Government may allow private sector investment in education
Business Standard, 21 Nov 2009

MUMBAI-The Centre plans to allow the (for-profit) private sector to set up educational institutions and tap the capital market, thus aiming to plug the funding gap in the education sector. In this regard, the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has asked Max India Chairman Analjit Singh to prepare a feasibility paper. HRD Minister Kapil Sibal did so during a roundtable in New Delhi with Singh and other members, including Sunil Alagh, chairman of SKA Advisors, Hari Bhartia, co-chairman and MD of Jubilant Organosys, and Rajendra Pawar, chairman of NIIT. More [+]

The way forward...
The Hindu, 20 Nov 2009

The Right to Education Act is a piece of visionary legislation. But certain critical issues need to be addressed for its proper implementation.S. Gridhar- Head, Programs and Advocacy at Azim Premji Foundation, shares his concern on issues like attendance,guaranteeing education and not only schooling,professional training and community participation. More [+]

Read storybooks & get more marks, suggests CBSE
The Telegraph, 21 Nov 2009

NEW DELHI: Reading storybooks by the likes of Enid Blyton or Agatha Christie may now earn children marks at school.Students from Class V onwards could soon be rewarded on their reading habits under a Central Board of Secondary Education proposal to use a new evaluation system to encourage children to read storybooks.India’s largest school board has asked affiliated institutions to include reading habits among parameters to be used in the comprehensive and continuous evaluation (CCE) of students in English, and has even proposed a reading list. More [+]

UGC frames teachers' appraisal rules
The Times of India, 19 Nov 2009

KOLKATA: The UGC has come up with guidelines to evaluate teachers' performances. Their promotion will be based on evaluations made in accordance with that. Included in the long list of criteria is "familiarity with up-to-date teaching material". Their evaluation will also be based on the extent to which they develop new curricula and teach new courses, produce relevant teaching material, exam methods they develop and the extent to which they participate in external and internal exams of the institutions they teach in. Attendance will be significant too. More [+]

CRY launches “Do what is Right”, campaign in Orissa
Orissa Diary, 20 Nov 2009

BHUBANESHWAR: In order to ensure right to education for all the children of the country CRY, a pioneer child rights organization launched a nation wide campaign called “Do what is Right”. CRY with its partners launched this campaign demanding for an amendment in the Right to education act -2009 in the coming winter session of the parliament.The amendment has been sought as the Act has several gaps and if implemented in its present form it will lead to unequal access to this fundamental right for children. More [+]

Free higher education for children of Lankan refuges: Madras University Vice Chancellor
The Times of India, 22 Nov 2009

CHENNAI: The University of Madras has decided to provide free higher education at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels to children of Sri Lankan refugees in the country, particularly to those residing in Tamil Nadu.They will be given free education from the next academic year at the university, especially if they are willing to pursue education through the distance mode. More [+]

India English growth 'too slow'
BBC News, 18 Nov 2009

India is falling behind countries such as China in its attempts to increase the use of English among its population, a new report says.The study by the British Council says a "huge shortage" of teachers and quality institutions is hampering India despite a growing demand for English skills. More [+]

Distance education could address dearth of teachers: Sibal
Thaindian News, 19 Nov 2009

NEW Delhi- Distance education, via cell phones and other technology geared to provide open access to education, could address the dearth of teachers plaguing the Indian education system said Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal.“There is a need for distance education in India because conventional teaching methods cannot meet the challenges of our young population,” Sibal said while speaking at a function of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the country’s largest distance learning provider, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). More [+]

Parental choice on primary schools 'increases social divide
The Guardian, 20 Nov 2009

Giving parents a choice over primary schools increases the social divide, a study reveals.Since 1988, parents in England have had the right to express a preference of school. Successive governments have believed one benefit of this is to force under-performing schools to up their game. But academics at Bristol University and the Institute of Education London University argue that parental choice fuels class segregation in schools. More [+]

Centre for Civil Society’s “Performing Arts for School Choice” bags 2009 Templeton Freedom Award for Initiative in Public Relations.
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