Quality primary schooling for all should be the target for effective learning, while focus on higher and technical education is the need of the hour for employment generation, the Economic Survey said today.

"Universalisation of elementary education of adequate quality to ensure satisfactory learning standards among children is an objective that needs to be pursued vigourously," the Survey tabled in Parliament today said.

The Survey said under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), 2,88,155 new schools have been opened till September 2009. In addition, the initiative has also seen supply of free text books to 9.05 crore children.

A total of 10.11 lakh teachers have been appointed under the SSA and another 21.79 lakh have been provided in-service training, it added. "There has been significant reduction in the number of out-of-school children on account of SSA interventions."

The pre-budget Survey stressed the importance of higher and technical education segments also.

"Quality higher and technical education increases the employability of the youth and can help reap the benefits of India's looming demographic dividend," it added.

The government has spent Rs 425 crore for setting up of new polytechnics during 2009, covering 175 districts.

"Two new Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) at Indore and Mandi started functioning from the academic session 2009-10," the Survey said.