental Right for children
in the age group of 6-14 years by providing that “the State shall provide free and compulsory
education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years in such manner as the State may, by
law, determine”.
This gave birth to agenda of Universalization of Elementary Education. To put this agenda
into practice, following were identified as the focus area:
(a) Reduction in the number of out of school children
(b) Decline in gender and social gaps across social strata
(c) Reduction in dropout rates across gender, age-group and social strata
Efforts towards achieving UEE have resulted in substantial increase in the physical
infrastructure, teachers and student enrolment.

Since 1999-2000 through 2004-05, number of primary schools increased from 6.42 lakh to
7.67 lakh; upper primary schools increased from 1.98 lakh to 2.75 lakh.

There has also been growth in the number of teachers and students enrolled. For ST
students, share in total enrolment was 11.75% at the primary stage in 2005-06 and 9.28% at
the upper primary stage.
Progress in Elementary Education Since 1999
Indicators
1999-2000
2004-05
Primary Schools
642000
767520
Upper Primary Schools
198000
274731
Teachers in Primary
1919000
2310800
Teacher in Upper Primary
1298000
1439146
Enrolment in Primary
113.61 million
131.69 million
Enrolment in Upper Primary
42.00 million
51.67 million
Source : RGI; SES, MHRD

In addition, from about 320 lakh in 2002-03, the number of out of school children had
reduced to 70.5 lakh based on reports of States and UTs in March 2006.

Moreover, the gender gap at the primary stage reduced from 5.5 percentage points in
2002-03 to 4.2 percentage points in 2005-06. At the upper primary stage this gap reduced
from 10.7 percentage points to 8.8 percentage points.

The gross dropout rate, reflected in the Selected Education Statistics of MHRD declined
from 39.03% in 2001-02 to 28.49% in 2004-05. For girls, the drop-out rate declined from
39.88% to 24.82%.
Despite rigorous efforts of the government in Education sector, a few societal, attitudinal and
geographical factors act as a roadblock to reforming education scenario in India. To name a few
of these factors: child marriage, poverty, discrimination between a boy and a girl child;
inequitable treatment for the backward and minority classes. These factors play an active role in
states like Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh etc.
Thus, the revolution in education can be brought when we have a strong policy environment for
Education that super cedes these societal, attitudinal and geographical factors. –Is this a
conclusion drawn on the basis of the revelation above by IMRB?
1.2 Education Scenario in Rajasthan
Rajasthan has attained impressive results in enhancing the reach and quality of education by focusing
on improving the delivery and management of education services in the state. In the past few years,
determined efforts have been made to provide access to schools for all children, to fill teacher
vacancies and to raise the public expenditure on education, which places Rajasthan amongst the top
ranking states at the national level
Rajasthan is the largest State in the Indian Union. It has 10% of the landmass of the country
and 5% of its population. However, the State, which is 67% desert, was considered to be a state
facing huge educational challenges at the time of national independence.
Despite natural disadvantages, which slow down the pace of development, a number of
initiatives involving community participation have been undertaken to usher in educational
change.
The efforts made by the State have shown impressive results. There has been an increase in
the number of primary and upper primary schools, with a rise in student enrollment and trained
teachers. Some indication of the progress made in Rajasthan can be derived from the data
below:
Status in the year
Indictors
Net rise
over 1951
1951
1991
2006
I. Schools
- Primary
- Upper Primary
- Secondary
-Senior Secondary
4,336
732
175
-
29,817
9,230
2,985
971
58,324
41,365
7,068
3,683
53,988
40,633
6,893
3,683
II. Teachers in Schools
- Primary
- Upper Primary
- Secondary
- Senior Secondary
8,700
6,600
998
-
75,500
71,900
37,873
32,434
2,04,641
1,53,131
62,639
59,334
1,95,941
1,46,531
61,641
59,334
3.91 lacs
60.14 lacs
124,75 lacs
120.84 lacs
0.56 lacs
8.6 lacs
18.66 lacs
18.10 lacs
III. Total Enrolment in
- Primary and Upper
Primary Schools
- Secondary and Sr.
Secondary Schools
Source : Shiksha Ki Pragati, Director, Elementary Education, Bikaner:
The now internationally acknowledged Shiksha Karmi Project and the Lok Jumbish Project
mobilized the community on a large scale to bring about qualitative changes in education in
rural areas. The DFID-assisted Shiksha Karmi Project channeled the energies of educated
youth in remote rural areas and utilized their talents to bring the children to schools.
In large measure, credit for doubling the literacy
in the last decades goes to these programmes
to the total literacy campaign and follow up
efforts. The Jan Shala Programme was specially
focused on educating urban slum children.
Education in the State received new impetus with
The positive impact of these initiatives
can be observed with growth in
literacy rates over a last few decades.
Rajasthan has recorded the highest
percentage increase in literacy rate
among Indian States. The latest
statistics provided by the Census of
India 2001 show that the rate of
improvement has been faster in
Rajasthan than in many other states.
rates
and
the
World Bank assisted District Primary Education
Projects (DPEP) in 19 Districts, and initiatives under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education For All)
since 2002.
Currently, all the 32 districts in the state are covered by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education
for All) since 2001/2002. In the past few years, determined efforts have been made to provide
access to schools for all children, to fill teacher vacancies and to distribute free text books. Midday meals programmes for primary school children have become more attractive with the
introduction of hot food. It has had a salutary effect on health, enrolment level and retention.
An experiment was also conducted whereby the services of para-teachers were employed in the
Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) under the World Bank (WB) assisted District Primary
Education Programme (DPEP).
Rajasthan Marches Ahead
Rajasthan's improvements in respect to literacy are noteworthy; in the last decade it has
recorded the highest percentage increase in literacy rate among Indian States. The latest
statistics provided by the Census of India 2001 show that the rate of improvement has been
faster in Rajasthan than in many other states.
Literacy Percentage 1991 and 2001
Year
Persons
Male
Female
India
2001
1991
Difference
(In % points)
Rajasthan
2001
1991
Difference
(In % points)
65.38
52.21
75.85
64.13
54.46
39.29
13.17
11.72
15.17
61.03
38.55
76.46
54.99
44.34
20.44
22.48
21.47
23.90
The male literacy (76.46%) in Rajasthan in year 2001 was higher than the all-India average of
75.85%. The number of literates aged seven and above has risen by 22.48 per cent in
Rajasthan against an all-India increase of 13.17 per cent. Its literacy rate has jumped to 61.03
per cent in 2001 from 38.55 in 1991, though still lower than the all-India average of 65.38.
(Source: Census of India 1991 and 2001)
The literacy ratio has increased in every district, with the desert districts of Barmer and Churu
recording the best performances. Barmer recorded a 37.08 per cent increase in literacy among
males followed by Churu with 28.22 per cent. Sikar recorded the highest percentage increase 36.82 per cent - among women, followed by Churu (36.55) and Barmer (36.23).
Steady Rise in Literacy Rate but continuing Gender Gap
The rise in Rajasthan in male literacy levels to above those of the national average, and the
doubling of female literacy levels in the last decade, are indicative of the efforts made in recent
times in educational development in the state.
Though the Constitution of India grants equality to the sexes and does not permit discrimination
on the basis of sex, in reality, the rate of progress between the two sexes has been at a varying
pace in the educational field, with females lagging behind their male counterparts.
Female literacy was only 3% against 14.4% for males in 1951. Through the decades, the pace
of improvement in female literacy rates has also been slow compared to that of males.
Thus despite an impressive rise in literacy levels since the independence of the country, the
status of female education continues to be a matter of serious concern.
Improvement in Literacy Rate in Rajasthan
Year
1951
1961
1971
1981
1991
2001
Male Literacy
Percentage
14.44
28.08
33.87
44.76
54.99
76.46
Net point rise
in the decade
N.A.
13.64
5.79
10.89
10.23
19.86
Female Literacy
Percentage
3.0
7.0
10.01
13.99
20.44
44.34
Net point rise
in the decade
N.A.
4.0
2.91
3.98
6.45
23.90
Source: Based on Census Reports
Accompanied
The analysis of available statistics reveals the following observations:
(i) Boys outnumber girls both at primary and upper primary level; gender gap appears to be a
chronic problem reflecting the gender bias of the parents in enrolment of boys and girls;
(ii) The gender gap is more pronounced at the upper primary level;
(iii) Though improvement is evidenced by the female enrolment figures, more vigorous and
sustained efforts are needed to bridge the wide gap;
(iv) The sharp decline in the number of girls at the upper primary level is a matter of concern.
The widening gender gap from 7 per cent at primary level to 26.4 per cent at upper primary
level must be addressed.
The immediate concern of the Government is to ensure that all
children between the ages of 6 and 14 are enrolled and are
attending school. The majority of villages in Rajasthan have
covered by primary schools. State retention levels at the
Pupil Teacher Ratio was
1:49 & 1:34 at the
primary & upper-primary
level respectively during
the year 2004-05
been
primary and upper primary level has shown a significant increase.
However, the problem of retention is still a serious one and the GoR is making all possible
efforts to address it.
Role of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in bringing education change in Rajasthan
SSA was launched in Rajasthan in the year 2001-02 and since then efforts have been made to
achieve Universal Elementary Education (UEE) in the state.
Rajasthan has registered progress in terms of an increase in institutions, teachers, and students
in elementary education. All 32 districts of Rajasthan have been covered under SSA.
All the primary and upper primary schools are following the core-curriculum developed by the
SIERT, Udaipur. Workbooks, Teachers’ Guides, Supplementary Reading Material, etc. are
being provided to the students and teachers. In order to provide quality education, training
programmes are conducted to equip and acquaint the teachers with new innovations, trends
and techniques in education.
The State Government has addressed the needs of girls, out-of-school/never-enrolled children,
drop outs, children with special needs and children from SC/ST and other disadvantaged
sections of society, through different educational interventions; Alternative Schools, Evening
Schools, Bridge Courses, Shiksha Mitra Kendras, Mobile Schools and other remedial teaching
centers.
The State has tried to enhance the reach and
quality of education by creatively harnessing the
potential of innovative public-private partnerships
(PPPs) and actively involving the energies of civil
society organizations and communities under the
aegis of Rajasthan Education Initiative.
There has been an increased focus
on improving state of education in the
State by enabling access to schools
for all children, filling up vacancies of
teachers, facilitating infrastructure for
dissemination of structured education
and providing free textbooks.
In addition hot cooked mid-day meals
programme has been facilitated in all
primary schools to attract and retain
children.
1.3 Instigation of Rajasthan Education Initiative (REI)
The Rajasthan Education Initiative (REI) was launched as a Public-Private Partnership model in
the field of education in 2005. Since inception, the REI has traversed a short, yet determined
path in partnership with the private sector, Foundations and charitable organizations, furthering
the cause of ‘Education for All’ and quality education for the children of Rajasthan.
The REI has been led and driven by the State
Government and supported by the activities of its
core
partners, namely the Confederation of Indian
Industry
(CII),
the
Global
e-Schools
and
Communities Initiative (GeSCI) and the World
Economic Forum (WEF) as a new approach to
transforming Education in the State.
The Ministry of Education has undertaken a range
Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman, World
Economic Forum; Vasundhra Raje, Chief
Minister of Rajasthan; and Ghanshyam Tiwari,
Minister of Education of Rajasthan, at the launch
of the Rajasthan Education Summit during the
India Economic Summit in November 2005
of
activities under the umbrella of the REI. The two REI Update Meetings organized in April and
November, 2006, provided much needed impetus and direction to the REI.
In between the Update Meetings, the MoE constituted ICT and Non-ICT Tracks led by PMU
officers, segregated REI projects under the two tracks and organized regular meetings with its
core and co-partners in the ICT and non-ICT tracks to discuss issues related to planning and
implementation of projects under REI.
The REI organized a meeting with the core and
copartners on 15-16 May 2007. The meeting provided
an
opportunity to review the progress and strategize the
future
interventions of the REI. As an outcome of the
meeting, a Base Paper was developed to identify
gaps
and sectoral needs of the REI and to recommend
REI Planning Meeting
institutional and implementation frameworks and
guidelines. It also provided partnership vistas for collaboration in the Education sector in the
state.
The REI Steering Committee had its first meeting on 15 October 2007. The Committee made
several significant decisions about the future of the REI. The partners provided critical insights
and feedback for taking the REI forward.
List of REI Meetings
 Partners Workshop – Gap Estimation (April 3-4, 2006) to assess the situation at ground
The
REI
and identify the gaps
 First REI Partners Update Meeting took place on 22-23 April, 2006.
 Second REI Partners Update Meeting took place on November 1-2, 2006
 Workshops with partners in ICT and Non-ICT tracks organized by GeSCI on April 16-17
2007 to seek information and feedback to complete the LFA for REI
 Meetings of Core and Co-partners on May 15-16’07 on May 15-16, 2007. by the new
REI Commissioner
 REI first Steering Committee Meeting took place on October 15, 2007. The senior
officials from the Government of Rajasthan and Core Partners participated in the
meeting
 Third REI Partners Update Meeting was organized on May 26, 2008. The
representatives of Core and co partners participated in the meeting
initiated the process of periodic monitoring of various ongoing projects of the co-partners. The
reporting format was developed for submission of periodical reports by the partners. The REI
fielded an evaluation to Educate Girls Globally (EGG), which completed a pilot project
promoting education for girls ( ideally you need to do a sentence first explaining EGG and then
come to this ) in 50 schools in Pali and Jalore districts of Rajasthan. Consequent to the positive
findings of the evaluation study, EGG was requested to expand the programme to an additional
500 schools in Pali district.
1.3.1 REI Vision Statement
The REI was formed with a vision to serve as an umbrella under which innovative multistakeholder partnerships are catalyzed by engaging the global and local private sector,
foundations, charitable organisations and other grass roots level NGOs in support of
Rajasthan’s education objectives.
1.3.2 REI Objectives
The REI was formed to focus on improving the delivery of educational services, and in particular
on promoting equitable access, enrolment and retention of children in schools, reducing gender
disparities, promoting skill development and enhancing learning levels.
ACCESS &
ENROLLMENT
LEARNING ACHIEVEMENT
REI
GENDER
GAPS
RETENTION
The overall objective of the REI will be to demonstrate robust, sustainable and scalable models,
approaches, tools and methodologies that can significantly impact educational outcomes and
transform the educational scenario of the State.
1.3.3 Scope of REI Activities
The REI is inspired by the philosophy, approach and results of the
JEI
Jordan Education Initiative (JEI). However, unlike Jordan Education
Initiative, which focused on technology interventions only, REI has both
REI
ICT as well non-ICT based projects as a part of the programme.
The JEI has focused to develop and deploy new approaches to learning and teaching reform
into approximately 100 Discovery Schools and then over a longer term, to roll-out the JEI
learning model to all public schools (3,200) in Jordan.
The scale of REI operation is much wider, impacting larger number of schools, teachers and
students. The REI framework comprises need based and multi-dimensional approaches &
activities
The Rajasthan Education Initiative (REI) launched as a PublicPrivate Partnership model in the field of education in 2005,
engages with the global and local partners from private sector,
foundations and NGOs in support of Rajasthan educational
objectives, has impacted 43,500 schools, 60000 teachers and
12.25 lakh students
Ms. Shubhra Singh,
Commission, GoR
The REI acquires uniqueness because of its definition of public-private partnership in the field of
education, transcending the boundaries of technology and attempting to improve the learning
skills on the one hand, while involving the community and society to achieve holistic
development of the children of the state of Rajasthan.
The REI is promoting the State’s educational objectives by focusing on improving the delivery of
educational services, in particular on promoting equitable access, enrolment and retention of
children in school, reducing gender disparities, promoting skill development and enhancing
learning levels. The focus remains on girls, rural children, urban underprivileged children, and
children with special needs. The REI also specially focuses on strengthening hard and soft
infrastructure including quality of teaching and learning.
1.3.4 REI Strategies
The REI seeks to bring a new educational paradigm to the State, based on the following
strategies:
 Evolving innovative and locally appropriate models of Public-Private-Partnership
with scale-up potential;
 Adopting and adapting best practices from both the public and private sector while
ensuring community participation;
 Deploying new technologies, particularly ICTs, for modernizing educational service
delivery, skill development and quality learning;
 Creating systems for enabling greater community participation in the State’s
educational programmes;
 Enhancing the flow of resources into the educational sector in Rajasthan by
structuring suitable projects and creating incentives for increased participation of
different stakeholders;
 Focus efforts on serving underprivileged communities in urban and rural areas as
well as on the girl children and children with special needs;
 Demonstrating the success of such public-private partnership interventions, by
evaluating their impact on students with reference to the overall objectives of the
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan;
 Disseminating the outcomes and learning’s from the REI for replication in other
parts of the State, other states in India, as well as in other developing countries.
1.3.5 REI Partnerships
The Rajasthan Education Initiative is driven by government of Rajasthan and supported by
three core partners - Confederation of Indian Industry, GeSCI and the World Economic
Forum.
Role of Government of Rajasthan (GoR)
Government of Rajasthan is leading upfront and steering the overall project management unit.
Its role composes of the following:
As leader and driver of the REI, the Government of the State shall:
1. Drive the programme and bring substantial public funding to the REI;
2. Ensure that efforts within the REI are aligned with broader objectives of the State and
ensure smooth collaboration in such efforts; and
3. Undertake efforts to scale up successful PPPs catalysed under the REI and to bring them
within the SSA and other government supported programmes.
Role of Core Partners
Together, the core partners will utilize their particular talents and core competencies to
The
engage the private sector in the REI and synergize corporate and other energies into the
Partn
specific projects identified for implementation as well as for new projects. Furthermore, they
will take common responsibility for the overall oversight and evaluation of the Initiative.
ershi
p
Description Document, signed by all the core partners, states:
“The three core partners will facilitate and assist the State Government in the implementation,
monitoring and reporting of the individual projects within the REI and evaluate the success of
each of them so as to learn lessons from the experience. Efforts shall also be undertaken to
encourage the participation of more stakeholders willing to take part in this model of publicprivate partnership. The core partners will also assist the State Government of Rajasthan to
explore the possibilities for scaling up the individual pilot projects presently under execution
once their success has been demonstrated, so that a wider canvas with a greater number of
schools and students can be benefited with the power of ICT intervention in education and the
other related projects involving social responsibility programs. It is our joint endeavor to work
together to transform education in Rajasthan”.
The Partnership Description document states the roles of respective core partners as follows.
Confederation of Indian Industry:
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) works to create and sustain an environment
conducive to the growth of industry in India, partnering industry and government alike through
advisory and consultative processes. It is a non-government, not-for profit organization which
endeavors to catalyze change by working with government on policy issues, while providing a
Being a core partner of REI, CII’s role is to garner resources and skills for the REI in
mobilizing its membership especially amongst Rajasthan’s small and medium scale
enterprises ensuring the creation of local capabilities and capacities in making the REI
sustainable.
The Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI):
The Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI), founded by
the UN
ICT Task Force in 2003, has the mission to improve education, empower communities and
accelerate socio-economic development, this supporting the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals through the wide-spread deployment of ICT in schools. Its approach is to
catalyze, support and collaborate with national/regional initiatives in the design and
implementation of end-to-end systems for attaining desired educational
Being a core partner of REI, Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative’s (GeSCI) role is to:
1. Facilitate the strategic planning and implementation of the REI and assist the Government
of Rajasthan in structuring the Initiative for ensuring optimal value;
2. Support the setting up of the REI project management office;
3. Provide access to the services of its own specialist personnel and other experts from
partner organizations of GeSCI, in key areas such as technology options, content and
monitoring & evaluation;
4. Leverage its knowledge capabilities and its network of global partners to ensure that
international best practices are applied to the REI;
5. Deploy a full-time Facilitator in Rajasthan to deliver or enable delivery of the above
services, and provide advice and support to the Government of Rajasthan on the REI and
on ICTs in Education generally.
The Rajasthan Education Initiative has been a pioneering educational
programme. As a core partner, GeSCI has had the opportunity to facilitate
strategic planning and implementation of sustainable educational structures
for the REI.
The REI is unique; it has been able to create a successful network of global
partners in Rajasthan, providing experiential learning possibilities in key
areas such as technology options, content and monitoring and evaluation
Ms. Ashish Garg
Asia Regional
Coordinator, GeSCI
World Economic Forum (WEF):
The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization
committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in
partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agenda.
Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic
Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests.
Being a core partner of REI, WEF’s role is to bring its unique capabilities in catalyzing private
public partnerships by engaging its global membership and providing expert support in the
management of PPPs.
Role of Co-Partners in REIs
A number of organizations have collaborated with the REI and pledged
their
commitment to positive and affirmative action, in providing children
with
opportunities and resources to bring them at par with other children
placed in more advantageous circumstances.
The REI envisaged an integrated strategy revolving around two work streams:

ICT Track: Using technological interventions for effective delivery of educational
instructions; and

Non-ICT Track: Creating an enabling environment in which effective learning can take
place, including care and concern of disadvantaged students.
The REI has signed 30 MoUs with more than 17 partners. These include both ICT and nonICT track partners including local and global private sector companies, foundations, nongovernment organizations and other partners working together through a MSPE platform to
realize the vision and objectives outlined in its strategy..
Some of the partners who have joined hands with REI in the two streams are:
ICT Based Partners
 Microsoft
 Intel
 HiWel
 American India Foundation
 Cisco
 IBM
 Azim Premji Foundation (Computer Aided
Learning Programme)
 Hindustan Zinc Limited & Sterlite Foundation
 Blossoms Charitable Trust
Non-ICT Based Partners

Bodh Shiksha Samiti

Educate Girls Globally

Naandi Foundation

CII

Azim Premji Foundation (Learning
Guarantee Programme)

ICICI, Digantar and BVB

Piramal Foundation

Bharti Foundation

K C Mahindra Education Trust

Pratham Rajasthan
The following table provides a glimpse of existing MoU partners’ activities.
Name of REI
Partner
Microsoft
Expected Outputs (Deliverables)
 Comprehensive IT curriculum development for students of class 6 upto
the plus 2 level
 Comprehensive curriculum content for teachers in all classes from 3 rd
standard upto the plus 2 level.
 Complete set of courseware to teachers at ITA
 Scholarship programmes for teachers and students
 Comprehensive training for about 8,000 teachers, from a minimum of
3,000 schools every year, for a period of 5 years
 Six DIETs of Sikar, Sirohi, Sriganganagar, Bhilwara and Jhalawar adopted
Exchanging the documents of
MoU between REI& Microsoft
The Microsoft IT Academy
being inaugurated by
Ms. Vasundhara Raje,
Chief Minister, Rajasthan
in the presence of
Mr. Ghanshyam Tiwari,
Education Minister and
Mr. Vasudev Devnani,
Minister of State for
Education.
Intel
 Focus on 3600 secondary and Sr. Secondary & CALP school's teachers
training.
 DCECs to be made viable business centers
HiWEL
 Four Learning Stations, each with two computers, in 4 selected schools in
Jhalawar, Rajasthan
 Access of children to personal computers equipped with a range of
learning software
Cisco
 Data Center Connectivity Strategy & Development of IT essential
Curriculum, replicate Jordan STIC (School Technology Innovation Center)
in partnership with Microsoft, INTEL & HP.
 CISCO’s Networking Academy and e-learning model. The centers’
services to be offered to public on a charged basis and thereby run on a
self sustaining mode
 Two Faculty members from each school to be called for training at DCEC.
 At least 100 students to be trained with Networking Academy Programme
in each LA every year
The Rajasthan Education Initiative has demonstrated the
power and potential of collaborative public-private
partnerships to catalyze education reform. Cisco
components of the initiative include a top-quality curriculum,
teacher training, and an Internet-based delivery model that
allows premium education to be imparted at District
Computer Education Centers (DCEC) throughout Rajasthan.
American
India
Foundation
Ms. Shubhra Singh
Commission, GoR
 Digital Equalizer (DE) centers in 200 schools and DIETs in Jaipur, Dausa
and Alwar during 2006-09 to support students, teachers and management
to use ICT for teaching-learning process in seven years
 Teachers and students with IT skills
 Detailed training schedule and a binder containing training material
IBM
 Up-to-date hardware, software and educational materials for young
children
 Early Learning Centers in host primary schools, which will also house all
the Young Explorer Units
 Baseline information of children, teachers and schools
Azim Premji
Foundation
(APF)
 MOU with Azim Premji Foundation signed for CALP
 Adequate copies of 25 CDs of validated educational content to be
deployed to a maximum of 500 schools without costs
 Learning Guarantee Programme in collaboration with Azim Premji
Foundation in Sirohi and Tonk Districts
Bodh
 New schools/EGS/SM/Bridge course/any other facility for deprived
children of 3-14 years and left out adolescents in 324 slums of Jaipur
 25 schools (Bodh school cum resource centers) in above localities to act
as resource centers for capacity building
 Well managed schools and increased community participation in school
functioning
Educate Girls
Globally
 Two year Pilot Project for identification of critical needs of girls &
establishment gender unit for facilitation of project
 Quality education, life skills and competency enhancement of girl children
in Sumerpur and Ahore blocks of Districts Pali and Jalore
 Greater community participation in educational processes and plan of
action by them for bringing back dropout girls to schools
 `Learn and Earn Model’ in schools
 Experts and material for vocational training during bridge courses
 Bal Sabhas in all schools of focus areas
Naandi
Foundation
CII (Adopt a
school)
Project of R.
K. Poddar
Charitable
Trust
 Health and Sanitation facilities to around 40,000 students in classes I to
XII in 219 schools primarily located in Udaipur city
 Photo identity cards to students to access the facilities
 Out Patient (OP) clinics in nodal schools at 24 locations and In Patient
(IP) facility in Zanana Hospital, Udaipur. IP facility to be functional 24 hrs.,
365 days in the year
 At least 6 ICU beds and 12 regular beds in IP care facility
 Food administered to students admitted in the IP facility and to one of
his/her guardians
 Free surgical procedure on children requiring major surgeries
 Toll free number to be accessed by students or their guardians round the
clock
 An ambulance to pick up the sick children and admit them to IP facility
 Mechanism for regular monitoring of use of funds, teacher training, quality
of education, performance of staff, teachers and students and use of
other Govt. aids such as free books, mid day meal scheme, etc.
 A report with action plan on the basis of a SWOT Analysis for each school
for implementation.
 Active participation of CII members in school management.
 Quarterly and annual meets of teachers/principals for better management
solutions.
 Awards for donors, principals, teachers, students on the basis of
performance.
 CII-REI fund to receive donations for schools.
 Public-private partnership to develop and improve infrastructure, day to
day functioning and quality of education in the schools adopted.
 CII-REI fund for donations from donors for schools
CII Evaluation
 Report of periodic assessment of identified schools to the State
Government with suggestions for improvement in various areas of
education, viz., teaching staff/infrastructure/quality of education etc.,
through active participation of CII.
 Detailed implementation plans for the REI, including formulation of action
plans specifying key objectives and milestones, timeliness, assignments
of responsibility for different components of the plan, and resource
requirements.
 Bringing public-private partnership to improve infrastructure in the schools
in the State.
 Mechanism for monitoring of schools with support and participation of
member companies and donors.
 CII-REI fund for donations from donors for schools.
ICICI








Piramal
 A program to recruit and train participants from top institutions (leading
colleges and universities in Rajasthan, IIMs, IITs, etc.), organizations and
corporations within India and around the world.
 Trained volunteers in government schools with acute need for teaching in
Jhunjhunu and surrounding districts.
 Partnership with like-minded institutions, non-governmental organizations
and private enterprise to spread the programme across the entire state of
Rajasthan after successful completion of pilot phase.
Improved DIET and SSA activities and processes in Baran district (ICICI)
Formation of a Quality Improvement Unit (QIU) in Baran DIET.
Improved infrastructure of the DIET, BRCs and CRCs.
Training packages for the QIU, BRCs and CRCs.
Survey report on the status of educational situation in the district.
Newsletter for teachers in the project area.
Few pacesetter Schools through training and support.
Experience generated of actualizing ideas in the classrooms
Role of GoR, Core Partners and Co-Partners in a nutshell:
Govt. of
Rajasthan
Core
Partners
Their role is to:
 Bring skills, knowledge, expertise and

resources for effective management
of REI
Engage with corporate and other
stakeholders for REI partnership
Its role is to:
 Lead and Drive REI programme
and goal alignment
 Bring public funding to REI
 Scaling up successful PPPs
Co-Partners
Their role is to:
 Bring
expertise,
training,
technology and resources for
ICT and non-ICT interventions
 Up-scale interventions after
piloting
1.3.6 Appraising Progress made by REI
REI has progressed by bringing a social impact in the state of Rajasthan. The impact is
visible in the increasing literacy rates, falling gender gaps, improving academic
performance of students in the State.
Some of the commendable accomplishments of REI are:
2007 REI Accomplishments at a Glance
 The REI has significantly contributed to the fulfillment of SSA goals and different facets of
The
educational development in Rajasthan, including widening access, promoting efficiency
REI is
and enhancing quality.
alread
 Approximately 6,000 schools were impacted through various REI interventions; 22,000
teachers received ICT training.
 The REI reached wider geographical areas in the state and addressed the needs of rural
and urban underprivileged children, especially girls and children with special needs.
 26 MoUs have been signed with various organizations under the ICT and non-ICT
streams.
 The District Executive Committee of SSA has been delegated the responsibility of
coordinating and monitoring the REI partnerships.
 The REI has developed various partnership themes, estimated costs and guidelines for
y
benefi
ting
4,250
prima
ry and
upper
prima
ry
partnership. This will help the potential partners in engaging with the REI in their areas of
schoo
interest and expertise.
ls
 The REI has registered its website with the name “www.rei.org.in”. The website, please
sprea
note that all projects/ interventions have been conducted pls change the use of future
d
tense throughout the document . The Website was created by GeSCI to be supported by
acros
GeSCI, will provide a platform for awareness building about the REI and dissemination of
s 32 districts in the state of Rajasthan and plans are currently being implemented to include
information among various stakeholders and the public.
more schools.
The REI aims to build ICT capacity in the state of Rajasthan by providing ICT training to almost
1 million students and 4,000 teachers, working at different levels in the schools across
Rajasthan.
In
these
following
schools,
ICT based programme
Non-ICT programme
Project GRACE (Girls of Rajasthan
And Computer Education)
Learning Skills development
District Computer Education Centers
Adoption of schools
School Computer education
programme CALP
Scholarships for indigent children
Computerization of department
Mid-Day meals programme
EDUSAT
Children with special needs
Teacher training Technology
Academies
Health and sanitation
ICT
interventions are in the process of implementation in the State:
Do you need more sound bytes, if yes, pls let us know !
(Sound bytes to be added on progress made by REI)
(Sound bytes to be added on progress made by REI)
Core partner GeSCI conducted regular meetings between REI PMU and Co-partners to review
the progress of their projects and address recurrent implementation issues. These meetings
provided a single window opportunity for the partners to have their problems discussed and
redressed by the relevant govt authority. Several path breaking decisions were taken at such
meetings focusing on reduction of red tape, loss of time in communication or transition and
easing the outreach to schools. there was an underlying need for developing an monitoring and
evaluation framework to tap the success of various initiatives
During the study on mid-term assessment of REI, IMRB International developed a framework to
measure the impact on level ( level? ) of education for the last three years( last three years of
REI- then it is an impact assessment and not a mid term assessment) . The underlying
approach for the purpose consisted of five phases - Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and
Control (D-M-A-I-C)
Approach for developing M&E framework
The process for developing a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework started with defining the
parameters that portray the state of education that can be captured and compared year-on-year.
To further elaborate, these parameters were divided into a series of measurable subparameters. Various parameters and sub-parameters that were finalized for outlining the
present and future Monitoring and Evaluation of REI are:
1. Access
a. New enrollments
b. Strength of Students
c. Attendance of students
d. Teacher pupil ratio
e. Enrollment, strength and dropout of teachers
f.
Training of teachers
g. Attendance of teachers
2. Retention
a. Dropout rate of students and teachers
b. Reasons for dropout
3. Gender Gaps
a. Proportion of girls in total strength, enrollment and dropout
b. Increase in Girl enrollment, strength and dropout
4. Learning achievement
a. Result of students for different classes
5. Physical and ICT infrastructure
a.
Physical infrastructure in the school
b.
ICT infrastructure in the school
Data for all these parameters was captured across heads like gender, levels in school (defined
as Primary, Upper-Primary), social category (defined as General, SC, ST, OBC) etc.
In the second phase i.e. Measure, identified parameters and sub-parameters were measured
by administering a structured questionnaire with students, teachers and principals across
various Districts of Rajasthan. To measure the improvement across defined set of subparameters, data for last four years was collected.
The third phase of the DMAIC model i.e. Analyze involved collating the data collected through
the survey in the form of a database. The data for current year (marking introduction of REI)
was later analyzed and compared with the data for previous years to find out the current state of
education in Rajasthan, improvements in last few years, areas of improvement etc.
This report is the result of first three phases of the suggested model and includes various
recommendations and action points on the basis of these three phases.
The next phase of the model i.e. Improve would compose of efforts to characterize and
implement the required measures to get the associated result. There is a need to convert the
identified priorities and action areas into short and long term strategic plan, strategies and
milestones.
Once the required steps would be undertaken, the last phase of the model i.e. Control would
play a role to validate whether the desired results are being achieved.