Number of TOEFL takers increases in India

According to data released by Educational Testing Service (ETS), the volume of TOEFL test takers in India surged 7 percent in 2012 compared to 2011.

In 2012, 67 percent of TOEFL test takers in India were male and 33 percent were female. The total mean age for TOEFL test takers in India in 2012 was 22.9 years old.

This trend also evident in other countries, continues the impressive global growth for the test for the seventh consecutive year, say company officials. In 2012, TOEFL test takers represented 180 countries. And, 90 percent of TOEFL test takers got into their first- or second-choice university or college.

"For more than 45 years the TOEFL test has been helping Indian students meet their educational goals," commented David Hunt, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ETS's Global Division. "We are forecasting continued growth in 2013 and will monitor capacity in India, adding additional testing centers to respond to demand so that every student who wishes to take the TOEFL test has the opportunity to do so."

That TOEFL is being accepted by 8,500 institutions in 130 countries have made the test very popular. It is alos one of the least expensive ones and gets completed in half a day. In addition, in 2011, Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship approved the TOEFL test for use for student visas in Australia.

Mumbai girl tops GRE with full marks

Mumbai girl Ashwini Nene has topped the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) -- a pre-requisite for admissions to most US graduate schools and for some other countries - by scoring full marks of 340/340, an official said here Wednesday.

Nene, 20, is a student of Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, Andheri.

The GRE results were announced by Educational Testing Services, a US-based organisation that conducts the examinations worldwide.

Coached by KIC Education in Andheri, Nene is one of the few students globally to have scored a full marks in a revised and tougher GRE format this year.

"Ashwini Nene has many great attributes which went into producing the special score. She stands out for her humility, is very coachable and ensured that she made every classroom session count by absorbing all concepts and applying them effectively during practice," said KIC Education's founder and chief mentor G Kohli.

Nene said that the strategies taught by KIC Education were brilliant and she used them while giving the actual test, besides specific instructions for different question types, 20-30 tests in hard and soft formats, which help her get 340/340.

"It is hard to predict what (questions) one will get and though I expected to get close to 340, I did not anticipate an absolute score. Now, I shall focus on my academic and build a strong profile to qualify for the best universities in the US," Nene said.

Nene's parents are technology professionals in the northwest Mumbai Vile Parle suburb.

Need to promote study of science, says A P J Abdul Kalam

The current teaching methods need to be revamped with more practicals and experiments to inculcate "scientific temper" among students, said experts at a national conference organised in the city to discuss the declining interest in science education.

Inaugurating the two-day event that began on Friday at Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Tarnaka, former president, A P J Abdul Kalam said, "senior scientists should talk and interact with students on a regular basis and mobile science labs should be arranged to visit institutes in districts and villages and perform minor experiments and demonstrations for students." Emphasizing on the need to promote the study of science among the youth, Kalam said that parents should encourage their children to pursue their field of choice, whether arts or science. The renowned scientist also appealed to national scientific organizations to be more open to taking in PhD and M Sc scholars and assist them with their research.

Other experts present at the event, while stressing the need for better curriculums, pointed out how the existing system owing to its poorly designed syllabus has failed to drive students towards research in the field of science who have instead branched out into other lucrative professions.

"Only 30% of engineering graduates end up with actual engineering jobs as majority take up IT sector posts," said Ch Mohan Rao, director, CCMB and president of Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences (APAS) while highlighting the growing number of vacancies in scientific organizations across the country. "With the right qualifications, a scientist's starting salary could be around Rs 45,000 per month and go up to around Rs 1 lakh within five years," he, interestingly, added.

Offering solutions to improve the quality of science education experts suggested the turning B Sc programmes into four-year long courses with the final year focusing on imparting practical knowledge and specific skills. "Following this, students must be allowed to directly do their Ph D instead of spending another two years on M Sc. This will encourage the students to opt for science at higher levels and increase their employability too," Rao said.

Other experts present at the conference from various organizations like National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI, National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), among others, too stressed on spreading awareness among students and their parents about the wide scope of science. Emphasis was also laid on the need to invest in science and research. Reportedly, the current investment is only 0.9% of our GDP while Japan invests around 3% of their GDP on science and technology, they said.

Nearly 450 people including teachers and students from school and colleges were present at the venue to participate in interactive sessions on various topics related to science education. Participants suggested developing a national science cadre under which meritorious students at the 10+2 level would be sponsored for higher education and assured jobs in their respective fields.

"Student-scientist interactions should be encouraged. Good colleges across the country could be turned into universities with a limit of 10,000 students to facilitate better focus on each student," suggested P M Bhargava, former director, CCMB.

First private accreditation body for varsities set up

Even as the National Accreditation Regulatory Authority Bill for higher education remains to be passed by Parliament, the country's first private accreditation body came into being on Friday.

Registered as a non-profit council, the Indian Centre for Assessment and Accreditation (ICAA), with Manipal University head T V Mohandas Pai as chairman and former University Grants Commission ( UGC) chairman Arun Nigavekar as chief advisor, aims at monitoring and assessing universities on a set of criteria that would keep in mind the domestic realities and international expectations .

At a press conference here, Mohandas Pai said universities would be ranked based on access, equity and quality. "Within nine months, a complete set of procedures will be in place," he said.

There are two government accreditation agencies in the country - the National Assessment and Accreditation Council and the National Board of Accreditation. "In 19 years, these agencies have accredited only 28% of universities and 14% of colleges," said S P Thyagarajan, former vice-chancellor of the University of Madras. "With grading of colleges gaining recognition, it's time we had a private body that will ensure transparency while assessing universities and colleges."

Some of the ICAA members stressed the decline in global ranking of Indian varsities over the years. While in 2009 and 2010 some Indian Institutes of Technology were within the top 200, no Indian university featured in the top 200 in 2012, according to 2011 rating of UK-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), which specializes in education and study abroad. In 2012, Chinese varsities made it to the top 50 and a few Middle East institutions to the top 100, the council said.

Private agencies will be allowed to rate institutions to "create a healthy competitive environment", according to the National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill, 2010.

ICAA, which has partnered QS, will include agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan, scientist V Ponraj, VIT chancellor G Viswanathan and National University of Singapore vice-president Prof Seeram Ramakrishna as its council members. It will function under the human resource development ministry.

Most states to miss March 31 deadline for compliance with Right to Education Act

On Monday, when the deadline for compliance with the Right to Education (RTE) Act expires, children will get a short shrift again. Government data shows about 40% primary schools don't have adequate teachers, 33% are without girls' toilets and 39% lack ramps for children with disabilities.

With the enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act in 2009 all states and Union Territories were expected to comply with the norms by March 31, 2013 — a deadline that most states will miss. These norms included optimum pupil-teacher ratio, infrastructure rules like adequate drinking water, toilets, stipulated working days and instruction hours and establishment of school management committees.

Of the 52 lakh sanctioned posts of teachers, there are 11 lakh vacancies. Besides shortage, states are also battling the malaise of untrained or under-qualified teachers that is pegged at around 8.6 lakh or 20% of the total teachers. The states with the bulk of these teachers is West Bengal (1.97 lakh), Bihar (1.86 lakh) and Jharkhand (77,000). Infrastructure norms for drinking water (94% of schools) and ramps (in 61% of schools) have been complied with, while 64% schools have separate toilets for girls and boys.

States have sought an extension in the deadline as they flounder due to lack of adequate resources and political will. But experts point to a more worrying concern: the lack of attention to learning outcomes. Several studies, including the ASER survey 2012, say that while enrolment has increased and more children are going to school, learning levels have dipped.

Noting that over three lakh private budget schools face closure after March 31 — the deadline for meeting infrastructure requirements under the Act, impacting 4-5 crore students — Ashish Dhawan from Centre Square Foundation said private school regulation should be based on audited performance rather than input-based norms.

Educational Initiatives' SridharRajagopalan said that regular and third party measurement of learning was required. Giving the example of Gujarat that organizes an annual assessment for student learning called `Gunatsav', Rajagopalan said that students were assessed by teachers in the first round and then 25% randomly picked schools were assessed by ministers and senior officials led by CM NarendraModi.

Accountability Initiatives' Yamini Aiyer pointed out that learning outcomes had to become part of the states' and Centre's goals. She also underlined the importance of the school management committees and greater involvement of parents in running a school.

Civil society representatives said that a large number of low-fee private schools faced closure because of undue emphasis on infrastructure issues rather than learning outcomes.

Punjab government to set up vocational training centres

Rakesh Mittal

Punjab government on Friday gave its nod to the setting up of vocational training centres at all 'Adarsh schools' of the state to provide quality technical training to youths.

A decision to this effect was taken in the eighth meeting of the Punjab education development board held under the chairmanship of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal here, an official spokesman said.

In the meeting, the chief minister asked the chief secretary to draft a policy for setting up vocational training centres at all 'Adarsh Schools' of the state so that quality technical training can be imparted to the youth belonging to the rural areas.

Badal emphasised that with the opening of these centres, quality education could be imparted to the students besides opening the new avenues of the self employment for them.

During the meeting, permission was granted to 'Adarsh School' being run by the Bharti Foundation to open one such centre at the school.

Divulging the details, member of the board, Rakesh Mittal said that these centres would be opened in two out of the five schools run by the foundation as pilot projects.

He said that in these centres, the unemployed youth of the area along with the students of senior secondary classes in the schools would be provided with technical training thereby enabling them for self employment.

Mittal categorically said that these centres would not take any fee from the students against the technical training imparted to them.

Earth Hour - 23rd March 2013

Teachers with special skills ready to break education barriers

SSA trains 140 teachers to understand children with special needs
“In our school, we have children with autism studying with other children. After this training, we have the courage and skills to take care of them. We won’t get angry or put them in the last row. Now, we understand them. (Earlier), we didn’t know.”

This transformation in Prasad K.V.L.N., a teacher in Government Higher Primary School, Sajankady, Puttur, comes after a 10-day training programme organised by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

As many as 140 teachers from various government schools in the district attended the programme aimed to sensitise them so that no child with special needs — irrespective of the kind, category and degree of disability — is left behind. Some children with special needs (CWSN) might have one predominant disability with associated difficulties.

The training was an attempt to empower teachers as part of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which mandates every school must have one teacher who is CWSN-friendly, and every child must get barrier-free education, said N. Shivaprakash, Co-ordinator, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. “We cannot have a child with low vision or hearing-impaired seated in the last row,” he said.

With the implementation of the RTE, more children, including CWSN, are joining regular schools, so teachers must know how to take care of them. The training sensitised the teachers to 10 disabilities defined by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), with visits to special schools and interaction with doctors and specialists, Mr. Shivaprakash said.

Hanumanthappa, teacher, Government Higher Primary School, Mavinakatte, Belthangady, said the training, especially about identifying children with special needs and referring them early to the district psychologist, was helpful. “Earlier, the attitude was to send away the child to a special school,” he said.

Juliet, teacher, Government Primary School, Bantwal, said helping a child with special needs get access to education requires teamwork from students, doctors, psychologists and, especially parents.

Mr. Prasad said, “This (information) is not there in D.Ed... The training can help in every house.” Teachers can tell Accredited Social Health Activists, health centres or doctors visiting districts from special schools, about challenged children, he said.

Irene, Inclusive Education Resource Teacher, Mangalore Urban, said the training is for teachers of regular schools and is required because RTE emphasises inclusive education. The training helps teachers handle cerebral palsy, Down’s Syndrome, muscular dystrophy, speech and hearing problems and autism.

Right to Learn the best way to go: MIT prof

The fear among educationists over how private tuitions are deteriorating the standard of education in the state just came true with the Annual Status Education report of 2012 pointing that nearly 73% students in Bengal take recourse to tuitions while less than a quarter of them (23.3%) in rural areas countrywide take tuitions to supplement what is taught in schools.

"The dependence on tuitions stems from the fact that schools focus on completing the syllabi instead of giving attention to students. Most of the teachers are not concerned about what the students are learning," said Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee, Ford Foundation International professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the director of Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab.

Speaking at an interactive session organized by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Banerjee on Monday argued in favour of a Right to Learn instead of the Right to Education (RTE) as the latter had hijacked all other issues in the education sphere and led to decline in teaching standards. While 50% students in Class III could read Class-I level texts in schools, just over 40% were able to do so in 2012. In mathematics, it was worse. While 40% Class III students could do subtraction in 2009, around 25% students could manage to do it in 2012.

"Prior to 2009, the education level was flat. But there has been a perceptible decline after the RTE came into force. While it could be coincidental, replacing examination till Class XII with continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) hasn't helped. The teaching process becomes meaningless without some way to monitor learning. CCE takes away the accountability of the teachers," the professor reasoned.

The study also revealed that over 60% of students who took tuitions could read as well as do mathematics, pointing to the lacunae in school education.

"That there is no mention of 'learning' in RTE is a pointer to what is wrong with the legislation. In RTE, there is a lot of emphasis on teacher-student ratio, teacher salary and physical infrastructure. Studies have shown no correlation between these factors and improvement in learning. On the other hand, it may force many schools to shut down as they cannot afford high salaries or huge infrastructure," he said.

Also, vernacular medium schools in rural areas seemed to deliver higher quality of education at lower cost per pupil. "A popular notion that private schools, particularly English medium, offer better education was proved wrong in the study. Private schools only deliver small gains. In test score results, there is little difference between public and private schools," Banerjee said.

West Bengal Human Rights Commission chairman Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly, who was the chief guest at the interaction, was scathing of the government's attempt to withdraw itself from education and pass it on to private sector. "Look at the government schools. Many are on the verge of closure as everyone runs to privately operated English medium schools. Education is the safest business. Today you have AC classrooms, AC buses and inordinately high fees. Private education has taken away access to education from a large section of the population," Justice Ganguly said.

Terming it a deliberate ploy by the state to encourage the spawning of a society that was not literate, and hence, unable to raise its voice and protest against injustice, Ganguly said private education was being deliberately pumped into the sector to make it expensive and inaccessible. "The results are for all to see: there is no discipline in schools, there is mass copying and teachers are being assaulted by students. The withering away of the state from education pains me everyday," he said.

India needs to redefine education strategy: President

The time has come to "redefine" the way education is imparted in India as it is "simply unacceptable" that no Indian university finds a place amongst top global institutions, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday.

Addressing the 90th Convocation of Delhi University, Mukherjee also stressed on the need for enhancing enrolments and improvising modules that can enable better learning and bringing higher education closer to remote corners of the country to remove imbalances.

"The education sector is today confronted by problems relating to both quantity and quality...If we are to redefine the way education is imparted by our educational institutions, the time is now," Mukherjee said.

According to an international ranking of universities, he said, no Indian varsity finds a place amongst the global top 200.

"This you would agree, is simply unacceptable. We must develop our universities into global leaders, and for that, the best practices in other countries should be carefully studied and adopted with necessary changes to suit our conditions," he said.

There is now at least one Central University in every state but the question that one should ask is whether we are satisfied with the progress that we are making in the educational sector.

"An honest answer would reveal that we have miles and miles to go before we can say that we have arrived," he said.

Noting that the education sector is confronted by problems relating to both quantity and quality, he said it is "disheartening" that many places in the country do not have a higher educational institution that are within the practical reach of aspiring students.

On the brain-drain issue, Mukherjee was of the view that our systems were not "conducive to retaining talents", and hence, lose many of them to organisations within and outside the country.

In the convocation, 400 students were awarded doctoral, 6,500 post graduate and 65,000 graduate degrees.

Education should not be a business product: Abdul Kalam

Opposing the commercialization of education, former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam today said it should not be made into a business, but imparted by good teachers.

"Education cannot be a business product or system. Education at the primary level has to be delivered in an integrated way by great teachers through good syllabus and promoting affinity between parents, students and teachers," Kalam said.

"It is not a great building or a great facility or great advertisements which gives quality, but lovable education and great teachers do," Kalam told at an interactive session with students and teachers of National High School at its centenary celebration.

Kalam gave the example of how his own school days were happy in the thatched Rameswaram Panchayat Primary School despite poor infrastructure and scanty amenities.

He said his teachers, who had a mission to spread education, were loved by students and there was no dropout.

Having graced the post of the President of India besides working as an administrator and scientist, the 'Missile Man' said he loved teaching the most.

"I have been a teacher, a scientist and an administrator. Now I have come to teaching again. If you ask me what I love the most, I would say it is teaching," said the 81-year-old who travels regularly all over India to meet students.

He began his speech on 'I am born with wings' by asking students what they would be carrying with them after passing out from school.

When the students replied that it was knowledge, Kalam redefined it. "Knowledge is creativity plus righteousness in the heart plus courage."

Presenting his vision of India in the next few years, he said, "We want a nation where crimes against women and children are absent and none in society feels alienated".

He also stressed on the need to have a nation where education with value system was not denied to any meritorious candidate because of societal or economic discrimination.

"A nation where the rural and urban divide has reduced to a thin line. A nation where there is an equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water," Kalam said, adding, he wanted that governance should be responsive, transparent and corruption-free.

NMIMS wins CFA Institute research challenge

Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies from Mumbai, India has edged out 18 other student teams from 16 different countries in the Asia Pacific region to win the CFA Institute Research Challenge Asia Pacific Final, making it the first Indian team to advance to the global final which will be held in London on 12 April 2013.CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual educational initiative that promotes best practices in equity research through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company analysis and presentation skills.

Held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from February 22 to 23, 19 student teams from 16 countries 1 presented their analysis to a judging panel comprising experienced practicing professionals. Of the 19 student teams, four were shortlisted to present, before an overall winner was determined.

The five students, Sahitha Abdulla, Harris Karottumangalasseri Aliyar, Dawood Manzoor Bukhari, Siddhant Anthony Johannes, and Prateek Walia, of MBA Capital Markets from NMIMS won with their ""Sell"" recommendation of a private bank and received CFA Program Scholarships, trophies and certificates. The other three teams that presented at the final round were Tsinghua University (Beijing), Singapore Management University (Singapore), and Ateneo de Manila University (The Philippines).

Paul Smith, CFA, Managing Director of Asia Pacific at CFA Institute, said, "We congratulate Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies for winning the CFA Institute Research Challenge Asia Pacific Final this year. This global competition provides students with valuable real-world experience in financial analysis and the opportunity to access corporate leaders and experienced analysts. The next generation of leaders in finance will be defined by the stewardship they exercise as fiduciaries and the responsibility they demonstrate. We hope the experience can improve their future career endeavors, and teach skills that build a stronger and more ethical financial industry. I look forward to their outstanding performances at the global final."

On the win, team member Siddhant Anthony Johannes (22), said, "It's unbelievable. We have learnt so much from the CFA Institute Research Challenge experience. We really put in our best without any kind of expectations and the win makes all the hard work worth it." Team Leader, Harris Karottumangalasseri Aliyar, 27, added, "We are really excited to be going to London together as a team, and are looking forward to working even harder for the Global Final. It's been the outcome of a super collective effort concentrating all our energies towards just one aim -winning the competition, making our college proud and making our nation proud. Now we have an added responsibility going forward to London, to make the Asia pacific region proud!"

Introduced in 2006, CFA Institute Research Challenge is considered as "the investment Olympics" for university students, with more than 10,000 students have participated. This year, more than 3,500 students and 775 universities worldwide participate in the local rounds of competition.

Schools responsible for textbooks

To avoid textbook controversies, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has amended its affiliation bylaws, making school authorities responsible for the content of books prescribed by them. Schools have been advised to follow NCERT textbooks but if they choose to prescribe textbooks by private publishers then the principal will have to verify the content in such textbooks.

This has come after CBSE faced flak, last year, when it was found that a textbook prescribed by a CBSE school allegedly insinuated that non-vegetarians lie, cheat and commit crimes.

The board has incorporated an additional rule in its affiliation bylaws. As per the additional rule 15.1 (d), "The school will follow the syllabus on the basis of curriculum prescribed by NCERT for the middle classes as far as practicable or exercise extreme care while selecting books of private publishers. The content must be scrutinized to preclude any objectionable content that hurts the feelings of any class, community, gender, religious group in society. If found prescribing books having such content, the school will have to take responsibility of such content".

Schools have been asked to put a list of books prescribed by it on its website with the written declaration duly signed by the school manager and the principal "to the effect that they have gone through the content of the books prescribed by the school and own the responsibility".

The circular was issued recently to schools by CBSE after the affiliation committee and governing body of the board approved amendments and additions in the affiliation bylaws of the board.

Also as per amendments, CBSE schools will not have counsellors anymore. The board has made it essential for secondary and senior schools affiliated to it to appoint a person on a full-time basis for performing the duties of 'health wellness' teacher.

"The nomenclature of counsellor is proposed to be changed as 'health wellness' teacher to "make it more students/ parents friendly, as such the board purpose that wherever the word counsellor appears to be changed into health wellness teacher".

Schools having enrolment of less than 300 students in classes from IX to XII, can appoint a 'health wellness' teacher on a part-time basis. A step that would help reduce teachers' burden, CBSE has

now made it essential for schools to appoint a person exclusively to coordinate Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE ) related work of the school. CBSE has also made it mandatory for all schools to appoint physical education teacher for CBSE affiliation.

Study: Online Courses May Be The Worst For Minorities And At-Risk Students

Online college courses are replacing traditional classrooms at a crazy-fast pace, yet it is still unknown whether they are actually better for students. A new large-scale study of 40,000 community and technical college students finds that, compared to traditional courses, students in online courses receive worse grades and are more likely to drop out. The negative impact of online study is disturbingly pronounced for minorities and students already at risk of dropping out.

“Overall, the online format had a significantly negative relationship with both course persistence and course grade, indicating that the typical student had difficulty adapting to online courses,” writes Di Xu and Shanna Smith Jaggars of Columbia University. “Specifically, we found that males, black students, and students with lower levels of academic preparation experienced significantly stronger negative coefficients for
online learning compared with their counterparts, in terms of both course persistence and course grades.”

The research team controlled for an impressive array of student characteristics, class types and demographics, and found a negative impact across most of their variables. Interestingly, they also looked at courses where more than 75 percent of the students were at risk, and found that the presence of at-risk peers made drop out all the more likely.

The impact, or “effect size” as it’s called in statistics, was very large. Taking a course online correlated with a grade drop of between 0.15-0.4 on average out of a 4.0 scale.

The study, however, should be taken in context. As I’ve written before, large-scale research by the department of education finds that online education is often better than traditional face-to-face instruction.

We don’t yet know how massively open online courses (MOOCs) will affect students as they scale to the wider population. This new study from Columbia is an important part (but only a part) of the ongoing national experiment.

By April-end, 27% building in IIT-B will be solar powered

One fourth of the academic buildings at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) are set to go green by April-end.

IIT-B is in the process of generating around 1 MW power using solar photovoltaic technology to cut down on the electricity spent and to promote the use of clean energy. With 1 MW solar power, 1.5 million units of electricity can be generated. On an average, any urban household consumes 1,000-1,500 units per year. A rough estimate shows solar energy can cost half the current electricity expenditure. A few other IITs will soon follow the suit.

IIT-B had formed a green campus committee to initiate the project. The electricity generated will be sufficient for 27% of the academic buildings on the 500-acre Powai campus. "We have chosen academic buildings that have enough room on the roof to set up the photovoltaic panels. We are in the process of purchasing the panels and have placed orders. Currently, we are aiming at generating 1MW, however, the institute has potential to install panels that can generate around 2.5 MW power, which we will target soon," said Chetan Singh Solanki, an associate professor in the department of energy science and engineering. Solanki is also a member of a similar committee in IIT-Indore, where he plans to promote the same idea of using solar power for the campus. According to him, one more IIT is toying with the idea of using solar power.

"At present, we pay Rs 11-12 for a unit of electricity, but with solar energy, the cost will be halved as one unit will cost us only Rs 5-6," said Solanki. The Victor Menezes Convention Centre, mechanical, civics, physics, metallurgical, computer science, electrical engineering departments, etc, are some of the buildings that will be powered by solar energy. The consumption of each department varies and that has been accounted for.

IIT-B's green campus committee is doing a full-time research in sustainable energy. "The idea is to demonstrate it to other academic institutions. Institutions like IITs should lead such initiatives," said Solanki. According to him, academic institutions do not need high power density, have enough surface area on their huge campuses and should therefore make use of solar technology. "The cost of solar photovoltaic technology has gone down drastically and therefore it is economically viable too," he added.

Incidentally, at a IIT council meeting held in December last year, it was decided that each franchise would establish a green office that would carry out green audits and ensure inclusion of green technology-related topics/courses in the curriculum.

EduTalk Turns 1

This school teaches students how to fail

Schools are stepping stones to success. But this school teaches you to fail in order to succeed in life.

This may come as a surprise for many. But in this school, many high scoring students who join class XI are often made to face failure. "Students are taught to accept failure and then they are taught how to succeed. Our school's philosophy is that failure is part of success and students must learn to accept both as part of life," said Mohan Kumar, principal, senior secondary, The School of the Good Shepherd, Thiruvananthapuram.

"They score high marks and have never seen failure. We have many students who can't accept failure, rejection or defeat. In most cases, even parents find it difficult to accept a situation when their child scores less, though they are not really bothered about how little they gain in terms of knowledge", added Kumar.

To test the student's true potential and knowledge, the school sets a question paper focusing on the prescribed textbooks. Not a single question is taken from the previous years' question papers. "Often students who have grown up reading reference books and tuition material find it difficult to answer until they read the textbook thoroughly. Due to this, initially lots of students fail," said Kumar.

According to the school authorities, the textbooks prepared by NCERT is complete and a student who reads, grasps and understands the content in the textbooks can not only score high marks in the Board exams but easily clear entrance exams for medicine and engineering without any extra coaching. So the school asks students to reading their textbooks thoroughly from standard VIII.

"Preparing for competitive exams is not different from what you learn in the Board exams. Time and again it has been proved that 90% of the questions asked in competitive exams are from textbooks," said Kumar. However, to achieve this each student has to strictly follow the timetable and revise whatever they learn in the class within 24 hours.

The school has a master-timetable from Monday to Saturday for senior students, according to which the students should sleep for seven hours, watch TV or read newspaper for an hour, take care of personal matters within two hours, attend seven hours of school and study from the textbooks for eight hours.

"We also encourage the students to scribble on the textbooks itself so that they don't feel the need to refer to any other book or material," added Kumar.

India outclasses US in GMAT scores

India has reasons to cheer when it comes to GMAT, one of the world's most popular exams for MBA. One, the ever-rising number of women taking the exam; and, two, one of the highest GMAT scores in the past five years.

The number of women seeking admission to MBA courses globally has seen a significant jump in the past few years, making them almost 43% of the total candidates. This is true in India too, with the number of women taking GMAT going up to 7,812 from 6,714 five years ago, says "The profile of GMAT Candidates: 2007-08 to 2011-12", released by the Graduate Management Admission Council, the testing agency.

In 2011-12, 1,22,843 women wrote the test as against 85,473 a decade ago, a 43.7% increase.

According to the study, the GMAT score of Indians has shot up over the past five years. The score was 568 in 2007-08, but fell to 565 in the next year. In the next three years, it was 578, 581 and 582 respectively.

China, with a population similar to that of India, had a score of 588 in 2011-12 and, therefore, is one of India's biggest competitors.

Belgium (597), Argentina (595), Australia (598), Hungary (585), South Korea (586) and Britain (587) have a better GMAT score than India's. However, the US is far behind with 533.

"We should not compare ourselves with these countries. The number of GMAT takers there is far less than that in India. For instance, it is as less as 200 for Hungary. We should, rather, focus on countries like China, which has a sizeable population like ours. It is best to look out for future competition between India and China," says Rashmi Gowda, director, CSquare Learnings Pvt Ltd, a GMAT training agency.

China is the top contributor in South Asia to the increasing number of students joining MBA, followed by India. While the candidates joining the course from Business-Commerce background went up at average annual growth rate of 5.1% and that of Social Sciences 2.5%, other streams like that of engineering, humanities and Science have dropped by 1% to 2%. Business-Commerce makes up 55% of the total profiles and engineering another 16.4%. Candidates from humanities and Science background form a mere 5%. There were even a 1000 candidates from fine arts. Social Sciences formed another 16%.

East and Southeast Asia, the region to which India belongs, showed the highest growth rate in sending applicants, almost doubling the number to 77,800 in five years.

TIPS to beat EXAM Stress

Sleep well. A good sleep of six to seven hours will consolidate memory and will enhance it automatically

Proper diet and workout on a daily basis can work wonders. A balanced diet is essential

Get rid of anxiety and frustration

Meditation is a sure-shot way to improve concentration levels and thus memory

Get outdoors. Students must have at least 15 minutes of outdoor activity even during exams. It helps relax

If stress really gets to you, talk to your parents or teachers.

Never forget that there is life after exams.

Exam blues are here

It's that time of the year when stress levels are heightened in families with school-going kids. Stress during exams is common. But the key is to see that it does not spiral out of control. Students preparing for SSLC and PU exams have started consulting psychiatrists and counsellors unable to cope with the stress. Sleeplessness, headaches, anxiety and poor memory are some of the symptoms associated with exam stress students as final examinations near. To beat the stress, many students in this education hub in the state, have started approaching psychiatrists here. The practice of students consulting psychiatrists on the eve of examinations has increased over the years in this region.

Increasing pressure to score good marks in exams, parental and peer pressure to excel has increased stress levels among students, says Anil Kakunje, associate professor in psychiatry, Yenepoya Medical College. Anil, also the secretary of Mangalore Psychiatrists Society, says five years ago on an average around two students would approach him between January and March, the exam time. "But for the past few years, I have been counselling at least six students every day, during January-March," he adds. Most students today, he explains, are unable to concentrate on studies due to mobiles, computers and their obsession with social networking sites,

There are nearly around 30 psychiatrists in the city. PUC and SSLC students are so much involved in preparing for exams and many a times they are not seen out on play grounds, like undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Children today don't have time for extracurricular activities which decreases stress levels tremendously, said Dr Safeek AT, professor in psychiatrics of Father Muller Medical College.

On Monday, Dr KS Madhava Rao, a psychiatrist, got a call informing him of a II PU science student attempting suicide unable to cope with exam pressure. Madhava, also the president of Karnataka State Psychiatrists Association, said that the student had consumed tablets in a bid to end her life.

He says most PU students who approach him are from science stream. "Parents fail to gauge the aptitude of their children. The pressure to perform well weighs heavily on them. During counselling many science students who are depressed tell me that they will not take the exams. The next year, they will shift to arts or commerce," he adds.

During exam period, Rao has at least three students who consult him every week. The rest of the year, he sees just about two students a month.

Psychiatrists have another piece of advice for troubled students. Consult them at the earliest. Don't leave it for the nth hour. "Many students approach us just a few days prior to the exams," says Dr Satheesh Rao, Department of Psychiatry, KS Hegde Medical Academy. "We provide medication to them as they come very late. It's not easy to cure their disorders within a short period of time. If students come earlier, instead of medication, we can do psychotherapy and counselling," he explains.

Shrinivasa Bhat, another psychiatrist, says his clients approach him to enhance their memory and concentration. "Most students, who consult me are academically good. They want to improve their memory. But most students suffer from insomnia and headaches during exam," he adds.

Is Right to Education Act applicable to nursery admission, high court asks Centre

Indicating a sense of urgency, the Delhi high court on Tuesday began a special hearing on the nursery admission case and gave the Centre a day to clarify its stand on whether the Right to Education Act is applicable to nursery classes.

"Two things you need to make clear. Is the Right to Education Act applicable on nursery admission or not and if not applicable, then what is the procedure to be followed for the nursery admission?" said a bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice V K Jain. The court made it clear that in case no affidavit is filed by the Centre, it will pass an order as the admission process is on hold and it can't afford any further delay.

The court had earlier reserved its verdict on a PIL challenging two government notifications that gave powers to unaided private schools to formulate own criteria for nursery admissions. But the bench explained why it decided to hold a special hearing. "We had reserved our order. We could have taken a stand on the applicability of the Act on the nursery admission, but we wanted to know your (Centre) views also."

Seeking an affidavit, HC pointed out if the RTE Act should start from Class I, what will happen to Section 13 which may be redundant as seats in school is exhausted at the entry level in private schools, making it difficult for new students to enter at the age of 6.

"If it is not applicable (to nursery admission), what is the purpose," the bench said and fixed the matter for hearing on Wednesday.

Additional solicitor general Rajeeve Mehra, arguing for the Centre, had sought two days' time to respond to queries. He, however, argued that RTE Act stipulates that a child, between the age group of 6 to 14, would be treated as a child covered under the legislation and, hence, the nursery admission would not be under its purview. But the court was unhappy with the delay by the Centre in clarifying its stand and said it should file an affidavit.

Earlier, the court had reserved its order on the PIL, filed by NGO Social Jurist, against two notifications, issued by the HRD ministry and Directorate of Education of the Delhi government, respectively. The notifications gave schools the power to formulate their own admission criteria, the PIL said.

During one of the hearings, HC had made it clear that its decision on the PIL would also affect nursery admissions for the 2013-14 academic session. Filed by Social Jurist, the PIL alleged that the notifications gave "a totally free hand to all unaided recognized private schools to formulate their own nursery admission criteria based on categorization of children...". However, the categorizations of children in admission have specifically been barred by the RTE Act, it said, adding that some schools still give preferences in admission on grounds such as religion, alumni and sibling.

A federation of private schools, however, opposed the PIL, saying that the private institutions cannot be forced to "toe" the diktat so far as the admission process is concerned.

Question bank for NEET, JEE now on website

Officials of Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) said that the question bank for HSC (science) students preparing for the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE), the common engineering test and National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), common medical entrance test for admission to colleges across India, has been uploaded on the board's official website. Students can download the material for free and use it to prepare for the entrance exams.

Officials also said that a helpline for SSC and HSC board students and their parents, will be launched from Friday. The toll-free number of the helpline is 1800 233 5500. The helpline will be active from February 15 to March 25. Students can call at any time from 8 am to 8 pm.

Later, the helpline will be activated from April 8 to 16 for students and parents who have questions regarding the Gujarat Common Entrance Test as well NEET and JEE.

Students seeking answers for questions regarding the exams and those feeling anxious and stressed can call the helpline. The number will be manned by both education and psychological counselors.

It needs mention that the board launched the question bank on February 6, for the benefit of students. Since there was tremendous response, the board decided to upload the question bank on its website.

"Given the response from students, there would have been an issue reprinting booklets. Plus, the students had to come to the DEO in each district to take the booklets. Hence we decided to upload the booklet for the benefit of the students," said a board official.

Officials said the question bank consists of 3,015 questions in physics, 3,488 in chemistry, 4,789 in biology and 1,980 questions in maths.

SSC internal assessment in Maharashtra to be reduced to 20 marks

The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has proposed to reduce the internal assessment marks of secondary school certificate (SSC, std X) examination to 20 from the next academic year.

The change will be applicable for science and mathematics subjects, board chairman Sarjerao Jadhav told TOI on Monday.

"As per the revised syllabus, the internal assessment for std IX is of 20 marks. It will have to be continued for std X as well. The proposal is not yet cleared by the government but the chances are that it will get the nod," Jadhav said.

At present, mathematics has 150 marks, including 30 marks for internal assessment. It will be reduced to 100 marks - 40 marks each for the algebra and geometry written examinations and 20 marks for internal assessment. Students would have two-and-a-half hours for the 80-mark written exam, Jadhav said.

For science subjects, currently, theory is a 60-marks paper and internal assessment is for 40 marks. But from 2013-14, the internal assessment will be reduced to 20 marks while theory paper will be of 80 marks.

The state government has decided to revise the marks weightage to bring parity with the CBSE examination pattern. This will help the government to resolve issues like the 'best five' calculations, which had caused controversy, he added.

All except 160 institutions come under RTE: Govt

The government has told the high court that in Bangalore, except for 160 minority institutions notified by the education department, others will come under the purview of RTE and that parents can apply for benefits in all such schools.

Earlier, the department issued a circular asking these institutions to get a certificate from the tahsildar to claim benefit as a minority under RTE. But from now on, only those who have registered under the National Commission for Minority Education institutions Act 2004 will get exemption from RTE.

The details of notified schools which come under RTE purview are there in the website for parents to check.

In a related development concerning free and compulsory education for all, Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh asked regional directors of both ICSE and CBSE institutions to appear before the court on February 12 to explain their stand on the issue.

One in ten students visits school medical room every month

Schools are more than just temples of learning. They are also an overactive arena for both physical and mental injuries. A unique attempt to map how injurious schools and their grounds can be showed that every month, almost one in 10 students of a suburban co-educational school made a trip to the medical room.

They were seeking attention for visible wounds (cuts, bruises, sprains) and not-so-obvious issues such as headaches or nausea, found a five-month survey of the 7,000-plus students of the school. "One in 10 is a big number," said Dr Vijay Shetty, an orthopedic surgeon with L H Hiranandani Hospital, Powai, who conducted the survey. "It shows there is an aspect of childhood we are not looking at. We need to understand the problem of injuries at school and take steps to improve the situation."

The survey identified a most innocuous object that could be quite a pain, literally: the all-important identity card. The school recorded 13 minor injuries caused by the cards that needed medical attention among children younger than 10 years. "The survey shows we need to put more thought into our I-cards . May be, schools need to use a rubber cover or innovate with I-cards for younger children," said the doctor.

The data, being analyzed by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, shows almost 56% of the children who go to the medical room need first aid. "The remaining 44% come with complaints of abdominal pain or headache," said Shetty, adding that many of these kids, especially those who return with the same complaints, could be victims of stress.

Injuries cannot be avoided at school or any other place, said orthopedic surgeon Sanjay Agarwala from Hinduja Hospital, but society can try to minimize them at schools. The US has an elaborate programme to do so. The US National SAFE KIDS Campaign has found that 25% of the 14 million unintentional injuries to children under 14 occur at school. "Annually, one in 14 students suffers a medically attended or temporarily disabling injury at school... studies indicate school-age children are nine times more likely to sustain an unintentional injury than be the victim of an intentional injury while at school," said US government data.

Dr Agarwala believes schools could make a beginning at the planning stage by taking away sharp edges in classrooms . "Children, as a function of their age and immaturity, will get injured, but furniture with rounded edges would help. Schools could also cut down on injuries in sports if they invested in protective gear,'' he said.

A senior doctor pointed out that Mumbai's schools with tiny playgrounds and narrow corridors are a hotbed for injuries. "Children will run wildly as is their nature. Yet, in Mumbai , school administration usually focuses on having more buildings, often at the cost of grounds," he said.

Physical injuries are not the only aspect that needs attention. The survey shows that 44% of the 3,285 visits to the medical room pertained to non-so-obvious complaints like abdominal cramps and headaches. "Other most common medical problems for which students sought medical attention were headache and abdominal pain. These are often signs of stress," said Dr Shetty.

Psychiatrist Harish Shetty concurred. "Medical rooms are neutral rooms in schools. There is no fear or anxiety of meeting a teacher there. They want to miss a period because they haven't studied or they are worried about their parents' reaction to their marks in class tests.''

Challenges facing education in 21 century

While countries around the world focus on the improvement of science and mathematics teaching and learning, one of the primary concerns seems to be the quality of education in schools and increasing the employability prospects of young people.

With this in mind, British Council India, in partnership with NCERT and Unesco, organised a global policy dialogue in the Capital on January 9 and 10. The event, 'Science and Mathematics Education in Schools - The Way Forward,' through interactions and discussions, aims to enrich learning environment in schools and help young people develop skills and knowledge to succeed in a 21century globalised world.

Senior policy level officials, education sector experts and practitioners from different countries, discussed and deliberated upon issues of widening the scope of science and mathematics education, supporting future-ready learning of science and mathematics and motivating and empowering young people to succeed in science and mathematics.

As to the challenges of teaching science and mathematics, Annette Smith, CEO, Association of Science Education, said that they need to be addressed at government and policy level, at national level and in individual classrooms. Good practices must be followed to ensure that teaching and learning becomes enjoyable for both the teacher and student.

At the classroom level, students must engage with questions, be aware of what they are learning and what is expected of them. They must be involved in learning that is inclusive, added Smith. In fact, she reiterated, it is imperative that teachers are equipped with right skills and training.

At the Imperial College London, for instance , professors hold classes for school teachers to help them expand their knowledge-base. "We also have a Reach Out Lab for school children. In this lab, school students come for free, spend time and learn about science from PG students and professors. This way, we reach out to schools, which may not have good provisions ," said Sir Keith O'Nions , Rector, Imperial College London.

Speakers included Shigeru Aoyagi, director of Unesco Office in New Delhi, and Parvin Sinclair, director, NCERT, among others.

Nursery point system set for rehaul on new directive

Parents on the hunt for nursery seats will no longer have to grapple with ambiguous parameters such as "noble cause" while negotiating the points system or the different upper age limits fixed by different schools. Heeding complaints on the ongoing admissions, the directorate of education has issued a seven-point directive to private, unaided schools in the capital, warning that any violation "will be viewed seriously and strict action against school management will be taken".

The directives, issued late Saturday night, are likely to put many schools in a spot as they will not only have to revise their admission criteria — which includes overhauling the point system — but also the eligibility conditions.

The DoE reiterated that it had only "defined the minimum age for admission" and the issue of uniform upper age limit was under deliberation. One school had dropped the age ceiling after a parent took it to court. Other schools said they would reconsider the issue only if the DoE cleared the air.

Issuing point-wise clarifications against grievances cited by parents, the DoE said schools could not force parents to buy the prospectus or charge processing fee, except the Rs 25 admission registration fee.

The directives also took cognizance of a complaint by activists, including the Social Jurist lawyers, that "schools are following separate admission process for their main school and montessori/ pre-school". The DoE said schools would "have to follow single admission process for their pre-school and main school considering them as one institution."

The DoE also said schools should not go by "unreasonable parameters" such as "noble cause" and "representative affirmative action" as they were not well defined. The number of seats at entry level "shall not be less than the highest number of seats in the entry class during the previous three years".

There were complaints against some schools that were refusing forms of EWS category applicants as they lived more than a kilometre away from the school. For such complainants, a circular clarified that no school could refuse to accept forms from all applicants under EWS and disadvantaged group, "irrespective of distance of residence from schools".

Some issues, however, remain. With just two days - Monday and Tuesday - left for the registration process, activists are hoping that the period will be extended.

School of Open Learning online admissions

Online admissions at the School of Open Learning (SOL), Delhi University (DU), are on till March 31. HC Pokhriyal, executive director, SOL says that students who are appearing for their first, second or third year papers in undergraduate courses and will be taking their exam from April to June this year, can avail of the system.

"Students can register themselves online and save time, money, transportation costs and register at their convenience. In all, three lakh students will benefit from this move," he adds.

In order to register, says Madhvi, in-charge, computer, SOL, students need to log on through the SOL roll number and fill in details such as name, valid email id and mobile number. One can then select the papers s/he wishes to opt for. The roll number remains the same till the student graduates.

The gateway for payments and fee transactions is the State Bank of India (SBI). Students can pay the examination fee through debit or credit cards.

She adds that around 300 students have registered themselves online.

"We are also planning to tie up with power jyoti, which is a programme of SBI. This is best suited for students who want to avail of the online facility but don't have credit/debit cards. Through this, students can fill in their details, get themselves registered on the SOL website and get the challan printed from the SOL website at the same time. Students need to take the challan to any branch of SBI in any part of India and deposit the fee in SBI. Payment details will be automatically updated at SOL by the data sent by SBI within the next working day. Students can take a printout of the receipt and exam form and post it to SOL," says Madhvi.

Those who are not comfortable registering themselves online, can register offline.

Am I job-ready?

All of us need to take responsibility for our own skills development, to be able to achieve our personal goals as well as contribute to the Indian economy, says John Yates

When FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) approached us recently to co-write a paper for their new 'Skills for All' initiative, it seemed simple. The heart of the concept of Skills for All is that any person who wants to undergo skills training is able to. So promoting it is just a matter of boosting supply (creating training centres of all shapes and sizes) and removing barriers for learners of all kinds to access this training, right? Well, not quite. As we prepared the paper we realised that this is only one side of the equation. There is certainly a need to improve the supply of skills training in India. But the demand side needs as much attention. So it doesn't just fall to policy-makers and training providers to address skills issues: all of us need to take responsibility for our own skills development. This way we will achieve our own personal goals and contribute to the creation of a new, high-skill Indian economy.

And by all of us I do mean everyone. There can sometimes be a misunderstanding about what we mean when we say 'skills development' or 'vocational education.' People can think it only applies to low-level qualifications, or that it is a codeword for unglamorous or low-paid work. Sometimes, even people who are in the business of promoting skills development can talk about it as if it were something that they themselves would never need to do.

In fact, we all need skills development, to develop our skills. It simply refers to those skills that enable an individual to do a job — whatever that job may be. It can refer to the simplest entry-level job training, or to highly advanced technical know-how. It can be undertaken by a school drop-out or by an international CEO, and by anyone in-between. And if it's working well, it can form the basis of a chain of progression in training that might one day enable that school dropout to fill the CEO's shoes.

Who benefits from skills development? We all know that companies need skilled staff and this is reflected in the size of many training budgets. Similarly, the investment the Indian government is making in skills development reflects the national economic interest that is at stake. But neither employers nor the government can make a success of skill development on their own. Learning needs a learner: an individual who is pro-actively engaged with their development, who has goals and objectives, who is prepared to invest their own time (and sometimes money) in their skills. Skills development needs you.

Ask yourself: what is the job I want to do? What are the skills required to do that job, and is my current learning giving me all those skills? Will I be employable when I emerge from university? Be honest with yourself. If you can, ask someone already working in the sector for their view. Write down those areas where you think you might need to develop your skills further. Focusing on the piece of paper you get at the end of the course is not enough — you need to understand what value the certificate is going to bring to your potential employers.

If you find yourself short in certain skill areas, don't despair. You're far from alone: Indian employers regularly report that graduates are often not work-ready, even from top institutions. There is plenty of research out there that sheds light on the skills that employers in different sectors value the most, and which skills are most lacking. By asking yourself these questions, you give yourself a headstart because you will already be thinking about what the employer wants. But to take advantage of that headstart, you need to take responsibility for building up your skills.

There are many ways to do this. Perhaps you might undertake a short course in IT, retail skills or customer service, or do a distance learning course to improve your writing skills. A workplace skills course can help you improve your chances of getting employment by helping you with personal grooming, interview and resume writing skills. You might undertake voluntary work that will build your people skills or your communication skills. Or, you might serve as the treasurer of a club or society to build up your financial knowhow. Go online or talk to your family and friends and find out how others have done it elsewhere. I promise you will find a method of skills development that suits you.

But my challenge to you goes further. India has big skills ambitions and it needs skills champions. As you go into your working life, encourage your colleagues to keep learning; support those for whom learning may be a bigger challenge; encourage your employers to invest in training; remind your bosses that they need to set the example by developing their own skills. And most importantly, never stop learning yourself. Creating the skilled future is a shared challenge, and each of us has a crucial role to play.

Be unique to succeed, Kalam tells students

Former President APJ Abdul Kalam Friday urged students to be unique, instead of emulating others, to succeed.

Inaugurating the Children Science Congress on the sidelines of the centenary session of the Indian Science Congress here, Kalam said: "I have met 15 million youths in India and abroad in a decade's time. I learnt that every youth wants to be unique, that is, you. But the world around you is doing its best to make you just everybody else."

He said that parents, teachers and society always cite examples of others and want students to emulate them.

"Why do you have to become like someone when you are unique?" he said.

"Look up, what do you see? Lights, the electric bulbs. Immediately, our thoughts go to the inventor Thomas Alva Edison (for inventing electricity)," he said.

"When you hear the sound of an aeroplane, you think of the Wright Brothers, who proved that man could fly. Who does the telephone remind you of? Alexander Graham Bell," he said.

Kalam said there is a paradigm shift in science and technology and a new trend is emerging where the aspect ecology is being introduced.

Happy New Year - 2013