RMSA - Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan

Education acts as the surest instrument for attaining sustainable development of a high order in a country. In this regard, primary education is considered as the basic enabling factor for participation, freedom and overcoming of basic deprivation; whereas secondary education facilitates economic development and establishment of social justice.

Following the recommendations of New Education Policy of 1986 and Programme of Action, 1992 the Government of India initiated different schemes to support children of secondary and higher secondary schools at different points in time. The IEDSS (formerly IEDC), Girls’ Hostel, Vocational Education and ICT @ schools schemes were started with the overall objective of providing accessible, and relevant secondary education of good quality in India. Started in 2009 in partnership with State Government and Local Self Government, RMSA was the most recent addition to these four existing schemes.

About RMSA:

          The Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) is a flagship scheme of Government of India, launched in March, 2009, to enhance access to secondary education and improve its quality. It is envisaged to achieve an enrolment rate of 75% from 52.5% in 2005-06 at secondary stage of implementation of the scheme by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of any habitation. RMSA aims to increase the enrolment rate to 90% at secondary and 75%  at higher secondary stage,  by providing a secondary school within reasonable distance of every home. The other objectives include improving quality education imparted at secondary level through making all secondary schools conform to prescribed norms, removing gender, socio-economic and disability barriers, providing universal access to secondary level education by 2017,i.e., by the  end of the twelfth Five Year Plan and achieving universal retention by 2020.

Important Physical Facilities Provided under the Scheme are:

1. Additional Class rooms
2. Laboratories
3. Libraries
4. Art and Crafts room
5. Toilet blocks
6. Drinking water provisions and
7. Residential Hostel for Teachers in remote areas.

Important Quality Interventions Provided under the Scheme are:

1. Appointment of additional teachers to reduce PTR to 30:1
2. Focus on Science, Maths and English education,
3. In-service training for teachers,
4. Science laboratories
5. ICT enabled education,
6. Curriculum reforms; and
7. Teaching learning reforms
   
   

Important Equity Interventions Provided in the Scheme:

1. Special focus in micro planning
2. Preference to Ashram school for upgradation
3. Preference to areas with concentration of SC/ST/Minority for  opening schools
4. Special enrolment drive for the weaker section
5. More female teachers in schools; and
6. Separate toilet blocks for girls

Implementation Mechanism of the Scheme:

            MHRD is the nodal central government ministry to coordinate RMSA with the help of RMSA State Implementation Societies (SIS) in each state. However, there are a lot of support arrangements and institutions available for better implementation of RMSA. A National Resource Group (NRG) provides guidance for bringing about reforms in teaching learning processes, curriculum, teaching learning material, ICT education and mechanisms of monitoring and evaluation. The Technical Support Group (TSG) supported by MHRD, is a constituent of the NRG and has a direct reporting relationship with the ministry. TSG provides technical and operational support and expertise to national and state level teams.

            Besides this, various sub-committees like Curriculum Reform Subcommittee, Teacher and Teacher Development Subcommittee, ICT Subcommittee and Planning and Management Subcommittee have been constituted under NRG. These subcommittees comprise members from the TSG and meet thrice a year to apprise themselves of the progress made on mutually set goals and commitments. In addition, NCERT and NUEPA support through dedicated RMSA units.