Education Gurantee Scheme and Alternative and Innovative Education

Education Guarantee Scheme and Alternative and Innovative Education (EGS and AIE) is an important component of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to bring out-of-school children in the fold of Elementary Education. The scheme envisages that child-wise planning is undertaken for each out-of-school children.

EGS addresses the inaccessible habitation where there is no formal school within the radius of one km and atleast 15-25 children of 6-14 years age group who are not going to school are available. In exceptional cases remote habitations in hilly areas even for 10 children an EGS school can be opened.

Alternative Education interventions for specific categories of very deprived children e.g., child labour, street children, migrating children, working children, children living in difficult circumstances and older children in the 9+ age group especially adolescent girls are being supported under EGS and AIE all over the country.

A sizeable number of out-of-school children are in the habitations where schooling facility is available but these children either did not join the school or dropped out before completing their schooling. These children may not fit into the rigid formal system. To bring such children back to school; back to school camp and Bridge Courses strategies have been implemented. Bridge courses and Back to school camps can be residential or non-residential depending upon the need of children.

During 2005-06, Department of Elementary Education and Literacy has considered and approved District Plans of 600 districts of 35 States/UTs. The States are participating enthusiastically in the programme.

During 2005-06 (up to December 2005), the EGS/AIE component helped to provide elementary education to 62.26 lakh children, i.e., 54 lakh children who were living in non-accessible habitations were provided elementary education through 1.29 lakh EGS centres and 8.29 lakh children not going to school were brought into Bridge Courses/Schools camps.