Education is the most important tool for social, economic, and political transformation. Good quality education is the foundation of new discoveries, knowledge, innovation, and entrepreneurship that trigger the growth and prosperity of the individual as well as that of a nation. The global education development agenda reflected in Goal 4 (SDG4) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by India in 2015 – seeks to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030. The Constitution of India provisioned for the Universalization of free and compulsory education ensured for every child till the age of 14 years.

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), and Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Teacher Education (CSSTE) are the three major flagship school education development programs and they are being implemented in partnership with State/UTs. Acknowledging this, the Central, as well as State Government, has universalized primary education, with improvement in the enrolment and completion rates of girls at both primary and elementary school levels.

While evaluations of the separate schemes exist, there is a need for a detailed evaluation of the recent integrated and holistic scheme Samagra Shiksha/Shikshana, of which only an initial assessment exists (CBGA&Room to Read, 2019). Need to examine the outcomes and also process implications of implementing an integrated scheme.

In the study commissioned by Karnataka Monitoring and Evaluation Authority, GRAAM will thus undertake the evaluation of Samagra Shikshana in Karnataka from 2018-19 to 2020-21. The evaluation also has an exploratory value for studying early on-ground attempts and challenges administratively and operationally converging preschool education to school education, and school education to PU education.