STUDENT FIRST!
   

Weekly Update on Education

12 March 2009


UPA fails to allocate 6% of GDP for education
LiveMint, 9 March 2009

“Raising expenditure on education to 6% of gross domestic product (GDP), autonomy for institutions of higher learning and expansion of access to education-these were some of the promises the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) made at the start of its term in 2004. At the last count, expenditure on the education sector was 3.5% of GDP, compared with 3.23 in FY01. ” More [+]


Indian business blasts education reform
Financial Times, 9 March 2009

“India's business leaders have reacted strongly to government opposition to the opening up of higher education to private investment that might help millions of young people. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry has expressed "strong reservations" about the rejection by education bodies of recommendations by the National Knowledge Commission, set up by Manmohan Singh, prime minister, on measures to attract greater private investment. ”More [+]


Studies Support Benefits of Educational TV for Reading
Education Week, 2 March 2009

“A new generation of programs, and a rigorous research effort to test its impact, is adding to the "Sesame Street" legacy and working to clarify for parents the potential benefits of television viewing, particularly for literacy development. Well-designed programs can teach distinct skills such as letter and sound recognition, as well as cultivate a love of reading "We will introduce the scheme of education vouchers for students in all the private schools very soon. We had to recently hike the fees due for implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission. This scheme will benefit the parents facing the heat due to the hike.'' ”More [+]


Purpose and Performance in Teacher Performance Pay
Education Week, 11 March 2009

“Performance pay for teachers is a hot topic in education policy these days. President Barack Obama supported it during his campaign, and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan tried it during his tenure as Chicago's schools chief. Already in practice or discussion in some states and many school districts, teacher performance pay is not a future possibility, it's here now. ” More [+]


Tuition fee hike: Schools to move High Court against Delhi govt notice
Indian Express, 7 March 2009

“Many private, unaided schools will file a writ petition in the Delhi High Court next week against the cap on fee hike put by the Delhi government on the recommendations of the S C Bansal Committee that submitted its report early this year. ” More [+]


Urdu-medium students battle odds for education
expressindia.com, 9 March 2009

“In the family's one-room tenement in Kala Mahal in the Chandni Chowk area, Alvi studies through the night sitting against the kitchen wall, translating from Hindi to Urdu from borrowed textbooks and struggling with tough words, like many of her classmates. With the pass percentage at Urdu-medium schools typically lagging behind due to a serious lack of textbooks, infrastructure and teaching staff for Science and Maths, students like Alvi suffer the most. ” More [+]


GU teachers must be punctual, says panel
The Times of India, 5 march 2009

“A high-level standing committee appointed by the vice chancellor of Goa University has called for punctuality from academic staff and their presence on the campus during working hours. Calling for a standard to be laid down for the conduct of varsity employees, teaching as well as non teaching, the committee has asked for "disciplinary action" against teachers who tend to indulge in "anti-institutional and anti-national activities", but fails to elaborate on this " More [+]


Nagaland records more than 60 percent untrained teachers
morungexpress.com, 10 March 2009

“The North East Council (NEC) in its sectoral summit on education expressed serious concern regarding the training of untrained teachers in North East India. A huge backlog of teachers (more than 50% in the North East) appointed over the last several years have remained untrained for a long time. In the case of Nagaland, more than 60% of in-service teachers are yet to be trained; as on January 2008, out of 12,101 elementary and primary teachers in Nagaland, 7,681 were untrained.” More [+]


Exam stress: Students hook to smoking
The Times of India, 6 March 2009

“Pressure to perform in exams is causing school students - from Class 9 to 12 - to pop memory-enhancing pills, smoke, eat junk food and suffer blackouts, says a study even as tests are on in most schools in and around the national capital.” More [+]


Does Local School Control Raise Student Outcomes?: Theory and Evidence on the Roles of School Autonomy and Community Participation
Iowa State University

“School autonomy and parental participation have been frequently proposed as ways of making schools more productive. Less clear is how governments can foster decentralized decision- making by local schools. This paper shows that in eight Latin-American countries, the great majority of the variation in local control over school decisions exists within and not between countries.” More [+]

 

Accountability lies at the heart of Charter School Success

The Centre for education reform


Nearly 18 years since the first charter school opened, individual state data indicates that charter schools are outpacing their conventional public school peers with fewer resources and tremendous obstacles. The data also proves charter schools are being held accountable for these results.
The Centre for education reform

Tamil Nadu: Private School Enrolment:

Government Share to Total Schools: 66.29 %

Private Share to Total Schools: 33.71 %

Elementary Education in India: Progress towards Universal Elementary Education, DISE, Flash Statistics: 2007-08

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


This is our new initiative. Please give your feedback to make it more useful to you at [email protected]