Learning from successes and failures-Amartya Sen
The Hindu, 19 Dec 2009

Pratichi Trust (India) main work in the field of education has been to examine, assess and scrutinise the schooling system in operation in the eastern part of India, beginning with West Bengal and a part of Jharkhand. We have surveyed a number of schools in the region. Though the overall picture cannot be considered, in any rigorous sense, representative of the region, there is enough information in these studies to arrive at some general judgments about successes and failures, and for us to form an understanding of the principal problems that face primary school education in this region and how they can be addressed in order to attempt remedying the adversities. More [+]

Reduce price of admission forms, Admn cracks whip on private schools
Indian Express, 18 Dec 2009

The UT Administration is all set to crack the whip on city-based private schools, who are charging hefty amounts as fees for admission forms. In a circular issued to all private schools today on the directives of Secretary (Education) Ram Niwas, the UT Education department has requested them not to charge more than Rs 100 per application, failing which the department will not only cancel their recognition, but also take up the matter with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) strongly recommending cancellation of their affiliation. More [+]

Nursery rush starts, government keeps vigil
The Times of India, 15 Dec 2009

NEW DELHI: With just a little over 900 private schools in the city and the number of applications running into several thousands in most schools, the pressure is mounting. But the parents are geared up.It’s because of DoE’s tough stand this year that all schools have been forced to sell and receive the forms between December 15 and January 15 only. The directorate is also ready with a grievance redressal mechanism for parents apart from the online complaint registering facility started last year. More [+]

Unique identity for students and teachers in India?
Press India Bureau, 20 Dec 2009

The HRD Ministry is mulling close co-operation with the recently set up UID Authority. The HRD Ministry is keen on this as this will provide all school going children and teachers with a UID number, so that a countrywide monitoring of schooling and educational outcomes can be undertaken. This was stated by Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, during the meeting of the Consultative Committee of Parliament for the HRD Ministry held yesterday. The subject of the meeting was, ‘The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009’. More [+]

Kendriya Vidyalayas to hire special teachers for disabled
The Times of India, 19 Dec 2009

NEW DELHI: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and the city government on Friday told the Delhi High Court that special teachers for differently-abled children would be recruited in Kendriya Vidyalayas. KVS informed a bench headed by Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice S Muralidhar that its governing body has approved appointment of special teachers and that process of recruitment would start soon. The school’s response came after the court had on Thursday pulled up KVS for not having specially trained teachers in any of its schools here which have 1,561 differently-abled students. More [+]

Government for introducing semester system in varsities
The Times of India, 19 Dec 2009

Despite resistance from some teacher and other lobbies, the government is fully committed to introducing the semester system in universities across the country as a major academic reform step in higher education.HRD minister Kapil Sibal, speaking during question hour in Rajya Sabha on Friday, however, said a rigid timeline could not be set for implementation of the semester system since universities were autonomous bodies.Persuasion not compulsion' is the answer, said Sibal, expressing the hope that the semester system's `universalisation' would be a reality by 2011-12. More [+]

London set for Swedish schools
BBC News, 18 Dec 2009

A private Swedish company is to open two new Academies in England. Kunskapsskolan, which runs 32 schools in Sweden, has been accepted by Richmond Council as sponsor of two schools which will become Academies. Academies are government-funded schools which are run independently. The government in England sees them as a vehicle for driving up standards. More [+]

Sweden : Reforms to improve status of vocational education and training
CEDEFOP, 4 Dec 2009

This year the Swedish government introduced a series of major reforms to increase the quality and labour market relevance of vocational education and training (VET) and attract more learners. The system which in 2011 will replace todays integrated upper secondary education will have three broad orientations: (a) general education, mainly for those intending to pursue higher education; (b) school-based vocational programmes; and (c) work-based apprenticeship. More [+]

Experts mull school options for poor
The Tribune, 17 Dec 2009

Educationists from different parts of the country have gathered in the Capital to participate in the National Conference of School Choice Campaign to discuss the challenges in the implementation of the recently passed Right to Education Act. Talking about ‘Private Schools and the Poor’, the educationists focused on Section 12 of Right to Education that guarantees 25 per cent of seats in government aided, private unaided and special schools for children from the weaker sections. 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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