Need for convergence of efforts at Centre, states to improve education quality

Convergence of efforts across the Centre, states, and local bodies is needed to improve the quality of education, especially primary education, the Economic Survey has suggested.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is expected to yield foundational literacy and numeracy for every child passing the third standard in the near future, said the Survey for 2023-24.

The Survey noted education is one of the most critical areas for India’s development, and mission-mode and cost-effective implementation of well-designed and well-intentioned programmes is essential to improve the quality of education, especially primary education, without which further years of education add little value.

“To realise the same, unity of purpose and convergence of efforts across the Centre, state, and local governments is called for, as ‘public education’ is a concurrent list subject,” the Survey document said.

According to the Survey, the government's spending on social services including education rose by 9.36 per cent to Rs 23.50 lakh crore in FY24 from Rs 21.49 lakh crore in FY23. Of the total, Rs 8.28 lakh crore was spent on education alone during FY24, around 8 per cent higher from Rs 7.68 lakh crore in FY23.