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Education News

A compilation of the most compelling,informative and note-worthy education related articles in the news.

November     Back to top
Title and Date Author Summary Publisher
Education needs more incisive media coverage S Viswanathan Structural aspects and knowledge issues relating to the examination system, pedagogy, teacher-student relations, the content and quality of textbooks, the problems associated with the system of affiliating colleges, and so on seldom get analytical coverage in the Indian press feels the author. The Hindu, 29.11.2010
44 mn students to enter higher education in next 10 years Prashant K Nanda Human resource development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal said at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit that the Central government looks to add 30 million more students at this level by 2020. livemint.com, 20.11.2010
Education Needs Good, Old-Fashioned Monitoring S Giridhar The author highlights effective strategies of education administration through the example of a Block Education Officer in Bellary, Karnataka. The Wall Street Journal, 18.11. 2010
Unlocking every learner's potential Steven Rudolph The author examines the similarities between locksmiths and teachers. educationworldonline.net, November 2010
October     Back to top
Title Author Summary Publisher and Date
Education sans experts Anurag Behar We don’t dream of running 1.3 million factories without engineers. Why then do we hope for such a miracle in education, says the author. livemint.com, 20.10.2010
Azim Premji varsity to mould experts in education policy Goutam Das The Azim Premji University is aiming to create education experts and people who can design education policy for systemic reforms in the sector. The Financial Express,
14.10.2010
Inclusive education goes a step further   From the next academic year, children with physical and mental disability with nonaggressive behaviour can attend regular schools Indian Express, 07.10.2010
Navaratna varsities to get full autonomy Shruba Mukherjee Concerned over the lack of research initiatives and academic prowess displayed by Indian universities, the Centre has decided to go an extra mile with regard to the Navaratna Universities by giving them complete autonomy. Deccan Herald, 05.10.2010
RTE shadow over India's most admired schools Dilip Thakore Since the Right to Free & Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) became operational from April 1, the misgivings of private school managements and other stakeholders (parents, teachers) have transformed into snowballing fear of creeping erosion of academic and administrative autonomy. educationworldonline.net, October 2010
Success Stories   Some of the most innovative educational programs are coming out of places with the hardest-to-reach populations. http://education.newsweek.com
September     Back to top
Title Author Summary Publisher and Date
A Salute to the Unheralded Teacher S Giridhar A district chief says that 10% of teachers being brilliant despite the system, 10% incorrigible and the remaining vital 80% being neutrally dormant. The author opines that the surest way one can influence the large and comatose 80% is to simply invite and invest the unheralded 10% with meaningful leadership roles. The Wall Street Journal, 29.09. 2010
Higher Education = Academic Freedom? Rebecca Chao China's model is simple: recruit top foreign-trained Chinese and overseas-born ethnic Chinese to well-equipped labs, surround them with the brightest students and give them tremendous leeway. worldpolicy.org, 28.09.2010
Quality over Quantity   The strategy followed so far in developing higher education in India has been to gradually increase the number of universities, all of them with roughly the same scale of facilities. This emphasis on quantity has had a deplorable effect on quality because resources have been spread too thinly notes the author. The Times of India, 21.09.2010
How Tamil Nadu has made an incremental difference Divya Gupta A combination of factors led by state policy has enabled the southern State to become a notable achiever with respect to some key indicators of development. The Hindu, 16.09.2010
Light in August Anurag Behar According to the author, In a nation of 1.3 million schools, mostly in places where electricity finds it difficult to reach, reform has to be locally owned. livemint.com, 08.09.2010
Missing teachers are India's weakest link Shobhan Saxena "Shortage of teachers is a national issue not just of Bihar.", says Kapil Sibal. The Times of India, 05.09.2010
Educating classes Farrukh Dhondy The biggest debate the present British Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government faces, its first real challenge, is over its policy on schools. Asian Age, 04.09.2010
Amartya Sen’s vision of learning Anil Sinha It is a different world of learning; totally different from what we are acquainted with. We have almost accepted the kind of schools existing next door. We have been hearing for a long time now about reducing weight of school bags, etc. Deccan Herald, 03.09.2010
Dilemmas of equality in education Philip G.Altbach,
Eldho Mathews		 The authors feel that Kerala has done well in the field of higher education and holds much promise. But further policy initiatives are needed to sustain the momentum and prepare for future challenges. The Hindu, 01.09.2010
RTE’s budget schools blindspot Jan Sjunnesson Rao A closer reading of the RTE Act indicates that it severely restricts the scope of private education entrepreneurs or ‘edupreneurs’ to operate primary schools, especially low-cost private schools unknown to the affluent elite and government. educationworldonline.net, September 2010
August     Back to top
Title Author Summary Publisher and Date
RTE Act not pro-disabled, reiterate activists Poornima Nataraj Close on the heels of the controversy of a private school’s circular on difficulties in classless admission of children under the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, NGOs working with the disabled are reticent that the Act is not disabled-friendly. Deccan Herald, 26.08.2010
The crisis in higher education Anurag Behar The first crisis we need to address is the level of public discourse on higher education. Unless we elevate this, we are not going to get very far. livemint.com, 25.08.2010
Deemed univs-like scam in teacher training institutes? Akshaya Mukul It has the makings of another educational scam, almost like the one involving deemed universities. The only difference is that it relates to teacher education. The Times of India, 23.08.2010
One-time masters of the classroom Dr.Manju Narula Inspite of almost 50 percent increase in budgetary allocations from Rs.89,732 crore to Rs.1,34,274 crore between 2003-04 and 2006-07, the quality of school education continues to remain poor across the country. The reasons for the above condition are many. Deccan Herald, 22.08.2010
Just two Indian Universities   Indian Institute of Science and Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, are the only two institutions to make it to the list of the top 500 universities, in Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s 2010 edition of Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). The Economic Times, 21.08.2010
Time to reboot education Shruba Mukherjee The Government might take credit for increasing elementary school enrolment by almost 60 million between 2003-2009, but it is yet to take any concrete step to assess the quality of education being passed on to the future citizens of the country. The Economic Times, 21.08.2010
How British universities are dying a slow death Hasan Suroor In fact, they have been dying a slow death for almost a decade as Brits split hair over the “best” way of funding them. At the heart of the crisis (and I am saying this at the risk of being called a neo-liberal) is the old European liberal consensus that says that everyone, irrespective of his or her social or economic background, is entitled to free education because the knowledge they gain eventually benefits the society at large. The Hindu, 19.08.2010
State should define what a neighbourhood school is   Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development D. Purandeswari has said it is the responsibility of the State Government to define the concept of neighbourhood school for reserving 25 per cent seats in private schools to children from the disadvantaged sections under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act. The Hindu, 08.08.2010
Protecting Future: Keeping girls in school   Only 76 girls in India get a chance to educate themselves for every 100 adolescent boys, and more than 55% of out-of-school population is constituted by adolescent girls. This worsens to 85 for 100 boys when girls move to secondary school. There are multiple reasons for low female literacy, particularly at the secondary level: poverty, pressure to marry early, lack of basic amenities in schools like toilets and the onset of puberty with a complete lack of knowledge or accessibility to quality sanitary protection when they enter secondary school. The Economic Times, 03.08.2010
A difficult valuation Anurag Behar The value of the world’s ecology is far greater than the global output. This has to matter to a world that is obsessed with economies and gross domestic product growth. livemint.com, 01.08.2010
Foreign universities bill, an unprescribed pill S.Vaidhyasubramaniam In terms of infrastructure, many Indian universities can boast of a world class facility. But the lack of academic and administrative freedom is constraining many from meeting global standards. The Hindu, 01.08.2010
July     Back to top
Title Author Summary Publisher and Date
Leaders in learning Anurag Behar Community engagement and leadership initiatives have the potential to induce sweeping changes in our school system. livemint.com, 28.07.2010
RTE Act: some rights and wrongs Pushpa M. Bhargava As it stands, the Right to Education Act has several flaws that will prevent its efficacious implementation. Several amendments are called for. The Hindu, 25.07.2010
Where is inclusiveness? Alok Ray Post-liberalization, job creation — a major mechanism of inclusion of more people in economic prosperity — has been slowing down. Deccan Herald, 23.07.2010
MHRD plans to set up non-lapsable fund for education schemes   The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) is planning to set up a non-lapsable fund to provide financial support to several of its secondary and higher education schemes. indiaedunews.net, 22.07.2010
Draft law unveiled for ‘Innovation Universities' Aarti Dhar The Innovation Universities are aimed at making India a global knowledge hub. Each one to be built around a theme or subject, these unique universities will enjoy total autonomy with regard to appointments, collaborations, resource generation and nomenclature of degrees awarded by it. The Hindu, 22.07.2010
Vocational courses key to inclusive education Kapil Sibal As inclusive education remains high on the government's agenda, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal on Tuesday pitched for vocational education as a key to achieving the goal. indiaedunews.net, 21.07.2010
Words of caution against foreign universities G Mahadevan Philip G. Altbach, a renowned education expert, talks about the maladies afflicting the higher education sector in India. The Hindu, 13.07.2010
UGC's financial support for universities G Krishnakumar The UGC has proposed to identify up to 25 universities from all over the country for financial support under its Centres with Potential for Excellence in Particular Areas (CPEPA) scheme. The Hindu, 13.07.2010
Musical Chairs for Bureaucrats S Giridhar Every elected government says that it needs at least five full years at the helm to demonstrate results and so why not give the appointed officials (Education Commissioner and State Project Director) an assured run so that they can make a sustained effort? The Wall Street Journal, 12.07. 2010
Learning Curve: Two Ways to Educate India Malini Goyal,  Mitu Jayashankar Two schools of thought on how the private sector can make a difference in bringing good quality education to rural India. Forbes India, 01.07.2010
Lessons from the Singapore Way Dilip Thakore Against the backdrop of the imminent enactment of the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill, 2010, Dilip Thakore investigates the causative factors behind the transformation of the island Republic of Singapore into an Asian hub of world-class education. educationworldonline.net, July 2010
June     Back to top
Title Author Summary Publisher and Date
Another Eklavya story Anurag Behar The story of Eklavya is incomplete if left with only the notion of his extraordinary self-learning ability. livemint.com, 30.06.2010
Children and the Common Wealth Games Krishna Kumar One cannot miss the contrast in the preparations made for implementing the Right to Education and staging the Commonwealth Games The Hindu, 28.06.2010
Teachers, isn't it time to teach? Sunil Sondhi If learning is imparted in colleges for only 120 out of the 180 mandated days, there will hardly be any time for teaching anything beyond the bare syllabus. The Hindu, 27.06.2010
HRD panel to oversee RTE rollout Akshaya Mukul This National Advisory Council might not be as powerful as its namesake and as freewheeling in its mandate, but it will oversee the implementation of the Right to Education, the single most important intervention in the field of education since independence. The Times of India, 26.06.2010
India home to over 60 million child labourers Ziaulla Namani India has around 30 per cent of the world's working kids living here. A study conducted by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, says there are as many as 60 million children working in India's agricultural and commercial sectors. merinews.com, 24.06.2010
Can we stop being so formal? Ravinarayan Chakrakodi The author explains why there is a need to change the curriculum, the text books and the approach to teaching English. Deccan Herald, 17.06. 2010
RTE bill now goes up by Rs 60,000 cr Anubhuti Vishnoi The Right to Education, in effect since April 1, is set to cost the Centre a staggering 2,31,000 crore over the next five years according to fresh estimates. Indian Express, 10.06.2010
The RTE Act: Synergy is the key S N Hegde Coordinated action of governmental and non-governmental agencies is needed for this project. Deccan Herald, 10.06.2010
Unease over revised draft of NCHER Bill G Mahadevan The revised draft of the Bill on the proposed National Commission for Higher Education and Research has come under criticism by States, especially Kerala and West Bengal, even as the final sitting of the task force is slated for June 9 The Hindu, 08.06.2010
Governance of higher education Kiran Karnik Apart from the Right to Education Act, guaranteeing primary education to all children, there is a great deal happening at the tertiary or university level. After over half a century, radical changes are being brought about in the governance of higher education. The Economic Times, 01.06.2010
Lower marks in CBSE can get you higher grades Anahita Mukherji At a time when the Central Board of Secondary Education has replaced marks with grades and a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), here's a glaring paradox. An analysis of the new system shows that it's possible for a student with a higher percentage in the CBSE Class X examination to get a lower CGPA than a student with a lower percentage. The Times of India, 01.06.2010
May     Back to top
Title Author Summary Publisher and Date
Public-private partnership in education Jandhyala B G Tilak The PPP model proposed in the Eleventh Plan provides for no government or social control over education. It will lead to the privatisation and commercialisation of education using public funds. The Hindu, 25.05.2010
UPA’s man on a mission to transform education Pramath Raj Sinha Kapil Sibal, the minister for human resource development, has literally burst upon this dismal scene signalling a slew of potential reforms. So far, only one (but a ground breaking one) has been enacted into law—the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE). livemint.com, 19.05.2010
A big-bang non-event? P. K.Doraiswamy The Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulating of Entry and Operations) Bill, 2010, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on May 3 after Cabinet approval. It is aimed at regulating the entry, operation and standards of foreign education providers (FEPs), providing quality assurance, preventing commercialisation, protecting students from fly-by-night operators and promoting educational tourism. The Hindu, 09.05.2010
Are foreign universities the panacea? Hema Raghavan The author wonders how importing foreign universities can alter the prevailing disconnect between life and education and provide everyone the rightful access to world class education? Is importing education another manifestation of the colonial hangover? The Hindu, 09.05.2010
Innovate and Educate Ravindra Bhat No textbooks to lug to school, no homework to labour over and no examinations to fret about. Children in government schools in Hunsur taluk are reaping the benefits of a unique effort called Kalika Yatna. Deccan Herald, 07.05.2010
Despite Push, Success at Charter Schools Is Mixed Trip Gabriel Although ―charter schools have become a rallying cry for education reformers, the report, by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes, warned, ―this study reveals in unmistakable terms that, in the aggregate, charter students are not faring as well as students in traditional schools. The New York Times, 01.05.2010
April     Back to top
Title Author Summary Publisher and Date
It happens only in India Devinder Sharma Unicef tells us that more than 5,000 children die every day in India from malnourishment. More than 320 million people, as per a conservative estimate, are unable to manage three square meals a day. Deccan Herald, 21.04.2010
Food crisis on the horizon Dr. V. Rajagopal The level of poverty and hunger has multiplied several-fold in the last five decades, so much so that India ranks 66th among 88 countries in the hunger index. The Hindu, 18.04.2010
Hard Act to follow Kaveree Bamzai The article in a nut shell, discusses the significant investments that will have to be made by the states over the next few years to satisfactorily implement the provisions of the RTE Act. India Today, 09.04.2010
Central RTE share may be raised from 55% Urmi A Goswami The human resources development ministry is considering a change in the fund-sharing ratio for implementing the Right to Education. While some say a sharing pattern of 65:35 would be acceptable to the states, experts say that a ratio of 75:25 would be ideal. The Economic Times, 08.04.2010
Foreign varsities as mentors Ram Mohan The Foreign Universities Bill was approved recently by the Cabinet and is to be tabled in Parliament soon. Some hope that the entry of foreign universities will lead to dramatically improved standards in higher education. Others fear that the coming of foreign universities will sound the death-knell of India’s educational institutions, including our elite institutions. The Economic Times, 01.04.2010
How Technology Is Changing School Curtis J. Bonk Whether you're sailing around the world, homebound with the flu, or just in the market for more flexible learning, thanks to the Internet, schooling never stops. Educational Leadership, April 2010
Sixty-third disappointment for Indian Education Dilip Thakore Never in the history of post-independence India has the combined annual education expenditure of the Centre and states exceeded 4 percent of GDP, a curious national blindspot which has encumbered the nation with 350 million adult illiterates and a crumbling elementary school system. In Budget 2010-11, provision made for education is once again grossly inadequate. educationworldonline.net, April 2010
Call for engagement P J Lavakare The Indian higher education system cannot remain isolated from the global developments taking place around us. Viewed from an international perspective, the following four issues will affect higher education in the coming years: (i) the international mobility of students; (ii) the concept of ‘education as an industry’ as envisaged under the Global Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS); (iii) the internationalisation of higher education; and (iv) the challenge of resource mobilisation. educationworldonline.net, April 2010
March     Back to top
Title Author Summary Publisher and Date
Joining hands in the interest of children Kapil Sibal The Constitution (86th Amendment) Act, 2002, making elementary education a Fundamental Right, and its consequential legislation, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, comes into force today. The minister feels that the enforcement of this right represents a momentous step forward in our 100-year struggle for universalising elementary education. The Hindu, 31.03.2010
RTE Act: Private schools as catalysts? Dr. A.Kumaraswamy Alok Mathur The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, to be notified on April 1, could alter the educational landscape. But can private institutions contribute to its application? The Hindu, 28.03.2010
Erosion of federal space in education M.A. Baby M.A.Baby says the Central government is implementing reforms unilaterally, as though education is in the Union List. This infringes the federal spirit of the Constitution and the objective of promoting harmony in variety. The Hindu, 10.03.2010
Implementing Right To Education Act B.C.Mehta &
Kranti Kapoor		 The article discusses in detail, the difficulties while implementing the Right to Education act. countercurrents.org, 07.03.2010
Interview with Professor Krishna Kumar Director, NCERT Meera Srinivasan Professor Krishna Kumar took over as Director of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in September 2004. After a tenure that lasted over five years, Prof. Krishna Kumar, reflects on his tenure at the Council and shares his views with The Hindu. The Hindu, 04.03.2010
February     Back to top
Title Author Summary Publisher and Date
Child development: Role of parents and teachers S.Arunajatesan The concept of child development is neither concise nor precise and lacks clarity. The basic questions are what is a child? What is development? Why development? Child is a stage in life and not a parking lot to get into the future. Some parents value the child as a source of happiness, some others look at it as an opportunity to realise their dreams (not the child's); to some it is a protection in their old age and to some others it is a burden. In the circumstances, the magic and pleasure of childhood get destroyed. The Hindu, 28.02.2010
Tangible targets at school Jandhyala B.G. Tilak India’s relative position with respect to the Education Development Index remains poor. There is a lot to do in terms of improving schooling facilities. The Hindu, 11.02.2010
Dance to learn Sreelatha Menon The Nali Kali method of teaching is transforming government schools in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Now, more states want to follow it. Business Standard, 07.02.2010
India awakes to vocational education Dilip Thakore Belatedly there’s a flurry of activity within the councils of government, chambers of commerce and Indian academia about stimulating vocational education and training to infuse employ-ment oriented skill-sets into India’s gigantic 509 million strong labour force and 450 million children. educationworldonline.net, Feb. issue
January     Back to top
Title Author Summary Publisher and Date
Adding value to Education James Tooley Pratham’s Aser Report 2009 points to enrolment of 6-14 year old rural children in private education being stable at around 22 per cent that's more than one in five children who go to private school. The Times of India, 23.01.2010
Education’s big face-off Wilma Wadhwa ASER 2009 data provides the opportunity to analyze if there are significant learning differences between children in private schools compared with government schools. livemint.com, 18.01.2010
From mother-tongue to many tongues A Giridhar Rao In a globalizing India, we need high-level multilingual skills, and a mother-tongue based multilingual education is the most effective way of achieving this multilingualism. This is the thesis of this essay. Teacher Plus, January Issue 2010

 

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