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Search for a workable solution
Amy Kamzin, Financial Times,
August 30, 2010
For rural youth in India’s impoverished
Vidharba region, the Saoner Industrial Training Institute
is supposed to offer a route from local village life
to coveted industrial jobs. But with an outdated curriculum,
unmotivated teachers, limited equipment and lack of
job placement services, the state-run vocational education
centre has long struggled to fulfil that role. Students
are not the only losers. Fast-growing industries in
the city of Nagpur, 60km away, have struggled to find
trained workers to meet the manpower needs of their
expanding operations.
More [+]
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Survey paints shoddy picture of govt’s elementary
education initiative
Prashant K. Nanda, Mint, August
30, 2010
More than half the schools that receive
funds under the government’s flagship scheme to
improve and universalize primary education don’t
have toilets, and 27% that received grants to build
classrooms haven’t constructed any, says a nationwide
survey. The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), launched almost
a decade ago, is failing due to mismanagement and delays
in the flow of money to schools, says the “Do
Schools Get Their Money?” survey that covered
14,500 schools.
More [+]
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| Confusion
over age limit in nursery admission season
Indian Express, August 29,
2010
While the mad rush for nursery admissions
has begun in the national capital region, many parents
are in a fix over the minimum age when their tiny tots
should start their pre-schooling. Majority of parents
who seek their wards' entry in any reputed school are
now left with one single question: "What is the
age limit, three or four?" The confusion has its
origin in Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal's proposal
earlier this year that the age limit for nursery admission
can be increased from three to four years.
More [+]
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| Lok Sabha
passes education tribunal bill
The Times of India, August
27, 2010
Lok Sabha on Friday passed the education
tribunal bill after HRD minister Kapil Sibal lobbied
his case strenuously with BJP leaders to explain that
the bill did not lack legislative competence. The minister
told Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj that previous
amendments when the NDA launched the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
enabled the Centre to legislate on tribunals. "In
light of Supreme Court rulings, it would seem that the
Centre has the right to set up tribunals," said
Swaraj.
.More [+]
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Pathshalas
seek exemption from education Act
Charu Sudan Kasturi, Hindustan Times,
August 30, 2010
Some of Hinduism’s most revered
institutions are seeking exemption for traditional Sanskrit
schools called ved pathshalas from the Right to Education
Act, arguing that the law could kill the ancient practice
of orally rendering texts. Citing Human Resource Development
Minister Kapil Sibal’s pronouncement declaring
exemption for madrassas from the law, the ved pathshalas
— supported by major religious Mathas and the
Arya Samaj — are arguing that they too be spared
from the Act. The Kanchi Matha, the Ahobila Matha, and
the Andavan Ashram are among the major south-based institutions
that have signed petitions seeking exemption from the
Act.
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Govt has not
done enough for child rights, says NCPCR
Indian Express, August 31,
2010
According to the National Commission
for Protection of Child Rights, the state government
has not done enough in the areas of food disbursement
and right to education for children. The NCPCR representatives
had recently taken a stock of various schemes related
to implementation of child rights which involved Integrated
Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and implementation of
Right to Education (RTE).
More [+]
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| Education
ties could break Sino-Indian ice
Indian Express, August 30,
2010
At a time when defence ties with China
may have hit a rough patch, educational ties with the
formidable neighbour could be on the mend. Union Human
Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal will visit
China early next month to explore the potential for
increased collaboration. While the agenda of the three-day
visit to Beijing starting September 11 is under wraps,
there is substantial scope for the two countries to
collaborate in the education sector.
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| Sibal: We'll
consider raising cap on faculty for innovation varsities
P. Sunderarajan, The Hindu,
August 29, 2010
Accepting the suggestions of industry
and other stakeholders, Union Minister for Human Resource
Development Kapil Sibal said on Saturday that his Ministry
would consider raising the cap on appointing faculty
through invitation for the new breed of universities
proposed to be set up exclusively for research and innovation.
The Ministry had earlier proposed to set a cap of 20
per cent for such appointments. The suggestion to raise
the cap came during a brainstorming session organised
by him with representatives of industry and scientific
and academic universities. The meet discussed the first
draft of the legislation that would be needed for the
setting up of the new breed of universities.
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| Research Paper
Contract Teachers
Sangeeta Goyal and Priyanka Pandey
World Bank
ABSTRACT: In this paper we use non-experimental
data from government schools in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya
Pradesh, two of the largest Indian states, to present
average school outcomes by contract status of teachers.
We find that after controlling for teacher characteristics
and school fixed effects, contract teachers are associated
with higher effort than civil service teachers with
permanent tenures. Higher teacher effort is associated
with better student performance after controlling for
other school inputs and student characteristics. Given
that salaries earned by contract teachers are one fourth
or less of civil service teachers, contract teachers
may be a more cost-effective resource. However, contracts
“as they are” appear weak. Not only do contract
teachers have fairly low average effort in absolute
terms, but those who have been on the job for at least
one full tenure have lower effort than others who are
in the first contract period.
More [+]
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Student
First! News Turns 100
We are proud to present the 100th issue of Student
First! News. We would like to thank all our subscribers
for their support and commitment to our newsletter
and trust that we are meeting their expectations.
Here's to another 100 issues!
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RTE Coalition
To initiate and continue the discussion
amongst concerned groups and individuals on the issue
of right of education and monitor the implementation
of the RTE Act, an RTE Coalition has been formed. Join
the coalition to make universal elementary education
a reality in India. Log on to www.righttoeducation.in
for more information.
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Student First! Dialogue Series
Topic: National Curriculum: Does
one size fit all?
8 September 2010
Casuarina Hall, India Habitat Centre,
New Delhi
For
more information
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2010
Fisher International Memorial Award
James Tooley’s “The
Beautiful Tree” bags 2010 Fisher International
Memorial Award.
To read more click
here |
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| SCHOOL VOUCHERS FOR
GIRLS
400 girl children from poor families
of North East Delhi receive school vouchers for a period
of 4 years.
For details visit website
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Support Children's Right to Education of Choice!
DONATE
For more details on how to support, log on to www.schoolchoice.in
or email us at [email protected]
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