What is SSA?

SSA stands for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, an intensive education scheme for the primary students of the country. It was designed to make sure that no child is left behind. It was a very great success all over the country. It had provided quality improvements to the economically weaker sections of the society.

It made sure that all the enrolled students get through without any detainment in the middle. Simply get into I standard and the kid will be promoted to VIII standard in the subsequent years. Though the scheme had quality checks it also had its limitations. Some of the students were promoted even if they hadn’t attained the necessary educational milestones. 

SSA also covered students with special needs. That is a great humanitarian step towards the future citizens of the country. The students who study at the government schools were often from economically challenged sections of the society. Imagine if a kid from such a background has a learning disorder, or any other physical problems. SSA served them with care. For these kind of students SSA is something like an angel. The scheme  also taken special care for girl children.

Teachers who understood the real value of this system produced excellent pupils. These pupils  developed their thinking skills, decision making skills and improved their reasoning abilities. In another words true nation building started to happen. The other kind of teachers started to question the system and criticize it. Few of them started to tell that it is bhraminisation(secretively reserve knowledge for the upper caste) of education. But their conscience might have pricked them, if they had any! 

Sometimes teachers faced real challenge in implementing the methods introduced by SSA. ABL is the most talked about method. But Maths subject had been its Achilles heel. The other subjects were celebrated by the students. After several years the students started to taste the joy of learning in their class rooms. 

SSA has revolutionized the education system across the country. It supplied fantastic books to teachers to read and get inspired. Many teachers became bookworms due to this initiative of SSA. Besides it has also given colorful books and learning cards to students. It has also given lab apparatus to the schools. The scheme also given tour opportunity to the kids, enabling them to visit various places of historic importance.

During the project training programmes for teachers were conducted very frequently. Almost all the Saturdays were training days! These trainings were supervised by respective authorities.  Right from a BRT (Block Resource Teacher), Supervisor, SSA-CEO, DEEO and CEO. It is an interesting chain of command. BRTs those who work dedicatedly were given challenging tasks to be completed.  Some of them were admired greatly for their competence in their subject and their presentation skills.

Have you ever seen hexagonal buildings in the schools? You might have wondered why this queer looking buildings were used as schools. These buildings were sanctioned by SSA. The designs were implemented to make sure that the funds are used properly. The officials were very careful or else some influential contractor may simply give a new coat of paint to an existing building and eat up the funds.  

Now we have hexagons from Kashmir to Kanyakumari! 

By the way the SSA project had proved to be a great success in Tamil Nadu and other states of the country. It is now been dismantled and about to be merged with RMSA, a new project for the kids in the high school. So for SSA covered students of I standard to VIII standard, but what about students of IX and X. RMSA is the answer.

That all for now, Thank you folks

Yours

Saro,