This Guwahati School accepts ‘plastic waste’ as tuition fees

Engagement Stories

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September 11, 2019

Amid the rising movement around the world against use of plastic, a school in Guwahati has set out on a mission other than just teaching students. The Akshar Foundation School, situated in Pamohi on the outer skirts of Guwahati, has started to accept ‘plastic waste’ as tuition fees.

As per the media reports, the school is encouraging students to bring 25 different plastic waste every week in order to get exempted from paying tuition fees.

The school recycles the plastic received from the students. Earlier, the plastic wastes that were burnt to get rid off are now being recycled to make bricks. These bricks made for recycled plastic are used in the construction work.

The Akshar Foundation School was started with 20 students in 2016 with a mission to inculcate vocational skills along with academics. Today, the school has more than 100 students. Notably, it has received the affiliation from National Institute of Open School (NIOS).

Apart from encouraging students to reuse the plastic waste, the school has also helped students get back to school from the local quarry and has improved the enrollment of children.

Usually children of this region work in local quarries to earn livelihood and support family, from a very early age.

In order to help students get back to learning, the school encourages senior students to teach their juniors. An adequate training is given to them to impart teaching responsibilities. Even monetary rewards are given for this which keeps the students motivated to continue the school.

Elets to organise 15th World Education Summit in Mumbai on November 21-22, 2019

By

Rumani Arora

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September 10, 2019

Education is the key deciding factor in the economic development of any country, especially in developing nations like India. Since the early days of independence, the Indian government has focused on improving the literacy rate in the country. Even today, the government is dedicated towards promoting primary and higher education through various initiatives.

Continuing the focus on education, the budget 2019, presented by Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, witnessed the allocation for school education move up by 12.8%, whereas on higher education front, the same has seen a rise of 14.3%.

Interestingly, the Indian Education system is the world’s third-largest Higher Education System which comprises of more than 800 universities, 39,000 colleges and a capacity of enrolling more than 20 million students.

In order to explore various facets of the education sector in India and abroad, Elets Technomedia along with digitalLEARNING magazine is conducting the 15th edition of World Education Summit in Mumbai on November 21-22, 2019.

The objective of the Summit will be to discuss policy framework and industry overview along with a vision for the future with the key stakeholders.

Key Focus Areas

Building India an EduEconomy by 2022
Role of Technology in Educating the Present and Future Generations
Learning Transformed: Designing tomorrow’s Schools, Today
India: The most attractive private education market in the world
Incorporating Blockchain Technology in Education
Collaborative Learning in Globalised Environment
Addressing the Challenges Faced by HR Managers: Present and Future Solutions

Glimpses from 14th World Education Summit

The 14th World Education Summit, held on August 9-10, 2019 in Delhi, witnessed a mammoth gathering and panel discussions on a plethora of topics including – Draft New Education Policy, Need of Innovation to Impart Quality Education, Role of Early Childhood Educators, Scope of Automation in Enrolment, Nurturing Industry-ready Workforce, Vocational and Skill Development, Role of Teachers and Teaching Methods in Creating an Effective Pedagogical Environment, Importance of MOOCs, Distance Education, E-Learning, and Blended Learning, Global Collaborations, Creating Framework for Developing Research-ready Institution, and much more.

Bhanwar Singh Bhati, Hon’ble Minister of Higher Education, Government of Rajasthan; Thokchom Radheshyam, Hon’ble Minister for Education Labour and Employment, Government of Manipur; and Temjen Imna Along, Hon’ble Minister of Higher & Technical Education, Government of Nagaland graced the occasion as Chief Guests.

Besides, the summit was also attended by key government dignitaries, policy makers and personalities government education bodies – Dr Subodh Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries, Government of Rajasthan ; Anand Kishor, Chairman, Bihar State Board Education, Government of Bihar; Dr A Ashok, Commissioner, Intermediate Education, Government of Telengana; Vaibhav Galriya, Secretary, Higher & Technical Education, Government of Rajasthan; Pradeep Kumar Borad, Commisioner, College Education & School Education, Special Secretary, Higher Education & Sanskrit Education, Government of Rajasthan; Dr Chithung Mary Thomas, Secretary, Borad of Secondary Education, Government of Manipur; Nanda Kumar Singh, Joint Secretary, Education Department, Government of Manipur; Prof Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE; Prof Alok Prakash Mittal, Member Secretary, AICTE; Bishwajit Kumar Singh, Commissioner,NVS; U N Khaware, Additional Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan; Dr Biswajit Saha, Director (Vocational Education), CBSE; Major Harsh Kumar, Secretary, NCERT; Abid Hussain, Director, Directorate of Madrasah Education, Government of West Bengal.

Legacy

Since 2011, World Education Summits have witnessed the confluence of decision makers, influential experts and practitioners linked to education sector from across the world. The summit aims to explore groundbreaking innovations and encourage steps to ensure significant improvements in the global education sector.

The World Education Summit is the premier international platform dedicated to innovations and creative actions in the education sector. Here, top decision-makers share insights with on-the-ground practitioners and collaborate to rethink and find out various emerging opportunities in the education landscape at present and in future.

How to Participate in 15th World Education Summit?

Carrying forward the legacy of the last 14 editions that witnessed the congregation of top luminaries of the education ecosystem, the 15th edition of the summit is expected to provide a much greater platform for knowledge exchange and networking. To participate in 15th World Education Summit, contact the Programme Director Kumar Chandan Anand at 8860635836 or write to him at kumarchandan@elets.in.

Edtech Startup WhiteHat Jr raises $10 million in Series A funding

By

Rumani Arora

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September 10, 2019

In the season of funding, collaborations and takeover, EdTech startup WhiteHat Jr announced raising $10 million funding in Series A from existing investors Nexus Venture Partners and Omidyar Network India, on September 10, 2019. Owl Ventures, a Silicon Valley based EdTech, also participated in the funding round as a new investor.

Karan Bajaj, former Discovery Networks CEO and bestselling novelist, founded the WhiteHat Jr to pursue his dream of making a difference in global education.

The ed-tech startup helps kids 6 to 14 build commercial-ready games, animations and apps online using the fundamentals of coding. Started in November 2018, the company had earlier raised $1.3 Mn in seed funding from Nexus Venture Partners and Omidyar Network India.

Notably, the startup will utilize the new funds in strengthening their technology platform, expanding the course curriculum and increasing consumer awareness.

The online platform of WhiteHat Jr, over the past few months, has witnessed over 150,000 student trials, over 500 teachers onboard and 100% month-on-month student and revenue growth. The company conducts 1,000 online classes per day and has experienced resounding demand with all capacity regularly booked within an hour of being announced and maintaining a daily waitlist of 500 students.

Commenting on the development, WhiteHat Jr’s CEO, Karan Bajaj said, “Our mission is to harness the natural creativity of kids and shift their mindset from an early age – from being consumers to creators of technology. It’s been heartening to see the projects of kids in the first 6 months of launch as they’re creating immensely creative, high utility digital applications that are bound to have long-term impact.”

Anup Gupta, Managing Director, Nexus Venture Partners, said, “We have been privileged to partner with Karan from the concept stage of the company, and been very impressed with their execution and rapid growth. We are excited to strengthen our association with WhiteHat Jr’s mission of creating the next generation of innovators and thinkers.”

Currently, WhiteHat Jr offers four levels of courses – Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Professional – for students in grades 1-9.

In the live 1:1 online classrooms, kids create complex games, animations and apps using logic, sequence, structure, commands and algorithmic thinking. Interestingly, the early graduates, as young as seven, of the course have created professional-ready apps downloadable on the App Store.

Central Govt to set up 462 Eklavya schools for tribal students in remote areas

By

Reetika Bose

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September 10, 2019

In a recent development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 462 Eklavya schools for tribal students on 12th September, according to an official update.

Confirming the news in a press conference, Union Tribal Affairs Minister, Arjun Munda said that PM Modi will inaugurate Eklavya Schools dedicated to education tribal students in remote areas on 12th September 2019.

The central government has given its nod to setup 462 Eklavya Residential Schools across the country under the Eklavya School Scheme. This move is dedicated to educate the tribal students. The newly conceptualised Eklavya Schools will be setup on the lines of Navodaya schools.

Under the scheme, each Eklavya School will be home to 450 tribal students from Class 6 to Class 12. A the total 462 schools have been sanctioned by the Central Government and will be opened in tribal regions based in states of Jharkhand, Odisha, North eastern and other states in next two years.

A total of Rs 10,000 crores has been sanctioned by the Central Government for Eklavya Schools Scheme.

Delhi to soon have its new education board with separate grades for students

By

Reetika Bose

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September 10, 2019

In an attempt to help students prepare for entrance examinations like JEE & NEET, Delhi will soon have its own education board which will not be a replica of CBSE but a next generation board for the students, Deputy Chief Minister, Delhi, Manish Sisodia said.

The move was made with an aim to solve the current situation of students preparing for board examinations.

“This is an irony but I see it as a blessing that there is no education board in Delhi. We are preparing to give Delhi its own education board.”

“We thought about this in 2015 itself and even started working towards it. However, when we saw the condition of the buildings and got a sense of the scholastic environment in the classes, we realised that before introducing a new board, we had to first work on improving the infrastructure,” he added.

Considering the necessity of having a separate board for Delhi, the Delhi Government will rigourously work on the new initiative after keeping it aside for a while now.

Commenting on the move, Sisodia said, “The government is working on it. It is not going to be a replacement for CBSE but a next generation board.”

Depending on the subject that the students want to pursue, Sisodia plans to set the curriculum in such a pattern where there will be separate grades for students.

Explaining this further, Sisodia said, “If a child wants to become a journalist, he/she can take A grade language and maybe C grade of science so that if he has to cover science, he is well-versed with the basics.”

This new move has been mentioned in a book launched by Sisodia, titled ‘Shiksha’, which portrays the journey from his tenure as Delhi’s Education Minister.

NIT Meghalaya contributing to nation’s development

Article

By

digitalLEARNING Network

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September 10, 2019

THE INSTITUTE

The National Institute of Technology Meghalaya is one among the thirty-one NITs in India established in 2010 under the NIT Act 2007 (Amended 2012) of the Parliament of India as an Institutes of National Importance with full funding support from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. Its permanent campus is currently under development at Cherrapunjee. The campus will come up with state-of-the-art infrastructures and all the necessary modern amenities while maintaining harmony with the serene environment of Cherrapunjee. The aim is to build it to a Centre of Excellence in education and research in the fields of engineering, science and technology. The vision is to develop it as an Institution vibrant with academic activities and bubbling with youthful creative energy despite the challenges it faces due to its apparent disadvantage, primarily its remote location. Despite its being a new institute, NIT Meghalaya boasts of exceptional teaching, learning and research credentials and has featured within the top 100 ranked engineering institute of the nation consistently in National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF), since its inception in 2016. In 2019, the institute has been ranked 67th in the engineering category.

THE CURRICULUM

NIT Meghalaya has nine different departments consisting of five engineering departments, three basic science departments and a Humanities and Social Science Department. The Engineering Departments are; Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, whereas the Science Departments are; Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. The institute offers courses through B Tech, M Tech, MSc and PhD programmes. The curricula for all these programmes have been redesigned with a rigorous brainstorming exercises and inputs from experts from other institutes of higher learning, industries of various kinds, practicing engineers and senior alumni. The present curriculum presents a state-of-the-art basket for all the programmes. It encompasses the entire range of studies from fundamentals to advanced study and the applications keeping an eye on the present day’s requirement as well as the future prospective and will help the students to become industry-ready. Highlights of the new curricula are: Open Electives, Professional Electives, Core courses, Vocational Courses, Laboratory courses, Industry visits, Internship etc.

SKILL ORIENTED COURSES

The new curriculum in place provides a lot of scope for the students to develop various kinds of skills as per their own aptitude and interest. Some of the examples include; Simultaneous Theory and Laboratory courses, courses on Industrial Safety and Entrepreneurship, Mini and Major Projects, Mandatory Internship, Establishment of Knowledge Centre, Incubation Centre, and Skill Development Centre etc. for developing knowledge and designing and creating products.

PLACEMENT RELATED INNOVATION

The Centre for Career Development (CCD) that takes care of the placement of the student in the institute has been striving its best to provide the best of the opportunities to the students. The Centre leaves no stones unturned in adopting various methods that will be helpful in attracting employers to look at our students and see the students coming out with flying colours whenever they get an opportunity. Some of the innovations that the centre has made can be mentioned as follows.

• Widening visibility of the institute and its achievements across industries

• Finishing courses for the final year students

• Job-oriented courses and career guidance by experts from outside

• Including industry personnel in course delivery to make the students industry-ready

• Introducing job levels and industry clusters to attract more employers

• Job categorisation to provide choices to the students.

GLOBAL COLLABORATIONS: Our institute and the faculty have already established collaborations with various Universities of the following countries:

University	Name of University	Collaborating Department at NIT Meghalaya
Austria	Vienna University of Technology JoahannesKepler University Linz	Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Australia	University of Melbourne	Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Brazil	Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo	Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering
Canada	University of Windsor	Department of Civil Engineering
Croatia	University of Windsor	Department of Mathematics
Finland	University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio	Department of Computer Science and Engineering
France	INRA & Inria Sophia Antipolis	Department of Mathematics
Greece	Aristotle University of Thessaloniki	Department of Electrical Engineering
Germany	University of Yucatan	Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Japan	Shimane University, University of Tokyo, Tokyo University of Science	Department of Physics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering
Poland	Military University of Technology Poland	Department of Physics
Russia	Institute for Complex Analysis of Regional Problems Saint Petersburg University	Department of Mathematics, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering
South Korea	Pohang University of Science and Technology Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology Changwon National University	Department of Chemistry Department of Mechanical Engineering
South Africa	University of KwaZulu-Natal	Department of Mathematics
Sweden	Jönköping University	Department of Mechanical Engineering
Taiwan	Tamkang University Chang Gung University	Department of Mathematics, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering
USA	Texas Tech University Texas A&M University University of Wyoming University of Minnesota The University of Akron	Department of Chemistry Department of Mathematics Department of Mechanical Engineering
UK	University of Salford University of Lincoln University of Glasgow	Department of Mathematics Department of Chemistry Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering
UAE	New York University, Abu Dhabi	Department of Chemistry
China	Shantou University	NIT Meghalaya

Deakin University aims to create worldly graduates through partnership and government engagement in India: Prof Iain Martin

Interviews

By

Reetika Bose

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September 10, 2019

Prof Iain Martin — Professor Iain Martin

Deakin University, Australia was the first international education provider from anywhere in the world to establish operations in India in 1994. Often showcased as a successful case study of engagement, Deakin University was recently awarded for its Outstanding Contribution’ by Australia India Business Council, an Australian Qrganisation in India.

In conversation with Elets News Network, Professor Iain Martin, President & Vice-Chancellor, Deakin University Australia said, “Deakin in India is the most engaged Australian Provider across education, training, research, industry and Government engagement, recruitment and partnerships. With a team of 60-plus staff who have established a desirable international reputation and presence in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan and Mauritius. Deakin remains the leader in International Education in India.”

Earlier this year, Deakin University celebrated 25 years of engagement in India by organising a series of conferences and workshops with Indian government, industry and academia on critical topics including Building World Class Universities, Professionalising of Sports in India, Women in Leadership and Integrated Reporting. The events had overwhelming participation from the stakeholders across India.

Engagement in India

Further highlighting Deakin’s presence in India, Prof Martin said, “Deakin University is focused around engagement with partners, students or with the society through a range of activities from alumni and graduate employment services, to student recruitment and mobility, to industry and government engagement.”

In one its kind initiative, Prof Martin continued, “Deakin has established a Vice Chancellor’s Meritorious Scholarship program in April 2015 towards a common cause of “Changing Lives” in India with one of India’s largest television networks.”

“With an objective to identify deserving students of the lot, the scholarship program offers four 100% tuition fee scholarships at Deakin University which will build stronger collaboration between India and Australia and have a strong impact to our societies”, Prof Martin added.

In another initiative, Deakin runs several Student Mobility Programs in South Asia where more than 200 Deakin students travel to engage in several activities internships, study tours, winter schools, volunteering programs and semester abroad programs, etc.

Also Read: Deakin University collaborates with GE India for PhD Programme

It is a moment of pride, Prof Martin said, “Deakin University has been significantly successful in receiving number New Colombo Plan grants for students to engage in India through semester abroad, study tours, volunteering programs, etc. to India in the last couple of years.”

Recruitment

Talking about the number of recruitment from India, Prof Martin said, “Deakin receives the largest number of students from this region. In 2018, Deakin’s enrollments significantly grew at 32% over the enrollments in 2017. In the last three year, enrollments for on-shore courses at Deakin have grown by more than 166% while maintaining high quality and 99% visa grant success.”

Delivering Effective Partnerships

Deakin in India is renowned for developing successful partnerships with industry, governments, communities, professional associations and other educational providers, both nationally and internationally in activities which would contribute positively to community in areas of strategic importance and welfare.

Commenting on the same, Prof Martin said, “Deakin provides strategic inputs in Teaching and Learning programs besides providing various options for studies through semester abroad programs, research, internships, mobility and in-country capacity building programs in the areas of Education Leadership, Sports Management, Information Technology, etc.

Highlighting the partnerships, he further continued, “Deakin’s teaching and learning partnerships in India include VIT University, IITs, IISC, Symbiosis International University, University of Mumbai, Hyderabad University and Amity University.”

Research and Innovation

Through its research, Prof. Martin said, “Deakin is making a positive impact on the lives and well-being of people in India, through exceptional innovation and research, by partnering with industry, government and institutional networks in India. Deakin’s research and innovation initiatives in India is striving to build on our global research footprint.”

“Deakin’s innovation in research is uncontested and we have some excellent examples of ideas which are now moving across the boundary from academia to the commercial world of industry, mostly as a consequence of our very good partnerships with industry”, he added.

Through its engagement and partnerships, Deakin University aims to create Worldly graduates and to engage in global activities that develop knowledge which improves lives and communities.

ITS Engineering College- Imparting Technology-Based Learning

Article

By

digitalLEARNING Network

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September 10, 2019

ITS Engineering College, Greater Noida is a part of ITS –The Education Group has a rich legacy of two and a half decades and has made its mark through exceptional teaching and learning practices in the areas of Engineering, Management, Dental, and Pharmacy education.

The College, established in 2006, offers B Tech programme in Mechanical, Civil, Computer Science, Electronics & Communication, and Electrical & Electronics along with Master of Business Administration. It has six unique “Centres of Excellence” with industry collaboration to train students on the latest technologies. These are run and supported by ace companies like National Instruments, Rockwell, Apple iOS Apps Development Centre, Syscom Innovation Development Centre, Rockwell Automation, Software Testing Lab and SMC Pneumatics & Electro-pneumatics.

ITS Engineering College is the only institute in Uttar Pradesh to receive New Gen Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development Centre, which focuses on generation and further development of new ideas with financial assistance through Department of Science & Technology. The college has a strong Incubation and Entrepreneurship Development Cell to encourage innovative thinking and development of entrepreneurship spirit amongst the students which is supported by MSME and Department of Science & Technology- Govt. of India.

LEADERSHIP

Dr R P Chadha is the Chairman of the ITS –The Education Group. He has been awarded doctorate for his exceptional contribution to the field of higher education and health sciences. In 2011, ZEE TV honoured him with the “Jewel of Uttar Pradesh” award. He is also awarded “Life time Achievement and contribution to the field of Dentistry” by Federation Dentaire International (FDI).

ACADEMICS

ITS Engineering College believes that budding engineers have, at least, one of the three major aspirations:

• Aspiration to get placed- For students aspiring corporate placement, there are Centers of Excellence that impart Technical training.

• Aspiration to start their own venture- For students aspiring to start their own venture, the college offers a well-defined process of ideation, incubation & start-up.

• Aspiration to join higher education or work in Public Sector Undertakings- Students who aspire to join higher education or work in Public Sector Undertakings, the college supports them for preparation of GATE so that they ensure good scores required for such placements.

PLACEMENTS

ITS Engineering College’s Corporate Resource Centre (CRC) is a dependable and one stop solution for its talented students. Batch 2015-19 has already received more than 365 offers from reputed Indian and Multinational companies. We are in the top 10 rankings in the Start Ups segment among private Engineering colleges affiliated to Dr APJAKTU, Lucknow.

AHSEC: Committed to impart global level education

Interviews

By

digitalLEARNING Network

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September 10, 2019

Assam Higher Secondary Education Council is the apex body for prescribing curricula (scheme of studies), syllabus and courses of instruction for higher secondary stage which may be in a college/higher secondary school, says Kamal Gogoi, Secretary, Assam Higher Secondary Education Council, in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN).

What new initiatives have been undertaken by the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council to make higher education easily accessible to all in the state?

The Assam Higher Secondary Education Council is the apex body to regulate, supervise and develop the + 2 education (Sr Secondary/Higher Secondary) in the State. Assam is the land of multicultural and multilingual communities with people having diversified needs as per their geographical and economical existence. In such a State, through various initiatives listed below, the council is trying to make the education accessible to all:

• Recognising the institutions from every corner of the state

• Introducing need based subjects

• Information are shared through website so that everyone can assess easily

• Arranging teacher training program in each and every corner of the state, so that all the teachers can be trained properly

• Introduction of Online submission of Registration and Examination Form

Globally many universities/institutes are following innovative practices to improve teaching-learning process. What are the board’s plans to bring the education ecosystem at par with the world?

“As leaders in education, our job is not to control those whom we serve, but to unleash their talent. If innovation is going to be a priority in education, we need to create a culture where trust is the norm,” said George Couros — A leading Canadian educator in areas of innovative leadership, teaching, and learning.

To bring the education ecosystem at par with the world, the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council has introduced technology-based elective subjects such as Entrepreneurship Development, Multimedia and Web Technology, Retail Trade, IT/ ITes, and a number of need-based Vocational Subjects.

It is difficult for students to understand various concepts due to disconnected facts. Organised information connected with concepts and with tools to visualise the same lead to long- term understanding of what is being taught. Realising the fact, digital classrooms have been introduced initially in some of the institutions out of 1432 recognized by Assam Higher Secondary Education Council.

How does the New Education policy likely to help Assam in transforming the education sector?

The National Education Policy 2019 is built on the foundational pillars of “Access, Equity, Affordability and Accountability”.

For Assam, a major reconfiguration of curricular and pedagogical structure is proposed in school education with Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as an integral part it. With the proposed structure of 5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical structure based on cognitive and socio emotional developmental stages, the schools will be re-organised into school complexes. The Curriculum load of the learners will be also reduced.

The burden of curriculum will also be reduced in terms of examination by transforming it into semester system. Students will get the opportunity to go for deeper understanding that will help them to become more competent. The New Education Policy also aimed to promote active pedagogy that will focus on the development of core capacities, life skills, and 21st century skills.

There is a huge educational gap between rural and an urban area of India, what role does Assam Higher Secondary Education Council is playing to bridge it?

To minimise the gap between the education scenario of rural and urban areas, the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council has organised zonal-level training programmes on teaching pedagogy, different competitions, and tournaments etc. Students and teachers irrespective of either they belong to rural or urban areas are allowed to join it.

The selection of teachers has been done with utmost care so that they are selected in equal proportion from urban as well as rural areas. The objective is to develop the homogeneous academic atmosphere across the State. The Assam Higher Secondary Education Council feels proud to announce that the Higher Secondary Schools and Junior Colleges from rural areas also exhibited excellence in final examination with 100% of passing rate.

How does the recently announced budget likely to boost the State’s higher education landscape?

At present the Government of Assam has exempted students from paying admission fee, examination fee of Class X and Class XII. Also the Government is providing free textbooks to the students of Class X and XII. This year budgeted amount seems to be meager than the previous years. It will depend upon utilisation of the last year’s budgeted amount by the State Government.

How do you think technology is helping students in improving their learning outcomes and teachers in their knowledge delivery methodology?

The 21st century is the era of technology. To make the teaching-learning process effective, integration of technology in and outside the classroom is inevitable. Though there is also a fear that the technology would eventually replace the teachers, but the more prevalent view now is that it is a tool which can be applied to enhance conventional teaching rather than replace it.

The use of technology helps in

• Enhancing the literacy rate

• Restructuring teaching methods keeping in view the objective of learning

• Teachers in showcasing the content distinctly and students can develop skills essential for the 21st century.

Online courses, teaching aids, different educational softwares, social networking tools, and other emerging technologies help the teachers as well as students to become more competent. Open Educational Resources [OER] help teachers as well as learners to become competent.

BOSEM taking modern education in its stride

Interviews

By

digitalLEARNING Network

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September 10, 2019

The Board of Secondary Education, Manipur, is the apex school education regulatory body in the State. With 786 high and higher secondary schools (226 Government, 103 Government aided and 457 Private), BOSEM also takes care of conducting examination and conditions for granting recognition, says Dr Chithung Mary Thomas, Secretary, Board of Secondary Education, in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN).

What are your expectations from the “National Education Policy” with regards to the meeting the educational requirements of North East, especially Manipur?

The draft National Education Policy 2019 can be viewed as highly futuristic (and technology-driven) which merits justification considering the rapid technological advancements made in recent years. The challenge lie in assimilating the policy in view of the disparities and developmental gaps between the different regions across the country in terms of physical, technological, social and manpower infrastructure.

The North Eastern States of India have lagged behind in all development indices. It is only recently that concerted development efforts have trickled in with the initiatives of the “Act East Policy”. In Manipur, the State Government has taken up such bold steps as amalgamation of non-performing schools which will pave the way for opening new schools categories of such as are in line with the NEP 2019. However, the opening of ‘Special Education Zones’ as cited in the policy contradicts the survival of single schools in remote villages of Manipur. Thrust areas for Manipur would have to be sports, performing arts, vocational skills and crafts, computer & IT.

How do you see the Union Budget 2019-20 as far as education sector is concerned? Do you think allocation of Rs 400 crore for building world class institutions will bring the required change?

The overall direction of the budget 2019 seems progressive for the education sector. Allocations reflect that it is driven by ground realities. The budgetary allocation of Rs 400 crore for building World class institutions is encouraging. World class institution however, is not solely dependent on finance but also on the understanding, inspiration, motivation and quality of all the stakeholders involved in education.

Also Read: Manipur Government’s ‘No School Bag Day’ a big hit

I strongly feel that standards of schools at K-12 level should be emphasised. Unless done so, big universities may not be able to stand on the loose soils of a weak elementary & secondary level education.

What is your outlook towards the emergence of technology in education? How challenging it is to create a curriculum which is knowledgeable, futuristic and compulsive at the same time?

Technological advancements in the recent past have been explosive and irreversible. The dismay is that NCF-2005 framed 15 years ago is being followed till date leading to a mismatch in knowledge and curriculum making both obsolete. Technology is now indispensable and therefore it has become imperative to stress tech-based curriculum right from childhood in letter and in spirit.

What makes Board of Secondary Education (BOSEM) stand apart from the rest of the Boards of the country? Any exclusive initiatives have you undertaken that you want to highlight?

Established in 1972, the BOSEM develops curriculum and publishes text books up to secondary level in line with NCF and NCERT specifications. The state is a mini-India in all its diversity. 13 tribal dialects have been introduced in the curriculum as first language. To enhance academic values of the rich and varied culture of the state Thang Ta (local martial art), Eshei Nongmai (Music), Manipur Jagoi (dance) and Fine Arts are also introduced.

BOSEM has been one of the first boards in the North Eastern States to have introduced computerised codification of answer scripts in 2014, Bar code and OMR based evaluation since 2016. Since 2018, all records of students have been logged with National Security Depository Limited and Database Management Ltd (NDML) for online availability of students’ degrees, diplomas, certificates mark sheets etc. The first among the NE States to be integrated with DigiLocker under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is under process.

How content are you with the BOSEM 2019 result of HSLC and SSLC?

The result of HSLC 2019 has recorded the highest pass percentage since its inception in 1972. Examination reforms like conversion of all examination centres into Board centres, Bar coding in answer scripts, multi level coding, live monitoring of evaluation were successfully implemented.

Government schools showed marked improvement both in terms of student enrolment and pass percentage which can be attributed to the “School Fagathansi Mission” initiated by the Govt. of Manipur. It aims at overall improvement of government schools in terms of physical and manpower insfrastructural gaps. Another initiative is ‘Lairik Tamhallasi Mission” (No child left behind). This is aimed to bring ‘out of school children’ within age group of 15-18 yrs back to the formal school system.

With the co-ordinated efforts from the fraternity of Education and with the implementation of the NEP, 2019, I hope that the challenges will be overcome so that the objective of education is achieved.

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