Union Cabinet Approves STARS Project For 6 States Including Odisha

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved implementation of the Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) project with a project cost of Rs 5718 crore.

STARS project would be implemented as a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme under Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education (MOE). The World Bank would extend financial support of US $ 500 million (approximately Rs. 3700 crore).

It will also set up and support the National Assessment Centre, PARAKH as an independent and autonomous institution under Department of School Education and Literacy, MOE.

The project covers 6 States namely Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Odisha. The states will be supported for various interventions for improving the quality of education.

This project has national and state-level components. The fundamental goal is to increase fundamental literacy and numeracy among children of 3 to 8 years of age.

At the State level, the project envisages:

• Strengthening Early Childhood Education and Foundational Learning
• Improving Learning Assessment Systems
• Strengthening classroom instruction and remediation through teacher development and school leadership
• Governance and Decentralised Management for Improved Service Delivery.
• Strengthening Vocational education in schools through mainstreaming, career guidance and counselling, internships and coverage of out of school children