RTE: Call to supervise unaided schools, train teachers
The New Indian Express, March 10, 2013

Increased supervision over unaided schools, training teachers for abolishment of corporal punishment in schools and proactive participation of various stakeholders were some of the observations made in Saturday’s round table discussion on effective implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The discussion, organised by the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) on a High Court directive, saw participation from stakeholders, including representatives from unaided schools, activists, officials, teachers and parents.

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Awareness sends RTE admission applications soaring
The Times of India, March 7, 2013

When RTE awareness is still low in Bangalore, Dakshina Kannada district has shown the way. There is a rise in applicants seeking admissions for first standard under Right to Education (RTE) quota in unaided schools in the district for the forthcoming academic year. The Department of Public Instruction has received 1,306 applications for admissions to 161 unaided schools for 2013-14 as against 829 applications in 2012-13.

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Over 3 lakh schools started under RTE: Economic Survey
The Times of India, March 1 ,2013

A total of 3,34,340 new primary and upper primary schools have been opened under the Right to Education (RTE) till September 2012, since the enforcement of the RTE April 1, 2010, the Economic Survey, released Wednesday, said. Over 2,80,000 new school buildings have been constructed, and over 12,46,000 teachers have been appointed under the scheme in that time, the survey said.

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Why girls in India are still missing out on the education they need
The Guardian, March 11, 2013

Meena (not her real name) didn’t tell her parents when the older boys started harassing her on the hour-long walk to school from her home in Madanpur Khadar, south Delhi – grabbing her hand and shouting “kiss me” – because she knew she would get the blame, as if she had somehow encouraged them. She was right: when her family found out, they banned her from going back to school, worried about the effect on their “honour” if she was sexually assaulted. The plan now is to get her married. She is 16.

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UGC retains Academic Performance Index for teachers’ promotion
The Times of India, March 12, 2013

Going back on its earlier decision to scrap the Academic Performance Index (API), a mandatory requirement for universities to select and promote faculty members, the University Grants Commission has decided to retain the Performance Based Appraisal System (PBAS) with API.

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Five key education reform Bills likely to get Parliamentary nod
LiveMint, March 11, 2013

At least five key education-related Bills, including one that will allow foreign universities to open campuses in India and another to combat educational malpractices, will likely soon get passed by Parliament, signalling the first success for the human resource development (HRD) ministry’s efforts to reform higher education.

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Staff shortage takes toll on quality of education
The Times of India, March 11, 2013

Education seems to be low on the government’s priority list with 40,000 vacant seats of teachers and the future of 45 lakh students studying in government schools at stake. According to provisions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, the student-teacher ratio should be 30:1 in Classes I to V and 35:1 in Classes VI to VII. But the schools are violating the RTE provisions and jeopardizing the career of lakhs of students in the state.

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A new doorway to education
The New Indian Express, March 7, 2013

‘Dwara’, a cloud-based education enabled development product by Cisco, which can provide two-way communication between teachers and students was unveiled on Wednesday. The teachers can conduct classes in several places at once and the students can use the in-built wi-fi access point to reach out to the teacher.

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Liberalizing Cross-Border Trade in Higher Education The Coming Revolution of Online Universities
By: Simon Lester, CATO Institute

Recent developments in higher education, with leading institutions starting to offer courses online, suggest that the Internet is going to disrupt this industry, just as it has already disrupted the music and book industries and many others. We are entering a period of experimentation with new business models for higher education, with MOOCs (massive open online courses) the most prominent among these. At this early stage, it is not clear what the final product will look like. But regardless of the specific form the new industry will take, there is likely to be more competition, lower costs, and higher quality. This is great news for consumers of higher education.

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An ideal pedagogy
By Greeshma Neelakandan

Rajendra Dixit, former dean-faculty, education and social sciences in NCERT, strongly believes that the school pedagogy should contain elements that foster knowledge building. As a teacher who has nurtured thousands of students in a long career, Dixit finds India’s school system lacking on many fronts. “The main problem is that being in a large nation and having millions of students enrolling each year from different sections and societies, it is very difficult to coordinate the activities of all these schools,” he said on the sidelines of the ThinkEdu Conclave, which was organised by The New Indian Express in Chennai last month. Click here to read more.

A case for a common regulatory body
By Payal Ganguly

The move to unify specialised bodies dealing with higher education in India under a National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER) drew criticism from various quarters when it was tabled in 2011. The opposition to a single body undertaking the functions of specialized bodies like UGC, AICTE and NCTE was a major factor against the Bill apart from the possibility of micromanagement of state universities by a central body. However, the objective of the Bill is quite contrary, assures NR Madhava Menon, honorary professor and IBA Chair on Continuing Legal Education, National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore. The member of the committee for Rejuvenation of Higher Education of the Government of India and architect of NCHER Bill highlights its advantages. Click here to read more.

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Skill Vouchers - Global Experiences and Lessons for India
(Leah Verghese and Parth J Shah)
A study of the role that skill vouchers can play in catalysing demand for quality skill development services. This study examines global experiences with skill vouchers and draws lessons for India from these experiences.

For more click here

Reservation in Private Schools under the Right to Education Act: Model for Implementation
(Shekhar Mittal and Parth J Shah)
A comprehensive analysis on reservation in private schools under the Right to Education Act, providing a seven-step model for 25% implementation.

For more click here

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 our website

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