MCD to hold summer camps to teach out-of-school children
www.indopia.in 29 May, 2009

"In a novel attempt to bring all youngsters of school-going age in Delhi under the ambit of formal education system, the MCD will organise special summer camps to teach such children and admit them in its institutions. Any child in the age group of 5 to 11 and out of school can initially be admitted to the summer camps, which will be held for a span of one month in all MCD schools from June 1, Mayor Kanwar Sain told reporters here. More [+]

SSA outlay increased by Rs 3,000 cr
Business Standard, 3 Jun 2009

Giving more focus on access and quality, the government has increased the outlay for its flagship programme Sarva Sikshya Abhiyan (SSA) by nearly Rs 3,000 crore this year. While last year's outlay of SSA was Rs 24,124 crore, the government fixed the outlay at Rs 27,042 crore for the current financial year, sources in HRD Ministry told PTI. More [+]

Sachar report is Sibal's Bible in HRD
Economic Times, 2 June 2009

On his second day in office, human resource development minister Kapil Sibal turned his attention to efforts to improve the educational status of Muslims. Large sections of Muslims backed Congress' election projects in states like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal in the Lok Sabha polls. More [+]

Hobson's (school) choice
Indian Express, May 28, 2009

It is now accepted that the aspiration for education even among India's poorest is extremely high. Surveys show that the poor are willing to sacrifice much for their children's education, unequivocally viewing education as central in breaking out of the cycle of poverty. However, far too many are still un-enrolled; attendance levels are still very low; and drop-out levels still unacceptably high. It is ironic that while NREGA has helped children stay in their villages with mothers no longer forced to migrate for work, there is yet to be an appreciable impact on their schooling, as the education system continues to push them out. More [+]

12 semi-self-financed engg colleges to start soon
The Times of India, 28 May 2009

Gujarat government has decided to start 12 new degree engineering colleges to be run on public-private partnership (PPP) model. To be called semi-self-financed colleges, the government is keen to start these during the ensuing academic year itself. They are called semi-self-financed colleges as land will be given to the private party on 30 years lease at a token cost of Re 1. More [+]

HC allows higher fee in schools but with riders
The Times of India, May 28 2009

In an interim order, the Delhi High Court on Thursday allowed private unaided schools in the capital to charge higher fee from students, even as it prohibited schools from coercing unwilling parents to pay arrears. A division bench comprising justice A K Sikri and justice V K Jain justified the government's green light to schools since it has come after considering the Bansal Committee report."We are of the opinion that schools should be allowed to charge the fee as per rates mentioned in orders dated 11 February, 2009'' More [+]

Bangalore's professionals get together to teach village kids
The Hindu, May 30, 2009

Every weekend children of Koonankoppalu village in Karnataka eagerly await visiting teachers from India's tech hub to help them with mathematics, English and science. The village, around 120 km from Bangalore, boasts of one government-run primary school with 45 students. The school has only one teacher for classes 1 to 5, but the situation improved in April last year. Smayate Foundation, an organisation of young professionals from Bangalore, took up the task of helping the children. Along with the 45 primary school children, another 40 studying in Chotanahalli Government High School in another village nearby also get tuitions from the professionals. More [+]

Day One: Sibal pushes right to education bill
Times News Network, 30 May 2009

With Arjun Singh's trademark talisman — Ram kaj kinho bina, mohu kahan vishram (where do I have rest without doing my job) — no longer on the wall to inspire new HRD minister Kapil Sibal, he got down to business immediately calling for files relating to the Right to Education and Foreign Education Providers Bill. More [+]

Navodaya Vidyalayas outperform others in CBSE exams
IANS, 29 May 2009

The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV) - autonomous schools under the human resource development ministry - outshone all other schools across India with a whopping 97.84 pass percentage in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 exams this year. Bettering its own performance from last year, even if marginally, the JNV students upped their pass percentage by 0.30 percent. Of the 30,184 JNV students - 19,437 boys and 10,747 girls - as many 2,510 scored 90 percent and above. More [+]

Lessons from Florida - School Choice Gives Increased Opportunities to Children with Special Needs

In 2000, Florida instituted an innovative school choice program for children with disabilities. During the 2000–01 school year, the McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities provided scholarships to more than 1,000 students who chose to attend private schools rather than remain in their neighborhood public schools. Currently, more than 8,000 special education students in Florida attend 464 private schools throughout the state.

Read the full review here

Data on disabled children in MCD schools in Delhi

Number of disabled children in Delhi's municipal schools – 10,065

Number of special teachers for disabled children – 0

This despite a government report stating that the posts of ‘special educators' were advertised almost six months back on December 26, 2008.

ASER Report 2008

Action for School Admission Reforms (ASAR) More[+]

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