STUDENT FIRST! News
   

Weekly Update on Education

18 January 2011

 

Long way to go on RTE, shows national school report card
Charu Sudan Kasturi, Hindustan Times, January 14, 2011

Indian schools have a long way to go before they meet conditions required under the landmark Right to Education Act, the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), 2010 released today by NGO Pratham said. This was the first time that the RTE Act — implemented from April 1, 2010 — was factored into the survey.

More [+]

Coming soon: Gyan Darshan, a 24X7 school education channel
Anubhuti Vishnoi, Indian Express, January 17, 2011

After a Lok Sabha channel and plans for a Rajya Sabha one, the next government-run television channel may be a 24X7 dedicated school education channel to be called “Gyan Darshan”. With the HRD Ministry giving its in-principle approval, the National Council for Education Research & Training (NCERT) has been appointed as the nodal agency for the proposed channel.

More [+]


Officials delay nursery admissions info, fined
Manash Pratim Gohain, The Times of India, January 16, 2011

The Central Information Commission (CIC) recently fined two PIOs of the Directorate of Education (DoE) for delay in providing information under Right to Education Act 2005 about nursery admission. Not only that, the CIC also said that the education minister’s assurances about monitoring the same and punishing violators have not fructified.

More [+]


CM suspends EDO education for failure to construct school
Daily Times, January 17, 2011

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has ordered immediate suspension of Executive District Officer (Education) Dr Muhammad Arshad and action against other administrative officers for their failure to construct a new school in place of the one demolished due to the construction of the Ring Road in village Chachuwala, Bedian Road.

.More [+]

Obama’s education focus faces big hurdles
Associated Press, January 16, 2011

Signs of trouble are arising for President Barack Obama’s plan to put education overhaul at the forefront of his agenda as he adjusts to the new reality of a divided government. Giving students and teachers more flexibility is an idea with bipartisan support. Yet the debate about the overdue renewal of the nation’s chief education law, known as No Child Left Behind, is complicated by political pressures from the coming 2012 presidential campaign and disputes over timing, money and scope of the update.

More [+]


SC breather for varsities facing derecognition

Prashant K. Nanda & Nikhil Kanekal, Mint, January 12 2011

A year after 44 deemed universities were purportedly blacklisted on account of poor educational standards, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the government to send notices to each of them and hear them afresh. But human resource development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal said the government hadn’t blacklisted any deemed university in the first place. “We had never issued any notices. There is no blacklisting,” he said.

More [+]


More spending on Muslims’ education suggested for 12th plan
Indian Express, January 14 2011

A high-level meeting to discuss ways and means to improve the lives of Muslims in the 12th Five Year plan today suggested more spending on education for the community. The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Planning Commission and Minority Affairs Ministry, besides politicians and social workers.

More [+]


RTE Act: ‘Awaaz Do’ to all the street children out there
Indian Express, January 14, 2011

Driving down the road to your office early in the morning, you stop at a traffic signal. A group of boys, armed with books and magazines, pound on your car window — begging you to buy their wares. That is when the light turns green and you drive away, not giving a second thought to the ones outside. ‘Awaaz Do’, a digital campaign launched by the UNICEF, is an attempt to help children who try to earn a living on the street. And going by what the body claims, more than 200,000 people have already joined it in less than three months.

More [+]

Research Paper
Returns to Investment in Education: A Further Update
George Psacharopoulos and Harry A. Patrinos

ABSTRACT: Returns to investment in education based on human capital theory have been estimated since the late 1950s. In the 40-plus year history of estimates of returns to investment in education, there have been several reviews of the empirical results in attempts to establish patterns. Many more estimates from a wide variety of countries, including over time evidence, and estimates based on new econometric techniques, reaffirm the importance of human capital theory. Psacharopoulos and Patrinos review and present the latest estimates and patterns as found in the literature at the turn of the century. However, because the availability of rate of return estimates has grown exponentially, the authors include a new section on the need for selectivity in comparing returns to investment in education and establishing related patterns.

More [+]

Global Education Statistics

Results from PISA 2009
(Overall Reading Scale)

OECD Average
493
Shanghai-China
556
Korea
539
Finland
536
Hong Kong-China
533
Singapore
526

Source: OECD

 

 

Interview with Geeta Kingdon

In this interview Geeta Kingdon, Professor from London University, talks about the main differences between government and private schools towards quality education. The discussion then moves to the corelation between teacher qualifications and learning outcomes, and the teacher qualification norm in the RTE Act.

Click here for the video

 

RTE Coalition

To initiate and continue the discussion amongst concerned groups and individuals on the issue of right of education and monitor the implementation of the RTE Act, an RTE Coalition has been formed. Join the coalition to make universal elementary education a reality in India. Log on to www.righttoeducation.in for more information.

 

Student First! Magazine

The second issue of Student First! Magazine is out. The theme for this issue is Public Private Partnerships in Education.

For more click here

 

Skill Vouchers - Global Experiences and Lessons for India

Leah Verghese and Parth J Shah


A study of the role that skill vouchers can play in catalysing demand for quality skill development services. This study examines global experiences with skill vouchers and draws lessons for India from these experiences.

For more click here

Reservation in Private Schools under the Right to Education Act: Model for Implementation

Shekhar Mittal and Parth J Shah

Through this document the Centre for Civil Society seeks to highlight the lacunae in the current framework for 25% reservation for weaker and disadvantaged groups in unaided private schools and seeks to provide inputs on effective implementation of the same.

For more click here

 

SCHOOL VOUCHERS FOR GIRLS

400 girl children from poor families of North East Delhi receive school vouchers for a period of 4 years.
For details visit website

 

Support Children's Right to Education of Choice!
DONATE


For more details on how to support, log on to www.schoolchoice.in or email us at [email protected]

 

101 Things You Wanted To Know About The Police But Were Too Afraid To Ask

A Children's Book for Adults to Learn from is an easy guide to knowing your police. Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) believes that only when we know that we can speak up with confidence, and it is only when we speak out against wrong, that things will change. The book is brought out in this hope - that people knowing all about their police and their own rights - will use this knowledge to demand the better police service that we all deserve. This has been published in various languages like Hindi, English, Kannada, Telegu, Gujarati and Marathi in India. To know more about these books or for a copy email [email protected].

 

This is our 119th edition. Please give your feedback to make it more useful to you at [email protected]

Disclaimer: Copyright of the contents of this newsletter remains with the original author/publisher.