OPEN LETTER NUMBER-2 TO CHAIRMAN CBSE.

Chairman

CBSE-New Delhi.

Dear Sir,

In my Open Letter No-1, I congratulated you on assuming office and mentioned our expectations.

I am pleased to find that you and the CBSE are moving forward in the right direction and tackling issues of concern, one by one.

CCE:

We are mostly glad to know of the proposed changes in CCE Pattern. We read this from Newspapers across the county and each Newspaper claimed that you said so,

We are happy that the Class X Examination will be held by the Board from March 2018.

However, it is not clear whether it will be a test of Syllabus Prescribed for the SA-2 or a combined Examination of the entire Syllabus of SA-1 & SA-2.

CBSE is surely between the devil & the deep sea in this matter. If CBSE decides it to be a Test of the entire Syllabus of Class X, then all those who have been propagating Stress free Examination will raise hue and cry. If the CBSE decides upon the SA-2 only being tested by the Board in the March 2018 Examination; in that case.,our friends who speak of poor performance of students at the +2 Stage will be on war path.

Besides, we have also heard that there will be only two FA’s, one in each Term.

May be this will not be in tune with the spirit of CCE. It may be that the Grades of only two FA’s are carried forward while several FA’s will be there for Diagnostic Remediation.

The CBSE may come up with Scores of FA Manuals, Trainings and Notifications regarding FA’s, Schools and parents will be happy only when these are written paper pencil Tests, Class Tests, Unit Tests; in addition to other Tools and Tasks.

Another issue that concerns all will be the weightage to FA’s, each SA and how the large Number of Descriptive Indicators in the Co-scholastic Area is reduced and yet Objectivity maintained.

EAMINATION BYE LAWS:

The CBSE has recently modified the Examination Bye Laws and we are ally happy about it, especially about clauses that deal with Children who are differently abled and who have Special Needs.

But the decision about not allowing re-evaluation is against the spirit of fairness, transparency and objectivity. I am sure, if such a decision is announced, there will be Parents who will seek legal redress.

SCHOOL FEE:

Contradictory reports have confused all. The CBSE Affiliation Bye Laws do speak of FEES being charged by a School to be commensurate with the facilities offered by the School.

The CBSE would like its autonomy and the Schools that are affiliated to CBSE are being denied Autonomy in dealing with financial issues of levy of School FEE.

We are glad to know that Schools need to put up on the website of the School, information about the School. This was an integral part of CBSE SQAA; which we feel has been put in the cold storage.

I remember having voiced our opinion in several forums, that the Schools need to follow Statutory & Regulatory Rules and Affiliation Bye Laws and choose to seek Quality Accreditation from a National Apex Body – Quality Council of India.

The thinking to have two Fee structures, one GENERAL and the other SPECIAL will lead to discrimination on social & financial basis. Education in Schools must cater to Equity, Quantity & Quality.

STAFF:

I am grieved to see that while populist moves are kept uppermost while bringing in changes and pleasing the masses; the most important kingpin of the school system and one of the stake-holders-the faculty is ignored.

I take this opportunity to express my pain and anguish when I see that affiliation Bye Laws are not followed when it comes to issues of Staff Salary, Service Conditions, Leave Rules, Gratuity, Maternity Leave etc.

Schools appoint teachers on ad-hoc and fire them at will. Recruitment is a farce. It is a matter of bidding. The jobs go to the lowest bidders.

Schools change Principals at will and the Principals instead of being empowered are forced to tow the Management line and deal with staff as wage earners and a third rate commodity.

Schools face attrition of staff and hence they ask teachers to deposit a security amount or else the Managements deduct a part of Salary as Security. No receipts, no accounts and the security amount is never paid back. Schools retain Original Certificates of teachers and if the teachers wants to shift, they are not given either the Original Certificates or the Experience Certificate.

There are Schools that are following the CBSE affiliation Bye Laws; but the percentage of such schools is very less.

By and large the schools treat staff badly; the Principal as their agent and the main mission is seek more & more admissions, procure more and more funds through fees, fines, donations, sale of Books, Uniforms, organizing fetes & fairs, tours & trips and competitions. These Funds go to the coffers of Management and the more the money, the merrier.

The latest trend is sending students on foreign trips under one or the other pretext and depute the Principal or a Staff member along with the students, since the management has no encumbrances as the tour operators are giving free tickets & stay to one staff on every 10 to 15 students.

The CBSE needs to ensure that Staff is paid as per requirements of affiliation Bye Laws. One Way to do so is to pay all staff members through either the CBSE or the State Treasury and ensure that maltreatment and exploitation of Principals and teachers is stopped by having a Common Code of SERVICE RULES.

While we have been thinking of our children and the Parents; we have ignored the most vital element of the School: the Staff, Principal, Teachers, Administrative and Support staff.

I am sure you will surely think of this also while trying to improve Schools & School Education,

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF CBSE

Dear Mr. Rajeev Kumar Chaturvedi,

After months of uncertainty and indecisiveness of the HRD Ministry and the Central Government, we have a full time Chairman in you.

 All of us: students, teachers, Principals, Mentors, Managements and the Society at large have many expectations from you. We are aware that you as Chairman of the largest Central Board of Education will have your primary focus ‘School education in CBSE Affiliated Schools.’

CBSE has been engaged in Research & Development, Assessment, Pedagogy, Quality Accreditation, Training and played role as also looked for space in Higher Education and Sills for Work.

CBSE Scheme of CCE though introduced with pious objectives has suffered like other schemes and needs an immediate re-look. The Formative Assessment of the present scheme is an eye-wash and has neither been diagnostic nor remedial. Schools have used paper pencil tests more frequently now and grading them has been a mere formality. By the way, adding these marks/Grades in cumulative assessment is against the very basic principle of Formative Assessment, which is “assessment for learning.’ Children read CCE as “Chotay Chotay Exams’ and teachers speak of it as: ‘Confusion Confounded Everywhere.”

CBSE has shelved the SQAA Scheme. The very introduction was challenging the Apex Body for Quality Promotion and Assessment: Quality Council of India. Many Schools have applied and paid even a Fee of Rs 55000/ but never heard from the CBSE.

 Capacity Building Programs for In-Service Training of Teachers on a regular basis have been entrusted to CBSE Centers for Excellence without caring for either the location of a School or developing a cadre of trainers and Master Trainers.
The Sahodaya movement has become a showpiece of ‘Rising Together’ to ensure that we pull down one another. The rat race of competition among affiliated Schools has led to several malpractices.

CBSE Affiliation Bye Laws are more violated than followed. There is no pay parity and teachers are exploited at will and parents fleeced. Adhoc appointment, non-adherence & even absence of Service Rules, hire & fire policy, attrition of staff, dynasty run schools with total family control are making education a business without any scruples.

There are exceptions as we have a very large number of GOOD SCHOOLS and we have sufficient examples of Good Practices and these ought have been benchmarked. Instead schools and the managements derive vicarious pleasure in ‘not caring’ and are becoming a power unto themselves.

Absenteeism, irregularity, indiscipline and insecurity prevails and CBSE watches helplessly, giving a feeling that it indirectly promotes all this.

 We have full faith that in the coming four years of your tenure. We hope you will catch the bull by the horn and eradicate the present bureaucratic system and have an open, fair and transparent: student friendly, teacher supportive Board and the managements are made accountable.

Lead us and the nation please, out of the existing chaos.

 
   

WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS & PRINCIPALS CONDUCTED BY IECS IN SCHOOLS.
IECS has across the yeras conducted Teacher Training Workshops, Mentoring & Leadership Workshops in the following Schools:-

ADITYA VIDYAHRAM, PONDICHERRY; AHCLON INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, MAYOR VIHAR, DELHI;

AIR FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL, ALLAHABAD; AIR FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL, KANPUR; AIR FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL, LUDHIANA; AIR FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL, PUNE, MAHARASHTRA, ALPINE PUBLIC SCHOOL, AMRITSAR; APEEJAY SCHOOL, SHEIKH SARAI, NEW DELHI; BABA SANT BAGH SINGH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, PADHIANA, JALANDHAR; BAL BHARATI PUBLIC SCHOOL, BHOPAL; BAL BHARATI PUBLIC SCHOOL, DWARKA, DELHI; BAL BHARATI PUBLIC SCHOOL, NISHANT PURA, BHOPAL; BALAK & BALIKA VIDYALAYAS, NOIDA & GREATER NOIDA; BCM ARYA MODEL SR. SEC. SCHOOL, SHASTRI NAGAR, LUDHIANA; BLUE BELLS SCHOOL- JHANSI-UP; BOSCOE PUBLIC SCHOOL, ROHINI, DELHI; CBSE SAHODAYA COMPLEX, COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU; CBSE SAHODAYA COMPLEX, HYDERABAD; CBSE SAHODAYA COMPLEX, SECUNDERABAD; CBSE SAHODAYA COMPLEX, THRISSUR EAST, KERALA; CBSE SAHODAYA COMPLEX, THRISSUR WEST, KERALA; CENTRAL TIBETIAN SCHOOL SOCIETY, ROHINI, DELHI; CHAMAN VATIKA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, AMBALA; CHAMAN VATIKA RESIDENTIAL PUBLIC SCHOOL, AMBALA; COUNTRY WIDE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BHIMASUR, PITTORAGARH; CRPF PUBLIC SCHOOL, ROHINI, DELHI; CRPF PUBLIC SCHOOL, DWARKA, DELHI; DALIMSS, ROHANIA, VARANASI; DARSHAN ACADEMY, AMBALA; DARSHAN ACADEMY, DASUYA; DARSHAN ACADEMY, DELHI; DARSHAN ACADEMY, DEVLALI; DARSHAN ACADEMY, HISSAR; DARSHAN ACADEMY, JALLANDHAR; DARSHAN ACADEMY, KAITHAL; DARSHAN ACADEMY, KALKA; DARSHAN ACADEMY, LUCKNOW; DARSHAN ACADEMY, LUDHIANA; DARSHAN ACADEMY, MEERUT; DARSHAN EDUCATION FOUNDATION-KIRPAL ASHRAM-DELHI; DAV PUBLIC SCHOOL, SHRESHTAVIHAR, DELHI; DAV PUBLIC SCHOOL, VIKASPURI, DELHI; DAYAWATI MODI ACADEMY MEERUT; DAYAWATI MODI ACADEMY MODIPURAM; DAYAWATI MODI ACADEMY RAMPUR; DAYAWATI MODI ACADEMY VAARANASI; DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL, BHOPAL; DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL, JHIND; DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL-KHANNA; DELHI PUBLIC SCOOL SOCIETY, HRD CENTER, ROHINI, DELHI; GOENKA PUBLIC SCHOOL, LAXAMANGARH, SIKAR, RAJASTHAN; GOODLEY PUBLIC SCHOOL, SHALIMAR BAGH, NEW DELHI; GREEN VALLEY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUE, BUCHHAPURA, SRINAGAR, KASHMIR; GURU HARKISHAN PUBLIC SCHOOL, NANAK PIAO, DELHI; GURU HARKISHAN PUBLIC SCHOOL, VASANT VIHAR, DELHI; GURU NANAK PUBLIC SCHOOL, PUNJABI BAGH, DELHI; GURU NANANK COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, BARI BRAHMNA, JAMMU; GYAN BHARTI SCHOOL, SAKET, NEW DELHI; HANDA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, JAMMU; HOLY ANGELS SCHOOL, RAJPURA; INDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOL, DHERADUN; JASPAL KAUR PUBLIC SCHOOL, NEW DELHI; KASIGA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, DHERADUN; KHALSA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, JAMMU; KHEL GAON PUBLIC SCHOOL, ALLAHABAD; KIIT WORLD SCHOOL, PITAMPURA; LALA LAJPAT RAI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, MOGA, PUNJAB; LIKES TRIPPUR, COIMBATTORE; MAHARAJA AGARSEN MODEL PUBLIC SCHOOL, PITAMPURA, DELHI; MAHARAJA SAWAI MAN SINGH VIDYALAYA, JAIPUR; MAHESHWARI PUBLIC SCHOOL, JAIPUR; MATA JAI KAUR PUBLIC SCHOOL, ASHOK VIHAR, DELHI; MASD PUBLIC SCHOOL, PANIPAT, HARYANA; MB COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, JAMMU;  MODEL ACADEMY, JAMMU; MODEL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION & RESEARCH, JAMMU / DELHI; MODERN SCHOOL, VASANT VIHAR, NEW DELHI; MOGA DEVI MIDA MEMORIAL SCHOOL, HISAR; MOTHER SITA PUBLIC SCHOOL, JHANSI-UP; NEIIL WORLD SCHOOL, MOREANA, MP; NEW STATE ACADEMY PUBLIC SCHOOL-PITAMPURA-DELHI; PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, AMRAVATI, MAHARASHTRA; PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, HASAN, KARNATAK; PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, NAGPUR, MAHARASHTRA; PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, PIMPRI, PUNE, MAHARASHTRA; PRELUDE PUBLIC SCHOOL, AGRA; RAJENDRALOHIA VIDYA MANDIR, HATHRAS, (U.P); RANI LAXMI BAI PUBLIC.SCHOOL, LALITPUR, (U. P);RANI LAXMI BAI PUBLICSCHOOL, DATIA, (M.P.); RANI LAXMIBAI PUBLIC SCHOOL, JHANSI, (U.P); RBG OF SCHOOLS, CHENNAI; RISE ACADEMY, SAMPLA, ROHTAK; RM COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, JAMMU

ROCKWOOD SCHOOL, NOIDA; SAI GIRLS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, DELHI; SAI SHAM COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, JAMMU; SAPIENCE PUBLIC SCHOOL-JAIPUR-RAJASTHAN; SATYANAND PUBLIC SCHOOL, GOHANA, SONEPAT; SITA GRAMMAR SCHOOL, MALERKOTLA, LUDHIANA; SOS-HGS, AGANPORA, FARIDABAD; SOS-HGS, BHIMTAL; SOS-HGS, BHOPAL; SOS-HGS, FARIDABAD; SOS-HGS, JAMMU; SOS-HGS, PALLAH NUH, HARYANA; SOS-HGS, VARANASI; SRI CHAITNYA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, HYDERABAD; ST. EDMUNDS SCHOOL, MALVIANAGAR, JAIPUR; ST. PETER’S SCHOOL, BHARATPUR-RAJASTHAN; SUNBEAM GROUP OF SCHOOLS, BHAGWANPUR, VARANASI; TAXILA JUNIOR INTER COLLEGE, UJJAIN; THE BANYAN TREE SCHOOL, LODHI ROAD, DELHI; THE INDIA SCHOOL, CHIRAG DELHI, NEW DELHI; THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BHOPAL, BHOPAL-MP; THE NEW STATE ACADEMY SCHOOL, PITAMPURA, DELHI; TITAKSHA PUBLIC SCHOOL, ROHINI, NEW DELHI; VIBGYOR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, PHILKHOWA, HAPUR; VISHWA BHARTI PUBLIC SCHOOL, NOIDA; VISHWA BHARTI WOMEN'S COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, SRINAGAR, J& K; ZEE LITERARI SCHOOL, BHOPAL.

IECS: NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

Dear Friends,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
May the New Year bring you all joys, peace of mind, prosperity, happiness, success, fame, wisdom, love and the Blessings of the Lord!

My New Year Resolution is to re-dedicate my life to help all concerned in imparting values through education using both the conventional and the high-tech approaches. There has to be a Life-connect and activities that bind our future generation to our roots and yet let them soar in the realms of their latent potentialities in an age of innovation & creativity.

What gives me the confidence and expertise that I can do this is:
I spent the first 26 years of my career at Vishwa Bharati, with girl students only; 12 years in the Women’s Degree College, 2 years in the 10+2 Girls School and then 11 years as the Founder Principal of a Residential Women’s Teacher Education College. Vishwa Bharati was committed to welfare of Women and the basic tenets of philosophy were Shiviaism, Sufism and Mysticism.

I had the privilege of being Project Director of NCERT National Conferences on Development of ‘Value Development Models of Teaching’ at Indore and at Srinagar. We developed two models: ‘The Value Dilemma Model’ and ‘The Jurisprudence Value Development Model.’

As Educational Consultant and Dean Academics for over 5 years at Darshan Education Foundation, I was responsible for Training Teachers in the implementation of a Spiritual Curriculum developed by the Organization. The Curriculum was based on the science of spirituality and included Life Skills, Peace, Meditation, Non-violence, Vegetarianism, Universal Brotherhood, Self-Introspection and Love & Respect for all Creation.

I have worked on my Research on Cognitive Development for several years at RCE Ajmer and in the process delved deep into Stages of Cognitive Development, Stages of Moral Development, Adolescent Psychology, Behavior Modification, Counseling techniques and Pedagogy required for the 21’st Century.

You will all appreciate that the need of the hour demands that we help our teachers, educators and administrators in creating a congenial climate for Value Education and learn how to do it. The CBSE has also recently come up with a Manual for Value Education, Value Cards etc and this can be of great help.

I count on guidance and support of the members of the IECS Academic Advisory Board:        Dr. Arjun Badlani, Dr. Avtar Singh,Dr. B.Singh, Dr. Dheeraj Mehrotra, Dr. Rakesh Chander, Dr. Ranjan Roy, Dr. S. Arora, Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia, Mr. Anil Sharma, Mr. IR Pathak, Mr. P.S.Kalra, Mr. Sanju Tiwari, Mr. Suraj Prakash, Mr. Vikram Dutt, Mr. Yog Raj, Mrs. Arti Khosla, Mrs. Mukta Misra, Mrs. Neera Mathur, Mrs. Paramjit Kaur, Mrs. Sadhna Pandey, Mrs. KR Maalati and Mrs. Rupam Sah.

I will also be seeking the cooperation of Educators, Administrators and Trainers like:              Dr. Nisha Peshin, Dr. Usha Tickoo, Mr. Anil Kumar Sharma, Mr. Anirudh Gupta, Mr. Arun Gupta, Mr. Ashish Agarwal, Mr. Bharat Bhushan Jha, Mr. Kirpal Singh, Mr. Mohd Yussouf Wani, Mr. Mushtaq Mehindru, Mr. Ram Singh, Mr. RD Sharma, Mr. SL Jain, Mr. Vekat Aalagiri, Mr. Yogendra Singh, Mrs. Arti Chopra, Mrs. Harinder Sraw, Mrs. Kusum Warikoo, Mrs. Kavita Lohia Bajpayai, Mrs. Manjeet Kaur Makkar, Mrs. Monica Saraswat, Mrs. Namreeta Anandani, Mrs. Rupa Chakravarti, Mrs. Shyma Hawa, Mrs. Sona Babar and Mrs. Urmil Vajpai.

I am hopeful that with the efforts of all of us we will be able to give our education that cutting edge that helps us to bring a social change that is deliberate & planned and enables to reconstruct a society that is modern & progressive, liberal & free and yet safe, secure and just.

CBSE- CCE SCHEME- Class X SA-2 in 2012

The CBSE CCE Scheme introduced in Oct. 2009; has been a major demand since pre-independence period. Reform in Education & Evaluation has been the concern of all Educational Committees and Commissions.

Education has to ensure holistic development of all aspects of the personality of a student. Schools have focused on Scholastic Areas and marks too long and ignored Life Skills, Values, Attitudes, Performance and Participation of students. The result has been a crisis of character and conscience.

Evaluation is integral to teaching learning and has to help in both the processes.Students need to be assessed continuously in a stress free environment and feedback given to students and parents.

Teachers have to assess their own teaching and the students learning and diagnose the deficiencies and organize remediation. This is assessment for learning and is done through Formative Assessments, twice in each term; four times in a year. Assessment of learning is done twice a year, at the end of each semester and is called Summative assessment.

CBSE has stipulated Course content for each SA and Question Papers with Marking Schemes are sent to Schools. For FA’s teachers are required to use various tools & techniques like: Projects, Assignments, Quiz, Laboratory Work in Math & Science, Discussion, Survey, Presentations and an occasional paper pencil test.
Thus a year has Two Terms: April to Sept. and Oct. to March. Each Term has Two FA’s and an SA at the end of the Term. Hence during the year there are Four FA’s and Two SA’s. The weight age of each FA is 10% and SA is 30% from 2011 Class IX. In 2012 Class X, it is Sa-1 20% and SA-2 40%.

CBSE has thus moved over to School Based Evaluation and made evaluation continuous. Schools that are 10+2 Schools have to conduct internal SA-2 for all students; except those who intend to change the Board after Class X and make a request for the same in writing, well in advance in Oct.

The SA-2 held at School-internal- or held by CBSE-external- are both conducted on the same Syllabus. Question papers & Marking Scheme are provided by CBSE in both the cases. Evaluation is done at the School in internal and by the Board in external; as per the Marking Scheme; checked and moderated, where required by CBSE in both the cases.

Schools are required to send Grades for the remaining 60% evaluation already conducted by the School to CBSE, in both the cases. CBSE tabulates and declares the Results. There is no pass or fail.

The Certificates of all students-internal or external are issued by the CBSE and have no difference. The Certificate does not make any mention of SA-2 as external or internal.

Students of 10+2 Schools move normally from X to XI and the students face only one external examination at the end of schooling at XII.

CCE hence ensures development & assessment of proper Thinking, Social, Emotional Skills, Attitudes and Values. Aesthetic, Scientific, Cultural and Literary tastes are developed and students learn subjects like Science & Math and excel in Life.

Parents Complain about adoloscent children!

We have been facing crises of character and crises of conscience, the world over. The family which is one of the basic institutions of our society has been under tremendous pressure for quite some time and has been breaking. Our mothers were our first teachers. The family was our first school. Unfortunately, transition from the agrarian society to the industrial society led to the family passing on its role of educating the younger generation to teachers in a school. Eric Ashby regards this as the first revolution of the world.

In India, we had a firm foundation of values and these were transmitted by the family to the children. The ethical foundations of the society were strong and prayer, meditation, fasting, religious teaching gave all of us a strong moral foundation. The elders were respected; parents were held in high esteem and hence obeyed and followed. Cut throat competition, absence of ethical values, desire to be rich as fast as possible and climb the social ladder of influence and power; has led to degradation of human values. Coupled with this, the social upheavals’, the spurt of violence, the influence of media, change in life style and food habits, the impact of peer pressure and the absence of rational and human parental control has led to growth of a misguided younger generation. The percentage of such youth is very high in each social strata and more so in upper middle classes and the upper classes. These youth resent being advised and guided. They want freedom from all controls and resent any intrusion or interference in their life and work. They have their own preferences, likes and dislikes, recreational activities, social and political outlook and look upon the family as an institution that meets their needs. They feel and believe that their parents are obliged to do what they do for their upbringing, education, career since the parents are under a debt to their own parents for having done it for them. Often, if the parents are not so well educated or placed in society, the young start taking charge and advising them on matters concerning family, life etc. The anti-social elements are always on the lookout for such youth as they easily fall prey to their mechanization and the desire to enjoy a life of luxury. Sometimes the youth experiment with their lives and fall prey to substance abuse, become drug addicts, alcoholics and so on.

Our problem as teachers becomes acute when we try to bring the school and the home closer and interact with the parents of such students, in the hope that together we may improve upon the behavior and academic performance of these students. What the parents share in confidence reveals that the student has revolted against parental control already and the parents are scared of him. He has already threatened the parents of dire consequences in case they keep nagging, advising or complaining against him. These threats vary from suicide, running away from home, joining bands of anti-social elements, bringing bad name to the family to physical assault on the parents. Stories from such parents are heart rendering and our blood boils. But this is the true test of a teacher’s patience, care and love for the student.

I have been a strong advocate of love-therapy and even when people regarded my love for my student as a sign of weakness and cowardice; I can boast of the fact that it has helped me in dealing with over 90% cases. The remaining 10% needed psychological counseling for behavior modification. Our Schools have to have a climate of dedicated scholarship and pursuit of excellence in any and all fields has to be rewarded. The students need to find that the school has teachers who are scholars in their subjects and role-models of what they say and desire their students to be. The Schools have to have a vision, a value system, a culture that sets the tone for all activities. Adolescents are passing through a period of stress and strain. They want to assert their authority. They need appreciation and recognition for what they are. They are very conscious of themselves and do not like to be treated as kids or insulted in public or a social group. They thirst for appreciation, for improving upon their self esteem, for recognition and for love. They have reserves of surplus energy and want to use it. They are torn by emotional conflicts, physical bodily and glandular changes, social interactions and the absence of models. The failure of both teachers and parents to understand the growth and developmental needs of the adolescent, the stress levels, the pressure of studies and the peer group influence are the other factors that add to his misery.

What should we as teachers do in these circumstances?
• Be aware of the growth and development characteristics of students.
• Find out more about their family, their peer group, their interests, their study schedule, their learning style, their hopes and fears, their psychological makeup etc
• Provide for a range of activities in the school as keeps the student always engaged. These have to be a variety of Physical Activities, Games & Sports, Recreational Activities, and Activities for Social, Emotional and aesthetic development.
• Activities like Theatre, Adventure Sports, Dramatics, Nature Trips, Tours, Leadership Camps, working in teams for NGO’s, Social causes, Experimentation, Group Projects etc; have been found useful.
• Every teacher has to be a counselor, a surrogate parent, a scholar with expert knowledge of his subject, a human being with a caring and loving heart and a friend.
• Value education has to be an integral part of the School Programme. It can be both Direct and Indirect. Schools have to realize that ‘Values are caught and not taught.’
• Teachers must be good listeners. Do not offer advice at once. Listen. Befriend the child. He needs an understanding friend. Model the behavior you wish your student to acquire. Show him examples and models that are positive. Use anecdotes, parables, and stories to drive home your point.
• Visit the family of the child more often. Have talk sessions with all present. The parents may also need counseling. Set targets and goals with time-lines for the students. Make parents help the child achieve the target.
• Conduct case studies of a few cases that you find alarming and in need of help. Use the Case Study to identify the causes and we can all put our heads together to find remedies.

CORRUPTION IN EDUCATION?

A recent report by British media revealed that millions of pounds of aid for education under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme have literally disappeared. The report put this figure at a staggering £340 million, which is around Rs 2,327 crore!
To further this report, the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) investigation found that almost £14 million (around Rs 100 crore) had been spent on luxuries viz. new cars, luxury beds, computers et al, that had no connection with SSA. So much so that around Rs 1.02 crore was transferred into non-traceable bank accounts. Not just that, electronic equipments like air conditioners, faxes, photocopiers, colour television sets et al were bought for regions which had no electricity supply! And that’s just one side of the entire SSA story! Another CAG report reveals that around 68 per cent of the Rs 8000 crore allotted for ‘Elementary Education’ development work, which was spent under SSA, had no records. A 2006 report highlighted irregularities of funds usage to the tune of Rs 470 million in almost 14 states in SSA schemes. A brief glimpse through other media reports, in the span of the last few years, is enough to give a concrete idea about how states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are spending allocated funds on projects that have nothing to do with SSA.
In such a situation, what hope can we have of the RTE Act and our pious wish of getting everyone to school and having an educated India.

OUR YOUNG LEARNERS

We have to recognize the crucial importance of good quality education in the early years. The experiences and environment the children are exposed to in the first five years have a great impact on the child’s life. At our schools the seeds for learning are sown in the blossoming brain. We recognise that learning shifts from age to age. A three year old is not a five year old, but a perfect three year old. Children at different age levels have different needs and ways of learning.

Young children love to play and are naturally curious. They are full of love and purity. Games, puzzles and educational activities have to be incorporated in the syllabus, so that the children learn new skills in both a fun and challenging way. We know that children learn best when they are enjoying themselves. One of our main aims is for children to develop a joy for life-long learning.

School is often the first time the children are away from home, so the classroom becomes a new family. An atmosphere has to be created in which each individual is respected, loved and cared for. Children learn to grow and learn together in a cooperative environment. In parachute games they learn to work together as a team. Students also have opportunities to work in small groups, so that the teacher has more individual time with each child. We ought to have a daily organised routine with a variety of activities for the children to experience learning in a stimulating environment.

Students should start the day with a few minutes of meditation. This helps them to relax, develop their inner peace and be more focused. They should also have a daily period of Life Skill and Value Education, in which they learn to take care of themselves and others. They learn how to share, become a good human being, manners, and polite social interactions. They also learn to appreciate multicultural diversity and different religions.

We should incorporate kinaesthetic learning – learning through movement, in the learning process. Physical activities are a fun way to learn the alphabet, numbers and many environmental topics. Children love to move, jump and run. Children process new information through their whole body, in kinaesthetic learning. Some children learn best through their sense of touch, they are called tactile learners. Such children flourish when they can paint, and create things with their hands. These art and craft activities need to be linked to topics they are learning. They also love educational aids and manipulatives. The school is not about sitting still the whole day.

The preschool years are not the time to engage the children in lengthy memorization exercises. Children at this age develop their thinking processes in the context of play and physical activities.

During the year there have to be special theme days, like an Alphabet Party or a Number Day. On these days the whole day is packed with role play, games, music, and craft activities related to the topic.

Albert Schweitzer, a great Doctor once said: “There are three ways to teach: By example, by example, and by example.”

We need to be aware that children are keen observers. How we speak, listen and interact with others needs to be loving and polite. Children quickly pick up our attitudes and behaviour traits. By modelling how we want our children to behave and the skills we want them to learn, we do the best in creating a conducive atmosphere for learning and growing.
After modelling we also need to give children the opportunity to do things on their own. Learning through doing has to be a key word at our Schools. Mistakes are okay, and part of the learning process. We remember 90 % of what we do, whereas we remember very little of what we read. Our teachers have to be committed to providing the best possible learning experience for your children. Encouragement is an important word for children. Words of encouragement work wonders. We should help our students develop self confidence in them. All of these efforts will make our School a wonderful place for a child to grow.

HOLISTIC TEACHER.

QUESTION: Who can be called a "Holistic Teacher?
With everyone talking of 'Holistic Education' there is need for 'Holistic Teachers' and we need to list the traits, attributes and qualities of such a teacher. –Prof. B. L. Handoo

k kemper- Management Consultant, writer, past TV show producer

Answer: since i invented "holistic accounting" in 1982,a holistic teacher could be one who brings all subject matter and teaching concepts to the classroom and endeavors to succinctly use those melded together to meet the needs of the students as the instructor "facilitates" the mandated material.

FRANK FEATHER ►CEO ►Strategist ►Customized "Hot-Topic" Keynotes + In-House Seminars ►2020 Forecasts (30-yr track record

Answer: A "holistic teacher" is a "facilitator of learning." The traditional role of teacher has become one of an instructor who drills or pours "info-facts" into a student's head, treating knowledge as content, i.e., finite, and this archaic model has been reinforced by the computer age of how information gets processed. Yet the caveat of "garbage in, garbage out" now applies to today's obsolete industrial-era mass education system.

Holistic education is based on a concept of knowledge as a process of reasoning and of
continuous learning, i.e., infinite.

Carl Rogers wrote about the role of the holistic teacher back in 1967 in "Person to Person: The Problem of Being Human", (Real People Press), as follows:
- concentrate on creating a classroom climate to facilitate self-initiated learning, the freedom to learn and learning to be free.
- allow the students to be free and responsible so they confront real life problems.
- the teacher must be genuine and sincere, with a confident view of humanity and a profound trust in the human organism.
- able to accept their feelings as their own, they have no need to impose them on others.
- the teacher values the feelings and opinions of students who are regarded as imperfect humans with many potentialities.
- the teacher never denies a child's feelings and has empathic awareness of the learning process and education from the student's point of view.

In 1993, John miller, the pioneer of holistic learning at OISE in Toronto, wrote a seminal book "Holistic Teacher", and very recently "The Holistic Curriculum".
Hope that helps.

M. Joyce McMenamin- "Chief-of-Quite-A-Lot"

Answer: Looking around, it appears a lot of people can self-assert a holistic title.
Some of the most famous holistic practitioner-authors have no specific training or credentials.
I have sought out credentials and found that many of the certification programs are elementary and 'wanting'.
The concept of 'holism' is 'complete' (eg., whole).
I tend to believe that holism either "is" or "isn't".
Those that teach successfully are typically holistic from a combination of experience + learning vs. formal training.

Firas Abo Assaf- CEO ♦ Finance & FMCG Professional ♦ Real Estate Brokerage ♦ All In One ♦ One For All

Answer: In holistic education, the teacher is seen less as person of authority who leads and controls but rather is seen as:

1) A friend,
2) A mentor,
3) A facilitator,
4) An experienced traveling companion

Schools should be seen as places where students and adults work toward a mutual goal. Open and honest communication is expected and differences between people are respected and appreciated. Cooperation is the norm, rather than competition. Thus, many schools incorporating holistic beliefs do not give grades or rewards. The reward of helping one another and growing together is emphasized rather than being placed above one another.

In considering curriculum using a holistic approach, one must address the question of what children need to learn. Since holistic education seeks to educate the whole person, there are some key factors that are essential to this type of education.

• First, children need to learn about themselves. This involves learning self respect and self esteem.

• Second, children need to learn about relationships. In learning about their relationships with others, there is a focus on social “literacy” (learning to see social influence) and emotional “literacy” (one’s own self in relation to others).

• Third, children need to learn about resilience. This entails overcoming difficulties, facing challenges and learning how to ensure long-term success.

• Fourth, children need to learn about aesthetics – This encourages the student to see the beauty of what is around them and learn to have awe in life.

Wallace Jackson ; Multimedia Producer and i3D Programmer for Acrobat 3D PDF, JavaFX, Mobile & Virtual Worlds

Answer: A Mentor. An Example. A Leader. A Visionary. One Who Inspires. The Dalai Lama

Adam Maclennan; Lead Tutor at Tutorpedia

Answer: In my opinion very few (if any) people could be called a "Holistic Teachers." Though I would say that some people take a holistic approach to education and that is very good.

My primary bench mark for holistic teaching would be if the teacher seeks to impart a desire to learn and show connections to the real world as well as just disseminate basic knowledge. The teacher doesn't have to be able to teach all subjects by any means but does need to show how the subject being taught relates to others and to life. What's more teacher should seek out what interests and inspires the student and relate the subject to that. Any connection could be made even if it is honestly admitting that the current subject matter is simply a "hoop to be jumped through" on the path to the students eventual life goal.

A holistic approach to education does not mean that the teacher needs to befriend the student, treat them as an intellectual equal, or equally value their opinions about the world. In fact the teacher should do not really do any of these things because they all lead to the loss of credibility. As the teacher, even the holistically minded one, you should be the guru, the master of the material and on a higher intellectual rank than the student. People in general don't tend to learn from those with equal knowledge on a subject, they debate them. I'm not suggesting that students differing in opinion from you are a bad thing; in fact that process is extremely good. However, if you are a teacher worth your salt, nine times out ten the debate should end with both you and the student understanding that you are the winner, but not that the student has lost.

However the image of a mentor or role model is not far from where a holistically minded educator should be. This image must be carefully maintained and needs to differ from student to student. In all cases students must respect the teacher a great deal in order for any holistic program to take place.

Shankar Barua; Writer, Artist, Thinker, Musician, & Oddball Innovator

Answer: A good parent should do Bhushan.

Keep well ~ Shankar

Rayaprolu Sarma; Owner, SASU Academy Pvt. Ltd

Answer: Is being a "Holistic Teacher" a possibility?

Can there be any one who is complete and can we measure the completeness? To me a holistic teacher or some one close to a holistic teacher who understands his limitations as a human and still allows the possibility of other's growth through constant search for answers. A Holistic teacher need not be a subject matter expert always. He can merely be some one who encourages learning not by teaching but by being and becoming.

Teachers most often have to fill in the shoes of unrealistic ideals and hard to survive methodologies. It is important that self realization and truth seeking become the motto of teaching or imparting learning, only then can a teacher be holistic.

From a philosophical, real life, scientific and cultural perspectives, allowing learning to sprout in turbulence along with accepting learning as an event in a journey, all these are qualities which a holistic teacher can aim to have

Siphiwe Silinda; Document Controller B&W Madagascar Sarl

Answer: A holistic Teacher is someone that educates, mentor and do coaching one on one with his or her students. When students see her or him they regard as a role model because of the drive and the skills that he or she is passing on to the students. He or she posses the following attribute
Strong Leadership, Career and Family Counseling, Planning into Detail & Motivator

Nanette de Ville; at Life Reflections

Answer: I work as a Healer and I would expect to see the following qualities in a Holistic Teacher:
They should be someone who is compassionate, understanding and can listen. To be able to give impartial guidance and coaching to child:
Guiding children:
1. to understand they are responsible for the own actions and words
2. to learn how to identify personal issues and deal with the positively
3. learn how to identify goals and the steps to achieve them
4. to identify self-limitations and imposed limitations giving guidance and coaching on how to overcome them and what positive actions they need to take.
5. Learn how to love themselves and be joyous and passionate about their lives.
This will result in children being able to see their unique talent and will bring about a responsive curriculum instead of a restrictive and conditioned curriculum.

The more a person is in control of their lives the more they understand themselves and be who they really are.
There are many successful entrepreneurs who only had limited education clearly we cannot say they are failures but the education system failed them.

Julia Shirkey; Promoting learning as a way of life

Answer: Holistic teachers appeal to cognitive, affective, spiritual, relational, and somatic aspects of learning.

DAVE MASKIN; Wire name party favors made at parties ★ Highly effective lead generation for your trade show booth ★ WireNames.com

Answer: My chiropractor, Dr. Howard Kessler, Hillsdale, New Jersey is a wonderful holistic Doctor and teacher...

Harish Nair; Founder, Ragnar & Rearden Consultants

Answer: As an ardent student of systems thinking, i believe, being holistic is the ability to understand something from all possible perspectives, understand the invisible and visible assumptions behind those perspectives; understand that something in its context and outside of that context and the implications thereof.

Being able to also understand as well as detach oneself from one's own beliefs and prejudices to aid objectivity is a key to being holistic.

Anyone who has these capabilities can be considered as someone who is able to view things holistically. Being able to teach is another talent altogether. One who can combine the above along with the basic necessities of being a good teacher in my view can be termed a holistic teacher.

I also believe, being able to get this across to others would be a key to being a holistic teacher. One who has a holistic approach will enable others to do the same as he understands fully the limitations of not being holistic and how much is richness is lost in not being holistic.

Trust that helpful

Cheers
Harish Nair

Gurinder Ahluwalia; Marketing Consultant to SMEs, Professor in Marketing & Director

Answer: First and foremost a teacher must know the subject s/he teaches. Secondly s/he should be able to understand the students' personality and learning abilities. Thirdly a teacher must remain dispassionate in all situations. Lastly a teacher should respect divergent opinion and be open to all viewpoints.

Ida Durling: Management/Executive

Answer: Holistic teachers have clear and simple rules:

1.Respect - for the teacher, for classmates, and for materials
2.Raise Your Hand if you want to speak
3.Always try your best (as a person and on your work)
4.Take responsibility for our classroom (pick up after yourself)

These are just some of the classroom guidelines a holistic teacher will implement:

1.Respond to Adults
2.Make eye contact
3.Congratulate a classmate
4.Respect other students' comments, opinions and ideas
5.If you win, do not brag; if you lose, do not show anger
6.Cover your mouth with the crook in your arm when you sneeze
7.Do not show disrespect with gestures
8.Always say thank you when given something and do not insult the gift or giver
9.Surprise others by performing random acts of kindness
10.Follow along when we read together in class
11.Answer all written questions with a complete sentence
12.You must complete your homework every day
13.Subject transitions will be swift, quiet, and orderly
14.Be organized as possible
15.When a substitute teacher is present, all class rules still apply
16.Follow the specific classroom rules
17.You may bring a bottle of water to class, you may not get up for a drink of water during instruction.
18. Greet visitors and make them feel welcome
19.Do not save seats at lunch or in line
20.Do not stare at a student who is being reprimanded

ACCREDITATION OF SCHOOLS!

Question asked by Prof. (Dr.) B. L. Handoo
Q: How is Accreditation of Schools going to improve education?

The HRD Minister and the CBSE Chairman have proposed Accreditation of Schools as an initiative to improve Quality in Education. The Schools are wary. The parents want to know the benefits. The students and teachers think exploitation will cease. The managements fear exposure. Good Schools are hopeful of benchmarking their best practices. Some see Business prospectus and the general fear is dilution of standards in the name of Quality, since unscrupulous elements are vying for a piece of the pie.
(Location specific: India)

Answers from Friends from various walks of life

Virendra Pratap Mishra: Professor at Institute of Productivity & Management, Ghaziabad

Accreditation shall surely help. The process need to be set right.
Maximum weight age- 75% and above- should be given to the views and performance of passing out students in last few years. Say pass outs of last one to five years. Accreditations should be derived based on ratios of fees charged by institutes and salaries earned by pass outs in next five years. Minus weight age should be given for un-employment periods beyond six months of just passing out students.

Accreditation ranking should be published and institute be asked to display it prominently at every point of soliciting students.
Admissions to institutes be based on one single all India or state entrance score and no technical or other university should try to fill seats in affiliated colleges. Let all institutes fill their own seats based on their rankings, fees, common entrance scores and candidate preferences.

Accreditation should essentially be done by a private organization and 100% objective based on preset criteria scores. Accreditation agency should not have a subjective decision criterion

Michael Lyubomirskiy: consultant, project manager, inventor, programmer at Lyubomirskiy Consulting, lyubomirskiy@gmail

Government accreditation is not good because it easily gets corrupted and subverted to serve the goals and ideologies of the government. By contrast, private accreditation by private bodies/associations - that's not bad. E.g. if I think that Association 1 is a gang of morons and Association 2 is a gang of thieves, maybe I will go to Association 3 which is not reputed. Or maybe I will start my own Association... Naturally, these various organizations would quickly develop their reputations, and you, as a parent or government official, would have some notion of what their accreditation means.

Incidentally, MIT is, imagine that, not accredited by anybody. Their engineering programs are accredited (otherwise graduates could not have called themselves engineers) but the university itself has no accreditation. Believe it or not, they do fine :-)
Oops, no, I was incorrect. "MIT is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education."

I distinctly recall reading 12 years ago about how MIT lacked some common accreditation and didn't care about it, but I cannot track down this tidbit anymore.

Rajesh Venkatesan: architect @HCL

I think the intention of an accreditation is good...but as everything else in India, implementation is a whole different nightmare...
I see this as no different from engineering colleges going like mad after getting deemed university status. The schools eventually will work out a strategy to get the accreditation whether they have the right infrastructure/staff/methodology or NOT.
My opinion is that even now some schools are flooded with applications for admission because they are good at what they should do - Education. I don’t see really Good Schools even caring about accreditation as they will get it de facto. It MIGHT serve as motivation for the other schools to better their state of affairs. That might be the only crucial point for me to favor accreditation. I think even if 20% of schools improve, I will support it.

Craig Eyermann: Instructor at University of Phoenix

Accreditation is not well correlated with the ability to achieve meaningful goals in education. For example, most of India's public school teachers are accredited, yet fail to adequately perform their jobs (see second link.)

The current move to accredit schools should be viewed as an attempt to suppress competition from private schools, where the instructors are incented to show up and teach (unlike India's public sector teachers). It's little more than a political power grab intended to take the pressure to perform off the public sector teachers by making it more difficult for private schools to be established to compete with them.


Wallace Jackson: Multimedia Producer and i3D Programmer for Acrobat 3D PDF, JavaFX, Mobile & Virtual Worlds

Any system is prone to corruption under the wrong sequence of events. Time will tell.


Al Macintyre: Computer Professional in IBM Midrange

Depending on what organization sets the standards, and manages the process, there is a potential to let parents know what schools are meeting what standards, so they can select best education for the students.

Ramesh Kumar: CTO & one of the Top 10 All time experts at Linkedin

Accreditation helps the schools which do not have a proper system in place. There are thousands of schools that are affiliated with some board or other and no one knows if the norms are properly implemented.

There are some schools which are more than 100 year old and have best practices in place. They know the importance of infrastructure and teaching practices.

Accreditation brings in some uniformity and the schools will be required to follow certain norms. And these will be reviewed at regular intervals.

Personally, I feel it is good as the accreditation requires minimum requirements for the school. The students, teachers and parents will be happy. However, managements may have to shell down more money for creating the infra required for accreditation. However, the problem is that the managements may try to recover the additional costs from students in one way or other!!

Ramesh
The Human Search Engine

Rayaprolu Sarma: Owner, SASU Academy Pvt. Ltd

First of all Accreditation of Schools will stop the commercialization of education. Following up the accreditation with tough criterion for setting up schools will allow quality and education to prosper rather than mere literacy.

Like many say India's problem is not unemployment, it is un-employability. The problem is not demand, the problem is supply. Accreditation will help in streamlining standards which will enable the best practices to reach out to the deserving people.

Accreditation will also allow the Govt. or Corporate sectors to involve in Global Citizenship and design methodologies of handling socio-economic insecurities which prevail not just in the students but also in the teaching population of the country.

Accreditation should allow the banning of schools which do not match the standards set, there by ensuring only quality to exist. A road map should be sought and enforced in to place by the Govt. to enable the good schools to become better and the better ones the best.

Accreditation if followed by stringent close down measures, will also bring to the fore, innovative low cost high quality interventions which will allow a better reach to the deserving candidates of the rural areas.

My take on the whole topic is that accreditation clubbed with action on low quality schools will be helpful. Lack of follow up action will render the accreditation useless.

Steve Taylor: Instructor at SAU Tech, Manager of Alien Productions, Freelance Video Producer

Obviously, in the US accreditation has failed. Anything that is controlled at the federal level will eventually fall prey to corruption and ultimately failure. Let the free market decide. If a school has graduates who are getting jobs upon graduation, that school will see an increase in students. If a school has graduates who are not getting jobs upon graduation, that school should see a decrease in students. All schools are not created equal. All instructors are not created equal. No mandate from the government (accreditation) will ever make them of equal value to society.

Christoph Knoess: Founder and President, Engaged Minds Inc.

I think the best analogy to accreditation is the government mandated annual inspection of motor vehicles. It sets some minimum standards, but says little about the best schools (or cars). As governments get deeper and deeper into financing education, it is inevitable (and good stewardship) that it will insist on minimum standards for all schools and institutions that receive government funding.

Schools and institutions of course see accreditation as an imposition and a constraint to their academic freedom and pursuit of their educational mission. However, the purpose of accreditation is to protect students and tax payers, not to serve educational institutions.

Quality Education & Accreditation of Schools.

Education is the most potent instrument for social change and social reconstruction. The formative years of a child are spent in a school and it is here that foundations of holistic development have to be laid. Unfortunately, absence of a clear focus, lack of vigor, unawareness of Quality in educational processes and above all no monitoring to improve the school education has led to the present state of mismatch between objectives, processes and the output. Schools have failed to deliver and provide Quality Education.
Accreditation of Schools would help Indian Education & Schools to understand the Quality Dimension of Education. It will lead to awareness about Holistic Education, give Schools a Mission to strive for, help them to identify Processes and develop a mechanism of monitoring these processes to improve and help in effectiveness and efficiency. Self-assessment, Continual Improvement, Performance Review, Empowerment of the Head of the Institution, Involvement and participation of the Interested parties, Documented procedures and creating ‘Life-long Learners’ is what Accreditation will lead to. Schools will have to comply with Statutory and Regulatory Rules, start their Quality journey and cleanse their systems. Accreditation will then be a by product.
Accreditation by a National Apex Body, is the last hope of improving our School Systems, bringing in efficiency in their processes, including the Teaching-Learning Process and making Schools accountable to the community.

How does the fear of making mistakes and being laughed at affect the way you learn?

Fear is an emotion that always hinders learning.
Teachers who create fear in the teaching-learning process will not be able to induce learning. The mind gets clogged in fear. The fear of making mistakes while learning needs to be erradicated from the minds of children.
Teachers have to create an environment where it is OK to commit mistakes in the process of learning. We need to create conditions for participatory learning and hence going wrong is natural and is acceptable for ensuring learning.

We need to celebrate learning at every step. We can not allow anyone being laughed at while the person is making a sincere effort to learn. This can be discouraging and become an obstacle to learning. We have no right to laugh at the mistakes of others.
Learning has to be fun, an enjoyable activity and we need to support it through reinforcement-praise and encouragement.

Please offer a short description of favourite works of literature

“Shakespeare's "Othello" is the tragedy of a Husband who wrongly suspects his wife and that too on being cajoled by others. He repents. Thank God! We do not need to be convinced by others, nor do we repent. For us it is a comic relief.

Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" is the story of a single man of fortune and hence in need of a wife to spend that fortune. Pride and Prejudice do fall along the road in times of recession and who cares who elopes with whom.

" David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens is the story of "A Slum Dog" in old England.

Mathew Arnold in "Prospice" said:
"I have ever been a fighter,
one fight more,
the last and the best"

My professor taught me that Arnold was talking of struggles and his fight with death.
Wrong. Who fights death.
It is distributed as a gift in every street, Hotel and now in Schools.
This can go on. But I have some more to read and understand. So Bye for today.

What can I do to improve my presentation skills?

If Presentation is a Skill, then it has to be learnt through PRACTICE. Practice, practice and practice is my first advice.
You have no problems. These are fears. Perhaps on one or two occasions the 'Murphy Monkey' jumped on to your back as soon as you started your presentation. The next time throw him off. Be confident. Tell yourself that you can do it.
Practice in front of a large looking glass.
Carry some Note Cards with you.
Write the beginning, the Main Points and the ending.
Use a Power Point Show with notes for you.
Build up your confidence.
Watch some good presenters on allied themes and topics.
Observe their body language, their voice modulations and also Read some Books on Presentation Skills.
Search for Video Clips on Presentation Skills. Some good ones are available on the YouTube also.

What did they not teach you that you wish they would've taught you?

I was taught a little of every subject as per regulations of the Board or University at School and College. This was done at purely memory level and with the sole objective of passing examinations.
I was never taught about life, how to live it and how to face its complexities and enjoy it.
It came from experience, peer group and from the examples of others.

No one ever taught me to Think Critically, Creatively, Laterally and Divergently.
No one taught me Life Skills, Communication, Public Speaking, Problem Solving, Decision Making...the list is endless.

I wish I would have been taught all this. Much of it is taught now in Good Schools, Colleges and Universities.

Who Taught You?

This question made me relive my past and think of those people who shaped my life. It mad me realise that this way teachers will be remembered, and I myself am a teacher.

My Mom and Dad were my first Teachers. Both had a profound influence on me, in spite of our living in a large joint family. My Mom taught me to love, to care and to be patient. My Dad taught me the need for discipline, good habits, moral courage and perseverance.

Out of my Teachers at the School: I vividly recall Mr. Kotha, who taught us English at Class V. He made me Read from Books, Text and Story Books to the whole class and even made me speak extempore at the School Assembly. The other was Mr.N.J.Miya; a gem of a person, loved and feared by all. He was multifaceted and multi-skilled. He was my Social Science Teacher at the High School. He taught me how to swim, how to row a boat, how to face difficult situations, how to tie knots as a Boy Scout. He played Hockey with us and made me represent my school, when I was only 12. He was instrumental in developing my Map Reading Skills and Spatial concepts. His Lessons have been my lessons for life.

My memories of College fade into the mist and hazy recollections of my adolescence; when I played Cricket and watched movies. But I must make mention of our Principal, Mr.Madan, who sometimes taught us English Literature. His recitation of Poetry, his subtle ways of romanticising minor details and his dramatic delivery of the dialogues of each character in Shakespearean plays... My God! How I wished I could imitate him and be a teacher like him. He left all of us spell bound and time seemed to flee. We wished he could have taught us more often. He was instrumental in creating in me a burning desire to be a teacher and my love for English Literature.

At the University, we had great luminaries and scholarly Professors. I can not forget Prof. Woodrou Wilson and the way he taught us American Literature. He was a realist, a pragmatic person and had lived and taught at Tagore's “Shanti Niketan University”, for six years. He taught me how nature could be used to teach us and he built my strength of character and conviction. In every situation, he wanted my views, my opinion and not of the critics. He was the one who taught me to think and think critically. Prof Apurab Soomnath was the one who taught us the Growth and History of Novels in English Literature. He was a man who loved his glass of wine and playing contract Bridge. He would speak for hours on end. He built in me whatever little of creative thinking there is.

I salute these and other teachers who made a difference in my life and whatever I am today is purely because of their efforts.
May God bless them all? For those who are no longer on this earth. May God grant them peace in Heaven?

• How, where and when did structured schooling start?

We know that at the advent of human civilisation, the task of educating the younger generation was that of the family and especially of the parents. When we advanced to the agricultural stage, all education was imparted orally and it was experiential. Boys and girls helped their parents in their daily work and acquired the necessary skills through observation, apprenticeship and hands on learning. The family continued to be the source of folk -lore; tradition, myths, fables, legends and all this had an oral tradition; both in the east and the west.

Gradually, the parents felt that the task of educating the younger generation needed specialised skills and they were pressed for want of time. Hence the village priest- shaman- was assigned this task.

Eric Ashby regards this as the First Great Revolution in Social evolution. The responsibility of educating the young was hence passed on from the family to a so-called specialist within the community. Soon we had the invention of the written word and that brought a major shift in the process.

In ancient Vedic times, education in the ‘Patshalas’ and ‘Gurukuls’ was imparted orally. Even Buddhist education in ‘Mats’ and ‘Viharas’, and in the ‘Madrasas’ of the Muslims; continued to be given orally even after the written word was available.

The Society took upon itself the task of educating the younger generation and donated land, funds and resources to Gurus who dedicated themselves to the task of imparting education. These small centres soon grew and their fame spread far and wide. Lords, Kings and Landlords in the Feudal Society provided support. Soon the system became more and more organised and had controls, regulations and so on.

Hence it got loosely structured. Entry age was decided. Curriculum was formed. Assessment procedure was laid down. But all this had a variety of models as it varied from one tribe to another, one community to another and from one society to another. With the passage of time, the need for uniformity in certain basic practices and regulations was felt and ordered for by Kings or democratically elected Councils. It was just before the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and the invention of the Printing Press that we had a somewhat loosely structured form of Schooling existing throughout the world and each civilisation was at some stage of development.

The present day structure is one that has proved to be boring, monotonous and only helpful in establishing routine and curbing creativity. That is why, we have been trying with various models like: Non Formal Education, Open School, Home Schooling etc and even major changes are being initiated in the way the schools ought to function and the purposes for which they exist.

• What is the impact of hiring novice teachers while offering incentives for veteran teachers to retire?

Veteran teachers are ‘veterans’ and retiring them is not in the interests of our students. Veteran teachers are needed badly by children, parents, schools and the society. Their age should not be a consideration, as long as they are capable of teaching effectively and the students enjoy their teaching.

One learns to teach with time and experience. The time spent by these veteran teachers in honing their skills is what matters. Such teachers should not retire or be offered incentives to retire. This is callous and detrimental to the interests of students.

Our kids are not guinea pigs to be experimented upon by novice teachers. We can not undo the damage done by novices on young minds. Such damage may be irreparable. Novice teachers are yet to know and learn through experience as to 'What is teaching?', 'How to teach children with different abilities?', 'How to manage classes effectively?', "How to assess learning?' and so many other allied things. They need time and mentoring to mature and grow professionally. The veteran teachers could work as their Buddies, Mentors and Role-models. The novice teachers need to observe veteran teachers at work and learn from their experience.

I have found that Pre-service training of teachers is inadequate and does not equip a teacher with all that the teacher is required to do. Even In-service training and PD is not taken very seriously by all. Hence, there is dire need for continuing with veteran teachers to teach our kids and to help our new teachers to grow professionally.

How does Education empower you?

Education imparts knowledge, develops attitudes & dispositions and trains us in Skills.
Education transmits culture, promotes Social Progress and exercises Social Control.

Education trains the faculties of Reasoning, Imagination, Rationality, Critical Thinking and fosters Creativity.

Education enables us to discriminate between Right and Wrong and develops our values, strengthens our character and makes us socially efficient.

Education teaches us "to be", "to become", and "to live".

This is how it Empowers.

• What measures can be taken to motivate students?

The best form of motivation is self-motivation. Pupils need to connect with the teachers. Teachers can motivate their pupils by meeting their needs for the three ‘As’: affiliation, agency and autonomy. They do this through the energisers that create a motivating learning climate; the flip side of the energisers is the drainers – things that teachers need to avoid doing. The energisers provide the ingredients of the classroom climate that are needed to whet pupils’ appetites for learning. The energisers effectively engage most pupils and are accessible to most teachers:
Engagement – how teachers show they are interested in and value pupils.
Structure – provides clear pathways towards the learning goals and boundaries that let pupils know what is expected of them.
Stimulation – comes from a curriculum that highlights the relevance of activities and sets achievable goals.
Feedback – provides information that lets pupils know how they are doing, guiding them from where they are to where they need to be.
Drainers expose pupils to painful and unpleasant experiences that they will want to avoid:
Engagement – showing they are disinterested in their pupils by embarrassing them, threatening them or voicing comparisons between them.
Structure – dictating the agenda and denying pupil participation by, for example, setting too many rules and refusing any choice.
Stimulation – leaving pupils confused as to the purpose and relevance of activities, setting goals that are too easy or too difficult and generally failing to create enthusiasm.
Feedback – undermining confidence through personalised blame, judgemental criticism and feedback that is generally highly evaluative and emotion-laden.

Teachers need to understand their pupils as much as possible. The pupil drivers integrate the latest thinking on emotional intelligence, self-esteem and positive psychology into an account of what motivates students. Learner needs are at the core of the pupil driver model. Personality influences, in particular, how we think and feel about ourselves, our self-emotions. When our needs have been met we enjoy self-energising emotions. When they are blocked we experience self-draining emotions. Teachers don’t need to develop different motivational strategies for each individual: pupils have more similarities than they have differences. To engage all of their pupils, teachers need to adapt the energisers to pupils’ learning stances.

There are seven learning stances that reflect how students feel about themselves as learners. The learning stances describe the fit between the learner and the learning climate. Each of the stances illustrates how learners with similar attitudes engage with the learning climate. The learning stances framework offers teachers and pupils a language with which they can discuss and make sense of motivation. It helps teachers get to know their pupils better and find ways to engage them. Motivation to learn gradually evolves into an enduring disposition. For pupils it is shaped by and reflected in the learning stances they adopt towards a specific context or activity.