New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday stressed the need to restore schools as vibrant institutions rooted in society, saying that reducing learning gaps and drop-outs and fostering design thinking and critical skills in every child is a collective responsibility.

Pradhan was speaking at a consultation meeting with stakeholders of the Centre's Samagra Shiksha scheme here.

Highlighting the role of the community, the minister said while the government must take responsibility for systems and salaries, the ownership and operation of schools should involve society at large.

“The government must take responsibility for systems and salaries, but the responsibility of running schools should belong to society. As we move towards a new framework of Samagra Shiksha, we must collectively think about how to restore schools as vibrant institutions rooted in society,” he said.

Pradhan underlined the need for meaningful transformation across various components of school education, including improving learning outcomes, strengthening nutrition outcomes, reducing examination burden, simplifying learning processes, ensuring 100 per cent enrolment up to Class XII, promoting holistic school development, and effectively leveraging technology and digitisation.

He said India is preparing to move towards a new framework of Samagra Shiksha in 2026-27, aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat, and emphasised that building an education system aligned with the aspirations of a developed India remains a key challenge.

Noting that Samagra Shiksha carries high expectations among a large section of the population, Pradhan said states across the country have accumulated valuable experiences and best practices in using education as a tool to build a more just and equitable society.

“All states have their own experiences and best practices. These must come together to strengthen Samagra Shiksha and respond to the aspirations of our people,” he added.

The consultation brought together key stakeholders to deliberate on the future direction of Samagra Shiksha and ensure that the evolving framework effectively meets India's educational and developmental goals.

Samagra Shiksha is an overarching programme for school education from pre-school to Class XII and aims to improve school effectiveness by ensuring equal opportunities and equitable learning outcomes. It subsumes the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and Teacher Education schemes.