The central government has approved the implementation of a new STARS scheme under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. STARS aims at teaching-learning and outcomes to strengthen states. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to start the STARS project with a total project cost of Rs 5718 crore. Of this total amount, the World Bank will also provide assistance amount of approx. Rupees. 3700 crores Rs.
STARS Scheme under NEP 2020
The new concept of STARS scheme will be implemented as a centrally sponsored scheme under NEP 2020. The implementation will be under the Department of School Education and Literacy of the Ministry of Education. This would include the establishment of a national assessment center, PARAKH, as an independent and autonomous institution.
Emergency Emergency Response Component (CERC) in STARS Project
The STARS plan includes a contingency emergency response component (CERC). This component of the STARS project will help the government to respond to the situations that lead to the following: –
- Loss of learning like school closure
- Damage to infrastructure
- Inadequate school facilities
- Use of technology to facilitate distance education
The CERC component of the STARS project will facilitate rapid reclassification of financing and the use of streamlined financing request processes.
State to be included in STARS scheme under NEP 2020
States identified under the STARS scheme will be supported for various interventions to improve the quality of education. The STARS scheme will cover 6 Indian states, whose names are as follows: –
- Himachal Pradesh
- Rajasthan Rajasthan
- Maharashtra
- Madhya Pradesh
- Kerala
- Odisha
Central government, with STARS project. A similar ADB funded project is envisaged to be implemented in 5 states such as Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Assam. All states will partner with each other to share their experiences and best practices.
Objectives of STARS Scheme
The objective of the STARS scheme is to assist states in the development, implementation, evaluation and improvement of interventions with direct linkages. This will help improve the outcomes of education and the school to work transition strategies for better labor market outcomes. At the state level, the STARS scheme will focus on the following: –
- To strengthen early childhood education and basic education
- Improvement in learning assessment system
- Strengthening classroom instruction and mitigation through teacher development and school leadership.
- Strengthening vocational education.
The overall focus and components of the STARS project align with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 of quality-based learning outcomes. The STARS project will help strengthen the National Data System of the Ministry of Education and strengthen learning assessment systems.
STARS Scheme as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
The Star Scheme aims to focus on various initiatives as a part of the Atmanibhar Bharat campaign, which are as follows: –
- PM e-learning
- Foundation Literacy and Numerology Mission
- National Curriculum and Educational Framework for Childhood Care and Education
Some of the mediocre results of the project are the increase in students achieving minimum proficiency in Grade 3 language, improvement in secondary school completion rate, improvement in governance index scores, etc.