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| EDUCATION TRIBUNE |
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Revamp school system
Be a good sport
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Revamp school system A
dysfunctional education system can only produce dysfunctional future citizens, said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, while speaking at the 150th anniversary ceremony of the University of
Mumbai.
Reform in education cannot come from above; it has to emanate from the micro-level The educational administrative set-up restructured by the Haryana Government in 2005 in the hope of bringing about qualitative improvement in school education has not yielded desired results. The main purpose behind the reorganisation and integration of the two directorates was to rejuvenate and revamp the school system by strengthening the inspection and supervision of schools, which is the backbone of reform in the teaching-learning process, so as to ensure quality education, which is the need of the hour. Under the new arrangement, Block Education Officers (BEOs) have been assigned the responsibility of inspecting all schools falling in their respective blocks. They are supposed to visit every government school falling under their jurisdiction. There is no point in visiting a school if it does not show signs of improvement in working after the visit. Discussions with a group of BEOs have revealed that they hardly have time for performing their supervisory duties. Each BEO, on an average, has between 80 and 85 government schools to supervise. He is also required to act as DDO in respect of government primary and middle schools, which are about 60 per block. Most of his time is spent disbursing salaries and doing service-related work. The BEO also has to look after the Block Resource Centre functioning under the Centrally-sponsored SSA scheme. His job profile includes the supervision of a number of other schemes and programmes like mid-day meal, Edusat and guest faculty, to name a few. The state education board has added to their work by asking them to receive board textbooks and supply those to schools. There is no inspection plan, supposed to be drawn up at the beginning of the academic session. None of the supervisory officers has any clearly defined job profile. There are no well-thought-out inspection panels to assist and guide them. The purpose of reorganising the administrative set-up for improving the erstwhile arrangement of inspection and supervision stands defeated, with no visible improvement in the system. Ground realities are different from what is being claimed by the Education Department. With a view to lessen the workload of the officers, the department may think of giving DD powers of government primary and middle schools to heads of nearby high or senior secondary schools. The board can relieve BEOs of the work related to supply of textbooks by shifting this responsibility to its own district sale depots. There should be a separate school inspection branch in the office of every DEO/DEEO to go into inspection and action taken reports. The Deputy DEO can be entrusted with the task of coordination and overall supervision. The schools are large in number and so, cannot be inspected by one officer in an academic year. These can be categorised, with schools with good performance and better management and administration being put in category A. These can be left out and those falling in categories B and C can be taken up for supervision. Reform in education cannot come from above; it has to emanate from the micro-level. Herein comes the role of the school head, the real supervisor. It is he who has to ensure that teachers teach and students learn. There is an urgent need to strengthen school-based management to make it more effective in enforcing discipline to deal with the problem of absenteeism and non-performing teachers. Unless accountability is introduced in the system to make not only the school head, but all those involved in the educational process at all levels responsible for their performance, one cannot hope to achieve any major breakthrough in improving and raising the quality of education. Surprise visits by flying squads, being planned at the directorate level, can be helpful in checking absenteeism, but academic supervision will not be possible under such an arrangement. Interviews with heads of a few government high and senior secondary schools has disclosed that a regular system of pre-induction training and need-based in-service education is needed for the teaching personnel to enable them to upgrade and update professional knowledge. The board, in collaboration with the Directorate of School Education, can plan and organise such programmes for all categories of teachers, heads and education supervisors to keep them abreast of the latest developments in their areas of work. The department can hold monthly meetings of DEOs and DEEOs to review the supervisory work done by field officers. This will promote accountability and help improve the quality of education. The writer is a former Director, Primary
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Be a good sport THE children sit in their classrooms trying hard to concentrate on what the teacher is saying. The lesson is ‘boring’, but most pretend as if they are hanging on to every word their teacher is speaking. The reason—Ms Nagpal, the science teacher, has threatened to cancel the games period if the children are inattentive. The students just love the games period, where they are not confined to the four walls of the classroom. The games period means a break from the mundane classroom teaching. When the physical training instructor (PTI) blows the whistle, all the students are on the alert. The games period has begun. They form lines and in their white P.T. shoes, make their way to the playground. Here they exercise, play games, and before the bell goes, they line up to head back to the classroom for another teaching-learning process. The games period is not just about physical fitness or exuberance, it is also a class of self-discipline. In the junior classes, the physical education period starts at the nursery level. The little players learn how to catch a ball and how to throw a ball. Catching a ball requires hand-eye coordination. The body involves stooping, rising, lifting and other movements. As the children move to the higher classes, they develop a liking for certain games. They practise hard for that game, often excel and find a place in the school team. This could be the beginning of a sports career. All schools follow the house system, where the school is divided into four-six houses. Each house is allotted a fixed colour, a motto and a flag. There are inter-house matches to inculcate a spirit of healthy competition among the students. The physical training instructor works with children having different physical abilities. The interest of the children may vary. The teacher has to keep in mind the low-skilled child as well as the aggressive, athletic one. Skills required for taking physical education classes differ from those used in classroom teaching The teacher has to visually monitor a class of 40 excited young players spread over a large area. The teacher needs to have eyes at the back of his head. A good PTI instructs and demonstrates side by side. He allots different tasks to the students, introduces simple calisthenics and manages the entire lot firmly. Most schools hire coaches to impart knowledge about a particular game. Some schools may have a gymn or a games room where all the equipment is kept. If a school has good infrastructure and a qualified and dedicated PTI to match, the institution reaches its zenith in the field of sports. In case a school lacks the infrastructure, the PTI is resourceful and makes do with all the meagre facilities at his disposal. Passouts of the 1980s and 1990s of Convent of Jesus and Mary, Chelsea, Shimla, fondly recall their physical education instructor, Mr Atma Rana whose whistle at 4 o’clock announced games time. He instructed the students in basketball, gymnastics, tennis, etc., paying special attention to the sensitive ‘not-so-good players’. Physical education is neglected in many schools, as there are no trained and qualified teachers. The playgrounds are not maintained. The children sit in their classes in the games period or run about in the ground without any supervision. Games are an important part of the school curriculum and need to be given a serious thought.
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Campus NoteS The Haryana School of Business (HSB) has started functioning at Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology from the current academic session. According to the Vice-Chancellor, Dr R. P. Bajpai, the school would be developed into a leading business school. The departments of Business Management and Business Economics have been merged to set up the new school. The concept of the school was developed by a committee headed by Prof. Jagdeep S. Chhokar, former Director of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. It also included Prof. Sujit Basu, Director, MDI, Gurgaon and Dr J M Taluja, President, JJ Consultants among others. For the current academic year, the school is admitting 175 students in the MBA programme on MAT score basis through online admissions to be made by the Haryana State Counselling Board. From the next academic session, admissions would be made on CAT score basis. The school will offer specialisations in marketing, finance, HRM, international business, business analytics, information technology, public system, and health care administration. Courses like production and operations management, rural development, retail management, agri-business and insurance and banking will be introduced later. CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar Animal industry expo
Vikas Nehra and Neelesh Sindhu, both final year students of the College of Veterinary Sciences of Haryana Agricultural University participated in the Industry Awareness and Interaction (IAI) for Students programme organised during the Indian Animal Industry Expo 2007. The exhibition was arranged by Pixie Publication India (P) Ltd. from August 16 to 18 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. According to Dean, College of Animal Sciences, Dr S. K. Nagpal, out of hundred of participants Vikas Nehra bagged the top spot in poster making competition in which he had highlighted animal husbandry as a support to agriculture. Likewise, Neelesh Sindhu in his presentation threw light on veterinarian's role in livestock industry in India. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar Librarian’s Day celebrated
Guru Nanak Dev University celebrated the birth anniversary of Dr S. R. Ranganathan, father of Indian Librarianship and the only National Research Professor in Library Science, under the aegis of the Department of Library and Information Science, with great enthusiasm here recently. The birthday of Dr Ranganathan is celebrated every year as Librarian's Day To commemorate the 115th birthday, Dr M. P. Satija, Head of the Department of Library and Information Science, Dr Amritpal Kaur and Dr Asha Narang, while delivering their speeches threw light on the life and contribution of Dr Ranganathan. The paper reading and a quiz competition were also organised to mark the occasion. — Contributed by Raman Mohan and
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Civil Services
Engineering
Model Industrial Training Institute, Nainital Road, Haldwani PO, Kathgodam Distt, Nainital 263126 (Utt) (M/o Labour & Employment, GoI) Mechanical Trades (under Restructured Pattern of Craftsmen Training Scheme) (2 years) Eligibility:
Matric (PCM) Application Form: Rs 25/- in cash at the Institute Application Deadline: 25 August 2007.
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC),
A 34, Phase VIII, Industrial Area, Mohali 160071 (Punj) (M/o
Comm & IT, GoI,) Advanced Diploma in Bio-Medical Equipment Technology & Maintenance Engg (26 weeks) Eligibility: BTech / BE (Electronics / Electrical / Electronics & Communication / Instrumentation / Computer Sc & Engg / Computer Engg) / BSc / MSc (Electronics) / Diploma in Electronics with experience in R&D organization. Application Form & Details: Website
Management
Indian Institute of Social Welfare & Business
Management (Calcutta University), Management House, College Square
(West), Kolkata 700073 (WB)
MBA & MHRM (2
years) Eligibility: Bachelors degree (50%) Selection: CAT 2007 scores; GD; Interview. Application Form: Send Rs 775/- by DD favouring "IISWBM", payable at Kolkata to above address / download from website. Details: Website.
ICFAI Business School, HQ Admissions Department,
13/17, Nagarjuna Hills, Punjagutta, Hyderabad 500082 (AP) 1) MBA Programme (2-years, at all centres) 2) Exec PG Programme (1-year at H’bad) ICFAI Business Studies Aptitude Test (IBSAT) 2007 Eligibility: For 1: Bachelors degree (50%), For 2): Bachelors degree (50%), 3 years work-ex. Selection: IBSAT: 16 December ’07/ GMAT scores, Application Form: Send Rs 1,000/- by DD favouring "ICFAI A/c IBSAT 2007" payable at Hyderabad to Campus Project Admission Department (CPAD) at above address / download from website Details: Website Application Deadline: 20 November 2007
Fore School of Management, B 18, Qutab
Institutional Area, New Delhi 110016 1) PG Diploma in Management (2 years, Full Time) 2) PG Diploma in International Business (2 years, Full Time) Eligibility: Bachelors degree (50%) Selection: CAT 2007 scores, GD & Interview. Application Form: For 1: Send Rs 1300/- , For 2: Rs 1350 by DD favouring "FORE School of Management", payable at New Delhi to the Chairperson, Admissions at the above address / download from website. Details: Website. Application Deadline: 17 November 2007
Medicine
Scholarships
Teaching & Education
University
Pervin Malhotra,
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