Cabinet okays project STARS to strengthen school education

New Delhi: In a move aimed at strengthening the school education system across the states, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the STARS project under the new National Education Policy (NEP).

While briefing about the Cabinet decisions, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar said, "The government has started implementing the new NEP and as part of the process it has approved the Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States (STARS) project."

According to Education Ministry officials, the World Bank-supported STARS project, which is estimated to cost Rs 5,718 crore, seeks to support the states in developing, implementing, evaluating and improving interventions with direct linkages to improved education outcomes and school to work transition strategies for improved labour market outcomes.

"India has started seriously implementing the new National Education Policy and therefore a new programme -- STARS -- been cleared today by the cabinet as the base of the policy is not rote learning but learning with understanding," Javadekar said.

"Learning outcomes are important so there has to be teaching and learning. We have to improve board exams which will be competency-based. This will impact the processes of education in early childhood and fundamental literacy has to be achieved. We have to train teachers and a separate assessment board or institution will come into force. The programme has been supported by World Bank which will provide financial support of up to Rs 3,700 crore," he added.

PARAKH, an independent and autonomous institution, will be set up under the ministry's Department of School Education and Literacy, officials said.

Among the tasks of such a centre would be to leverage the experiences of states selected for the operation by collecting, curating and sharing these experiences with other states through online portals, social and other media engagement, technical workshops, state visits and conferences, they said.

"The overall focus and components of the STARS project are aligned with the objectives of NEP of focusing on quality based learning outcomes. The project envisions improving the overall monitoring and measurement activities in the Indian school education system through interventions in selected states," the ministry official said.