According to the recent findings in the Annual Survey of Education report 2018, most students in India are not able to read or do basic math as expected at their level, proving the fact that the education system and learning ecosystem is in a dire need of improvement.
Stressing on the same fact, Dr Ravi Gupta, Editor-in-Chief, digitalLEARNING Magazine, shared his expectations from the Union Budget that will be tabled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in parliament on July 5, 2019.
The Editor-in-Chief called for focus on “Ease of Doing Business” initiative by the Modi Governmentwith respect to schools and higher education systems. There are significant regulatory hurdles in opening schools and higher education institutions in the country. The whole process can be made easier so that more and more private sector investment flows in the education sector.
Dr Gupta also called for digitalisation in the education sector stressing that the Government should focus on increased use of technology in government schools, in the upcoming budget. He also said that the Government should work on better and larger promotion of the country’s private higher education institutes at the international level. Gupta added that the move will not just create employment but also improve India’s image globally.
“I feel the Government should also come up with an incentive system for private companies to open schools especially in semi-urban and rural areas. This will further reduce Government’s expenditure on improving the education infrastructure,” added Dr Gupta who has been publishing the education magazine that talks about innovations and technological advancements in the education sector, for over 15 years now.
Dr Gupta was of the view that the Government should also encourage top foreign institutions to open their branches in India so that huge outflow of money (around Rs 44,000 crore in the USA alone in 2016-17) can be reduced. These foreign university branches in India will reduce forex outflow from India and also create quality employment in the education sector of India.
“The Government should also focus on ‘future ready’ skills and on inculcating industry-relevant skills to make youngsters ‘employable’. Other two areas that I feel need attention are physical education and extra-curricular activities for holistic development of students, along with importance of teachers’ training to improve education system,” he concluded.
NIIT Limited has announced ‘Future Ready Talent’ — An initiative to train Indian youth for aspiring jobs of the future. Aspiring candidates can pursue these future ready programmes along with their regular academic curriculum.
As part of this initiative, NIITwill conduct seminars nationally across 26 centres in India, in the month of July. These seminars will witness the deliberations from successful leaders of different fields motivating the youth and making them aware about the importance of new-age future ready careers.
Bimaljeet Singh Bhasin, President, Skills and Career Business, NIIT Ltd,said,“Having worked with the industry and young aspiring professionals for over three decades, we understand the changing workforce requirements in today’s fast-paced business environment.”
Organisations today seek candidates with complex problem-solving abilities, understanding of data, new-age digital technologies and client facing skills. The ideal candidate today is a lifelong learner who can adapt to the change and value-add at work from day one,” he added.
Future of Jobs Report by World Economic Forum revealed that the jobs in digital technology will observe a growth of 17% in 2018 to 33% in 2022. It is also likely that the growing interaction between human and machines will cause the generation of 75 million jobs whereas 133 million new roles may emerge that are more adapted to this model. Seeking the trends, it can be said that the Industrial revolution 4.0 will cause a huge requirement of skilled employees for industries in future.
In line with these trends, NIIT offers new age programmes in Digital Marketing and Branding, Data Analytics and Predictive Modelling, Full Stack Product Engineering, Banking and Finance and Accounting & Business Analytics.
“Future Ready Talent an initiative by NIIT, aims to build awareness in today’s aspiring professionals about the new possibilities and provide them with an opportunity to develop and grow in the field of their choice through our industry-leading programmes,” Bhasin further stated.
Canvas is an exemplary Preschool chain situated in multiple regions in Jaipur (Rajasthan), Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other cities. We take special care of each and every child and create a path filled with fun and learning to help in your little ones’ transition to formal schooling. With great resources, time and effort, we wish to create an ideal childhood paved with smiles and laughter says Hema Harchandani, Founder and Managing Director, Canvas International Preschool, in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN).
“Creating a better world by molding a future generation in the right manner is the foundation of CANVAS”
How does Canvas International Preschool’s philosophy help developing strong foundation in early childhood?
Hema Harchandani, Founder and Managing Director, Canvas International Preschool
Our educational philosophy has been influenced by the educational philosophy of three great educationists, Dr Maria Montessori, Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi. Dr Maria Montessori had revolutionized the early childhood education by establishing children’s houses. We at Canvas recreated that establishment. Our schools are like miniature doll houses, a place where everything is designed according to children specific needs, where they are free to move around.
PLAY, EXPLORE, DISCOVER, CREATE
We also believe in Rabindranath Tagore’s philosophy of education in the open and giving children enough room and space to move around – Hence, our classrooms are decluttered and free of any fixed furniture, providing the students with an appropriate environment Mahatma Gandhi as an educationist said that children need to be taught with the head, heart and hand, and we have done the same at canvas by encouraging ‘learning by doing’ practices.
What are the various programmes conducted by Canvas International Preschool for holistic development of kids?
We don’t have any classroom as at canvas we have fun rooms, where an exciting learning environment is created by implementing creative and innovative teaching concepts. We were inspired by colorful themes in the designing of our schools and up to a great extent in designing of our activities. Play is one of the most important activities for children. In our fun rooms kids will listen and discover… imagine and create…paint and paste… balance and climb…. Explore and experiment… talk and pretend…look and listen…dance and sing…!
What are the best practices adopted by the preschool in its curriculum for all-round growth of students?
We don’t have any classroom as at Canvas we have fun rooms, where an exciting learning environment is created by implementing creative and innovative teaching concepts. We were inspired by colorful themes in the designing of our schools and up to a great extent in designing of our activities. Our P.S.E.D approach improves the integration of both hemispheres.
Cluster sitting
Solving math problems in multiple ways
VAKOG (Visual, Kinaesthetic, Olfactory and Gustatory)
Rhyming Story telling
Stage activities
Positive attitude (circle time, Special days, art activity, appreciation, Positive affirmations etc)
Practice non- dominant hand
Mind mapping
Activities which involves primarily left brain (coloring, pasting, origami, dance, walk in the nature etc.)
Ocular movement
Visualization and hand-on activities together
What are the best practices adopted by the preschool in its curriculum for all-round growth of students?
At Canvas, we offer developmentally appropriate day-long curriculum that offers self-paced learning for every child and hence our fun rooms are designed as learning and discovery corners. Our day plan is different in many ways as kids will not be expected to sit for long period of time. The most important thing is that our curriculum focuses on multiple intelligence:
Linguistic intelligence
Kinesthetic intelligence
Musical intelligence
Naturalist intelligence
Logical Mathematical intelligence
Inter-personal & intra-personal intelligence
Spatial intelligence
How the school is leveraging technology to ensure effective knowledge delivery to its students?
We believe Media and digital devices are an integral part of our world today. Technology plays a positive role in children’s development and learning. at canvas, teachers use technical tools to teach kids.
Audio visual room
My school app
Parents and teachers’ Whatsapp groups
We publish quarterly newsletters that keep the parents updated with what is happening in their child’s classroom on digital platforms.
How does the school ensure active participation of parents to be aware about their wards’ performance?
At Canvas we believe in the meaning of the word ‘kindergarten’ which means ‘children’s garden’. Here, we feel that children are like flowers, and flowers need to be cultivated in an environment between school and parents. A parent needs to be as happy and excited about school as they want their child to be. Our monthly circular with development skills comprises of –
Fine and gross motor skills of every month and guidelines specified for parents
Keeping parents updated with what’s happening in their child’s classroom
Parents are kept informed of the monthly themes and topics, and ways in which they can participate at school and at home with these themes
At canvas we prepare parents for all developmental problems that they might face with their kids through monthly, orientation Workshops, Parenting tips Workshop, reading is Fun Workshop.
The University of Delhi (DU) has filled 38.35% of the 62,000 undergraduate seats for the courses offered by the colleges under it. The statistics are for Tuesday, i.e. July 2, 2019, when the admissions were concluded on the basis of first cut off list.
In 2018, only 25% seats were occupied after the release of first cut off.
Now, the second cut off list of most of the colleges including Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) is expected to come out today i.e. Wednesday (July 3, 2019). However, the percentage will go down only marginally – ranging from 0.5%-1%.
Interestingly, the Hindu College has registered more students than the seats available. However, the second cut-off is expected in some courses including Economics (Hons) and BCom (Hons). Though, the second cut off list will witness a marginal drop of 0.5% only.
The college has enrolled students for the seats available in courses, including BSc (Hons) in Physics, Political Science (Hons) and Chemistry and BA (Hons) in Philosophy.
Talking about Miranda House, the college witnessed highest enrollment in the first list — 1,157 students on 1,165 available seats. Few popular courses such as Economics (Hons), Sociology (Hons), Philosophy (Hons) and some BSc courses, will be available in the second cut-off list.
At Gargi College, students will be able take admission in the offered courses only after release of the second list.
The Kirori Mal College, which witnessed 1,060 admissions against a total 1,324 seats, didn’t enroll a single student in BCom (Hons) in the first cut-off list. Whereas, Ramjas College, which has seen 780 admissions against a total 1,700 seats, will close admissions for unreserved category in Political Science (Hons), Statistics (Hons), B Com (Hons) and some combinations of BA (Prog) in the second cut-off list. Though, percentage will be dropped only by 1%-2% for the available courses.
On the other hand, colleges like Shradhanand College, Sri Venkateswara College, Aurobindo College and Delhi College of Arts and Commerce (DCAC) will have adequate number of seats available in almost all the offered courses. Only admission to Political Science (Hons) offered by Aurobindo College will be closed for the unreserved category.
Notably, the university will conduct admission till July 6 (Saturday) on basis of the second cut off list. Post that third cut off list will be released on July 9, 2019 (Tuesday).
Central Educational Institutions (Reservations in Teachers’ Cadre) Bill-2019 has been passed by the Lok Sabha.
The bill is aimed to provide reservation in appointments of teachers in Central Educational Institutions by direct recruitment of persons belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Educationally Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections.
In his answer to one of the questions during Lok Sabha Session, Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said, “The bill is aimed at implementing 200-point reservation system instead of 13-point roster system to fill up teacher vacancies in Universities and Central Government Higher Educational Institutions.”
Reiterating the Central Government’s commitment to to provide equal opportunity to all as per the Constitution, the minister said, “This bill gives enough scope and opportunities in higher education sector in the country.”
“The NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is thinking for the welfare of the poorest of the poor at the grassroots level,” Nishank added.
The answer key for National Eligibility Test (NET) has been released by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday i.e. July 2, 2019. Candidates appeared for the examination held from June 20 to June 26 can download the answer key from the official website of NTA.
The agency will take the objection requests on NET 2019 Answer Key till July 3, 2019 (Wednesday).
Notably, candidates will need to pay a sum of Rs 1,000 for each question they want to challenge. If the challenge is found to be correct, the fees will be refunded.
The NET question papers and response sheet was released by the NTA on June 28.
National Testing Agency will release the NET 2019 results on the basis of final answer key to be released only after taking the challenges submitted by the candidates into consideration.
In a statement, the agency said, “The NTA decision on the challenges shall be final and the result will be declared on the basis of final answer keys”.
However, after the announcements of results, the agency will not entertain any request for re-evaluation/re-checking of NET result.
NTA is expected to release the NET result before July 15, 2019. Candidates will not be informed individually but can check the results by visiting the official portal.
The NTA NET examination was conducted for two papers. Paper one had 50 questions based primarily on teaching and research aptitude, general awareness and knowledge etc.
Paper two had 100 subject-specific questions. Each question, in both paper 1 and 2, carried 2 marks. The composite time to complete both papers was 3 hours. There was no time gap between the two papers.
NEET 2019: The first allotment list of NEET 2019 has been released by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) on its official website: mcc.nic.in.
NEET Counselling 2019 Allotment result was announced by the MCC on June 1, 2019 at around 10 pm. NEET 2019 seal allotment list will consists of rank and category of candidates along with the name of institute to which admission has been allotted. Students appeared in the first round of NEET 2019 Counselling can also click on the link given below.
Students who have been allotted a seat in the first round of counselling are required to report to the allotted college for the admission process ahead.
In case a candidate has given willingness for free exit/entry, he/she can may or may not report to the college even after a seat is allotted to him/her without being penalised. Such candidates are also allowed to participate in the subsequent rounds of counselling.
As per the official NEET 2019 Counselling schedule, the verification process after the first round of seat allotment will commence from July 1 to July 6, 2019. Those who want to participate in the next round of NEET Counselling 2019, the registration for second round counselling will start on July 9, onwards until July 11, 2019 (5 PM).
In the last five years, we have witnessed a shift in the teaching approach. Education through print medium is unidirectional, non-interactive and limited, while technological awareness within students’ starts at an early age, writes Nilesh Gaikwad, Country Manager, India – EDHEC Business School.
For a ‘sleeping elephant’ of the last century, India has definitely hit the ground running in the last few years. Infrastructure development and Acceptance of Technology at a breakneck speed has come as a refresher. Big business houses are taking note of the same. Applications of this technology within the Education sector are aiming to benefit the 25+ crore students studying in Indian schools, especially since education here followed the ‘Chalk & Talk’ model. Rising incomes of the middle-class has fueled a spurt in private IB schools, which in turn has expedited the use of technology to optimize learning.
Nilesh Gaikwad, Country Manager, India – EDHEC Business School
According to a recent report from Google, data consumption in India has increased by 18x in the last two years and estimated one Billion users from India to be online by 2030. While metro cities are approaching saturation, private education institutions have turned their attention to 2nd and 3rd tier cities to satisfy the huge requirements of an education thirsty populace. Education Solutions industry is working overtime to provide digital solutions to this all-important user base. Thus, modern day teaching medium will reach every nook and corner of India.
Schools are adopting the ‘Digital’ medium. As it involves substantial investment towards infrastructure development and labor training, schools are trying to work out a ‘best of both worlds’ approach. Unlike the traditional ranking system, the emphasis has shifted up on overall personality development of the students. Inducing topics related to socio-emotional skills that stimulate profile development is important. As it is impossible for every school in India to go 100% digital, the need of the hour is a customised Integrated Learning Solutions model. Such a model provides ample freedom to the schools to develop the right blend of print and digital learning aids for their pupils.
At the start of the academic year, school authorities take parents into confidence to outline the development requirements of their pupil. Through the course of the year, the teaching staff works upon accomplishing the pre-defined goals. Often, providing real-time status of student development and introducing course-correction measures wherever necessary. With digital solutions at their beck, parents are able to monitor the progress of their children, thus making them more involved in the process. Unlike the traditional education medium, students receive feedback during the year and are mentored with corrective measures rather than waiting for the year ending exams. There are multiple positive outcomes to this approach for the actors involved in this process:
Self-learning: While the focus is on student development, there a couple more actors who have shown phenomenal improvements – Parents & Teachers. Through this process, parents are learning more about the right approach with their children. Similarly, teachers are able to optimize their efforts by personalizing the teachings with the specific requirements of the pupils. Teachers are also able to judge the future requirements of the students and plan accordingly. Finally, they can foresee the advanced functional training requirements for themselves and help school management improve the overall quality.
Inclusivity: Parents are no longer passive players in the academic journey of their children. As parents have access to real-time progress reports, teachers can benefit from their feedback in ensuring the best way forward. Additionally, the trust factor built between the school and the parents can create long-lasting associations.
Productivity: Owing to the real-time feedback, students can concentrate on specific topics for their development. An increased and efficient communication between teachers and students leads to strengthening of the teacher-student bond. Practical assignments providing real-time feedback will peak the student interest and make them more productive in day-to-day curriculum.
Knowledge-bank: For the school, this experience can be a stepping-stone to realigning their vision in accordance to the changing dynamics of today’s times. The learnings from a specific year can lead to a more focused and optimized approach not only within the management of the class but also of the school. Knowledge within a print medium is limited. A combination of print & digital teaching will ensure learning happens at an in-depth level rather than by sticking to just one form. Not only Teaching but also quality of learning can improve exponentially. Online resources can give rise to teacher forums, which in turn lead to sharing of best practices within the academia. It is an all win situation for the students.
Challenges: Schools have to consider the cost factor and find the best mix of Print & Digital solutions for optimal benefit of their students. As with any change, sensitizing the teachers and ensuring everyday use of the technology will be challenging. School management may face a resistance in the early days but overcoming the initial speed bumps are essential for providing better academic experiences to students. Combining digital and print seamlessly with clarity in benchmarking will keep confusion at bay. Users should have clarity in the advantages of the new model. Regular Feedback regarding the processes will curtail the rise of disinterest. At the same time, these meetings can be a good place to display self-learning outcomes, which can benefit the collective goal.
Considering the above points, it is only a matter of time before Integrated Learning Solutions are applied within the K12 sector. However, personalizing the solutions according to the student’s needs and chucking the one-size-fits-all attitude will define the success rate of this technology.
(Author Nilesh Gaikwad is Country Manager, India – EDHEC Business School. Views expressed by author are a personal opinion.)
The Indian educational landscape is fast-changing with technology gripping the nation in an unprecedented fashion, writes Shekhar Bhattacharjee, founder, Great Place To Study.
Shekhar Bhattacharjee, founder, Great Place To Study
Over the decades, education has taken its rightful place as one of the necessities of life. It has always been true that learning new skills and knowledge acquisition have been vital for the development of individuals and of the society. For any individual who wants to take their right place in this world, education has become their rite of passage. Even though traditional education has its history etched within four walls of a classroom, it has now expanded to all corners of the world. The first half of the 20thcentury was an era of mere knowledge transfer and young minds being textbook-driven to reinforce what they had learnt in class. In the 2nd half of the 20th century, computers became a game changer. Computers have given education a boost, acting as a catalyst to rapid advancements in the education system.
The evolution of education methodology
Now in the 21st century, we cannot imagine a scenario where education and technology are two separate entities. The new technologies in education are slowly but surely changing education patterns. Educators have dwelled into the subject while educational entrepreneurs have helped build a momentum that will completely revolutionise the education sector. Jenny Arledge, the director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) at Sulphur Springs High said, “Technology can become the wings that will allow the educational world to fly higher and faster than ever before, if we allow it.” Education is now available to most children all around the world. Even the most remote corners now have ways to get a formal education thanks to technology.
We have barely scratched the surface, the possibilities are limitless
“The power of unlimited knowledge is at your fingertips.”
Technology in itself has progressed exponentially over the last few decades, adding more and more dimensions to its existence. When technology blends with education, there emerges an opportunity that will keep on giving. From virtually reaching every child around the word through online classes to live simulation lessons, it keeps getting better everyday. Educational technology has finally given teachers the right tools to teach their students, reinforce lesson content and motivate students to learn more.
Many experts rightly believe that technology is the language of the gen next. This belief has proven to be true time and time again in the recent years. It is the younger generation that understands it well and has begun to use it to aid them in their studies.
The emergence of an international network i.e. The Internet
“Technology has touched every aspect of human life, including education.”
An entity that connects us all, a bond that brings together people from different countries is culture and lifestyle. For the first time, people have a powerful tool that can change the course of human kind for the better. Technology has touched every sector of our economy, but none more than education. The rise of the internet has completely changed the educational landscape. Many primary schools and higher learning centres now provide every student with a laptop or tablet. Always interested in the advantages of portability, a growing number of students access content delivery platforms on their smart phones. Technology has evolved education to such an extent that it has affected education models and teaching techniques.
Even self-learning has become a possibility, thanks to the internet. Students can now access information with a click of a button. It has proven to be a rich source of information and children can learn about life all around the globe with their laptop or smart devices. Classrooms were once the place where knowledge was imparted, now it is right in front of a computer or mobile phone. However there are some significant areas where technology has completely transformed education. Here are a few examples.
Active engagement and student participation: For the first time, students are not just listening to their teachers, they are involved and engaged. Students learn in groups and have fun activities while learning; it is a win-win situation.
Simulation and modelling: Students do not have to go to a place to experience it, they can simulate the experience. Simulation software helps bring to the classroom real activities that would be impossible to see without technology.
Smart boards and e-Books: Bulky textbooks can now be replaced with their digital versions, while white/black boards have been replaced with interactive TV/AV technology.
Formative assessment: Teachers ensure that students are learning not only the concepts, but also how to use the technological resources they have. Practical application of knowledge can be achieved with specially designed programmes. For the first time, students can play what they are learning in life.
Online teaching: Educators can now upload their classes online and allow students to access the content from anywhere in the world. With the help of some headphones and laptops, the lesson can commence at a time of their convenience.
Teaching aids for children with special needs: If any student is struggling to learn at a standard pace, teaching methods can be altered to cater to their needs. New education technology aids have made it possible for them to have a good education.
Technological education is here to stay. We must make the most of it
Technology is a powerful tool that can support and transform education in many ways. The digital learning revolution has created new opportunities and new challenges for the education sector. It is up to education policy makers and edupreneurs to meet this challenge and make the most of it. The world is quickly changing and we must change with it. Finding new ways to make the most of it and helping aid an unprecedented growth in the education sector and revolutionise the system must be a priority. We must ensure that quality education is available for all.
(Author Shekhar Bhattacharjee is Founder, Great Place To Study. Views expressed by author are a personal opinion.)
Globus Infocom is providing 62 smart classrooms and four virtual Classroom solutions to the government colleges under Directorate of higher education, Goa.
Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa has launched these smart classrooms and virtual classrooms setups that have been set up in the four government colleges located at Sanquelim, Khandola, Quepem and Borda.
Speaking on the occasion, Kiran Dham, CEO, Globus Infocom said, “We are delighted to be a part of technology integrated education initiative taken by Directorate of Higher Education, Goa and are overwhelmed to be selected by the Goa Government to provide our advanced technology driven smart classroom &virtual classroom solution for the students.”
“We are committed as a responsible citizen to contribute our best to fulfill the government objective. We are confident that it will surely be an aide for students to attend lectures from different institutes live by sitting at their own college,” she added.
Along with providing the best content for learning, the 62 smart classrooms and four virtual classrooms will also connect the four institutes virtually for resource sharing. It will help students of the four colleges to communicate, discuss, watch videos, presentations, share files, and also enable live streaming via online Learning ManagementSystem (LMS) Software.
This initiative will greatly improve the quality of teaching & learning in colleges & put forth a modern pedagogy for the holistic educational experience.
“We are the pioneers in the Education-Technology sector and a Make in India brand for over two decades. Our solutions have been successfully installed in major cities of India like Delhi, Lucknow, Mysore, Bikaner, Dehradun, Varanasi, Haryana to name a few. Our aim is to provide these smart solutions to every educational institute in India to make India more advanced & pro-active,” Dham further stated.
