UP a step closer to PPP model in tech education
Business Standard, 23 January 2009

“Uttar Pradesh, which is planning to implement the public-private partnership (PPP) model in technical education, received a major boost as a committee, formed to study the model being followed in other states, has submitted its report to the state government.” More [+]

Govt. should deregulate higher education in India: Assocham
The Hindu, 26 January 2009

“The Government should deregulate higher education in the country to prevent repatriating over Rs 50,000 crore per annum as nearly five lakh students still go abroad to acquire better skills, industry body Assocham said.” More [+]

Ultimately, efficiency will prevail in autonomous education system
Livemint, 27 January 2009

“In an interview, Sam Pitroda speaks on the commission's recommendations and why he is not happy with the ministry of human resource development forming a series of committees to study the knowledge commission's wide-ranging recommendations.”More [+]

Schools set for a long haul in language row
Livemint, 23 January 2009

“Bangalore: Kannada-medium private schools have to carry their fight longer to be able to switch to English. The schools are caught between a bureaucracy that last month gave them the go-ahead and an education minister, who insists on the local language, Kannada, being the medium of instruction.” More [+]

At most colleges, there's no quality to be assessed
The Times of India, 27 January 2009

“Of the 834 institutions that applied for Institutional Eligibility for Quality Assessment (IEQA) with the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) -- a statutory body of University Grants Commission (NAAC) __ only 575 were recommended for the next stage of assessment. The remaining 259 institutions were rejected. In Karnataka alone, 36 institutions had applied for IEQA, of which 10 were not recommended.” More [+]

Rs 400 cap likely on fee hike
The Times of India, 24 January 2009

“Private school administrations as well as parents are still on tenterhooks, with the report of the sub-committee on fee hike yet to be submitted to the government. According to Directorate of Education (DoE) officials, the report is ready and would be submitted to the education minister for Cabinet approval in a day or two.” More [+]

Public schools keep out weaker sections
Livemint, 23 January 2009

“As many as 133 out of 381 schools have failed to reserve the required 25% seats, and 33 others did not admit a single child from the EWS category, according to the action taken report of a parliamentary panel set up to review implementation of the norm. The report was submitted to Parliament last month.” More [+]

New BE colleges still not fit to teach
The Times of India, 25 January 2009

“HYDERABAD: Some engineering colleges in the city that started last year are still not equipped to teach students even though the academic year 2008-09 is about to end. In recent inspections conducted by Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad, 25 out of the 75 new colleges sanctioned last year were found to have `severe discrepancies' which were hindering the academic process.” More [+]

Getting Girls Into School: Evidence from a Scholarship Program in Cambodia
Deon Filmer and Norbert Schady, World Bank

“Increasing the schooling attainment of girls is a challenge in much of the developing world. In this paper we evaluate the impact of a program that gives scholarships to girls making the transition between the last year of primary school and the first year of secondary school in Cambodia. We show that the scholarship program had a large, positive effect on the school enrollment and attendance of girls.” More [+]

The role of Education Quality for Economic Growth
Eric A. Hanushek and Ludger Woessmann, World Bank

“The role of improved schooling, a central part of most development strategies, has become controversial because expansion of school attainment has not guaranteed improved economic conditions. This paper reviews the role of education in promoting economic well-being, with a particular focus on the role of educational quality.” More [+]

ASER 2008 Findings

“Primary schools are available within 1 km of 92.5% rural habitations and 67.1% villages have government middle school, and 33.8% have government secondary schools. Private schools are available in 45.6% Indian villages.” More [+]

“2 million minutes”
Read about the movie "2 Million Minutes" which gives insight into education in India, China and the USA and Jay Mathews', Washington Post Staff Writer, opinion on the movie: The Hidden Flaws in China and India Schools “Memphis high-tech entrepreneur Bob Compton, producer of the stirring documentary "Two Million Minutes," has been suggesting, in his genial way, that I am a head-in-the-sand ignoramus. This is because I panned his film as alarmist nonsense for suggesting, based on profiles of a grand total of six teenagers, that the Indian and Chinese education systems were superior to what we have here in the much-beleaguered United States.” More [+]

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