15 Teachers, 15 groups of students and five primary teachers/ Block Resource Persons (BRP) from Karnataka, India, on March 18, 2010 witnessed a moment of pride when they were awarded for 'Best Use of Technology in Education' and 'Integration of Innovative Teaching Methods' to promote 21st century skills and enhance student learning. Intel in collaboration with the department of state education research and training (DSERT) and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), honoured the former people for integrating technology in the teaching
China and India recognise one anothers University Degrees
There is a probability that China and India may enter into a strategic collaboration for recognising each other's certificates in higher education, a move that would facilitate cross-border mobility of students for advanced studies and job purposes. Recently, a delegation visited India, from China, and held a discussion with the MHRD Ministry for introducing mutual recognition of certificates. This is being encouraged as both countries have similar patter n of education system at the elementary and higher education level. China follows 6+3+3 system of schooling, while India follows 10+2 system. The provision of mutual recognition would support students from both countries to migrate to any of the two countries and pursue further education or job.
LPI, Potugese agency collaborate for promotion of Skills training and certification
A collaboration recently took place between the Linux Professional Institute Potrugal (LPI), the world's premier Linux certification organization, and UMIC, the Knowledge Society Agency of Portugal's Ministry of Science, Technology and Education. This collaboration is to promote training and certification of professional skills in the use of Linux, open source technologies and free software in higher education institutions in Portugal.
Jim Lacey, president and CEO of the Linux Professional Institute mentioned that LPI's major objective is that its affiliate in the region would be providing TTT that is 'train-the-trainer' programmes in order to certify instructors within participating academic institutions under this initiative. Additionally, it will support in recruiting LPI Approved Training Partners (LPI-ATP) and LPI Approved Academic Partners (LPI-AAP). The Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education through UMIC has also been working with Portugal's universities and polytechnics over the past five years to develop more than 60 professional training courses in ICT for more than 2,200 students.
Soon, school textbooks with eModule from Encyclopedia Britannica
Indian schools will be hit with Encyclopedia Britannica textbooks, along with an online study module from April 2010. These textbooks will cover matter in four subjects – computer science, mathematics, environmental studies and general knowledge, told President, Encyclopedia Britannica, Jorge Cauz.
This information has been revealed after the knowledge giant made inroads into the school textbook business in India with a collection of 30 books, 10 knowledge CDs and nine teacher's manual. The Britannica books cover the National Council for Education, Research and Training (NCERT) syllabus from classes one to eight. The internet modules under Britannica Online School Edition (BOSE) have been created for three levels including elementary (primary), high school and senior high school, covering classes one to twelve.
INR 50 crore for registration of New foreign universities
According to the Foreign Educational Institutions (regulation of entry and operation) Bill, the foreign universities will be checked from repatriating profits from Indian campus though education, by making it mandatory for the universities to publish a prospectus for settling in India. The new education providers settling down in India are required to deposit an amount of INR 50 crore with the body that will register them, which is the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Various levels of registrations are to be done by the foreign universities at various levels, but the bill promises time bound registration to them. After going through applications, the UGC would further advice the government if the university could be allowed to function in India. In case of a collaborative campus between a foreign and an Indian university, the former will be require dto come forward for providing details for registration.
Aide et Action South Asia supports bridge schools
India has a big workforce of over 400 million people, and majority is unregulated. This population contributes 60.45% to country's net domestic product and despite such a big contribution does not get benefit from state regulation and protection. The sector constitutes nearly 14.80 million children employed as child workers. The most exploited of the sector are the Migrant Brick kiln workers, the un-organised and un-regulated labour forces in India. According to few studies, there are around 50,000 brick kilns operating in the country, employing around or five lakh workers. The National Commission on Rural Labour (1991) estimated that more than 10 million rural migrants work in brick kilns. The brick kilns of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamilnadu employ thousands of seasonally migrating laborers numbering more than 10,00,000, mostly drawn particularly from western Orissa and Chattisgarh.
Majority of the them are landless and small farmers who depend on the daily wages and agricultural work which finds them work only for six months during the rainy season once a year. The child workers alone constitute around 22% of the brick kiln workforce. A study was done by Aide et Action, in Western Orissa, according to which around 47 % belong to scheduled tribes and over 30 % work force constitute children. Most of the children are school dropouts. Adie et Action South Asia has initiated 20 schools in Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu covering more than 1000 children. With the increasing growth of modernization and industrialization, Chennai city had received large scale of migrant from other states and significant number of migrant from Orissa. AEA has initiated five schools recently, covering 278 children who are out of school in Andhra Pradesh.
Private colleges happy with foreign education bill
Recently cleared bill on the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operation) by the Union cabinet, was the much-awaited action that was being looked-up for by several private colleges and universities. This was important especially for universities who believed that the entire education system will undergo a revolution once the bill is passed. Many private players in the education sector have already been approached by foreign universities for collaborative programmes.
Falguni Mukhopadhyay, Founder Chairman and Managing Director of Brainware Consultancy Pvt Ltd. told that the bill would ensure much improved education. He explained that the institutes will later plan to enter into a foreign collaboration with the with foreign universities mainly in the engineering, MBA and computer science departments. Techno India group also has several plans, which includes hiring foreign faculty, a student-exchange and credit exchange programme. Provision of the entire education system from KG to PG on the same campus has been achieved by the Pailan Group.
Mobile learning aids K-12
The recent trends in education technology indicates that the landscape is forever shifting as digital advancements carve new twists and turns. There lately has been an increase in use of portable technology tools for learning. Mobile devices such as smartphones and iPods, still considered as undesirable by many schools, are now viewed by an increasing number of teachers and administrators as cost-effective tools to build and sustain 1-to-1 computing programs.
Increasing number of schools are handing out laptops or netbooks to students to use in school, a mobile-learning commitment that mirrors what is happening in higher education and the professional world. Other schools are concluding that they need to take advantage of the ubiquitous presence of technology by having parents supply laptop computers for their children, even if that requires working through some difficult issues about equality of access for students whose parents cannot afford those purchases.
PepsiCo pledges not to sell sugary beverages in schools worldwide
On March 16, 2010, Pepsi Consumer advocacy groups announced that the company will stop selling full-sugar soft drinks to primary and secondary schools around the world by 2012, very happily. Kelly Brownell, Director of Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, lauded companies action. The Center for Science in the Public Interest also applauded the move, which stems from a campaign led by CSPI called the 'Global Dump Soft Drinks Campaign.'
Coca-Cola and the International Council of Beverage Assns. were also at negotiations that led to the PepsiCo announcement, these took place in Geneva, convened by the World Heart Federation. Earlier this month, the American Beverage Assn. released a report on school beverages, in which it reported an 88% decrease in total calories in beverages shipped to schools and a 95% decrease in shipments of full-calorie beverages.
Next 3 years IGNOU will concentrate on National Skill Mission objectives: VC
Indira Gandhi National Open University will work to implement the objectives of the National Skills Mission, said Prof VN Rajasekharan Pillai at the 21st Convocation of the university. Addressing the Chief Guest, Guests of Honour at 43 Regional Centres, a huge gathering of learners across the nation, gold medalists, their family members, IGNOU academics, staff and media persons, Prof Pillai said, ensuring quality and student satisfaction are the hallmark of IGNOU pedagogy today, which will further be honed to excellence. Prof Pillai was speaking at the university's 21st Convocation. In all, 66 gold medals, six special gold medals were among about 6000 certificates in forms of Diplomas and Degrees awarded in the convocation from the Headquarters in Maidan Garhi on 15th March 2010. About 18,000 certificates in forms of Diplomas, Degrees and Certificates were distributed at 43 regional centres. The convocation was telecast live on the Gyan Darshan and broadcast in over 30 Gyan Vani channels. The 43 Regional Centres first joined the Main Convocation at the Headquarters through vedioconferencing and then started their individual Convocations.
Four special awards were given. There were interesting aspects among the students. The Master of Arts in English medal went to for the fourth consecutive time to the Jedda-based PI, Ateico. Its learner Mrs Shahmida Mohammed got it this year. Dhundup Dolma of Nepal earned two gold medals, one for topping the Masters in Social Work and Prof Ram Reddy Memorial Gold Medal for obtaining the highest marks of all masters programmes. Her countryman, Mr Gagan Gurung also got his gold medal for topping the Masters in Rural Development programme. In his Address, Chief Guest Prof SK Joshi stressed 'research, equity, quality and real world of business and industry' as essential requirement for higher education. Over the years by 2020, in India there would be a surplus of over four and a half crore skilled workers, whereas in the advanced world there would shortage of about four crore skilled workers. Indian youths must be able to meet the demand, and for that proper education and training at skill enhancement are required. It is not impossible to meet the demand, as “India had about 54 crore young people below the age of 21 and this number would continue to grow till about 2050,' he said, adding, 'it is a challenge for our higher educational system to train these young people. They need an education of the kind which would equip them with skills demanded for jobs and then has to devise modules of courses which will train them for those skills properly.'
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