What will be the character of REI, will it remain as a programme within the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), fulfilling the gaps in SSA or will REI emerge as a totally independent programme of the Rajasthan government?
The REI as you know started with the discussions the Chief Minister had in Davos in January 2005 in World Economic Summit (WES). Presently, the REI has a separate identity, which is putting it at a level much beyond what the usual SSA or secondary school system would provide. REI is looking at a unique combination and partnership of public government sector, the private sector and the civic society and community.
We have also decided that we would look at the pilot projects. We cannot think of covering 75000 to 80000 schools in the state. It has to be pilot because public and private sector cannot work together over such a large area.
Thirdly we have decided that these pilot models will be successfully demonstrated and then only we will think of up scaling-up. These pilots will have to be tested against the overall objectives of education for all the factors like retention, dropout, girl child education etc. We have adopted a large number of schools within the REI, which are in the secondary set up. So REI has its unique identity. It will cover certain areas of secondary and certain areas of elementary education and right through out look at the key objectives of the learning capabilities of teacher performance, teacher training, and capacity building.
How are you planning to sustain REI’s ICT interventions in rural areas where there are either regular power cuts or no power at all?
There are certain infrastructure facilities that is dependent upon let us say power, if you put up a computer in an area where power does not exit, there is no point in doing it. But again you have to bring the benefits of information and communication technology to the rural areas too. Hence we are trying out different mix of technologies for example in rural schools where there is no power, we are looking at solar panels. We will have the alternative energy resources for powering computers. So we are not just concentrating in schools that have preset ICT labs, we are also working in schools in rural areas that are still struggling with the lack of basic infrastructure. We realize that these alternatives are not cost effective. Solar panels costs almost a lakh (100000 USD) for a unit. But we have to bring the benefits of the ICT and elements of new thoughts in these areas and even if it cost a little more we cannot exclude those areas from the developmental process. So we are exploring this mix of technology options.
You mentioned in the meeting that REI is based on a very loose partnership, what is the government doing to strengthen this partnership? Do the partners have the common vision? Are you trying to build up sort of a common vision for the partners and cementing these partnerships?
Let me explain the existing structure of partnership of REI first. There are three umbrella kind of agreements that are on the top of the structure; with Global e-Schools Initiatives (GeSCI) and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and with the World Economic Forum, along with the partnerships description documents between the four partners. So all along it has been a large umbrella agreement and within that agreement there were nine separate MoUs. Presently, we have given to all the partners a document that gives a clear vision along with a copy of partnership description.
The purpose of the partners meeting was to let people know of the partnership framework by studying our partnership document, and then allow people to raise issues. As I promised in the meeting that in the next two months we will sit with each and every of those MoU partners, chalk-out a programme, sort out the area of coverage, bring a calendar into place, what are the milestones as we go ahead, in next two to three years what we intend to do, what are the final outcome and that outcome should match with the overall objective of Education For All (EFA). So now we are taking – a halt, looking at all these MoUs in detail, discuss with the partners and sorting out the problems of implementation.
How are you engaging the teachers and the local community in this initiative?
We have a three-pronged strategy. First strategy is that the government’s role, the government
Championing the cause : C K Mathew, Principal Secretary of Education, Government of Rajasthan
Mobile lab in India to help science education
A project to take a lab to those not fortunate enough to work with sophisticated equipment has taken shape in the form of 'Science Trek' in India. The state-of-the-art 'laboratory on wheels', a bio-analytics van, will visit schools and colleges across the state soon. The vehicle will expose students in Karnataka to some of the advanced lab equipment before taking it beyond the state's borders.
The vehicle will not just show students what the equipment are, but will give them a hands-on experience of working with the equipment in the van that include a water purifier for getting 'ultra pure water'. The mission of Science Trek is to showcase and demonstrate the latest lab equipment so that children can see for themselves the lab equipment and the technologies of tomorrow. The vehicle and the equipment in it with the air condition cost Rs 25 lakh. The project is a joint effort of Millipore, Eppendorf and Metrohm. Millipore is a bioprocess and bioscience company, offering solutions that optimise the development and manufacture of biologics. Eppendorf is a biotech firm which develops, produces and distributes systems for use in life-science research laboratories worldwide. Metrohm is a front runner in providing key tools and the latest emerging technologies in instrumentation important to the advancement of scientific fraternity. The students in rural schools are the worst-hit with no access to even the basic lab equipment and this will be a boon to such students.
More DU colleges in India jump on to e-admission bandwagon
After St Stephen's College, KMC and Hansraj College, the latest college of Delhi University in India to start admissions online is Miranda House. Judging by the number of online forms already submitted to all these colleges, it won't be long before DU admissions become synonymous with just a click of the mouse.
The college's website www.mirandahouse.ac.in accepts online applications and also fields FAQs which are answered by the principal herself. The best part is that these forms unlike others are free of cost. St Stephen's College, whose website wwwststephens.edu allows students to apply online, has already received 800 forms. And with a week left for the admissions to conclude, the college is expecting more students to avail the online service. KMC, which was among the first to start the system of online admissions, has received 1,100 applications so far. Hansraj has also noted a huge rise in online admissions. Last year, the total number of online forms received was 2,500. This year, already, 1000 online forms have been submitted.
India joins the 100 million mobile club
India has become the fifth country in the world to have more than 100 million mobile subscribers. While China has the highest number of mobile users with 404 million subscribers, India crossed the 100-million milestone at the end of May when operators added close to 4.2 million new mobile users.
The US with 185 million subscribers, Japan with 150 million and Russia with 140 million mobile users are the other countries ahead of India. Germany, Italy, the UK and Brazil are the countries behind India in the top-10 list. In terms of percentage growth rate, India is the fastest growing market, and in terms of absolute numbers, India is the second fastest with 4 million new users being added every month on an average.
The Government has now set a target of reaching 500 million telephone subscribers by 2010. Announcing the achievement, Mr Dayanidhi Maran, Union Minister for Communication and IT, said that Government policies have resulted in declining tariffs and improving affordability of service and handsets.
Nasscom online test rollout from November
National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) is planning a nationwide rollout of the NAC (Nasscom Assessment of Competence), a national assessment and certification programme modelled on the lines of GRE, from November this year.
Nasscom and Hewitt Associates, in collaboration with BPO firms, have designed NAC, an online test for assessing skills in six different categories such as spoken and written English, analytical ability, keyboard skills and logical reasoning. The aim is to create a continuous pipeline of talent by “transforming” workforce into an “employable” workforce, according to Kiran Karnik, President, Nasscom. Announcing the completion of a pilot project, wherein 6,000 candidates took the test in select states, Karnik said the proposed nationwide rollout would see participation from BPO firms and state governments. The BPO firms that would hire the NAC-certified candidates are expected to bear the cost of their online test. The ITES-BPO industry, which clocked revenues of USD6.3 billion in 2005-06, is expected to face a potential shortage of about 3.5 lakh candidates by 2010, according to Nasscom-McKinsey. The NAC will provide insights into the real training and development needs of talent and hence help companies, governments and universities develop customised talent-development initiatives and programmes.
UNESCO chairs to open in Azeri varsities
Azeri Ministry of Education is going to start the 'Opening UNESCO chairs in higher education institutions' programme.
At present, cooperation between the Ministry and UNESCO results in a number of programmes, in particular 'Education for all', 'Associated schools' and 'professional technical education development'. Cooperation with UNESCO especially influences the programmes aimed at development and reformation of education system in Azerbaijan. The main aspects of cooperation with UNESCO are equal access to quality education, modernisation of education management system, update of education programs at all levels, teachers certification, ICT implementation in education system.
HU Master
A new Master of Science (MS) in Information Systems Engineering and Management (ISEM) degree program at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is intended to educate information and communication technology leaders who can manage, as well as engineer or re-engineer, the current, and next, generation of digital enterprises. The program's director, Amjad Umar, notes that the degree program can play a crucial role in transforming the region's economy. 'Central Pennsylvania needs to transform its current industrial base to a highly flexible IT enabled enterprise model and attract high tech companies to compete and succeed in this highly digital global economy,' said Umar. 'This transformation requires enterprise engineers and managers who can plan, integrate, secure and administer these digital enterprises where nearly all significant business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, and employees are digitally enabled and key corporate assets are managed through digital means.' The new Master of Science in Information Systems Engineering and Management (ISEM) program can help students acquire the skills to plan for and integrate technologies with processes and people that are key to the success of an organization in today's complex, digital world. The 36-credit-hour degree program is the only one of its kind in the region, and it uniquely combines systems thinking, management expertise, and engineering with emphasis on digital enterprises.
The core courses of the program will provide the student with a strong background in the most recent thinking in systems engineering, strategic IS planning, business strategy and management, service science and management, systems analysis and design, and enterprise architectures and integration. The student can take elective courses that span topics such as project management, leadership, egovernment, mobile computing and wireless communications, ICT infrastructure, business simulations and games, multimedia systems and visualization, information security and governance, business process modeling, modern systems development, and others. Additionally, research-oriented students can pursue independent studies and master's thesis projects to investigate areas of individual or professional interest. This program is designed for managers and information technology professionals who recognize the personal and professional value of an advanced degree. And it can prepare graduates for positions such as systems engineer, architect and integrator, business systems analyst, management analyst, software engineer, IS manager, and security planner and manager. The ISEM degree program is intended to educate IT leaders in the digital age. At Harrisburg University, Umar also leads the Management and eBusiness program and his areas of specialization that span ebusiness, IT planning, enterprise architectures and integration, mobile computing, and information security.
Blind inventor makes web accessible
A new device that will make internet content available to blind people without the need for computer skills is to be launched in a few months' time. The SpeakOn gadget has been developed by Chris Mairs, a blind entrepreneur who has founded an assistive technology charity called A-Technic.
The device will be able to access MP3 music files, radio stations, podcasts and website content normally available only as text, like online newspapers. Mr Mairs says blind people currently have to use assistive technology called a screenreader to interpret what is, essentially, a visual concept. The SpeakOn is being developed in two phases. The first is to produce a simple interface for people who already know how to use a computer. The device is being specifically designed for visually impaired people who are, in Mr Mairs' words, “technologically frail”.
But the SpeakOn is very unlikely to provide access to all internet content – what is planned is more like a “walled garden”. Mr Mairs says that being able to render the content of so many websites in a sensible form would not be technically feasible. The box will require a broadband connection and the developers hope to link up with a service provider that can offer a complete support package. If successful, the SpeakOn should help to tackle the problem of digital exclusion which affects some older and disabled people.
MoE, Brunei, signed contract with e-ICT Systems
Institut Teknologi Brunei (ITB) on behalf of the Ministry of Education (MoE) signed a contract with eICT Systems, a local ICT vendor. < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The supply, delivery, installation, testing, commissioning and maintenance of reliable hardware and software infrastructure for ITB is part of the Ministry of Education's e-Education initiative to ensure that its departments are amply supported with ICT equipment to enable them to deliver effective ICT services to its clients. With this implementation, ITB will be able to augment its ICT resources to cater for its academic needs, particularly with the impending arrival of the new intake in July 2006.
A grant of US$800,000 for Cambodian secondary girls from ADB
Eyeing at the drastic fall in the enrollment of girls in secondary school level, Asian Development Bank grant US$800,000 to help increase access to upper secondary education for poor girls in Cambodia through the provision of residential facilities with media learning centres. < ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Barbara Lochmann, an ADB Social Development Specialist said that the evidence shows that the expansion of such residential facilities to learning centres, which provide life skills training through the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), has the potential to broaden the knowledge of girls, thus improving their chances of career development. The enrollment rates for secondary education have dropped drastically over the last six years to 17percent for boys and 8 percent for girls in upper secondary grades. Poor families cannot afford to keep their daughters in school. In addition, for reasons of personal security, girls are generally not permitted to travel long distances and live away from families to attend upper secondary schools because there are no secure residential facilities away from home.
