Recently, the Indian Union Cabinet increased the retirement age of nursing teachers with postgraduate qualification to 65 from the current age of 60 years, in order to prevent an 'exodus' and help retain trained staff. The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni. She added that the 11th Five Year Plan envisages opening of new nursing colleges to meet the growing demand of the nurses.
Highest allocation of Tk 17,959 crore to Education
For the fiscal year, education sector has received the highest allocation of Taka 17,959 crore in the proposed budget. The Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith in his budget speech, recently mentioned that the allocation is 13.5 % higher than the revised budget of the current fiscal. He described that the government has given priority to education in terms of allocation of financial resources, which will be continously enhanced. This was also reportedly, a core strategy for cutting poverty and development.
With this end in view, Muhith said, the government has already approved the National Education Policy 2010 with 24 targets as a step towards introducing a modern employment- oriented education system. He explained that implementation of this policy will enable government to development a unified curriculum and syllabus by including different systems to establish a knowledge-based and technology-dependent Digital Bangladesh. He added that steps are being taken to establish IT-based madrasas for modernisation of this system of education and also to ensure massive expansion of technical education.
Funds to implement RTE sought by Orissa
INR 13, 671 crores have been sought by Orissa from the central government to implement the right to education (RTE) act in the state, a minister reported recently. School and Mass Education Pratap Jena met union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal in New Delhi on Thursday and discussed with him various issues pertaining to the implementation of the act. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act was enacted by parliament in August, 2009 and came into force on April 1.
Orissa sees launch of ‘Education for All’
A signature drive was started in Orissa with a kick off by international football player and former captain of Indian women football team, Sradhanjali Samantaray. It would continue till June 22, Santosh K. Padhy of international NGO ActionAid. Additionally, it was reported that a signed appeal by participants was directed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik asking them to increase budgetary allocations for elementary education, he said. Around 100 organisations in the state have already joined the drive.
The drive is part of the 1Goal campaign launched globally coinciding with the FIFA Football World Cup 2010 in South Africa. The campaign is backed by FIFA and some of the biggest names in football. The objective of the campaign is to pressurise the governments globally to provide with additional money for enabling each child to attend school. 1Goal is setting out to be the biggest campaign around a sporting event. It already has 100 ambassadors, 25 of the biggest mobile phone companies backing it and aims to get 72 million people signing up.
Sibal meets education ministers from Rajasthan and Assam
Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) India, June 11, 2010 met with the education ministers of Assam and Rajasthan, Gautam Borah and Bhanwar Lal Meghwal respectively, in separate meetings. The meetings were held on account of implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act which had been notified on April 1, 2010. The minister emphasised that the states should put in place the requirements mandated by the act while states informed of the progress made so far, wrt implementation of the act.
The states were further, informed that they were required to amend the teacher recruitment policy in order to recruit subject teachers and part-time instructors for art education, health and physical education and work education at the upper primary level. Additional the states were asked to assess infrastructural gaps in existing schools, undertake mapping for establishment of neighborhood schools and also establish School Management Committees (SMCs) in their respective states. The HRD minister also asked them to take steps for notification of RTE rules. Both states informed that they had constituted State Commissions for the Protection of Child Rights (SCPCRs) for the states.
Bizarre essay test for chinese students
Recently it was reported that Chinese students were left puzzled by these essay questions in the national entrance examination as people all over the country wondered on the significance behind the bizarre topics. There were around 9.5 million examinees who appeared in the tests had to figure out the true essence of the topics during the examination that were found to be too abstract. A few students in Chinese capital, however, told that this year's essay topics were in synchrony with day to day living.
Maharashtra education department confident of ‘best of five’ rule
Best-of-five formula was introduced by the state school education department and it is confident this effort which is being introduced from this academic year for admission to junior college, will be a success. Though the state government's decision on the formula has been challenged in court, the government feels its officials have done better groundwork this time.
However, it has been termed as a baised policy by some parents of students in ICSE schools, challenging the government's decision of implementing 'best of five' scores. But, the school education ministry claims the decision was initiated only after taking all stakeholders into confidence. It was reported that an official from the state education department mentioned that SSC students would be in a dilemma if the contention of parents challenging the decision was upheld in court, as they had taken the exams keeping the best-of-five formula in mind.
TV channel by Delhi University
Conceptualised around five months back, the internet-based Delhi University Television Network (DUTN), is to take help of students and staff, especially of the mass communication department, to bring all the latest happenings and news of the university to the students, without depending on other forms of media.
A.K. Bakshi, director of Delhi University's Institute of Lifelong Learning (ILL) that will handle the operations of the channel and according to them there will be three main types of programmes on the channel – education, entertainment and information. Information about the companies that are coming to the campus for placements, discussions and talks by various dignitaries and even live and recorded feeds of the sporting events during the Commonwealth Games are some of the programmes that DUTN may telecast.
Stop distance learning in physiotherapy says UGC to universities
In line with the Delhi High Court order banning distance learning courses in physiotherapy, University Grants Commission (UGC) has begun the process of sending notices to universities asking them to stop such courses. The UGC is a state body that provides funds and overlooks maintenance of standards in institutions of higher education in India.
The high court has ordered a ban on all distance education courses in physiotherapy running without approval or prior consent of the approved statutory bodies. The practicing licenses to physiotherapists and oversees education and training for physiotherapy is granted by Indian Association of Physiotherapists (IAP), which had opposed the course stating that distance education in physiotherapy was not possible since it involved a lot of practical training.
Indian American science teacher receives award
An Indian American science teacher Radhika Plakkot was recently named by President Barack Obama, as one of the 103 mathematics and science teachers, for the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Plakkot, who teaches biology at the Huntingtown High School, Calvert County in Maryland is the only Indian American in the group. She and other educators will receive their awards in Washington, D.C. later this year.
Awarded annually, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, is given to the best pre-college-level science and mathematics teachers from across the country. Each year the award alternates between mathematics and science teachers teaching Kindergarten through 6th grade, and those teaching 7th through 12th grades. This year it goes to teachers teaching 7th through 12th grades. Winners receive a US$10,000 award from the National Science Foundation to be used at their discretion. They also receive an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for an awards ceremony and several days of educational and celebratory events, including visits with members of Congress and science agency leaders.
