Indian universities may soon open campuses abroad
The Times of India 19 June 2009

NEW DELHI: Doors may soon be open for Indian universities and government-run institutions like IIMs and IITs to set up campuses abroad to cross-subsidise higher education for vulnerable sections of society. The Planning Commission is in favour of formulating guidelines to allow Indian universities and government-run institutions to run business abroad to fund higher education for the poor back home and to expand the educational infrastructure in the country. More [+]

Children of sanitary workers fail to avail of scholarships
www.expressbuzz.com, 15 June 2009

CHENNAI: Children of parents enaged as sanitary workers in Tamil Nadu are losing substantial educational scholarships as they are totally unaware of the availability of such scholarships. The classification by the government of sanitary workers as 'unclean workers' has apparently added to the problem as the children are shy of revealing the profession of their parents to the school authorities. More [+]

The politics of education
The Hindu Businessline, 22 June 2009

Competition will work where there is no scarcity of any commodity. Evidently, the number of aspirants to colleges of similar quality is much larger than the number of seats available. It is this scarcity that is impelling the corruption, says P.V. INDIRESAN. More [+]

Every second student in India enrolls in private college
The Times of India, June 21 2009

MUMBAI: Despite higher education being vital to a rapidly developing country like India, the share of the government in higher education, in terms of number of institutes and student enrollment has dwindled over time. Simultaneously, academics note, the stake of profit-seeking politicians in the higher education business has risen. More [+]

Knowledge panel revamp
The Telegraph, 18 June 2009

The National Knowledge Commission that prepared the blueprint for massive reforms in India's education may now be restructured to oversee the implementation of its recommendations. Two months after the panel's term ended on April 2, its chairman Sam Pitroda today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and discussed a role for the panel in the UPA's second term. Pitroda told The Telegraph the meet was aimed principally to discuss the need to implement the commission's recommendations, most of which were ignored by former human resource development minister Arjun Singh. More [+]

In MCD's summer camps, children shown way to a different future'
The Indian Express, 19 June 2009

In a dimly-lit classroom, Shoaib Akhtar, 10, sitting on a mat, scribbles Hindi alphabets on a dog-eared notebook. He holds the pencil tightly between his fingers and looks keenly at the teacher writing on the blackboard. Ten days ago, he was busy putting together nuts and bolts of cars, his fingers covered with black grease. Shoaib's father, a mechanic, would take him along to the workshop. Today, sitting among a bunch of laughing children, Shoaib, who has never been to school, dreams of a different future. 'I want to become a doctor when I grow up' he says. More [+]

Moving Kansas schools from monopoly to a free-choice future
Kansas Liberty, 20 June 2009

The state run K12 school system in Kansas is essentially a monopoly. School choice and the competition it brings could improve school efficiency and quality. Kansas spent more than $5.6 billion on K12 education in the last school year. That's a great deal of money to spend in a state with a very small population of taxpayers. State and local tax collections provided 93 percent of that money, but state law offers no way for taxpayers to direct even a penny of it to a school of choice, unless that school is run by the government. They can choose to send their child to a private school, but they're going to pay the state either way. For families living on a tight budget, that’s no choice at all. No vouchers. No tax credits. No real choice. More [+]

Bringing kids with special needs into mainstream schools remains a challenge
The Times of India , 22 June 2009

CHENNAI: The case of Vishal Annadurai, a nine-year-old with orthopaedical disabilities, being denied admission to a city school has evinced a range of responses from various stakeholders in the field. While activists who help to integrate children with disabilities in mainstream schools see this as a constitutional violation, academics consider the problem to be systemic in nature and linked to lack of sufficient facilities and training to address the special needs of such students. More [+]

Charity’ clause keeps private investment away from schools
The Times of India, 21 June 2009

One concern common to a large segment of the urban Indian population with children is admission in a 'good school'. With the increase in urban population, there has been an exponential growth in the demand for educational services, and most cities still lag in supply. Given the skewed demand and supply ratio in the education sector, one tends to wonder why the private sector has failed to exploit such a promising business opportunity. The answer may lie in the legal regime governing primary and secondary education, or what is commonly referred to as the 'K12' sector. More [+]

Percentage distribution of primary pupils in private schools

1. India 34.3%
2. Philippines 5.4%
3. Brazil 10.3%
4. Chile 50.5%
5. Argentina 23.3%
6. Sri Lanka : Data on private schools was omitted since the number of such schools

Source : UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Montrealb

Read the UNESCO report here

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

Action for School Admission Reforms (ASAR) is School Choice Campaign's initiative to usher in fairness and transparency in nursery admissions. If parents in your city too are suffering, please write to us at
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School Choice Campaign launches

STUDENT FIRST! Dialogue Series on Quality Education for All 8 July 2009, 6:30-7:30 pm at India Habitat Centre For details on how you can participate contact Baishali at [email protected]

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