Project STARS

Context:

The World Bank has approved a new project worth $500 million to improve learning outcomes and governance of government schools in six Indian states.

About project STARS:

• The project, named STARS (Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program), will be implemented through the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, the flagship central scheme, in partnership with-
  • Himachal Pradesh
  • Kerala
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Maharashtra
  • Odisha
  • Rajasthan
• The STARS program builds on the long partnership between India and the World Bank, since 1994, for strengthening public school education and to support the country’s goal of providing ‘Education for All’.
• Among other things, the World Bank initiative will focus directly on the delivery of education services at the state, district, and sub-district levels by providing customized local-level solutions towards school improvement.
• Prior to STARS, the Bank had provided total assistance of more than $3 billion towards this goal.

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan

• Samagra Shiksha- an Integrated Scheme for School Education has been launched throughout the country as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with effect from the year 2018-19. This program subsumes the three erstwhile Centrally Sponsored Schemes of.
  • Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) “
  • Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)
  • Teacher EducaƟ on (TE)
• It is an overarching program for the school educaƟ on sector extending from pre-school to class XII and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality educaƟ on at all levels of school education.
• It envisages the ‘school’ as a continuum from pre-school, primary, upper primary, secondary to senior secondary levels.