Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Project: Understanding The Challenges of Sustainability and Mainstreaming

Abstract

The UP Basic Education Project (U PB E P ) came into operation in 1993 in twelve districts of the state. The project is one of the predecessors of the mega District Primary Education Programme (DPEP). The UPBEP covers the entire elementary education subsector (grades I-Vlll) and aims at universal enrolment, enhanced quality of education and improved completion rates. A wide range of interventions have been introduced and implemented for attainment of these goals. The second phase of the project was also initiated in 1997 to support some of the specific components considered crucial for achieving the goals. The project, however, is coming to an end in March, 2000. Many of the interventions would need to be maintained and further strengthened beyond the project period if the achievements have to be consolidated and sustained. Also, some of the interventions may have the potential to reform the entire elementary education subsector and deserve mainstreaming in the system rather than being limited to project districts. The government of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) is committed to sustain some of the intersections but a systematic analysis becomes important to identify the critical factors that need to be sustained and also their policy, technical and financial implications. In this light, the project decided to develop a sustainability plan based on careful study of all the interventions.