Set goals for states in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan: NAC tells govt

New Delhi, Mar 18 (UNI) The National Advisory Council, headed by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, has asked the Centre to set ''measurable goals of learning quality'' for state governments and district and municipal administrations under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Mission from the 2006-07 academic year.

The goals may be on the lines of parameters meant for enrolment and retention of students in schools so that the performance of the states and districts ''is duly measured and assessed,'' the NAC said in its latest communication to the government.

Performance measurement in education has to go a step higher by linking measurable quantitative and qualitative goals against per-child expenditure in schools and expense on various academic support and administrative structures.

It is necessary to initiate a detailed analysis of expenditure on education which could, perhaps, be taken up by the Planning Commission.

Currently, the break-up of expenditure in education seems to become available only with considerable difficulty, the NAC said.

''Accounting for per-child expenditure, at different levels, should become a norm and be seen as a continuing reminder that funds have to be spent for the child and not just in the name of the child,'' it said.

Suggesting a broad Central Law on fundemantal right to education, the NAC said it was necessary to provide impetus to reform the system and may contain the following elements: * The Union and State Governments should bring out an Annual Report on Status of Education and a Report Card on school performance at the beginning of every academic year.

* Since ensuring the provision of education, through appropriate instruments, is the responsibility of the state, care has to be taken to see that special attention is directed to the most deprived, vulnerable and physically or mentally challenged children who are at risk.

* Such attention should also be focussed on socio-economically backward strata by providing full time schooling which attempts to bring such children on part with the others. Girls' education requires to be emphasised, especially in the socially- backward areas.

* The broad measurable outcomes of education in terms of skills of reading, writing, arithmetic, comprehension and analysis should be defined. There should be regular ''performance measurement'' at different levels of the education system based on outcomes against expenditure.

* Per-child expenditure on different components of education at the school level should become the cornerstone of budgeting, accounting and performance measurement. The Centre and State Governments should spell out the per-child expenditure and norms, annually, for budgeting purposes. The expense on education should be the first charge on the state government resources; the Union Government's contribution to elementary education should also be defined.

* Decentralisation and delegation of powers of autonomous management of schools through school management committees (comprising parents, PRI representatives and other stakeholders), including finance and accounting at the school-level, based on per-child grants, would be the direction to follow.

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