School Education Shagun

Introduction

School Education Shagun (SE Shagun) is an over-reaching initiative to improve the school education system. The initiative involves creating a junction in the form of a platform for all portals and websites of the Department of School Education in the Government of India and all States and Union Territories (UTs).

The word 'Shagun' is coined from two different words – 'Shala', meaning Schools and 'Gunvatta' meaning Quality.

The Department had launched the 'ShaGun' Repository and online monitoring websites with the aim to capture and showcase innovations in the elementary sector of school education and continuously monitoring of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

With the introduction of Samagra Shiksha from 2018-19, there is no differentiation between elementary, secondary and senior secondary levels. However, since the name 'Shagun' has caught the imagination of many people in India and abroad, it has been decided to adopt this name for this present all encompassing platform.

Overview of features

Keeping in tune with the spirit of convergence in policy intervention, the SE Shagun platform provides single point access to all portals and websites of the Department. Relevant information pertaining to more than 1.5 million schools, 9 million teachers and 250 million students can be accessed through this platform. Browsing through this platform, one can also learn about the schemes and their comprehensive monitoring, go through how the outcomes are measured with the help of an objective evaluation process and appreciate the best practices in the schools all over the country.

Information on Schemes, Programmes and Institutions

SE Shagun provides information on the following schemes of MHRD.

• Samagra Shiksha - the largest intervention that covers all components of school education from classes 1 to 12 across all States and Union Territories.
• Mid-Day Meal - the second largest scheme and caters to the nutritional aspects of the school going child.
• Other schemes
• Adult Education Scheme
• Education Scheme for Madrasas and Minorities
• National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme
• Scheme for National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education and
• National Awards to Teachers Scheme are also implemented by this Department.

SE Shagun provides information on the following institutions.

The Autonomous Bodies play an important role in implementing and regulating the policies of the Government. Each of these institutions,

• Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS
• Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS)
• Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
• National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)
• National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)
• National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
• National Bal Bhavan (NBB) and
• Central Tibetan Schools Administration (CTSA)

SE Shagun provides information on digital knowledge resources

• eLearning platforms like ePathshala and National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER)are provided by the NCERT
• Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA)- a joint initiative of the States, UTs and the Central Government, is also a repository of eLearning contents for students and teachers.

Monitoring Mechanism

As part of an effective monitoring system real time data from each and every school is being collected through the UDISE+ system. Detailed geographical, topographical and other vital information relating to the schools are provided to the general public through the School GIS system. The system also provides for a feedback mechanism by which the user can report any inconsistency in the data. Through the Third Party Verification App, school wise data of UDISE+ can be cross checked.

The Data Analytics site collates the data in an organised format to use it for analysis and evidence based decision making.

The PMS online monitoring system tracks the physical progress of the projects and the flow of funds to and expenditure incurred by the States and UTs. The Shagun online monitoring system collects information on several macro parameters relating to School Education system of the States and UTs. Access to these portals is restricted to the officials of the Central and the State and UT Governments.

The Dashboard gives a snapshot of the Key Performance Indicators in the education sector at the All India and State/UT level. It also provides a bird’s eye view of the schemes implemented and the salient features of the Institutions under the administrative control of this Department.

Measuring Outcomes

The Performance Grading Index (PGI) is an automated system which grades the States and UTs on the basis of 70 indicators. The same is to be extended to districts and individual government school too. The grading for all the three categories will be done annually.

Sharing Best Practices and Community Participation

The Shagun Repository contains videos, testimonials, images and case studies of best practices of the Central Government, the Autonomous bodies and the States and UTs in the school education sector.

The Vidyanjali application provides a virtual meeting place of the school authorities with those who want to help the schools either through donation in cash or kind or by sharing experiences with the school children.

Utility to stakeholders

Recourse to this seamless and single source of access to information for all activities relating to school education will immensely benefit all the stakeholders.

• Parents and the general public will get comprehensive information on the school next door and will also have the option of giving feedback to the authorities (through the 'feedback' mechanism of the School GIS application) on any pertinent issue thereby enhancing credibility and accountability.
• Teachers and heads of schools will be empowered to improve their classroom teaching by accessing effective teaching techniques (through DIKSHA and websites of NCERT, NCTE).
• Students will have access to e content and learning portals (ePathshala, DIKSHA, NROER) which will enhance their learning.
• Policy makers at the Central and State/UT level will have access to all necessary information (through the UDISE+, School GIS Application, Data Analytics and PGI portals) for taking evidence based decisions. Best practices followed and innovations made by one State/UT can be emulated by others (through the Shagun Repository).
• The researcher (through the Data Analytics portal) will have recourse to a vast reservoir of data on all aspects of school education. All these will help in achieving the vision of an accessible, inclusive and quality education system.

Source and for more information : SE Shagun portal