SSA is holistic and convergent programme targeting primary and upper primary education with the main focus on providing quality basic education within a clear time frame. It aim is at providing access to schooling to all children in  the age group of 6-14 years by 2003 and ensuring their completion of five years of primary schooling and eight years of elementary education of satisfactory quality by 2007 and 2010 respectively. SSA is an effort to improve the performance of the school system and provide community owned quality Elementary education in the mission mode.

The goal of Education for all (EFA) has been receiving priority at international level and regarded as an essential pre condition for human development. Providing basic education to all children has been emphasized in the UN resolutions adopted at Jometien and Dakar. For the last five decades, Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) and the fulfillment of the mandate of Indian constitution have been attracting the attention of educational planners, Administrators, initiators, educationists and the nation.

The National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986 and programme of action (POA) 1992 have given top priority to the achievement of the goals of Universal Elementary education. Education for the children of 6 – 14 years age group has been made fundamental right by the 86th constitutional amendment Act. Many projects and programmes have been undertaken at micro and macro levels in this direction. This has resulted in considerable progress in providing access to Elementary Education; increase enrollment & retention, improvement in school’s attendance and generation of strong demand for education especially of girls. However, inter-state and inter-district differences in pupil attendance and their performance level, continues to prevail. The pupil achievement has particularly been low, which has caused concern at every level.

In order to speed up the achievement of the goal of universal Elementary Education, the National Elementary Education Mission (NEEM) was constituted in 2001 under the Chairmanship of the Prime minister in the ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India. Similar missions have been constituted at the State levels under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister of the State. A number of programmes and project have been implemented over the years to provide useful inputs for achieving the constitutionally mandatory goal of Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE).

SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN (SSA) IS:

• A Programme with a clear time frame for UEE.
• A response to the demand for quality basic education all over the country.
  
• An opportunity for promoting social basic education.
  
• An effort for effective involvement of the PRIs, in school functioning.
  
• Management committees, village and urban level education committees, Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs). Mother Teacher Associations (MTAs), tribal autonomous councils and other grass root level structures in the management of elementary schools. An expression of political will for Universal Elementary Education is visible across the country.
  
• A partnership between Central, State and local government is imperative.
  
• An opportunity for states to develop their own vision of Elementary education and implement them.
  
• An effective convergence with other departments concerned with poverty alleviation and promotion of quality of life has opened up.