Schools of over 800 blocks will be upgraded under PM SHRI Scheme in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: Around 1780 government schools in 890 blocks of Uttar Pradesh will be upgraded under the centrally-sponsored PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme. These schools will be developed to showcase all components of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, an official of the basic education department said.

Principal secretary, basic education, U.P., Deepak Kumar said a meeting was held in Delhi on Friday where Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan spoke about the scheme. Uttar Pradesh basic education minister Sandeep Singh; secondary education minister Gulab Devi and others attended the meeting.

“We are waiting for details and other modalities to be followed for upgrading some of our schools under the PM Shri scheme. One primary and one secondary school in each block will be upgraded under the scheme,” said principal secretary, basic education, Deepak Kumar.

“In U.P., 890 primaries and as many secondary schools will be upgraded as per the central government scheme. More details and modalities about the upgradation are awaited,” said director general, school education, U.P., Vijay Kiran Anand. In a statement, the central government said these schools will adopt more experimental and holistic pedagogy as envisaged in the NEP 2020.

More than 14,500 schools across the country are to be developed as PM SHRI schools to showcase all components of NEP 2020. Scheme of PM SHRI Schools to be implemented with a total project cost of ₹27,360 crores for a period of five years from the year 2022-23 to 2026-27, according to the PIB press release.

In these schools, assessment at all levels will be based on conceptual understanding and application of knowledge to real-life situations and will be competency-based. A School Quality Assessment Framework (SQAF) is being developed, specifying the key performance indicators to measure outcomes. Quality evaluation of these schools at regular intervals will be undertaken to ensure the desired standards, the PIB press release says.

PM SHRI will provide high-quality education in an equitable, inclusive and joyful school environment that takes care of the diverse background, multilingual needs, and different academic abilities of children and makes them active participants in their own learning process as per the vision of NEP 2020, it said.