Achieving Universal Elementary Education in India

India's programme for universalisation of elementary education, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), is regarded as the largest such programme in the world. Over the last five years, impressive strides have been made in improving infrastructure, ensuring access, bringing out-of-school children into the mainstream education system and appointing teachers. In the next phase of the SSA, until 2012, the focus needs to shift to retention and quality, which are interlinked. Children's learning achievements can be improved significantly through appropriate strategies of teacher training and remedial education. The financial requirements for enhancing the quality of primary education will have to be ensured through a mix of fiscal measures, devolution strategies and new implementation mechanisms.