International News: November 2010

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November 1, 2010

Ghana UEW launches distance-learning centre

Over 10 hectre land and a four classroom block with offices and an ICT centre for its distance learning programme has been given by the Techiman Municipal Assembly to the authorities of the University of Education, Winneba, at Ghana. This brings to three, in addition to those at Bechem and Attebubu, the number of study centres in the Brong-Ahafo Region. The Techiman Municipal Chief Executive, Alex Kofi Kyeremeh, described that for a number of years the skills and competencies of the people, especially, the teachers, have been improved without leaving the classrooms through the said facility, which brought higher education closer to them. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba, Prof Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw, mentioned the move was an opportunity for the University to locate closer to its clients.

London schools outsource mathematics classes to India

Ashmount Primary school in north London has outsourced mathematics teaching to India. Shortage of mathematics teachers in British schools has for some time presented an opportunity to Indians to teach the subject. Many of them have even immigrated to Britain to teach mathematics. A British firm, Bright Spark Education Company (BSEC), is facilitating the online mathematics classes by teachers thousands of miles away in Ludhiana. Lessons are booked 24 hours in advance; and at a stipulated students log on and converse with their tutor over the Internet. The lessons, designed for children between seven and 16, cost

INDIAN HEAD FOR HARVARD SCHOOL OF DESIGN
One of America’s most prestigious Harvard University has appointed a noted Indian urban designer and educator, Rahul Mehrotra, Professor, Urban Design and Planning, and Chair of the department of Urban Planning and Design. Additionally, he has been invited by Harvard’s South Asia Initiative to be part of their steering committee as they defi ne new areas of engagement in the region. At the Graduate School of Design, he will teach and hold seminars on architecture and urbanisation in India, and work with students on research projects related to infrastructure, historic preservation, and questions of rapid growth and extreme urban conditions in South Asia. He has long been actively involved in civic and urban affairs in Mumbai, having served on commissions on historic conservation and environmental issues, with various neighborhood and citizens groups, and, from 1994 to 2004, as executive director of the Urban Design Research Institute. He is a well known writter in fi eld of architecture, conservation, and urban planning in Mumbai and elsewhere in India.

IRELAND GOVT TO PUT € 20M FOR ICT EQUIPMENT FOR SCHOOLS
It has been recently announced by the government that the next phase of its 150m Smart Schools = Smart Economy Strategy and a follow up on last year’s 23.3m investment in hardware, will be a further of 20.7m in grants for 698 schools to buy ICT equipment. In order to implement ICT as an integral part of the learning process, Ireland primary schools are to receive a base grant of 1,700 and a payment of 63.45 to buy equipment. Schools based in socially disadvantaged areas – designated DEBE (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) – will receive a higher basic grant of 2,550.

CHEMISTRY NOBEL PRIZE GOES TO JAPANESE, US RESEARCHERS
Richard F Heck of the US and Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki of Japan have been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry, it was announced in Stockholm recently. Development of a chemical tool used for creating advanced chemicals, ‘palladium-catalyzed cross couplings in organic synthesis’ helped the three win the prize. Among its uses are carbon-based molecules that are as complex as those created by nature. The chemistry prize is the third Nobel Prize to be announced this year.

Themes for Deliberation at the PCF6 Platform

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November 1, 2010

Access to education has been an issue which has been largely talked about, although equitable access and success in developmental efforts still have a long way to go. The proceedings of PCF6 are governed by several themes which form the basis of discussions and deliberations. The PCF6 platform provides a common ground for discussing contemporary themes including social justice, education and empowerment. The use of technology and open and distance learning have been seen as key elements in promoting social justice. The sub-themes of PCF6 have been recommended to draw the attention of stakeholders to take forward the agenda in a more pragmatic and unbiased parameters so as to empower the millions of distance learners with many limitations to pursue their learning with confidence to achieve their goals

By Sheena Joseph

Social Justice

A nations growth process should necessarily reflects all inclusive growth and this requires that all social groups have identical access to the services rendered by the state and equal prospects for growing through financial and social mobility. It is also essential to make sure that there is no prejudice against any section of the society. Social justice becomes imperative in this context.

Theme Leaders

Common Wealth of Learning (COL) Social Justice
Prof Asha S Kanwar
Dr K Balasubramanian
Trudivan Wyk

IGNOU Social Justice
Dr Malati Mathur
Dr Shubhangi Vaidya
Prof K Elumalai

Sub Themes

Access to Justice: Life, Liberty & Livelihood
Scaling up Quality Education for All
Education & Employment of Persons with Disabilities
Assistive and Affordable Technologies

Access to education typically stands for a prospect to get access for a variety of courses and programmes that can lead to degree or authentic certification of a degree. In areas of non-formal education it May signify creation of consciousness among the members on a large scale in matters pertaining to livelihood, physical wellbeing, officially permitted rights, which includes basic human rights and partaking in various spheres of a self-governing society that lays emphasis on inclusive development and advancement.

Nevertheless, time and again it can be observed that access to education for a large number of population residing below the poverty line is still a distant dream. Several mechanisms which might have been instituted by the state are also full of inadequacies and shortcomings. These could include weak policies, poor implementation, corruption and fragile governance structure. As a result, even the existing structures fail to adequately deliver key educational targets for its citizens.

The final outcome of this kind of a society is that the certificate conferred to the youth is hardly of any worth and in spite of having invested in education, relevant job opportunities tend to be out of reach for them. Open and distance learning can play a crucial role in addressing numerous aspects of social justice and empowerment.
In several nations, there have been certain social groups and minorities who have historically been at disadvantageous and vulnerable situations. There are also certain additional groups which May have been discriminated against and which suffer from handicaps. This group May include persons with disabilities, the elderly, street children, vagabonds and victims of substance misuse. The World Day for Social Justice observed every year draws international attention towards efforts being made to wipe out poverty and endorse community welfare, egalitarianism and access to equal employment opportunities.

Open and distance learning has provided several avenues for the scaling up of education. It has opened up opportunities to teeming millions in India and the developing world. Technology has further accelerated the process. Newer innovations have helped expand the cause further. ODL has given a new life to education for children and youth in the hinterlands. It has enabled children and adults alike to reach out to the many who crave for education.

Community Development

Traditionally, higher education institutes have assumed a societal role of creating, preserving and extending knowledge to the society. Students have been trained to assume greater social responsibilities and inculcate values of a civic society. However, gradually with globalisation it has also been observed that universities are becoming ivory towers which are out of sync with the realities of modern living.

Theme Leaders

COL Community Development
Sir John Daniel
Ian Pringle

IGNOU Social Justice
Prof T U Fulzele
Prof Annu J Thomas
Dr Jaswant Sokhi

Sub Themes

Community based Learning and Outreach

Open Education Resources: Models to Choose, Adopt and Adapt

Innovative Pathways to Knowledge Society

Although the significance of research and innovation of fresh knowledge cannot be underestimated, finding of novel information and application of it in specific situations of research require specialization. With the increasing demand for democratisation of education in all stages, universities cannot manage to continue as islands of excellence. The necessity of a linkage between the universities and the communities has become all the more relevant with issues such as global warming, industrial pollution, violence and climate change cropping up.

Numerous education programmes have put the community as a vital contributor in determining issues of magnitude and quality. Democracy requires that a positive role be taken up by people, rather than imposing a top-down approach, where the 'target audience' is an essential part of planning and execution. Education is one of the quarters that, by definition, has to take on a democratic ethos in its functioning. Strategy documents are replete with references to 'community participation', which becomes the most essential form of sharing information and building consciousness. Much more powerful forms include participation in decision-making regarding school and teacher administration, and the performance and content of education. Community involvement is observed to make schools and teachers more responsible, thus leading to a more competent school system. Advocates of community involvement also argue that it assists in the course of making schools more receptive to local situations, and allows the use of community-level information, creativity and enterprise. Numerous programmes at the community level have emphasized on participation of the community in matters relating to primary education and community affairs.

Several research studies on the impact of community based education programmes have shown that a wider number of students have been brought into the education process, including the disabled, the marginalized and has increased teacher accountability.
Studies have also emphasized that community involvement have led to addressing issues relating to the management of para-teachers, who are observed to be a better substitute to the poorly performing government school teachers. Para-teachers who are managed by the community are additionally answerable to them and are more open to training and are competent in matters relating to the children's education, in comparison to regular teachers.

Another approach is where the people's involvement has also been explored in creation of course and pedagogy, connecting the child's societal, intellectual and ecological contexts with the teaching-learning process, thereby making education more relevant and interesting.

Traditionally, syllabus formulation has been a procedure of instituting and executing minimum standards across distinct groups. The teaching methods that are adopted have a huge bearing on the relevance of the course content, and therefore it becomes all the more essential to tailor the curriculum to suit to local requirements.

The stipulation in this background is that no neighborhood community is self-sustained; it forms an integral element of the larger society, a community that differentiates according to the social order and gender. On the flip side, these can inevitably lead to creation of a curriculum that reinforces these patterns. Accepting local curriculum May also exacerbate inter-regional differences, resulting in rifts in the quality of education alongside socio-economic or cultural lines. Secondly, disputes also relate to the capacity of the parents and the society in promoting participation, so as not to exclude any social group. Thus, the emphasis should be on the necessity of maintaining an equilibrium so that children are able to accomplish certain fundamental learning and skill standards, with the basic conviction that the state is eventually accountable for education, even as the society May involve themselves in that process.

Skills Development

Open and distance learning has provided several avenues for the scaling up of education. It has opened up opportunities to teeming millions in India and the developing world. ODL has given a new life to education for children and youth in the hinterlands

For any population to benefit from the fruits of a growing economy, they necessarily have to be vocationally skilled to partake in the economic process. Much more needs to be done in the developing countries to create employment opportunities for the large number of population and to equip them to meet the labour market requirements. Skill development plays a crucial role in national development and advancement of economic growth. Several efforts have been made in the developing countries to initiate skills which are relevant to employability.

Theme Leaders

COL Skill Development
Alison Mead Richardson
John Lesperance
Angela Kwan
Guilherme Vaz
IGNOU Skill Development
Dr Vijayasekhara Reddy
Dr Babu P Remesh
Venkata Subrahmanyam Vampugani
G Mythili

Sub Themes

Skills Development for National Development

Global Development Discourses; North-South Dialogues

Regional Cooperation: Who can benefit from whom?

One of the important elements in the creation of the skilled personnel is the vocational education and training system. In several countries, however, the system itself has not appropriately responded to the demands of the labour market.

A critical issue is to deliberate on the necessary reforms and interventions that are required to advance the effectiveness of the system. Change from a traditional to modern economy mandates the creation of a new generation of educated and skilled workforce. Its aggressive edge will be established by the people's capacity to generate, distribute, and utilize knowledge effectively. On the one hand developing nations have to face the potential opportunities accompanying the rapidly transforming realities and on the other hand it has to deal with the flaws of its established customs and structures A growing economy needs to expand its workers' base to include knowledge workers and knowledge technologists who are adaptable and logical and can be the key elements driving innovation and development.

To attain this objective, a flexible education system is required that will expend primary education which lays the foundation for learning; secondary and tertiary education that helps to develop integral capabilities and key technical skills; and additionally prepares the individual for lifelong learning. The education system must be accustomed to the new-fangled global environment by inculcating creativity and improving the quality of education and training at each and every level.

Nations that have had speedy increase in learning achievement, as well as continued economic growth, have improved education drastically to suit changing requirements. In a globalized economy, a large group of skilled workers are essential for drawing foreign direct investment. Developing skilled workers augments the effectiveness and flexibility of the labour market and decreases bottlenecks. Skilled workers are efficiently and easily accommodated into the economy, and their job mobility is enhanced. It is critical to devote in quality secondary and tertiary education and in vocational education and training (VET) if the economy is to expand and stay viable in world markets.

Demographic strains and monetary restrictions have often played an important role in the lack of proper dissemination of vocational training. Many developing countries are faced with situations where a great deal of the economy and population are still engaged in traditional activities and systems. Even though there has been a major movement away from traditional farming activities, it has still left the majority of the work force toiling in the informal sector, that too at low levels of productivity. Access to education and vocational training for this group is essential and will form the final stage of their completion of formal education. An effective school to work evolution for these adolescent populace can be achieved by superior quality secondary and tertiary education and training, and will advance their employment prospects and earnings.

Formal Education

It is critical to devote in quality secondary and tertiary education and in vocational education and training (VET) if the economy is to expand and stay viable in world markets. Skilled workers are efficiently and easily accommodated into the economy, and their job mobility is enhanced

Modern days challenges in global education and sustainability require urgent attention. Education in the current century is in want of thoughtful innovations because our civilization is increasingly becoming multifaceted, integrated, mobile and driven by knowledge. In this background, it is critical to support a vital and constant discourse on the purposes of education, what people learn, why and how.

The intention of education is and should be to empower individuals, and give them skills, information and values that can enable them to lead a fulfilled life. It should be the key stone in promoting peace, better understanding and give impetus to sustainable society.

If we notice that students are not learning, then the education systems have not been put properly in place. Knowledge is wealth, and lack of it keeps people bound in poverty. Quality cannot be delivered unless teachers are trained in relevant opportunities and ideas

All of us share a planet where we are interdependent on each other for diverse needs. Therefore, it becomes an accepted collective consciousness to actively take care and look out for fellow human beings. From this standpoint, education is about private and shared enhancement and the endorsement of societal justice. It concerns smashing down communal and cultural barricades and bequeathing every person with the knowledge, reverence and self-assurance to be occupied in their families, societies and countries as conscientious citizens. Education is a pursuit and an investment of a life span and therefore there has to be a coordinated effort for a movement in universal global education for all.

Theme Leaders

COL Formal Education
Dr A Umar
Frances J Ferreira
Dr Willie Clarke-Okah
IGNOU Formal Education
Dr R Sudarsan
Prof M K Salooja
Dr Hema Pant
P V Suresh

Sub Themes

Revamping Teacher Education

Open Schooling

Technologies for Scaling up ODL programmes

Quality Issues

Innovative education is the need of the hour. This will hold true for several reasons. The first is that the right to education is yet to be a reality for millions of people around the world in spite of the remarkable strides made in this century. With political resolve and innovation, there is a momentous chance to enroll all children in school.

The primary indicator of an innovation's value is the degree to which it opens the doors of education to the the most susceptible and marginalized.

It is common knowledge that segregation has numerous aspects. Children May not be attending schools because their families make less than one dollar a day. They might be trapped in distressful circumstances of conflict that wipe out their whole social network and surroundings. They May also be kept out purely because their gender, or that they articulate in a minority language, belong to a religious minority, an aboriginal group, or live with a disability. Education cannot stand such intolerance

Technological Outreach to Values

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November 1, 2010

Welham Boys School, a CBSE affiliated school, was established in 1937. It combines the best of traditions with a modern approach to learning. In a congenial environment boys are encouraged to nurture the qualities of the head, heart and hand. A strong pastoral system ensures that each child grows up with a sense of ownership and a feeling of belonging

The School has well set up Science Laboratories, a Design technology lab, a language lab and three Computer Laboratories with the latest computers. The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) houses a spacious library, a well equipped audiovisual room, activity rooms and an exhibition gallery to provide an atmosphere conducive to the boys to reflect on, and seek answers to the many questions that puzzle them. A conscious effort is made to encourage students to learn through research and reference by way of regular audiovisual presentations produced by the students themselves on academic and related issues. The School is equipped with a state-of-the-art IT department; most classrooms are outfitted with networking facilities. There is provision for sending emails from hostels as well. An effective firewall keeps out undesirable influences.

Launch of Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning(PCF6)

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November 1, 2010

The Sixth Pan Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF6) is to take place from 24-28 November 2010 at Le-Meridien, Cochin Resort & Convention Centre (Kochi, Kerala), India. The theme of PCF6 is ‘Access and Success in Learning: Global Development Perspectives’. PCF6 as an international conference will explore the contribution of open and distance learning to international development goals by opening up access to learning at every level. The Forum brings together practitioners, researchers, planners and policy makers in the fields of open and distance learning and development from over 70 countries. It provides opportunities to share experience and expertise and to contribute to future policy and provision. Participants will represent the main Commonwealth, Asia and international institutions and agencies active in the field, including funding bodies and technology providers

All of us share a planet where we are interdependent on each other for diverse needs. Therefore, it becomes an accepted collective consciousness to actively take care and look out for fellow human beings. From this standpoint, education is about private and shared enhancement and the endorsement of societal justice. If we notice that students are not learning, then the education systems have not been put properly in place. Knowledge is wealth, and lack of it keeps people bound in poverty. Quality cannot be delivered unless teachers are trained in relevant opportunities and ideas It concerns smashing down communal and cultural barricades and bequeathing every person with the knowledge, reverence and self-assurance to be occupied in their families, societies and countries as conscientious citizens. Education is a pursuit and an investment of a life span and therefore there has to be a coordinated effort for a movement in universal global education for all. Innovative education is the need of the hour. This will hold true for several reasons. The fi rst is that the right to education is yet to be a reality for millions of people around the world in spite of the remarkable strides made in this century. With political resolve and innovation, there is a momentous chance to enroll all children in school. The primary indicator of an innovation’s value is the degree to which it opens the doors of education to the the most susceptible and marginalized. It is common knowledge that segregation has numerous aspects. Children may not be attending schools because their families make less than one dollar a day. They might be trapped in distressful circumstances of confl ict that wipe out their whole social network and surroundings. They may also be kept out purely because their gender, or that they articulate in a minority language, belong to a religious minority, an aboriginal group, or live with a disability. Education cannot stand such intolerance – it infringes all essential
principles of basic human rights – from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Secondly, innovations are required to radically develop the quality of education at every level. Countries of the developing world face mammoth pressures to appoint teachers, construct classrooms and schools to house increasing numbers of learners. But evaluations from all sections point to grave inadequacies in learning attainment, which have a tendency to be magnifi ed by social drawbacks. If we notice that students are not learning, then the education systems have not been put properly in place. Knowledge is wealth, and lack of it keeps people bound in poverty. Quality cannot be delivered unless teachers are trained in relevant opportunities and ideas. The more varied the student populace becomes, the more expertise the teachers require to createan engaging and inclusive learning environment. Innovations are therefore required to train teachers in techniques that support involvement, team work, original and critical thinking, and problem- solving.Thirdly, innovations must be accompanied with ethical values, which include reverence for one’s own culture, respect for others and consciousness of our interdependence. In this context open and distance learning has made a signifi cant role in bridging barriers and bringing quality education to the unreached through low cost technologies and innovations. Teacher training at all levels is essential to guarantee quality. Scaling up of teacher education provision is feasible only through Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). However, we need to consider quality issues and new ways of addressing
teacher education. Open schooling is one way of assuring quality education for the under privileged whereas ODL is the methodology to scale up. Without an adequate number of trained teachers, the Millennium Development Goals will remain a distant dream. In this context, revamping teacher education becomes a priority. It will not be long before educational technologies will bring every under pribileged child under its ambit.

Success & Access in Learning

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November 1, 2010

Excerpts from the speech by Sir John Daniel at the launch ceremony of the 6th Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning, Chennai, India, on 10th October, 2009

Sir John Daniel
President and CEO,
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL)

“It is a pleasure to be back in Chennai and to announce the launch of preparations for the 6th Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning in the presence of the Chair of our Honorary Academic Advisory Committee, Professor M S Swaminathan.

As the number implies this will be the sixth in a series of increasingly impactful pan-Commonwealth forums on open learning. We are most grateful to IGNOU, the world’s largest open university with a full range of academic programmes, for agreeing to partner with us. We hope that PCF6 will showcase IGNOU to the world and not only IGNOU, but Indian expertise and experience in distance education more widely.

No country has made a bigger commitment to the use of technology of open and distance learning in education than India. In higher education, as well as IGNOU, you have a dozen state open universities, represented here by the Vice-Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Open University The title we have chosen for PCF6 is Access and Success in Learning: Global Development Perspectives. We want to stress the importance of successful learning. We know now that with technology we can take learning to scale. We also know from examples that it is possible to take learning to scale with high quality. What we must do is achieve quality at scale consis- tently in the most cost-effective manner. That is where the global exchange of experience is invaluable. The programme of PCF6, which will be developed under the able leadership of Dr Ramanujam, will aim for an integrated blend of themes and sessions, some originating in COL’s own programme of work, some in the papers submitted for presentation.
This blend should not be diffi cult to achieve because COL’s programme of work for 2009-2012 was developed in the light of Commonwealth needs, contemporary trends, and government priorities – all in a perspective of global development… …Access to success in learning does
not only mean formal education. Global development depends on the informal and self-directed learning of billions of people. Skills development is the bridge between the formal and the non-formal. Technical and vocational education in institutions is fi ne, but we also need more informal learning that leads directly to improved livelihoods…. …Open Educational Resources are sure to be a lively topic of debate. These are just some of the themes that will generate passionate discussions at PCF6. Over theyears the PCFs have gained a reputation as the most interesting and vital conferences addressing the intersection of development, learning and technology. I am sure that the 6th Pan-Commonwealth Forumon Open Learning will take that reputation to even greater heights and it is a pleasure to be here to announce it in India today and to announce the selection of the logo for PCF6 after a competition that attracted 120 entries. It is very appropriate that the winner is an MBA student of IGNOU…”

Technology is for Education

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November 1, 2010

The year 2010 saw quite a few major events and stories across school and higher education sector. Some of the precursors of one of the most awaited events near the end of the year is being unfolded in this issue. This issue brings to its readers information on the 6th Pan-Commonwealth Forum (PCF), a platform on ‘Open Learning’ and global development. It is to spell-out through its workshops, the importance and role of technology in furthering open learning. The event is to take place from 24-28 November 2010 at Le-Meridien, Cochin Resort and Convention Centre (Kochi, Kerala), India; and is themed around the issue of ‘Access and Success in Learning: Global Development Perspectives’. The conference will include participation from over 70 countries and is being organised by Indira Gandhi National Open University and Commonwealth of Learning.

This issue, furthermore, floats the current scenario related to Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abiyan (RMSA) that aims at providing universal access and quality secondary education; and Assistive Technology for the differently-abled in education. Secondary education is gaining importance in India because it is at this stage that students prepare for higher education and also for employment. Standards IX and X constitute the secondary stage in school and the normal age group of the children in secondary classes is 14-16. The kind of education at this level decides for Indian students their success at future education or job. Therefore, the need for enhancing access and quality is imperative at the said level. RMSA also works towards ensuring that students acquire sufficient skills till they reach class VIII so that they have the vocational knowledge which is basic for employment.

The latter is a note on adaptive technological devices that support the differently-abled population. These are a part of what is called as the Adaptive Technology (AT). Assistive technologies have come as a boon to the differently-abled population. It has enabled them to participate more widely in public life. Though still in its nascent stages in India, assistive technologies.
The latter is a note on adaptive technological devices that support the differently-abled population. These are a part of what is called as the Adaptive Technology (AT). Assistive technologies have come as a boon to the differently-abled population. It has enabled them to participate more widely in public life. Though still in its nascent stages in India, assistive technologies – if properly promoted and used – could bring about revolutionary changes and facilitate the creation of a truly inclusive society. In this issue we fi nd out more about what these technologies have to offer. So, join us in this endeavour to cover the current national and technological happenings in space of education

Creating a Niche in Open Learning

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November 1, 2010

The Commonwealth of Learning’s biennial Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning has grown to become the leading international conference on learning and development. It is co-hosted with partners in different regions of the Commonwealth
By Yukti Pahwa

A unique platform showcasing over 70 countries for deliberating and exploring potential of Open and Distance Learning is what Pan Commonwealth Forum(PCF) represents in today’s world. It is an international event that aims to bridge digital divide and advancing the social and economic development of communities and nations at large. The event is organised by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), that has already hosted five of such events in past. These events were hosted in countries including Brunei, Darussalam (PCF1); Durban, South Africa, (PCF2); Dunedin, New Zealand (PCF3); Ocho Rios, Jamaica (PCF4), and London, U K (PCF5). This year PCF 6 is being hosted in Kochi, bringing the forum for the first time in India. Following is a peek-view of the PCF events that have taken place in the past.

PCF 1

PCF 1 took place in year 1999, from 1st to 5th March. It was organised amidst the celebration of ten years of the Commonwealth of Learning. The conference was themed ‘Empowerment through Knowledge and Technology’ and was co-hosted by the Brunei Darussalam Ministry of Education and Universiti Brunei Darussalam. The forum came into being as a result of the 13th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers held in Botswana, which took place in the year before PCF 1.

PCF 1 was attended by eminent dignitaries including his Excellency Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Commonwealth Secretary-General; Mia Amor Mottley, Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture, Barbados; Clare Short, Secretary of State for International Development, Britain; Maurice Strong, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General Chairman, Earth Council; Noah A. Samara, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer WorldSpace Corporation; Sir John Daniel, Vice-Chancellor, The Open University, UK; Armoogum Parsuramen, Director, Division for the Renovation of Secondary & Vocational Education, UNESCO; and so on. The forum furthermore displayed case studies, workshops, poster displays and examples of work following five sub-themes including non-formal adult and community education; corporate/industrial training; primary and secondary (open) schooling; technical and vocational education and training; and university and college education. In order to honour excellence COL also recognised contribution of outstanding achievements and established ‘a Commonwealth-wide Excellence in Distance Education Programme (EDEP)’. The EDEP further had four categories of awards – COL Anniversary Honours: recognising institutional achievements; COL President’s Awards: recognising excellent distance education materials; honorary fellows of COL: recognising individual achievements; and COL Learning Experience Award: recognising learners’ experiences.

PCF 2

It took place from 29 July 2002 to 2 August 2002, at International Convention Centre (ICC), Durban, in the Kwa Zulu-Natal Province of South Africa. The event was themed as ‘Open Learning: Transforming Education for Development’. The second forum was to further examine the broad range of applications within the theme of open and distance learning. It showcased what is achievable with vision, concern for the learner, effective learning and learning facilitation and utilising and increasing appropriate use of technology.

There were simultaneously organised the electronic conferences will be open to registered participants and others unable to attend the Forum. On-line, ‘virtual’ conferences were a great success at the inaugural forum and were again being organised to help the conference planners and delegates prepare for the Forum. The virtual conference was conducted via the dedicated Forum website and will take place in the first half of 2002. The established Commonwealth-wide Excellence in Distance Education Awards (EDEA) were again presented following the previous years categories.

PCF 3

A successful Third Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF3) was held in Dunedin, New Zealand, from 4 – 8 July 2004, hosted by the Distance Education Association of New Zealand (DEANZ), the Government of New Zealand and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL). The theme for PCF3 was ‘Building Learning Communities for Our Millennium: Reaching Wider Audiences through Innovative Approaches’. The sub-themes include: Education, Health and Local Government. There were 412 registered participants. These included several governmental ministers, dignitaries and educationalists from 43 Commonwealth nations. Also, a series of four e-mail-based virtual conferences were held in May and June 2004 as a lead-up to the Third Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning.

COL, this year announced award winners on 6 July 2004. Additionally, since the Distance Education Association of New Zealand (DEANZ) wished to promote and reward excellence in e-learning, distance, open and flexible learning, a category of award was introduced known to COL awards known as the ‘DEANZ Award’, open to individuals or groups in New Zealand, or New Zealand citizens living overseas, who have completed a project that meets the criteria of the Award. The conference saw the presence of Sir Shridath Ramphal, former Commonwealth Secretary-General (1975-1990) and former Foreign Minister of Guyana; Shona Butterfield, TEC Commissioner; Walter Erdelen, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, UNESCO; Ann Therese Ndong-Jatta, Secretary of State for Education, the Gambia; and so on.

PCF 4

Presented by the Commonwealth of Learning and the Caribbean Consortium, the Fourth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF4) was themed ‘Achieving Development Goals: Innovation, Learning, Collaboration and Foundations’ and took place at Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, from 30 October – 3 November, 2006. The conference was chaired by Sir John Daniel, President and CEO, Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and Professor Stewart Marshall, Director, the University of the West Indies Distance Education Centre (UWIDEC). Prime Minister of Jamaica, the honourable Portia Simpson-Miller gave the opening address at the conference, while keynote speech was delivered by Sir John Daniel. Other eminent speakers at the conference included Winston Cox, Professor Penina Mlama and Dr Sugata Mitra.

The sub-themes of the conference included innovation, learning, collaboration and foundations; in relation to ODL and technology-mediated learning and were chosen as a means to interrogate the development potential of our practice. Keeping up with the tradition COL’s ‘Excellence in Distance Education’ awards were presented at the forum on 2 November, 2006.

PCF 5

PCF5 was an international conference that deliberated and explored the contribution of open and distance learning to international development goals, by opening up access to learning at every level. The conference was co-hosted by COL and University of London, from 13-17 July 2008, at University of London. The forum, in 2008, was themed ‘Access to Learning for Development’, with focus on children and young people, health, livelihoods, governance, conflict and social justice. PCF 5 for the first time brought the event to Europe. The event sought to address open and distance learning through widening educational access, bridging the digital divide and by advancing the social and economic development of communities and nations at large. PCF5 brought together over 700 delegates from 70 countries.The conference took place at the Institute of Education, University of London. One of the objectives of PCF5 was to facilitate a dialogue that went beyond the conference in London and to support this objective, an online discussion forum on Googlegroups was launched. Additionally, Googlegroup discussions on each of the Forum’s four themes: Provision for Children and Young People, Governance, Health, and Livelihoods were also facilitated.

Some of the key people present at the conference included Carol Bellamy, President and CEO of World Learning; Nicholas Burnett, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO; Zamal Uddin Biswas, Grameen Bank, Bangladesh; Professor L

All is Well with Indian Secondary Education?

Article

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

November 1, 2010

Outlook of the Indian middle school education scheme, the Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan

By Yukti Pahwa

The Union Government launched Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyan (RMSA), a programme for ‘Universalisation of Access to and Improvement of Quality of Education at Secondary Stage (SUCCESS)’, which is a centrally sponsored scheme that envisages to provide free secondary education to students in the age group of 14 to 18 years.

The objective of the scheme is to improve the middle level school education in terms of quality, access, infrastructure, educational aids, quality teaching, teacher training, etc. Elaborating on certain features the government described that the scheme entails supporting high capacity in secondary schools across country through provision of infrastructure and resources; filling missing gaps in secondary education; and removing disparities through emphasis on support of education of girls, rural children and the children belonging to weaker section of the society for supporting quality teaching-learning process in schools.

This government initiative was thought of as an extension of another national level programme for elementary education, commonly known as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). SSA was launched in 2006-07. Both the programmes have common target of providing universal access and quality education to school age children, respectively. One of the important features of RMSA is creation of a Secondary Education Management Information System (SEMIS). A total amount of `20,120 crore (for all states) has been allocated for this scheme under 11th Five Year Plan for implementation of RMSA. As per the provision of the scheme, the Centre shall bear 75% of the project expenditure during the 11th five-year plan while states’ share will be the remaining 25%. Sharing pattern will be 50:50 for the 12th five-year plan. For both the 11th and 12th five-year plans, funding pattern will be 90:10 for North Eastern States.

The objective of the scheme is to achieve a General Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 75% for classes IX-X within five years by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of every habitation, to improve quality of education imparted at secondary level through making all secondary schools conform to prescribed norms, to remove gender, socio-economic and disability barriers, universal access to secondary level education by 2017 and universal retention by 2020.

RMSA in Action

There was a huge recruitment drive under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, under which applications were invited. For instance in Punjab, during January the RMSA authority advertised for 70 posts for experts in the fields of Mathematics, Hindi, Physical Education and so on. At Bapupara, Imphal, in Manipur, a building was made for RMSA exclusively by the State Education Minister, L Jayentakumar, which was constructed at an estimated cost of `35 lakh. One of the foremost localised challenges at this RMSA centre was to adept teachers in the region, with training, to match the global standards on teaching. RMSA’s main focus is government schools. However, due to low number of schools in West Bengal, Ministry of Human Resource and Development decided to adjust the scheme accordingly. The exception in rules was brought only for the state of Bengal it has the lowest percentage of secondary schools in the government sector. According to the change in the “abhiyan rules”, the government is to fund not only the government schools that are less than 5% in number in the state but also some selected private schools. In Tamil Nadu the first major activity that preceded the implementation of the scheme, took place in Tiruchi with an orientation on computer literacy for 65 District Educational Officers and 325 computer science teachers.

In Nagaland, RMSA has been rolled out with 90:10 Central-Sate sharing pattern scheme, having an approval of `85 crores in the 2nd phase of the implementation of the initiative. Alongside with this scheme in order to make education of good quality available, accessible and affordable for all the young children of Nagaland, holistic Perspective Plans for Model Schools, Girls Hostels and Mahila Samakhya have also been formulated and accepted in principle by the MHRD.

Technology@RMSA

RMSA as a scheme is being implemented in line with other programmes such as ICT mission of the government, whereby government is facilitating quality education with inculcation of technology across aspects such as content development and management, teacher training, infrastructure and equipment, administration, and so on. The idea is to supplement teachers increase effectiveness and efficiency, and not replace them. Amit Kaushik while agreeing with the above says, “ICT can play a very important part in implementing RMSA. For instance, India is the only country in the world that has an education satellite, EDUSAT. Use of technology like this to deliver parts of the curriculum can be a very effective tool in the classroom. However it must always be remembered that ICT is no substitute for good, trained teachers; ICT can supplement but never supplant their efforts.”

The Challenges

RMSA presents as many challenges, as the number of opportunities. It aims to provide a platform for mass education aiming to enhance the GER from 52% at present to 75% by 2014. It aims to facilitate improvement in secondary education through the funding that it provides to schools, from the central government. These funds are being used for expansion of infrastructure, improvement of classrooms and assisting states in publicity drives for education. The other interventions that would be supported by the RMSA scheme would be providing for infrastructure in schools such as new classrooms with furniture, library, science laboratory, computer room and disabled-friendly provisions and help in recruitment of more teacher, provision of in-service training along with teaching aids such as ICT, and special focus would be given to girls belonging to SC,ST and minorities.

Lack of liberal use of funds, opening of desired number of government schools in the country, lack of quality teaching and teachers, and so on are some of the leading challenges. Amit Kaushik, CEO, Pratham Education Foundation says, “RMSA is a natural and much needed response to the impact of the government’s flagship programme for universalising elementary education, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). After nearly ten years of the programme, about 94% children in the 6-14 year age group today are enrolled in elementary school; it is inevitable that a significant proportion of this number will wish to transition to secondary education. Today, only about one-third of all children remain in the system till the secondary stage, and RMSA will help to address issues of access and improvement of quality at the secondary level.”

The Private sector role

Private schools and corporates are being encouraged to participate in the RMSA drive. Availability of funds, quality infrastructure, self-sufficiency and profit-based institutions are some of the factors which are mostly present in a private school set-up. If private institutions and corporates agree to aid the cause of RMSA, some factors such as disparity in education can be brought down significantly, if not completely. However, inclusion is a factor that needs attention not only at school level but also at pre-school level. Corporates can especially come forward to enhance quality and reach. According to Amit Kaushik, “I believe that it is high time we re-examine our attitude towards private investment in schools.

After the Supreme Court judgment in the TMA Pai case, it has been held that profit making has no place in education; the fact however is that several private players are already in the market and they operate by bending, if not breaking, these rules. Others who could bring significant resources to this sector prefer to stay out because they do not wish to break the law. In the long term, expecting the private sector to invest in education from purely philanthropic motives is not sustainable, and unless we are prepare to legally allow a reasonable rate of return on capital invested, it will be difficult to attract capital. If we are able to amend our laws suitably, the private sector can actually support schemes like RMSA a great deal, bringing about transparency, more efficiency and improvement in quality.”

Government say on RMSA and Role of Technology

Shri SC Khuntia
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development

In order to support RMSA, we have other schemes that are to help us to support ICT in schools. Started in 2004, the scheme has been revamped 2010 to make it more ambitious. Three years from now every higher secondary and secondary school in the country must be ICT enabled, which would imply to 1,60,000 secondary and higher secondary schools in the country out of which 1,08,000 schools are with government or government aided and remaining are private/unaided schools.

We are ushering a system for all schools to have certain basic ICT infrastructure and related activities

"Competency-based Training is What Philippines offers…" : Dr Lorenzo Emanuel L Guillermo, Technical Education & Skills Development Authority, Republic of the Philippines

Interviews

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

November 1, 2010

Dr Lorenzo Emanuel L Guillermo, Director, Technical Education & Skills Development Authority, Republic of the Philippines speaks at length with digitalLEARNING team on the importance of the authority set up for the technical education and skill development in Philippines

What are the origins of skill development in Philippines? Is it old or really starting now?

Before 1994 it evolved as national manpower and youth council. In TESDA our main focus is core competency. Core competencies are units that are specific to a stream of a given sector. Competency assessment is the process of collecting evidences and making judgments whether or not a competency has been achieved. Assessment is not testing but gathering evidences. It depends upon orientation.

After three months training, students are able to find jobs. The most important thing is that you must have competency. There are standard competency packages and programmes that we offer.

Kindly elaborate upon the ICT scenario in Philippines?

In Philippines, the state provides relevant, accessible, high quality, and efficient technical education and skills development to support the development of a high quality Filipino middle-level manpower; responsive to and in accordance with Philippine development goals and priorities. Technical Education and Skill Development Authority (TESDA) provides technical education and skill development to the young Filipinos. This authority cradles between department of labor & employment, and department of education. The congress of Philippines allocates budget for the implementation of programmes in education. We train the young Filipinos for the middle level manpower. Young Filipinos from the age 15 years can go to any TESDA office and apply for the scholarship Voucher. The national certificate that they earn is recognised globally. This is built on the fact that across country, competent standards are defined and evaluated in terms of a common platform. Our country, briefly, offers a competency-based training system.

The State encourages active participation of various sectors, particularly private enterprises, being direct participants in and immediate beneficiaries of a trained and skilled workforce, in providing technical education and skills development opportunities.

Please share with us experience pertaining to technical education in Philippines.

The role of the government in employing youth is downsizing. The competency standard in TESDA is drastic and is determined by those in private sector. Normally, a person first gets a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s degree, and then a Ph D. But in the end, when they leave the university, they find themselves in the middle of jungle and with no opportunity. In technical education and training, it is reqruied that one identifies what skill has to be attainted, in accordance with respective interest. And that is what we foster through our training.

How TESDA is helpful for unemployed Filipino?

In TESDA we prepare the unemployed people for the middle level manpower, especially for private sector enterprises. Encouragement for participation to private enterprises and our training framework helps us to follow a systematic approach. For example, if we take the field of automotive industry, the skills must be in the direction of competency requirements of the industry. for instance, if you are taking training in computer programming, you must have the required skills to process the desired programmes. With our national certificate trainind people can work anywhere.

What is competency based training framework?

Competency based training is based on curriculum developed from ‘Competency Standards’ defined by the Industry. Assessment is based on collection of evidence of the performance of work according to the industry required standards. Training Programmes are registered under the Unified TVET Programme Registration and Accreditation System. Competency Standards (CS) describe the work that is performed and Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) describes the training that a person needs to take in order to perform the work described in the Competency Standards.

What do you opine about the need of soft skills for trained professionals?

Soft skills imply communication, leadership and team work. The hard skills are for building competency. Many employers look for both hard and soft skills, in a middle level worker. Addition of the soft skills makes a lot of difference. An average technician can be better than a competent technician if he has better communication with the team or has a better set soft skills.

What is the essence of technical education framwork you follow?

Technical education refers to the education process designed at post-secondary and lower tertiary levels, officially recognised as non-degree programmes aimed at preparing technicians, paraprofessionals and other categories of middle-level workers by providing them with a broad range of general education, theoretical, scientific and technological studies. Skill development is the process through learner get opportunity the qualification for the range of jobs. Competency is designed as an integrated part of this framework. When you undergo training, the reqruied competencies are transferred to you and then you become competent and able to perform. But there are students who are not competent. Our objective is to make them competent internationally.

Please throw some light on your certification levels?

The levels that we have include the following. Level 1 is assistance i.e. routine jobs, and which is not related to decision making. Second is the technical level. This level involves some decision making process. Level 3 is for the supervisors who are to monitor a group of workers. Level 4 is for Managers. This is a brief outlook of our certification system. When we do evidence gathering, we observe checklist, question list, demonstration of work activity and portfolio. For evidence we seek authenticity, sufficiency and validity. We also check the time during which it was acquired to see if the certification is recent or of distant past. There are various assessment programmes. After level three programme one gets registered only for units of competencies, not the whole programme. For example, in catering service, you may get registered in the unit that one provides room service and other is to provide link between beverage and kitchen service.

When one wants to pursue technical education, then he is issued a voucher by government

But in higher education you have to comply with the number of units of general education, electives before you find permission for the final exams. This is the basic difference between technical and higher education.

What are the goals and objective of TESDA for providing technical education and skill development?

Main goal is to promote and strengthen the quality of technical education and skills development programmes to attain international competitiveness. We encourage critical and creative thinking by disseminating the scientific and technical knowledge base to the middle-level manpower development programmes under TESD.

Other objectives are to recognise and encourage the complementary roles of public and private institutions in technical education, skills development and training systems; and to inculcate desirable values through the development of moral character with emphasis on work ethic, self-discipline, self-reliance and nationalism. We have four key tool or basic competencies

Schooling for Returns : Dev Lahiri, Welham Boy

Interviews

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

November 1, 2010

Dev Lahiri
Principal, Welham Boys School, DehraDun

A Rhodes Scholar, Dev Lahiri, Principal, Welham Boy’s School, Dehradun, is currently leading one of the finest schools in India. In conversation with Dr Ravi Gupta and Yukti Pahwa, Dev Lahiri talks about the latest technological trends that are transforming school education

Many say this era is the beginning of the era of technology. What do you opine about the same?

People are going to use common sense and hopefully will use technology wisely. Its like whenever you get a new thing in hand, people get excited, go over board and them settle down. They then think of not letting the new thing dominate their life and weigh the pros and cons of that particular thing, and how it is effecting their lives.

It is not only being noticed in the West but also in India, as to how it is affecting the quality family time. Children are getting alienated and losing their social skills, such as interaction with one another, because of constantly sitting on the box (computer) and fiddling around with it. In our times, when there was no IT, we went out to play, to climb trees, going out, entertaining love for nature and so on. Now, I have to teach environment through text book. Whereas we grew up with the environment and with the environment, because that is where we spent our time. So mankind is paying a heavy price. Nobody can deny the good features of technology, but I also tell my students that cyber space also a huge junkyard and you got to be careful of what you access. At the same time the positive side of technology cannot be ignored.

We are trying to have an arrangement with ONGC, whereby they take our students and and show them the technology that they are using for betterment of mankind. We are launching a very ambitious project called “Vidya ONGC” with support from ONGC.

In the age of IT, how do you engage parents of the students with IT?

Our experience of using IT, as a medium, with parents has not been so useful, because majority of the parents we address are not very IT friendly. We have, otherwise, a very good website which is updated regularly. And ideally in an ideal world, parents would be accessing the website to get the latest updates. But it doesn’t happen and I find myself writing to them, in case any communication is required. Many parents are from rural areas or semi urban towns, where mothers are not tech savvy and father doesn’t have time to access mails. So, we find it safer to back up the IT communication with hard copies.

What are the efforts being taken up by the school to upgrade teachers’ skills, in context of technology?

That is being done on regular basis. We conduct in-house workshops for teachers. We have an efficient IT department which is to keep a check and constantly address to teachers’ concerns. Some teachers who are old, are a little reluctant with use of technology. For instance, putting scores from examination digitally, again with backup in registers. So, technology is being used to make things efficient and effective. We have central server and everything but as far as the classroom intervention is concerned, I am very careful with that, as there is a danger of confusing education with entertainment.

There is a whole debate on access of internet and use by students. What is your opinion about the same?

You can’t get away with internet. We try to safegaurd students from unhealthy access, but students these days are so computer savvy. We have spent lakhs of rupees on firewall on all systems. But when students operate systems at home, they access all kinds of sites. We can only teach them the values. If you try to compete with students technologically, its not possible. The kids are very fast and they can hack into anything. You can keep on trying to introduce firewalls and all but beyond a point it is just like fooling yourself. So, that is where role of teachers becomes more effective. You can teach them but not fight them on a technological platform. The fact is you have to teach them moral values and if they know the difference between right and wrong, they can choose for themselves what is good for them.

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