Quality of Education: Convergence of efforts needed says Survey

New Delhi: Convergence of efforts across the Centre, states and local bodies is needed to improve the quality of education, especially primary education, the Economic Survey said on Monday. According to the survey, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is expected to yield foundational literacy and numeracy for every child passing the third standard soon.

"As education is one of the most critical areas for India's development, mission-mode and cost-effective implementation of well-designed and well-intentioned programmes is essential to improve the quality of education, especially primary education, without which further years of education add little value.

"To realise the same, unity of purpose and convergence of efforts across the centre, state, and local Governments is called for, as 'public education' is a concurrent list subject," the survey document said. It noted that increasing the cost-effectiveness of public spending on education requires spending on pedagogy and governance.

"This can include filling supervisory positions to monitor teaching quality, recognition of good and bad teacher performance, and hiring of local volunteers to ensure 'teaching at the right level' as textbook completion means little if children are way behind curricular standards," the survey said.