Centre highlights PM POSHAN, PM SHRI initiatives to boost enrolment, attendance in schools

New Delhi, Jul 28 (INB)The Centre has said it is implementing a range of measures, including enrolment and retention drives, transport allowance and flagship school education schemes, to improve access to education, student attendance and learning outcomes across the country. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary said on Monday enrolment and retention drives are being undertaken, along with the provision of transport allowance, to encourage children to attend and continue their schooling. He said under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN), one hot cooked meal is provided to students at the elementary level, including Balvatika, in government and government-aided schools to meet their nutritional needs and improve attendance. The minister said the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme aims to strengthen existing schools as model institutions showcasing all aspects of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. According to the reply, the scheme focuses on improving foundational literacy and numeracy, upgrading school infrastructure, promoting environmental awareness and developing critical thinking and other 21st-century skills through holistic, experiential and competency-based learning instead of rote learning.