New Delhi

Government think tank NITI Aayog has pitched for setting up state and district task forces and integrating AI for pedagogical innovation to improve the quality of schools in the country.

In the report ‘School Education System in India: Temporal Analysis and Policy Roadmap for Quality Enhancement’, the Aayog has given 13 recommendations to improve quality of schools.

The five academic recommendations focus on transforming pedagogy, assessment, and foundational learning; emphasising holistic education and student wellbeing; re-imagining vocational education and skill integration; strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE); and integrating AI for pedagogical innovation.

Besides, the eight systemic recommendations include reforming school structure through composite schools and evidence-based rationalisation, strengthening school infrastructure, undertaking governance reform and administrative capacity building, institutionalising a whole-of-society approach through State and District Task Forces on School Quality, strengthening school management committees.

Elevating teacher deployment and professional development, expanding digital and broadcast-based learning, and promoting equity and inclusion are the other systemic recommendations of the Aayog.

India's school education system spans 14.71 lakh schools, serving over 24.69 crore students, making it the largest system in the world.

Reflecting on the progress achieved over the past decade, the report presented a comprehensive analysis across key dimensions of access, infrastructure, equity, inclusion, digital integration, and learning outcomes for all 36 states and UTs.

The report also pointed towards encouraging gains in equity and inclusion, especially in girls’ participation and the improved enrolment of SC and ST students across educational stages.

Further, it noted signs of recovery in learning outcomes across grades, particularly in foundational literacy and numeracy following the pandemic, supported by sustained policy initiatives under NEP 2020, NIPUN Bharat Mission, and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, while emphasising the need for continued efforts towards strengthening quality and equitable learning outcomes.

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Based on the data analysis and stakeholder consultations, the report also presented 11 major challenges across systemic and academic areas.