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Weekly Update on Education (Issue No 240)

16 July 2013
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Disclose audit reports for RTE reimbursement
The Indian Express, 08 Jul 2013

The state government has reiterated that schools that have admitted children under the Right to Education (RTE) will get reimbursement of fees only if they disclose audit reports to show the per-child expenditure.

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Schools heave a sigh of relief as Maharashtra govt softens RTE norms
Times of India, 06 Jul 2013

The region has around 1,046 primary schools, of which around 816 schools have submitted detailed reports of compliance and have undergone inspection, said Nitin Upasani, ZP education officer. Upasani said that the move follows practical constraints for many schools in implementing the RTE provisions.

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Private Enterprise and Public Education
Teachers College Press, 01 June 2013

The growth of for-profit providers in the K–16 education sector has generated more than its fair share of controversy. "Private Enterprise and Public Education" takes stock of the debate, neither demonizing nor celebrating the for-profit sector, to understand what it takes for for-profits to promote quality and cost effectiveness at scale. Contributors address how policymakers and other education stakeholders can create an environment where the power of for-profit innovation and investment is leveraged to better serve students.

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IAMAI, Facebook partner to educate children on Internet safety
Business Line, 16 Jul 2013

Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has joined hands with social networking giant Facebook to launch internet safety education programme in the country for students aged between 13-17 years.

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Maharashtra Government approves setting up of private universities
The Economic Times, 16 Jul 2013

“Some of the tricky issues which delayed the process, have now been solved and the private universities will be asked to keep close to 50% seats in the reserved category for socially backward classes just similar to the government controlled educational establishments”, Tope told ET.

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More than 70% RTE seats go vacant in Nagpur division
The Times of India, 11 Jul 2013

J S Saharia, additional chief secretary in charge of school education said, “The RTE clearly says 25% seats are to be filled only from specified category of students.”

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Need modern, not Western, education: Modi
Deccan Herald, 15 Jul 2013

"Building human resource through education is critical for nation building. Post-independence, governments played no role in the educational system," Modi told students at the Fergusson College here. "We need modernization, not Westernization of our educational system. I support modern education but not blind aping of the  West."

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The Education System in India
GNU. org

In ancient times, India had the Gurukula system of education in which  anyone who wished to study went to a teacher’s (Guru) house and  requested to be taught. If accepted as a student by the guru, he would  then stay at the guru’s place and help in all activities at home. This  not only created a strong tie between the teacher and the student, but  also taught the student everything about running a house.

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Community participation and School functioning- Evidence from DRC Survey data

Community participation is deeply interwoven in the implementation of the The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. Every school has to have a School Management Committee (SMC) which consists of members from the local community and in theory; this SMC approves plans, signs cheques and monitors the school performance.  The SMC (and the local community as a whole) form an important part of the accountability chain as they supplement inspections by higher rung officials, with their regular monitoring. However, anecdotal evidence, based on my field visits, suggests that most teachers do not come to school regularly as parents and community members are not concerned about the school’s functioning. The only time the community approaches the school is to ask for entitlements or to check on Mid-day meals. In some of the cases that I encountered, the SMCs were largely non functional, with the Headmaster (HM) handling most of its affairs. The SMC members stated that they were not aware of their roles and all they did was sign cheques. Click here to read more

Poll
Should vacant seats in the 25% reservation under the RTE be filled by other students who can pay?

To vote click here

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

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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