Chandigarh, Tuesday, August 24, 1999
Chandigarh, Tuesday, August 24, 1999 |
UK’s Green Paper relevant By Surjeet S. Mahal THE UK Green Paper on Education paper aims at a radical reform in teaching. The document refers to many ideas which are fruitful for application to education anywhere. We are entering the 21st century. The success in science and technology will come to those who excel in teaching. “Copying
menace checked” Motivation
imperative for success IDP
beckons students Admission
policy raises questions |
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UK’s Green Paper
relevant THE UK Green Paper on Education paper aims at a radical reform in teaching. The document refers to many ideas which are fruitful for application to education anywhere. We are entering the 21st century. The success in science and technology will come to those who excel in teaching. The Green Paper refers to four major thrust areas: Rewarding good teachers is the first. The system recognises the best performance underpinned by tough appraisal to ensure credibility and normative standards. 2) Good heads reflect higher achievement and commitment. Hence, a National College for School Leadership would be set up to provide training to Heads. 3) Improving teacher training is another priority area. The important point is to attract the best graduates into teaching through fast upward movement in career on the pattern of promotion in industry and civil services. The fourth thrust area is to provide better support for teachers in the classroom. The Green Paper has its limitations. It is limited to the school level only. University education is ignored. Nevertheless, the document is significant. It recommends greater individual accountability, more flexibility and higher standards. The paper has much relevance for education in India. The status of the teaching profession, particularly at the school level, is falling steeply in India. One evidence is that less than 1 per cent who pass the + 2 level join college to take up science. The intervention of the Supreme Court in the preservation of answer-sheets for re-evaluation by the CBSE and setting up of centres for teaching by foreign universities are other examples which illustrate ineffective teaching in India. In this context, the Green Paper has a special relevance for consideration. A teacher has two kinds of incentives for good teaching. Annual state or national awards are given to select teachers. Its one benefit is two years’ extension in service. Usually, retiring teachers manage to get awards. This means that real good teachers remain sulking. The incentive of two or more advance increments for teachers who obtain Phd/M.Phil degree while in service is equally ineffective. These degree are often not relevant for improving teaching skills but obtained only to earn increments. The programme of training heads of schools for leadership is the most neglected area. During the seventies, District Education Officers were trained for science education programme in Punjab. Barring one or two, none evinced a keen interest in the training. The science education programme gradually withered away. The National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE), recently set up, does not lay down any condition for imparting training to schools heads. Improving teacher training is an area which requires immediate attention. Neither the NCTE nor the NCERT has any programme for testing national teaching standards. There is no vision to attract the best graduates into teaching through career promotion on the pattern of civil services. The UGC conducts eligibility tests for college teachers but no one does for the qualified school teachers. A national test demands every teacher, including the support staff, keep themselves uptodate. The training can take place out-of-school hours so that puplil’s teaching is not disrupted. It is must that better
support is provided for teachers in the classroom. |
“Copying menace checked” JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has initiated a number of measures to improve the quality of education in the state 20.8.99 in an interview, the School Education Minister, Mr Mohammad Sharief Tariq, told this correspondent, the militants had burnt down majority of educational institutions in the state during the past 10 years. During the period of turmoil, 828 educational institutions were gutted in the state, 596 buildings in the Kashmir valley and 232 in the Jammu Division. In the Kashmir Division, informed Mr Tariq, 390 school buildings have so far been rebuilt. Work on 157 buildings was in progress and work on 149 schools was being taken up. In the Jammu Division, 99 school buildings had been reconstructed. Series of measures had been initiated to bring the educational system back on the rails. Till date the government had spent Rs 13 crore on the reconstruction of gutted buildings. Referring to the challenges posed before the state government in the education sector, Education Minister said the educational system had totally collapsed in the state School buildings had either been destroyed or gutted by the militants. No student or teachers dared to go to the institutions due to the fear of the gun and the bandh calls by various militant outfits. Many teenage students in schools were motivated by the ultras to join them. With the objective to rebuild this sector, the state government took the decision to close down schools run by the Jamaet-e-Islami and the reconstruction of damaged schools was taken on a large scale. Elaborating on the measures, the Education Minister said the government had almost controlled the menace of copying which had assumed alarming proportions. Mr Tariq said the state government had now imposed Section 144 in and around the examination centres in the whole state and strict action had been initiated against erring officials and students. The state government has also constituted a Cabinet sub-committee to formulate a comprehensive education policy. “We want to introduce more subjects like Dogri, Kashmiri, Pahari, Gojri, Balti and Tibeti so that the people belonging to various religions and communities get to know their culture through the study of these subjects, “informed Mr Tariq . The government also contemplated setting up a council educationists of repute from various fields and disciplines would be its members. On opening of new schools in the state, Mr Tariq said 1,000 primary schools would be opened during the ninth five-year-plan. As many as 120 middle schools would be upgraded and so would 60 high schools. Besides, with a view to streamlining the education system further, orders had been issued to maintain a uniform calendar for the conduct of school examinations from Classes I to XII in all government institution, irrespective of the zones. The minister said the government was keen on getting all school buildings under the occupation of the security forces vacated. Mr Tariq said it had
been decided that increments of some teachers of
Government High School, Doligam, Jammu would be stopped
following poor performance of students in the
matriculation examination. |
Motivation imperative for success WITH the level of competition exalting by the day and despite the tall claims made by schools, colleges and coaching centres, supremos of immaculate gearing of students for these competitions through stout inputs, feedbacks and testing the number of the failed and frustrated seem to be skyrocketing just as much, if not more. Where then lies the loose thread? What has caused the situation to boomerang so devastatingly? Research reveals that those who are successful have had, along with intellectual knowledge, a regular input of an essential component of learning, that is, motivation. Motivation is emphasised not only in the field of education, but is given high priority in the realms of industry, management, leadership development programmes, personality development and human resources development. Given the complexity of problems facing the student community, motivation has become an exigency. A new day is dawning where success in addressing student issues is fast gaining momentum and calls for mutually beneficial partner partnership, active participation by students and a new role for the teacher. Brushing off this issue as much ado about nothing will not do. For eons parents and teachers have complained, discussed at length, and more often than not, condemned a student’s lack of interest, retarded pace of learning and lack of initiative or ingenuity. If one were to delve on the causes it would, perhaps, rage an endless ‘responsibility shifting’ war where both parents and teachers would fail to release students from an atmosphere that breeds boredom, procrastination and poor performance. Lack of motivation also results in distraction from studies which in turn triggers other problems such as latecoming to schools/colleges and high noise level throughout the school building. Some schools, in fact, are more like asylums than places of learning. If one were to walk through these during recess would virtually have to fight ones way through, avoiding being knocked down by someone running, fighting, looking to start trouble or simply trying to be obnoxious. The apathy mirrors the “couldn’t care less” attitude of some students towards suspension, detention, deductions of marks and similar punishment. The only redemption for withered learning is motivation. The colossal disparity between deceptive learning and actual learning could well be zeroed down. Experts opine that learning takes place when there is a need, drive, or appropriate goal, the attainment of which would satisfy the motive. Motivation in learning is akin to a catalyst in a chemical reaction and in its absence students waddle along thwarting all fresh designs of teachers and parents. Learning, a native ability, becomes an alien concept altogether as a consequence. On the other hand, motivation improves education dramatically, opening vast vistas. Whom do we look upon as exponents of this crusade? To merely state that motivation is fundamental is not sufficient. To recognise and provide opportunities to draw out and motivate the child could be a good starter. The richest dividends of motivation can be treated by home-school reciprocity, the fulcrum of motivation strategies being the stringing together of all skills, potentials and competence so as to actualise students’ performance and achievements. Teachers have a crucial role to play. They are the role models students relate to and it is because of this that teachers can bring about optimum motivation. Classroom teaching, as per convention, is merely limited to syllabi completion. Monumental gains can be achieved if teachers incorporate in the very ambit of the syllabi means to expose students to a core set of life skills which could range from decision-making to creative thinking to critical thinking. In fact, a teacher can be a great source of inspiration by honing students’ personalities through enrichment with issues like effective communication, interpersonal relationships, self-awareness and empathy. A teacher’s creativity here is really his/her ability to see alternatives and solutions. A tall order but much in keeping with the demands of the present-day situation. The teacher must assume the role of enabler and fecilitator and shed the dogmatic robe of ‘sage-on-stage’. This would doubly create and propel the propensity to perform better. Sometimes failure to progress may wrench all desires to perform. Guidance should come in on such aspects as effective study habits, time management, memory techniques and the dos and don’ts related to examinations. This, when supplemented with regular feedbacks could bouy scores. A small, but specific and timely, gesture like congratulating a student, expressing concern over or discussing a problem and publicly recognising a student’s good work does wonders to his/her self-esteem. Morale-building, through recognising the students individual needs and by giving incentives for every success (no matter how small) is a sure step towards cent per cent motivation. Problems and failures can be discouraging and nothing can be worse than laughing at or ridiculing the student for it. Try not to blame the student for it. Instead foster a feeling where the student is given to believe that it is not his/her problem alone and the teacher is on his/her side. The obstacle to learning will be eclipsed by motivation. Besides, if assignments are not challenging it is an invitation to waning of interest. The role of parents is equally, if not more, significant. A wholesome parent-child relationship is a must. Parents must reach out to the child-encouraging the spirit of comradeship and partnership. Whatever the underlying strength of the teachers, additional encouragement and direction from parents will always provide invaluable motivation to their children. Therefore, involving parents has remained a high priority with schools. Parents can effect a training which enables a child to face life squarely, a training that teaches him/her to look at life as an enjoyable quest where he/she must strike a balance between self-expression and self-restraint. The school, can never make good the deficiencies at home, much less usurp the functions of home. Another aspect that is often overlooked is honesty. Answering their questions sincerely and without evasion is imperative. Our information must be shaped in proportion to the child’s interest and capacity to understand. Often a child whose
parents do not become involved with the school is the one
whose learning at school is aborted. A teacher cannot
assume the place of the parent. Motivation is a potent
tool to success, the sluggish employment of which is
nothing short of a catastrophe. Motivation, be it at
school represented by teachers or at home/represented by
parents, is a common goal. |
IDP beckons students AUSTRALIA is now the second choice for higher studies, next only to the USA. Students started going to Australia only after International Development Programme (IDP) Education, Australia, set up shop in India in 1995. The IDP is a non-profit organisation jointly owned by all 37 universities in Australia. It was set up with the support of the Australian Government to represent and promote Australian education in the Asia-Pacific region and emerging markets in South Asia. The IDP has its office in Chandigarh and plans to open more in Calcutta and Bangalore this year. Its offices are already functioning in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. According to Mr Manmohan Huria, a retired IAS officer from Punjab, imparting higher education to overseas students have become big business for Australia. The Australian Government is earning over $ 3 billion annually on this count. Australian universities have over 5,2000 foreign students on their roles and 90 per cent are male. Since Australian education is based on the British model, it helps people from this country to easily adjust to the system. The IDP, which represents over 180 institutions, assists in application and visa procedures, organises accommodation and air travel and briefs students before they take off. All these services are free of cost. Most students are opting for MBA which costs from $ 10,000-$ 32000 per year. Boarding and lodge is another cost which ranges from $ 175-$ 200 per week. However, students are allowed to work 20 hours a week and full time during vacations. This enables students to earn pocket money. Some institutions offer assistance in finding accommodation and jobs. University campuses in Australia are visited by companies from across the world and placements are global. A sum of $ 182 per year is charged as health insurance from foreign students. In the UK health cover is free for students registered for a course longer than six months. The IDP’s main aim is to make Australia the most favoured nation for Indians in pursuit of foreign degrees. With a host of agents engaged in helping students seek admission in foreign universities, the IDP foresees that in a year or two 10,000 students from India are likely to be enrolled in Australian universities for courses in management, economics, engineering and computers. About a year ago, out of the 40,000 students worldwide, about 38,000 were studying in the USA. A year later it is a different picture. The US Government is restricting the entry of overseas students and cutting grants for higher education. As a result, education is becoming competitive and costly. Despite the fact that the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) does not recognise any of these overseas collaborations, it does not appear to deter aspiring students. The credentials of
foreign partners need to be thoroughly scrutinised. Their
reputation and accreditation in their own country needs
to be affirmed in the interest of the Indian student who
could well be fleeced due to lack of information. |
Admission policy raises questions PATIALA: The Punjabi University move to fill seats in several courses only on the basis of marks in graduation has left many aspirants fuming. The university conducted an entrance test for admissions to various postgraduate and undergraduate courses in June. However, a substantial number of seats remained vacant as few students cleared the test. Subsequently, the university on July 11 in an advertisement invited fresh applications from students for admission to the courses. The advertisement specifically mentioned that there would be no entrance test and admission would be made on the basis of merit i.e. the marks attained in the qualifying examination (that is 10 plus 2 or BA). The notice was, however, silent on the eligibility of students who had earlier taken the entrance test for admission to these courses but could not clear it. The advertisement attracted a large number of applications. It also came as a second chance to those candidates, who had secured good marks at the graduation or senior secondary level but could not clear the entrance test. Many applicants were students of universities other than Punjabi University. However, the candidates who had failed the entrance test were refused admission by the university when they came for interview. The university contended that as these candidates had failed the entrance test, they were not eligible. The agitated students then gave a representation to the university vice-chancellor, questioning the rules which held the students failing in the entrance test as ineligible but granting admission to those who did not even appear for the test. Students, preferring anonymity, said most of them belonged to other universities where the syllabi in the graduation classes was different from that in Punjabi University. Hence, they could not clear the entrance test even though they had good marks in graduation. The students said now the university was filling vacant seats with candidates who possessed lesser marks than them. The students said had the selected candidates taken the entrance test, they may also have failed. According to the Dean,
Academic Affairs, Mr Kuldip Singh Dhir, rules framed at
two review meetings for admission under the chairmanship
of the Vice-Chancellor clearly state that no student who
has failed the entrance test can be admitted. He has
received representations from students but so far there
is no possibility of reviewing the decision. |
Career hotline Please give me information on the pre-medical/dental entrance test conducted by the CBSE. Vijay Sheoran, Dehradun The CBSE Board conducts the All-India Entrance Exam for seats in all state medical colleges of the country except for the state of Andhra Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Application forms can be had from designated banks through payment in cash or by post. Age limit: Indian nationals, 17 years on Dec 31 of admission year. Eligibility: Passed 10+2 with 50% in PCB & English and should be medically fit. There is an entrance test centre at Lucknow. Notification is usually in Dec/Jan. The last date for submitting application forms is in February. The Exam is held in May and the results are declared in July. Scheme of examination: There is one paper only from this year onwards of 2½ hours duration in Physics, Chemistry & Biology (Zoology & Botany). There are 200 questions. Each question is of 4 marks. After MBBS, I wish to do MD/MS from a good medical college. Could you tell me about the selection procedure for postgraduate courses in medicine. Also suggest some prestigious colleges in the country. Harjeet Kaur, Patiala. Postgraduate programmes in medicine are generally of 3-year duration leading up to the Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Surgery (MS) degree. Those who go in for a postgraduate diploma course have to undertake a minimum of 1 year course for full registration with the State Medical Council. A large number of institutions all over the country offer PG training in medicine. Prominent among those through entrance on all-India basis included AIIMS, New Delhi; Christian Medical College, Vellore; Armed Forces Medical College, Pune; Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh; Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha; Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduation Medical Education & Research, Pondicherry and Benaras Hindu University, Varanasi. I would like to appear for the National Talent Search Examination. Where can I apply for the exam and what is the test pattern? Can you recommend books for preparing for this exam. Ravi Kumar, Bathinda The selection for National Talent Search Exam consists of a two-stage process: (a) State Level Exam, followed by (b) National Level Exam. The state level exams are usually held during October-November. All students studying in Class X of a recognised school are eligible. The exam generally consists of two parts: Mental Ability Test and Scholastic Aptitude Test. Both the paper consist of objective-type questions. Selected candidates are informed about the National Level Exam which is conducted by the NCERT. The National Level Exam consists of: Part I Mental Ability Test (MAT) and Part II Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Both the MAT as well the SAT papers consist of 100 multiple-choice questions of one mark each. The SAT questions are divided into: Sciences (40 marks), Social Science (40 marks) and Maths (20 marks). Finally the shortlisted candidates (approximately double the number of awards available) are called for an interview (25 marks). Circulars are usually sent to the schools by the examination board and advertisements are issued in newspapers. You don’t need any specific books for the exam but you have to be thorough in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Civics, Algebra, Arithmetic, Geometry, Trignometry, Statistics and Mensuration — all up to the level of Class X. Your knowledge of these subjects is tested in the Scholastic Aptitude Test. If you have been doing consistently well in all your subject exams, you won’t find the exam difficult. I will be completing my Class XII (PCB) from National Open School. Please tell me which medical/dental entrance exams are open to an NOS student? Prem Chopra, Mani Majra The Association of Indian Universities has issued a circular to all Indian universities stating the equivalence of qualifications of students passing out of the National Open School (NOS) with those from other recognised boards. Almost all universities have complied with the notification and have been admitting students passing out of the NOS (provided they have taken the necessary subjects and have the requisite percentage of marks. Why just colleges, students passing out of the NOS are considered eligible for appearing in entrance tests for various professional courses such as the All-India (CBSE) Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Entrance Exam, IIT-JEE, etc. However, there are still a few exceptions to the rule. These are being looked into by the AIU. For a complete list of
institutions which accept NOS as a valid qualification,
see the list given in the last pages of your NOS
prospectus. |
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Armed Forces Sept 6 Indian Coast Guard, Coast Guard HQ, National Stadium Complex, Near Patiala House Courts, New Delhi 110001.
For more details see Employment News 7-13 Aug., ‘99. Sept 15 The Indian Navy
Elig:
For (1): 3 years Dip in
Mech/Elect/Elect/Electronics/Telecom/Aeronautics/Ship
bldg/Instrumentation Engg/Metallurgy. Age: Born between (1) 2 Feb ‘78-31 Jan ‘82 (2) 1 Feb ‘82-3 Jan ‘85 (3) 1 Feb ‘80-31 Jan 83. Appln Form: For details see Employment News 7-13 Aug., ‘99. Sept 20 The Army Dental Corps, Room No. 9, L-Block, M/o Defence, New Delhi 110001.
Elig:
For (1): BDS (60%) MDS As on 31 Dec ‘99 for both. Appln Form: Fill in and send to the “Director General Armed Forces Medical Service” at the above address. For more details see Employment News 14-20 Aug., ‘99. Banking Sept 14 BSRB Jaipur, LIC Building, 2nd Floor, Bhawani Singh Rd, Jaipur 302005. Recruitment of Clerks & Typists (Hindi & English) Elig:
Degree or 10+2 (50%) or Dip in Banking (50%) or Matric
(60%). For SC/ST/XS/DXS/OH: 10+2 or Dip in Banking or
Matric (50%). Plus 25 w.p.m. typing speed for Hindi
Typist & 30 w.p.m. for English. For more details see Employment News 14-20 Aug., ‘99. Central Services Sept 13 Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, New Delhi 110011.
Elig:
PG Degree in Stat/mathematical Stat/Applied Stat Management Aug 31 Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Tech & Applied Nutrition, 11 RA Lines (Dogra Mandir Lane), The Mall, Meerut Cantt 250001. Aff CCU Meerut. (Tel: 0121 — 643590, Fax: 643724)
Scholarships Aug 31 Central Institute of Indian Languages (M/O HRD, Gol) Manasagangotri, Mysore 570006. Inter-disciplinary Research on Modern Indian Languages Elig:
PhD — 1st or high 2nd class Masters Degree in
linguistics Sept 15 G.B. Pant Social Science Centre, Jhusi, Allahabad 21019. ICSSR PhD Fellowships in Socio, Humn, Geo, Social Psy & Econ Elig:
(1) PG in respective sub (55%) School Sept 20 Military Schools Common Entrance Test. For admission to class
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