Gujarat’s ‘Mission Schools of Excellence’ has become India’s largest school education initiative, with the state completing the construction of 13,353 classrooms, 21,000 computer labs, 1.09 lakh smart classrooms, and 5,000 STEM labs under the project.
According to a Gujarat CMO, the programme, launched in 2022 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, aims to upgrade around 40,000 government and grant-in-aid schools in the state. The Government of Gujarat has allocated around Rs 12,000 crore for the mission, and the World Bank has committed $750 million for its implementation.
Over the past 22 years, this initiative has led to foundational improvements in the education sector and a notable increase in school enrolment rates.
Enhancing schools with robust infrastructure, smart classrooms, STEM labs, and co-curricular facilities within the campus plays a vital role in improving academic quality. Gujarat, a pioneer in adopting new approaches in education, launched the country’s largest inclusive school campaign -‘Mission Schools of Excellence’.
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The objective of ‘Mission Schools of Excellence’ is to upgrade around 40,000 government and grant-in-aid schools by strengthening infrastructure, digital learning tools, and foundational education. This is the first such project in the country aimed at enhancing the quality of school education nationwide.
As per the statement, the target is to build 50,000 new classrooms and 1,50,000 new smart classrooms under the Mission Schools of Excellence, the work of strengthening the physical and digital infrastructure of schools across Gujarat has gained momentum. As part of this initiative, 50,000 new classrooms will be constructed, out of which work on 13,353 classrooms has been completed, while 31,469 classrooms are under construction. In addition to new classrooms, modernisation of 27,872 classrooms has been completed, and work on modernising 63,860 classrooms is ongoing.
To further the digital approach in the education sector, 21,000 new computer labs have been established. The process of equipping 18,000 government and grant-in-aid schools with computer labs is currently in progress. Additionally, the mission aims to build 1,50,000 new smart classrooms, of which work on 1,09,000 smart classrooms has already been completed, and equipping 26,000 smart classrooms in government and grant-in-aid schools is underway.
The construction of 5,000 new STEM labs has been completed to promote education in science and technology subjects.
Under “Mission Schools of Excellence,” school transformation includes comprehensive development of selected primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools through planned activities such as civil infrastructure, digital infrastructure, smart classrooms, computer labs, STEM labs, online assessments, remedial classes, and holistic education. This will directly and indirectly benefit nearly one crore students and will strengthen the foundation of primary education in Gujarat.
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