Turner & Townsend, EC Harris, Atkins and WSP make schools ICT framework

K-12

By

-

July 3, 2009

Seventeen consultants, including Turner & Townsend, EC Harris, Atkins and WSP, have won a place on a four-year education ICT framework. The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) appointed the companies to the list of approved firms to advise on ICT provision in new-build and regeneration programmes including Building Schools for the Future.

Other successful bidders include Navigant Consulting, Mouchel, Tribal Group and PTS Consulting. Stephen Lucey, executive director of strategic technologies at Becta, said, 'These suppliers will be a major force supporting Becta's strategy to ensure that the education sector's investment in ICT delivers real benefit to learners and the nation as a whole.'

Removal of UGC and AICTE suggested by Yashpal committee

News

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

July 3, 2009

The Yashpal Committee, headed by scientist Yashpal has suggested a number of recommendations including the removal of the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Council for Teacher Education (NCERT) and Distance Education Council. The committee report also says that IITs and IIMs should also be turned into full-fledged universities. A national test on the line of Graduate Record Exam (GRE) should be introduced for higher education in the country. This would be open to all aspirants and would be held more than once a year. Instead of all regulatory bodies a seven member Commission for Higher Education and Research (CHER) under an Act of Parliament should be set up to govern the higher education in the country. The proposed CHER will have a Chairperson and members will be selected by a committee headed by the PM, Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India.

Commission will have five divisions dealing with future directions, accreditation management, funding and development and new institutions. An eminent individual will head each division for five years. Yashpal committee was formed in a view to suggest measures for 'renovation and rejuvenation' of higher education in India. The committee expressed grief over the growth of deemed universities and suggested a complete ban on further grant of such status. Three years time period would be given to existing ones to develop as a full-fledged university and fulfill the prescribed norms of accreditation. Recommending curricular reform, the committee said teachers should have the freedom to design courses and students should be able to study subjects outside their courses.

Students from FTII to participate in workshop on cinematography

News

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

July 3, 2009

Deepu S Unni, a student for the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune has been selected as a scholar in the Budapest Cinematography Masterclass (BCM) 2009, scheduled to be organized in Budapest,Hungry later next month. Deepu is currently studying in final year of cinematography. He is the only Indian among 15 other participants who has selected for the prestigious bi-annual event. The event will start on August 30 and end on September 13.

All the 16 participants will get a platform to learn the modern techniques and aesthetics of cinematography at this event, conducted by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. The Hungarian University of Drama, Film and Television and the Hungarian Society of Cinematographers, in association with the National Film and Television School of Great Britain has been conducting the BCM twice in a year since 1991. Previous master classes have been conducted by Zsigmond, and other Academy award-winning cinematographers, like Haskell Wexler ( One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest') and Billy Williams ( Gandhi').

Punjab tops in School Infrastructure

K-12

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

July 3, 2009

Leading amongst states, Punjab has added another feather to its cap! It is emerged as the state providing the best infrastructure and facilities to primary and upper primary schools. Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur on Sunday said Punjab has surpassed Delhi, which has now shifted to second position as far as the infrastructure index is concerned. Educational Development Index supported these findings, prepared by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), established by the central government's human resource development ministry.

The infrastructure index of Punjab is 0.917 whereas for Delhi it is 0.909. NUEPA is a premier institution that deals with capacity building and research in planning and management of education not only in India but in also South Asia. The minster told that the survey revealed that Punjab schools have a strong workforce of 50,793 teachers and 5,332 head teachers. She added that in Punjab there are 894 girl students enrolled in schools for every 1000 boys.

Ministry to upgrade schools by bridging ‘Tech Gap’

Policy Matters

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

July 3, 2009

For the next two years, the key initiative of the Ministry of Education (MoE) will be to bridge the gap between technologically backward schools and those that are advanced by the implementation of standards aligned to an international society that formulates education guidelines. Incorporating technology still remains an issue with some schools being more technologically advanced than others as curricula vary, said speakers at a presentation at the Gulf Education and Technology Exhibition 2009?(GETEX) that began in Dubai, on Wednesday. Elizabeth A. Ross, Educational Advisor at the MoE's Professional Development Department, said that the educational governing body will be working with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) to lay a foundation to bridge the digital divide and incorporate technology for the best teaching practices in schools.

The ISTE is an organisation that brings together educators from 73 nations to formulate standards to apply information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching. Using technology for classroom management, instruction, student understanding and assisting those with special needs are integral to development. According to the standards, teachers must understand growth and development of students, the learning environment, curriculum and instructional technology to be applied. The MoE has implemented a five-year Professional Development Plan and will be focusing on blanket standards that need to be applied by schools in the UAE. 'We will also be developing a Centre for Excellence in Learning Techniques Department,' said Ross, adding that the entire programme is being headed by Nabila Ali, Director of Professional Development at the MoE. The UAE is not a registered country with the ISTE but many schools use its standards in the country. 'I am not completely aware of the number of schools registered from the region but we know schools are catching up. We are currently trying to work with the Ministry of Education, Knowledge Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Abu Dhabi Education Council to formalise the efficient use of technology in classrooms,' said Knezek.

NAA invites schools for online evaluation of national curriculum tests

News

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

July 3, 2009

The National Assessment Agency of UK is inviting schools to take part in an online evaluation of the national curriculum tests. < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

NAA is committed to improving the standards of provision and support offered to schools. Through these online evaluations, it is asking schools for their views on its work and how it can improve its service in future. Click the appropriate key stage link below to start the questionnaire. It will take about 15 minutes to complete each questionnaire. The National Assessment Agency (NAA) was launched in April 2004 to develop and deliver high-quality national curriculum.

Philippine IT market to be a regional Outperformer

News

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

July 2, 2009

It has been reported that anticipation is in the air that Philippine IT market is to turn into a regional outperformer over the next few years, with spending increasing from a projected US$2.5bn in 2010 to around US$4.0bn in 2014. Over the forecast period, with aid from the government on bridging the digital divide and other ICT programmes, the Philippines offers correspondingly high growth potential, although its has a lower PC penetration than many other Asian countries.Reflecting upon the fundamental market equation of rising incomes and low PC penetration, it estimated IT spending compound annual growth rate (CAGR) at 12% for 2010-2014. In 2009, US$26 was the per capita spent on IT which was far lower than in other Asian countries such as Malaysia, and even China. The forecast says that it will rise to US$41 by 2014.

It is expected that the wage rises for civil servants in the 2010 budget should help to boost consumer spending. There is an anticipation that 30% of the IT spending that takes place in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry will continue to grow. Surveys last year indicated that many of the Philippines' BPO executives felt that the impact of the global economic crisis had not significantly slowed expansion.In a policy address in August 2009, President Arroyo cited the provision of low-cost desktops to public high school teachers and students as one of six priority areas for her cabinet. The Department of Education, under Chief Jesli Lapus, has unveiled a plan to provide computers in an additional 200 schools, split evenly between elementary and high schools.

IB diploma scholarships now at Oberoi International School

K-12

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

July 2, 2009

The Oberoi International School (OIS) of Mumbai has launched scholarships for International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma programme aspirants. The diploma programme by IB is getting popular. However, most parents cannot afford an IB education due to its high costs. The cost of the programme ranges between INR 4.5 – 6 lakh per year.

Andreas Swoboda, head, OIS said, 'This is the first time an IB school will waive off between 25% and 100% fees for both academic and non academic excellence.' The Scholarship is not only being offered for academic excellence but for sports skills as well. OIS will also waive off the non-refundable enrollment deposit of Rs.1,50,000 for those students which will enter through its scholarship programme. Initially, 30 such scholarships will be offered, said Swoboda.

Technology together with Ecology at DTU

Higher Education

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

July 2, 2009

The Delhi Technological University (DTU), has now come up with a new master plan focusing on innovative ways to improvise itself. According to the new plan the university is to prepare for a fresh green look with 164-acre campus being out of bounds to all vehicles. Additionally, one third of the energy it uses will be generated from alternative sources developed on campus and by 2014-15, its current strength of 3,500 students will reach 10,000 costing the varsity a whopping INR 200 crore. The new plan includes two hostel blocks, two new buildings with the expansion of staff housing activities as well. All this and more are accompanied by the green initiatives undertaken by the university.

The new buildings which are to be designed will be based on green architecture concept which means the use of steel and cement would be minimized and recycled material will be used wherever possible. With the university aiming to shift almost one-third of its energy consumption to alternative sources by 2014, extensive usage of solar energy becomes an inevitable part of the scheme. The university currently uses solar geysers in its hostels and 120 solar lights on the campus. It is being planned that the teaching block would house lecture theatres, two conference halls and tutorial rooms while the academic building would house centres for biotechnology, informationtechnology, nano technology, large-scale design integration (VLSI) centre, computer-aided design, multi-disciplinary design engineering centre, knowledge technology centre and a patenting unit.

Schools to be rated by Independent Panels

Policy Matters

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

July 2, 2009

The government plans to establish an independent accreditation authority to rate schools, told the Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal. 'At present there is no accreditation policy on schools. If any child goes to a school, he has no information how the school is. There is no agency in India to accredit them or give the school a rating,' said Sibal while outlining his 100-day plan for the education sector. 'We will explore the possibility of setting up an independent accreditation authority,' the minister said, adding that it would be on a voluntary basis in the beginning.

He added that the above step would be taken within100 days. He hoped good schools that would like to be accredited would come forward on their own. Sibal said the independent accreditation body would not face any 'interference from the government.'

LATEST NEWS

Top Trending News

Top Trending Categories