Gujarat - Outcomes for Accelerated Learning (GOAL) School Education Excellence Program (SEEP) Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (ESSA) January 20, 2021 (Revised Version) The World Bank Environment and Social Systems Assessment This document is being made publicly available so that views/suggestions of interested individuals/groups from broader public can be considered. GOAL-SEEP Pg 2 Environment and Social Systems Assessment Table of Contents Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 7 1. Program description ......................................................................................................... 17 2. Environment and Social Systems Assessment (ESSA) – Methodology Adopted ............. 36 3. Environment and Social Over-view of Gujarat ................................................................ 40 4. Potential Environment and Social Effects, Risks and Benefits ......................................... 46 5. Assessment of Environment and Social Systems ............................................................. 54 Core Principle 1: Program E&S Management System .............................................. 56 Core Principle 2: Natural Habitat and Physical and Cultural Resources ................... 60 Core Principle 3: Public and Workers Safety ............................................................ 61 Core Principle 4: Land Acquisition and Resettlement .............................................. 62 Core Principle 5: Rights and Interests of Indigenous People .................................... 63 Core Principle 6: Social Conflict ................................................................................ 66 6. Consultations with Key Stakeholders and Disclosure ...................................................... 68 7. Recommendations............................................................................................................ 73 ANNEXURES ............................................................................................................................. 82 Annexuree 1: List of Documents Reviewed ............................................................................. 83 Annexure 2: List of Individual/Officials Consulted During ESSA Preparation .......................... 84 Annexure 3: Stakeholder Consultation ................................................................................... 87 Annexure 4: Applicable Legal and Regulatory Framework ..................................................... 95 Annexure 5: Description of E&S Management Systems and Capacity Assessment .............. 109 Annexure 6: Screening Checklist ........................................................................................... 134 Annexure 7: Measures for Inclusion in Civil Works Contracts (an indicative list) ................. 137 Annexure 8: Social Audit Format Used by Samagra Shiksha, Gujarat ................................... 140 Annexure 9: Declaration of Grievance Redress Mechanism under under RTE Act, 2009 ..... 146 GOAL-SEEP Pg 3 Environment and Social Systems Assessment Abbreviations AWP&B Annual Work Plan & Budget BaLA Building as Learning Aid BRC Block Resource Centre BRCC Block Resource Centre Coordinator CPD Continuous professional development CRC Cluster Resource Centre CRCC Cluster Resource Centre Coordinator CSS Centrally Sponsored Scheme CWSN Children with Special Needs DIET District Institute of Education and Training DIKSHA Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing DoE Department of Education DPC District Program Coordinator DPEO District Primary Education Officer E&S Environmental and Social ECCE Early Childhood Care and Education ECE Early Childhood Education EHS Environmental Health and Safety EMF Environmental Management Framework EMIS Education Management Information System ESSA Environmental and Social Systems Assessment GAS Gujarat Achievement Survey GCERT Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training GCSE Gujarat Council of School Education GOAL Gujarat Outcomes for Accelerated Learning GoG Government of Gujarat GoI Government of India GP Gram Panchayat GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism GSDMA Gujarat Disaster Mitigation Authority GOAL-SEEP Pg 4 Environment and Social Systems Assessment GSDP Gross State Domestic Product GSQAC Gujarat School Quality Accreditation Council ICC Internal Complaints Committee ICT Information and Communications Technology ISL Institute of School Leadership MDM Mid-day meal MHRD Ministry of Human Resource Development MoE Ministry of Education NAS National Achievement Survey NDMA National Disaster Mitigation Authority, Government of India NEP National Education Policy NGO Non-governmental organizations NIEPA National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration P for R Program for Results PAP Program Action Plan PAT Periodic Assessment Tests PDO Project Development Objective PISA Program for International Student Assessment PRI Panchayati Raj Institution PTR Pupil Teacher Ratio PVTG Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group RMSA Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan RTE Right to Education RTI Right to Information SAC State Assessment Cell SC Scheduled Caste SCERT State Council for Educational Research and Training SDMC School Development and Management Committee SDP School Development Plan SEA Sexual exploitation and abuse SEEP School Education Excellence Program SEZ Special Economic Zone GOAL-SEEP Pg 5 Environment and Social Systems Assessment SH Sexual harassment SLAS State Learning Achievement Survey SMC School Management Committee SoE Schools of Excellence SPD State Project Director SPIPA Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration SS Samagra Shiksha SSA Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan ST Scheduled Tribe TE Teacher Education TEI Teacher Education Institution TLM Teaching Learning Material WCD Women and Child Development WSDP Whole School Development Plan GOAL-SEEP Pg 6 Environment and Social Systems Assessment EXECUTIVE SUMMARY E.1 Program Background 1. The school education system in Gujarat caters to the educational needs of about 11.48 million students, of whom 5.42 million are enrolled in government schools, 1.82 million in government-aided (private) schools, and 4.24 million in private unaided schools. Government and government-aided schools account for more than 60 percent of school enrolment and teachers. 2. Gujarat’s National Achievement Survey (NAS) scores at Grade 3 and 5 are close to the national average. However, it performs below the national average for Grade 10. As per the Class 5 National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2017 (language), 12 percent students were below grade level proficiency. Further based on the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2016-17 and the population projections (2016) of the National Commission on Population, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, about 390 thousand (6.5 percent) of the 5.6 million children of primary school going age (6 to 10) are out of school. With an overall elementary school Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) of 27, and an average government elementary school enrolment of about 165, the state has several small schools with low enrolment. About 25 percent of primary, upper primary, and/or elementary schools have fewer than two teachers and 21 percent have fewer than two classrooms. To augment and strengthen existing educational facilities, investments are needed for refurbishment of infrastructure and addition of new amenities that can directly support efforts to enhance the quality of teaching-learning transactions. 3. The current COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges in school education, disrupting both demand and supply side interventions. It is imperative to take steps to: (a) mitigate the immediate risks and continue to provide education to all children; and, (b) build education resilience as a strategic imperative across the sector. Given the unpredictability of the COVID-19 outbreak, institutional resilience and a robust state and district architecture is important to ensure a response to any disaster/pandemic that affects students and teachers. Technology will not only be a supplementary teaching-learning strategy; it needs to become a way of life for students, teachers and administrators. Instructional materials henceforth would need to incorporate within their inherent capacities to respond to the needs of a changing reality that requires innovations and, on the feet, thinking that builds on systemic strengths and decentralized reform. 4. Building on a detailed sectoral analysis, Gujarat - Outcomes for Accelerated Learning (GOAL) - School Education Excellence Program (SEEP) Program has been prepared and proposed for funding from the World Bank. The project will build on learnings of state operations, unlocking the potential of involving district governments for implementation with local flexibility and innovation. Coupled with inter-state and inter-district exchange of experience and learning, the operation would attempt uniformity of reform and outcomes in the sector. E.2 Program Development Objective 5. The Program Development Objective of the GOAL-SEEP Program is to strengthen decentralized management for improved education outcomes in the state of Gujarat. GOAL-SEEP Pg 7 Environment and Social Systems Assessment E.3 Program Development Objective Level Indicators The PDO-level indicators are: a. Stakeholder owned planning systems institutionalized b. Improved school quality through performance