Chennai: Over 15,000 school teachers in Tamil Nadu face uncertainty over their salaries as the Union Government has withheld the first installment of Rs 573 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme. The state, which was allotted Rs 3,586 crore with 60% to be funded by the Centre, has not received the funds due to its non-acceptance of the National Education Policy (NEP) provisions. The delay, with the first installment expected in June, has also impacted other school activities such as transport and self-defense classes.
Tamil Nadu’s Education Sector in Crisis as SSA Funds Remain Unreleased
“Rs 2,152 crores to be provided by the Union Government in 4 installments for the SSA scheme in the academic year 2024-25. While the first installment of Rs 573 crore was supposed to be disbursed in June itself, the central government did not respond to several letters written by the Tamil Nadu government. Since the central government has not released the funds, the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan scheme has been implemented with the funds of the Tamil Nadu government for several months. This has created an additional financial burden on the education sector in Tamil Nadu, a senior official said.
The state government provides funding for 25 percent of the scheme under the RTE Act while 60 percent financial contribution from the central government.
What is Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme?
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is the flagship program of the central Government to achieve Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) within a time frame by providing free and compulsory education to children between the ages of 6 and 14 through the 86th Amendment of the Constitution of India.
This scheme is being implemented across the country by the Central Government under the supervision of the State Government. The central government is providing funds to all including the workers for the implementation of this project. The main objective of SSA is to achieve UEE in the country. Its overall goals include universal access and retention, reducing gender and social class gaps in education, and improving children’s learning outcomes.
This scheme is being implemented and monitored across the country by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) of the Union Government. The scheme (SSA) has been operational since 2000-2001. 60 percent of the funding for this project is provided by the central government.