Tag: <span>System</span>

22 Feb

Problems With The Education System In Pakistan

Pakistan, a nation in Asia with a population of 182.1 million. 40% of this population, aged 10 and over cannot read or write. If we examine this from a gender perspective, 31% males are illiterate, and 55% female. On average Pakistan has an unemployment rate of around 6.00%.

This is concerning, as neighbouring countries such as India and China have become part of the 4 BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China). Their development over the decade has been phenomenal. Pakistan has developed, however only the top 8% of the economy has developed.

8% of Pakistan’s population can afford to study at English Medium high standard schools. These schools teach using foreign curriculum, often the English or American. They sit CIE’s, (Cambridge International Examinations) and thereafter A Levels. This means they are able to easily study at a higher ranked university in Pakistan, or in England. This is all down to their wealth, as their parents could afford such high standard schooling for them. They were educated in pure english and so as a result their intellect was equal, if not higher to those studying in the UK, as they were educated in the same manner. This means that they were educated on a world class level and have developed on a great scale.

In contrast, a great proportion of children are unable to receive such education and attend government schools. These schools are Urdu medium schools, and so the children learn in Urdu. Already this creates differences between the children in Pakistan, as the English medium students may feel superior to the Urdu medium students. In addition to this, the curriculum is often shocking. They are examined based on their memory. During my previous visit to Pakistan I spoke to a child from a Urdu medium school who had a science examination in a couple of days. In order to revise he was learning off by heart a passage his teacher had provided him with which included the entire Cardiac Cycle, which in the UK we often learn about in Year 9 Biology, and this child was being examined on at the age of 11. He told me he needed to memorise this passage and write it down in the test, and that is it. He would have passed this examination and progressed to the next academic year. All they need is to memorise texts and passages from books and that’ll get them that pass. This continues all the way through to their Matric examinations. For families with low incomes, they can only educate their children up to the age of sixteen. Few make it further into colleges, and even if they do, the curriculum there isn’t anywhere near the level that English Medium students receive. These students therefore do not develop essential skills that employers demand, and so this can result in unemployment for those.

Many families on low incomes have one or two breadwinners. Their sources of income come from small family businesses such as shops. Females who have jobs in villages often turn to teaching as this is more “respectable” but even then they may not have the right qualifications to teach but still turn to teaching. Labour work however is the most common, and when the father of the home becomes older and less able to earn, the children must start earning instead and this cycle continues. This is how illiteracy is still existent in huge figures even after all those years.

As well as this, there are still narrow minded people who believe that the only education they need is Islamic education, so send their children to Madrassa’s which only teach Islamic based information. This results in extremist views, and possibly very oppressed females in particular.

So, how can we tackle this issue?

The main problem that can be identified here is the inequality. There is gender inequality, and inequality between the different classes. The upper class receive high standard education, and the lower and middle receive very basic muddled education, which means only the upper classes are able to progress and access top jobs. There are of course exceptions where families sell off a lot of their resources to educate their children, or children receiving scholarships, however again this is not a common case. The first thing, therefore I believe is that all children should have equal access to education of a good standard. This means that the curriculum should be in line with those of the developed economies, so children gain vital skills as well as knowledge rather than being able to master the skill of memorisation. There are many schools in one area, and parents send their children to these schools thinking they’ve done their duty however the level of teaching is unacceptable. Therefore there could be fewer schools in one area, but fewer with excellent quality and standards of education. This will make it easier to monitor the schools, it’ll work out cheaper, and the children will receive a good education.



Source by Kainat Ali

29 Aug

Co Education System in India

Co – education is the recent system of education where girls sit and study along with boys in same classes and in a common college. This system was not popular in ancient schools and colleges. At that time, it was not considered appropriate to allow boys and girls study together in same institutions. Rather, boys and girls were sent to separate schools and colleges. Social mixing of boys and girls was not allowed. This was considered essential to maintain the purity of character in them.

Actually the elders of each family consider many disadvantages in co – education and that’s why they are against sending their children or grand – children to such schools and colleges. They think that co – education makes their children absent – minded. The children become indisciplined and the whole atmosphere of the schools and colleges gets polluted.

The boys try all sorts of motions, gestures and songs to attract the attention of the girls. Even the girls tempt the boys for all sorts of indiscipline. Boys do not come for the teachers in the class. They keep combing their hair off and on and waster their time. The boys and girls all try to show themselves as heroes and heroines respectively and are mostly running to cinemas to see latest movies. The educational institutions start presenting a look of fashion parades. All sorts of unsocial and undesirable habits are developed and students forget to listen to their elders or teachers. In such an atmosphere, one cannot expect a good quality character.

Co – education is considered better from social point of view in spite of its various defects as explained above. Such a system of education gives an opportunity to understand each other’s problems and, therefore, can co-operate better in achievement of respective goals. A healthy spirit of working and competing is created by co – education. The boys try to keep a polite and gentle character so as to give a good impression to their girls class – fellows. During their long period of education, they can better understand each other’s psychology and even can choose their life partners from among their class – fellows. In this way, problem of parents to select a suitable match for their children is also solved. The boy and girl educated together make the best match due to their broad attitude towards life and closer understanding of each other’s habits and manners of living, likes and dislikes.

Co – education provides economical and advanced education to girl students. This is because same amount of money is invested to upgrade or provide better equipments and infrastructure in schools and colleges. Otherwise, funds would get diverted for constructing separate schools and colleges for girls. Further, in a free democratic country like India, we cannot deny education to girls along with boys, the girls must also be equally educated. However, where girls students take interest in greater numbers towards studies, there, special separate institutions can be established to impart education of each level and in various professions.

Co – education seems to be good at primary level and higher level in colleges. But due care must be taken at high school and inter-classes where lot of physical and mental changes take place naturally in children. Students must be guided properly to avoid their going astray. Separation between girls and boys can be made taking them into confidence and making them understand any implications. As such, at high school level, co – education can be imparted with able guidance and care. At university level, boys and girls get matured to understand good or bad of each other. So co – education can be very useful from social and economic point of view if given under proper care and guidance.



Source by Rajesh Mohan

26 Aug

The Indian Caste System

One of my friends, who recently told his dad that he loves a girl and wants to get married to her had to face his dad’s wrath. WHY?

Because she did not belong to his caste!!!

BAFFLING!!!!!!!!!

Oh and get this!! His dad is a senior manager in a major MNC, well educated with a couple of major degrees, earning thousands of dollars every month.. When my friend asked why was caste an issue his dad replied “now if you marry a girl from another caste how can I show my face in our community?”

BAFFLING AGAIN!!!!!!

Two things I want to say to that dad:

1) Your face is your arse anyways, so don’t bother showing it.

2) Where did your education go? What about your 6th standard lesson in Social studies which taught you Caste is a social evil?

The above episode had me thinking about the state of affairs in India and caste system on the whole. If you know about the caste system read this article as I want to share with you a means of fighting this evil. If you don’t know about it, please read this article as well this will keep you away from the evil system and help educate others.

THE CASTE SYSTEM

This is a social evil, born to divide human beings. The system which has come down from ages causing nothing but harm to human beings. How did this system begin? Why do people still follow it? How can one fight this? These are some of the questions which must be asked

India is a great land, a land filled with the most knowledgeable people who have attained complete enlightenment and there are also people who still believe in caste, rituals, ceremonies etc.

ORIGIN OF THE CASTE SYSTEM

The concept of caste is coming down from ages. Ancient India was blessed with many scholars and saints. Scholars who studied the world outside and the world inside (nature of the human mind). These scholars through meditation and concentration, understood their own minds and understood some basic realities of the laws of nature and the human psyche. In ancient India, this was the education which was taught from teacher to pupil and this tradition passed on for many years.

What the ancient saints discovered were that there were four types of people who existed in this world. This categorization was based on how human beings had different mindsets and how that would place them in the social order. The caste system was nothing but a categorization of the social order in society. Based on this understanding human beings were categorized ( Not divided ). Here are the four types of human beings

1) Brahmin: A brahmin is a learned man, who is well versed with the knowledge and wisdom of life. The people studied the ancient scriptures like the Vedas and then passed this knowledge on to the others. The brahmins engaged in attaining the highest spiritual knowledge.

2) Kshatriyas: A Kshatriya is someone who defends the land and the kingdom. These were people who took up soldier jobs in the olden days. These people were warriors who protected society.

3) Vaishyas: These were the business class. cattle raring, trading of goods and services etc. Trade and commerce were handled by this class mostly.

4) Shudras: Shudras are service providers. Plumbers, mechanics etc. These people mostly do the daily jobs of labor. The people in this category have to job of serving the above three categories.

This is the caste system, the categorization of human beings based on social order. Even in today’s society you can classify any human being participating in a social order into any one of these four classes.

HOW DID THIS BECOME EVIL

This concept of the caste system soon became distorted when the system was associated with birth and not the occupation of an individual. Now a brahmin’s son became a brahmin irrespective of his wisdom. A Vaishyas son became Vaishya even if he was wiser than anyone else in this world.

Adding to this, the differentiation was intensified when people started to create a space for themselves and began treating themselves to be much more privileged than the other classes. They did this to gain status in society and safeguard their place in society. The Brahmins declared full right to the Vedas (ancient scriptures supposed to contain divine knowledge) and ensured that only a brahmin would have access to them and not the others. They also considered the birth of a human being in the brahmin clan to be a noble one and that of a Shudra to be a low one.

Soon, the idea of deeds deciding the class of individuals was forgotten and birth deciding the class became a reality. This is how a simple explanation of the social order became evil. Now your job/occupation was decided by birth and not by your deeds. A shudra was not allowed to take up activities related to learning, or defending or commerce. Differentiation began and now society started to split.

EVIL PREVALENT IN INDIA TODAY

India today is still ailing from this disease, called the caste system. I must add that though not as bad as in the ancient days, India still suffers from this. Various people like Swami Vivekananda (cool dude, read about him), Mahatma Gandhi etc have fought it will all their might, the evil still fails to die down. Even today, marriages are arranged based on Caste, one can only get married to someone belonging to his own caste. One will vote for a candidate just because he belongs to his own caste. The most disturbing aspect of this is that its not just the uneducated people who participate in this stupidity. Its even the educated section of the crowd which is as culpable. Ex: My friends Dad

Think about this when your near or dear one has an emergency you look for the best doctor to treat them, you never look for a doctor from your caste. Well apply this every where in life. Differentiating a human being on caste is ridiculous.

Why feel different? Human being is human being. God doesn’t differentiate only humans do. Every human being simply is you. Born(doesn’t matter to whom ), will eventually die. How does caste matter in this cycle?

HOW DO WE FIGHT IT

I am not one of those who like to point the finger at the government to change things. Yes the government has a duty to bring in reforms, but its the equal duty of every individual to bring in the change.

Stop staying quiet when an elder in your family talks bullshit about getting married to someone belonging to your caste, because he feels his ego is at stake. Stop voting for someone just because he belongs to your caste. Vote based on eligibility. Take it heads on wherever you face it in your life.

Fight it!!! It may not be at a macro level, but at least at a family level (micro level) you should take up responsibility and ensure people get rid of this foolishness. Of course your dad or mom or your grandpa may not like it. But realize that you are standing up for a greater purpose, a killing of an evil which has ruined many lives. So be firm and don’t give in. When we change ourselves for good, you will become an example to others and they will also take inspiration to change for good.

Now once you firmly believe that this evil needs to be killed, have lots of sex and pass on your intelligent genes

Take a stand. I stand for killing this evil. Do you?



Source by Prasad Surapaneni

30 Jun

The 3 Idiots of the Education System

“I am beginning to suspect all elaborate and special systems of education. They seem to me to be built up on the supposition that every child is a kind of idiot who must be taught to think”. ~ Anne Sullivan.

I was conducting a Discover Your True Calling workshop at IIM, Indore last week. I had the afternoon free and decided to see the much acclaimed, high-grossing Bollywood movie – “3 Idiots”. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, largely because it is a complete indictment of our education system. The message was strikingly similar to the theme of my workshop.

The film is about three students who do not really fit into the prestigious engineering college and are considered idiots by their professor. However, the movie clearly shows who the three real idiots are – the educational system, the teachers and the parents. Reflecting on the movie on the flight back to Mumbai, I realized that any real change in education is possible only by transforming these three constituencies.

Idiot #1 – The Education System:

Our current system is performance-oriented rather than mastery-oriented. The emphasis on examinations forces students to learn by rote. They focus on scoring high marks rather than investing the time and energy to understand the subject in depth. A system where true geniuses like Einstein and Ramanujan are considered poor students really needs its head examined. In the movie, this is brilliantly brought out by Aamir Khan playing Rancho – the truly outstanding engineer who goes beyond the book to gain mastery.

Idiot #2 – The Teachers:

Our current system of pedagogy is faculty-led and follows a fixed curriculum. The average teacher assumes that there is one right answer and that (s)he knows the answer. It is the rare teacher who has the ability to facilitate rather than teach, to nurture rather than preach and to support students who stray from the well-trodden path in search of creative ways to learn. Boman Irani as Viru Sahastrabuddhe does a superb job of bringing to life a dogmatic, highly competitive, over-confident college professor – the antithesis of an ideal teacher in every way.

Idiot #3 – The Parents:

When India’s HRD Minister Kapil Sibal suggested scrapping of the 10th grade exams, parents were the first to stand up against the proposal. Parents want their children to be at the top of their classes, get admitted to the best colleges and follow traditional career options – engineering, medicine, management and the like.

Parents rarely encourage their children to discover their true passions and pursue mastery rather than mediocrity. The movie’s middle class Quereshis, who want their son to be an engineer, and the poorer Rastogis, who see education as a way out of poverty, are typical of today’s Indian parents. They would probably be the toughest nut to crack.

The 21st century calls for talented people who are masters in their chosen fields of work. It calls for collaboration among passionate individuals, from different disciplines, to address the truly challenging issues and opportunities that the world presents. The current assembly-line approach to education falls severely short. We are not equipping our children to succeed in their world. The appeal of the movie is universal and obvious.

But what will it take for all three of the constituencies above, as well as the student community to rally around to a new educational order? Please share your perspectives. We need to work together to bring about transformation in this vital area of our society.



Source by Sudhakar Ram

28 Mar

The Montessori Education System and the Desire to Learn

In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire talks about what he calls the banking system of education. In the banking system the student is seen as an object in which the teacher must place information. The student has no responsibility for cognition of any sort; the student must simply memorize or internalize what the teacher tells him or her. Paulo Freire was very much opposed to the banking system. He argued that the banking system is a system of control and not a system meant to successfully educate. In the banking system the teacher is meant to mold and change the behavior of the students, sometimes in a way that almost resembles a fight. The teacher tries to force information down the student’s throat that the student may not believe or care about.

This process eventually leads most students to dislike school. It also leads them to develop a resistance and a negative attitude towards learning in general, to the point where most people won’t seek knowledge unless it is required for a grade in a class. Freire thought that the only way to have a real education, in which the students engage in cognition, was to change from the banking system into what he defined as problem-posing education. Freire described how a problem-posing educational system could work in Pedagogy of the Oppressed by saying, “Students, as they are increasingly posed with problems relating to themselves in the world and with the world, will feel increasingly challenged and obliged to respond to that challenge. Because they apprehend the challenge as interrelated to other problems within a total context not as a theoretical question, the resulting comprehension tends to be increasingly critical and thus constantly less alienated”(81). The educational system developed by the Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori presents a tested and effective form of problem-posing education that leads its students to increase their desire to learn as opposed to inhibiting it.

Freire presents two major problems with the banking concept. The first one is that in the banking concept a student is not required to be cognitively active. The student is meant to simply memorize and repeat information, not to understand it. This inhibits the students’ creativity, destroys their interest in the subject, and transforms them into passive learners who don’t understand or believe what they are being taught but accept and repeat it because they have no other option. The second and more dramatic consequence of the banking concept is that it gives an enormous power to those who choose what is being taught to oppress those who are obliged to learn it and accept it. Freire explains that the problems lies in that the teacher holds all the keys, has all the answers and does all the thinking. The Montessori approach to education does the exact opposite. It makes students do all the thinking and problem solving so that they arrive at their own conclusions. The teachers simply help guide the student, but they do not tell the student what is true or false or how a problem can be solved.

In the Montessori system, even if a student finds a way to solve a problem that is slower or less effective than a standard mechanical way of solving the problem, the teacher will not intervene with the student’s process because this way the student learns to find solutions by himself or herself and to think of creative ways to work on different problems.

The educational system in the United States, especially from grade school to the end of high school, is almost identical to the banking approach to education that Freire described. During high school most of what students do is sit in a class and take notes. They are then graded on how well they complete homework and projects and finally they are tested to show that they can reproduce or use the knowledge which was taught. Most of the time the students are only receptors of information and they take no part in the creation of knowledge. Another way in which the U.S. education system is practically identical to the banking system of education is the grading system. The grades of students mostly reflect how much they comply with the teacher’s ideas and how much they are willing to follow directions. Grades reflect submission to authority and the willingness to do what is told more than they reflect one’s intelligence, interest in the class, or understanding of the material that is being taught. For instance, in a government class in the United States a student who does not agree that a representative democracy is superior to any other form of government will do worse than a student who simply accepts that a representative democracy is better than a direct democracy, socialism, communism, or another form of social system. The U.S. education system rewards those who agree with what is being taught and punishes those who do not.

Furthermore, it discourages students from questioning and doing any thinking of their own. Because of the repetitive and insipid nature of our education system, most students dislike high school, and if they do well on their work, it is merely for the purpose of obtaining a grade as opposed to learning or exploring a new idea.

The Montessori Method advocates child based teaching, letting the students take control of their own education. In E.M Standing’s The Montessori Revolution in Education, Standing says that the Montessori Method “is a method based on the principle of freedom in a prepared environment”(5). Studies done on two groups of students of the ages of 6 and 12 comparing those who learn in a Montessori to those who learn in a standard school environment show that despite the Montessori system having no grading system and no obligatory work load, it does as well as the standard system in both English and social sciences; but Montessori students do much better in mathematics, sciences, and problem solving. The Montessori system allows for students to be able to explore their interests and curiosity freely. Because of this the Montessori system pushes students toward the active pursuit of knowledge for pleasure, meaning that students will want to learn and will find out about things that interest them simply because it is fun to do so.
Maria Montessori started to develop what is now known as the Montessori Method of education in the early twentieth century.

The Montessori Method focuses on the relations between the child, the adult, and the environment. The child is seen as an individual in development. The Montessori system has an implied notion of letting the child be what the child would naturally be. Montessori believed the standard education system causes children to lose many childish traits, some of which are considered to be virtues. In Loeffler’s Montessori in Contemporary American Culture, Loeffler states that “among the traits that disappear are not only untidiness, disobedience, sloth, greed, egoism, quarrelsomeness, and instability, but also the so-called ‘creative imagination’, delight in stories, attachment to individuals, play, submissiveness and so forth”. Because of this perceived loss of the child, the Montessori system works to enable a child to naturally develop self-confidence as well as the ability and willingness to actively seek knowledge and find unique solutions to problems by thinking creatively. Another important difference in how children learn in the Montessori system is that in the Montessori system a child has no defined time slot in which to perform a task. Instead the child is allowed to perform a task for as long as he wants. This leads children to have a better capacity to concentrate and focus on a single task for an extended period of time than children have in the standard education system.

The role which the adult or teacher has in the Montessori system marks another fundamental difference between the Montessori s Method and the standard education system. With the Montessori Method the adult is not meant to constantly teach and order the student. The adult’s job is to guide the child so that the child will continue to pursue his curiosities and develop his or her own notions of what is real, right, and true. Montessori describes the child as an individual in intense, constant change. From observation Montessori concluded that if allowed to develop by himself, a child would always find equilibrium with his environment, meaning he would learn not to mistreat others, for example, and to interact positively with his peers. This is important because it leads to one of the Montessori Method’s most deep-seated ideas, which is that adults should not let their presence be felt by the children. This means that although an adult is in the environment with the students, the adult does not necessarily interact with the students unless the students ask the adult a question or request help. Furthermore, the adult must make it so that the students do not feel like they are being observed or judged in any way. The adult can make suggestions to the children, but never orders them or tells them what to do or how to do it. The adult must not be felt as an authority figure, but rather almost as another peer of the children.

The consequence of this, not surprisingly, is that a lot less ‘work’ gets done by the students. Nevertheless, the students’ development is dramatically better in the Montessori system than in a standard education system. But how can students who have no obligation to do any work possibly compete with students who are taught in the standard system and do much more work in class and at home? I believe the answer lies in that while students taught in the standard way are constantly being pushed towards disliking school and doing things mechanically without really thinking about it, Montessori students are led to actively explore their interests and enjoy doing so. Furthermore, Montessori students are constantly engaged in cognition. They are continuously learning to think in different ways and creating solutions to problems from scratch, as opposed to students in the standard method of education who only solve problems with the tools or information that the teacher gives them to use.

The final important aspect of the Montessori Method is the environment in which the student learns and explores. As mentioned before, it is of utmost importance that the children feel like they are safe and free to do what they want for as long as they want. It is also important for the children to have a variety of didactic material to play and learn with. These can be as simple as cards with different letters which the students use to make different words with. In this way the student can get the idea of the letter being a physical object which can be moved and manipulated to formulate words as opposed to simply an abstract concept which he must write repeatedly on a piece of paper. Montessori describes a copious amount of didactic materials that she used. She also describes how effective they were at helping the children grasp concepts such as the formation of sentences, square roots, and division. The didactic materials do not just help the students grasp the concept of different abstractions from reality, they also make learning a game and this makes students develop a natural joy for learning and thinking about abstract concepts. In The Montessori Revolution in Education, Standing talks about a young girl who was learning to read and played a game in which she attempted to read words from cards containing different words marked with different levels of difficulty. Standing states about the girl, “She was fairly rushing at this intellectual food. But even in Set 2 most of the words seemed beyond her. At last she had made out one, M – A – N, MAN. How delighted she was! With what joy did she place the card triumphantly under the picture of the man!”(173). This aspect of the Montessori method, in which children are left to play different learning games at their will, creates a hunger and excitement for learning.

Especially at a young age, it is much easier and enjoyable for children to learn with didactic materials instead of simply sitting in a classroom and taking notes when the children are wishing they were somewhere else or doing something else the entire time they are meant to be learning. With the use of didactic materials and by allowing students to use them or not use them whenever they want to, the Montessori system gives the students the freedom to learn what they want to when they want to. This is especially important when we think about how the standard method of education, like the banking system, forces students to ‘learn’ even when the students don’t want the information being shoved down their throats, and this leads to a form of artificial learning where students memorize information or to a mechanical process where students do not internalize the information and forget it as soon as they are not being graded on it.

Montessori criticized the standard method of education greatly. In addition to seeing it as inefficient and outdated, Montessori, like Freire, believed that it was oppressive to the students. In her book The Montessori Method, Montessori writes, “The principle of slavery still pervades pedagogy, and therefore, the same principle pervades the school”(16). Montessori then goes on to describe a simple example which illustrates her point. She talks about how chairs are especially designed for classrooms. These classroom chairs, Montessori posits, are made to restrict as much movement as possible, force the children to look forward towards the teacher, and make them as visible as possible to the teacher so the children always feel like they are being watched and must behave properly.

Montessori views the standard method of education as an antagonistic model in which the teacher is basically fighting the student, constantly trying to control him and repress his childish behavior while attempting to force feed him knowledge that the student does not want. Despite the many studies which have shown that the Montessori Method is more effective and humane than the standard method, and even though more than 100 years have passed since it was introduced to the United States, very little has changed in the way children are educated here.

In Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Freire says that education is used as a tool to manipulate and control masses. He proposes that the banking system of education exists and persists not because of its effectiveness at getting students to learn, but rather its effectiveness at indoctrinating children into believing something that the people who control the schools want them to believe. This leads to an important question. What is more important for the United States: that children grow up being able to think for themselves, or that they grow up believing what others deem correct? Here, especially in public high schools, there is a strong emphasis on nationalism and many ideas are taught as inherently inferior to others. For example, it is not only taught in schools that capitalism is better and more humane than, for instance, socialism and communism, but rather students are also taught to fear these concepts and to fear the very idea of questioning or thinking about social structures other than capitalism and economic models other than the free market. Furthermore, teachers often promote the false portrayal of the United States as the hero and police of the entire world. The U.S. education system is not meant to liberate students and inspire them to seek knowledge, but rather it is meant to keep them in line and is used as a tool to shape a kind of person who thinks only as far as is socially acceptable. How much our education system is manipulated by the interests of the people who control it is questionable. However, it is clear that whether or not our education system is being used to control the masses, it lends itself well to do so and can be used to sway people’s opinion and repress ideas that might go against the establishment.

Our current education system is closer to the banking system than to something like the Montessori Method in which the development of the child is put first and children are presented with a form of problem-posing education. It is likely difficult to change to a way of teaching that allows students to learn for themselves and be inspired to actively seek knowledge. A good place to start would be to use didactic materials to the extent that is possible and to present students with differing sides of arguments in a judgment-free manner. Another important point is that creative thought should always be encouraged and dissenting ideas should be welcome and debated thoroughly. By making the transition to an education system that is problem-posing, students would be encouraged to think critically and create different, unique and inventive ways to solve problems. This change would lead to enormous growth in innovation and scientific development, as well as giving students a more humane and interactive way of learning.



Source by John A Martinez

03 Jan

Grading System in Indian Schools

The Indian education system has taken a step forward towards reviving the education system with the introduction of grading system in session 2009-10. It will help in reducing the pressure on students during exams. In the last five years the meaning of education has changed for students from imbibing knowledge to merely scoring marks, resulting in myriad forms of education policies.

As per reports, every day more than 17 students aged between 15-25 years commit suicide in India due to non-performance in the examination or an entrance test. Watching young children of the country succumbing to the undue pressure of scoring high marks is horrifying. One of the points to note here is the thinking of the society, which puts lot of pressure on students to ‘to perform’.

This pressure from schools, parents, peer groups and society takes away the youthfulness of a child. Further, a health report also supports that this often causes health hazard such as fatigue, body aches, eye weakness, stress and in more severe cases, depression (neurotic/psychotic.) Looking at today’s education scenario, the Central Board of Senior Education has introduced educational counselors and child psychologists in schools to boost the confidence of young students and mentally prepare them for the board examination. This method has helped in reducing the stress and making them comfortable with the examination.

Understanding the board exam system in India and its relation with students is of great importance in present times. While coping with the expectations of school, parents and society and keeping pace with their talent, students face a lot of hardships. Thus, the implementation of a grading system and abolition of board exams is really a boon for students.

Adoption of grading system in India, the grading system was introduced in 2008-09 from class I-VIII, reducing the exam stress. Extending the concept to class IX and X has further reduced the pressure, giving students an opportunity to explore other avenues. Following the US model, the implementation of the grading system is to bring in more practical education than the current theoretical method. This model prescribes a varied range of opportunities, providing children of all levels a platform to showcase their talent and pursue their interests traditionally; class XI students were given subjects as per marks scored in Class X. This system often disappointed students if they scored low. Moreover, if a student didn’t get the required percentage due to poor scoring in one subject, then the entire percentage gets affected. The grading system will give students relief. It will provide ample opportunities to students to excel in their choice filed.

Its implementation will help an average student to cope with the stress though leaving a lot of toppers to question it. Students will be evaluated on a 9-point grading system, which will diminish the difference between a student scoring 99% and one scoring 91%. Both students will get the A+ grade. To make the grading system a success, parents and teachers need to acknowledge children’s special assets and encourage them pursue their interest.

The grading system by HRD minister – Kapil Sibal has brought in a new wave of transformation in the Indian education system. He put India up on the ladder of the global education system. The HRD minister commenting on the system said that it would provide a standardization of excellence at the school level.



Source by Amanpreet Singh

01 Nov

The Canadian Education System

The Canadian education system consists of three levels. The first level is known as the elementary level, the second is called the secondary level and the third is called the post-secondary education level. If you are in Canada or you have plans to go there, we suggest that you read up on the education system over there, especially if you want to go there for education. Let’s know more about the education system in Canada.

The Education System

In Canada, governments at provincial and territorial levels govern education. Therefore, there is a little difference between each education system. For example, the difference is that the grades where the levels start and end are different. Each province and territory offers free education for 12 years. However, for Quebec, the free education is offered for 11 years. Based on the province, education is a must for age 15 and 18.

Education levels

Now, let us read up on the education offered at different levels in Canada. This will give you a lot better idea of how the education system works over there.

· Elementary

Typically, kids aged 5 enter kindergarten. In elementary schools, kids study from grade one to grade 6. Afterwards, the students study for 2 years. In other areas, the school offers education till grade 8. As far as Quebec goes, the elementary school provides education from grade 1 to grade 6. Afterwards, the students go directly to high school.

· Secondary

Most often, secondary school is called high school. In these schools, students study from grade 9 to grade 12. Moreover, in areas with junior high and middle school, it includes both grade 7 and grade 8. On the other hand, in Quebec, students study from grade 7 to grade 11. Afterwards, the students study in CEGEP for 24 months and then go to university.

· Post-secondary

This level of education consists of career college, grade school, university and community college.

Programs for language

In Canada, language programs are provided at private language schools, universities, colleges, high schools and middle schools. Since English is the international language, more importance is given to teach this language across Canada.

Structure

Districts: In Canada, the division of provinces is done based school districts. Moreover, school districts include school boards that implement curriculum and policy established by the province. Usually, a school district provides services to a couple of towns or cities based on their size.

Religious affiliation

Schools can be Christian, Catholic or secular. However, in some provinces, you can find different school boards for both non-religious and religious schools. So, students from religious families can also go to the school based on their religious affiliation.

Private and public

The education system in Canada consists of public schools as well as private schools. The public schools receive funds from the government. On the other hand, private schools don’t get funded by the government and students have to pay fees to study in private school. Moreover, at the post secondary level, students pay a considerably smaller amount of tuition fee than in private universities.

So, this was a brief introduction to the education system in Canada.



Source by Navdeep Kumar

07 Jul

Dire Need For A Change Of Syllabus For – ‘The Indian Education System’

Education, as we all know is vital, for the growth of every individual and empowerment in the growth of a nation. Is this critical need, given to all the students in a satisfactory manner? Ironically, the answer is No. The teachers, the management, and the strategy do not satisfy the youth. The quality in education is still a dream in our nation. Let me throw some light on the issues of our Indian education system and suggest some solutions.

According to the mindset of any stereotypical Indian, he wishes to study in a private school, get a graduation degree, get a decent job that pays them six figures every month and he gets married, again he brings up his child in the same way. Does it build the persona of an individual? It is a grim scenario, which every Indian is forced to follow such a system.

There is no equality in education. Not all people can be easily admitted to CBSE or International Schools, because for an Indian to study, he must be able to pay the fees and nothing else matters. The motto of Edvizo is to improve the entire education system and the economically lagging people are offered with scholarships and EMI schemes. By this, irrespective of their positions everyone can get the equal education.

Teachers are the backbone of any educational institution. Only a teacher can change the direction of a society and no other profession influences the society much more. But, the teachers lag in good teaching skills and they do not equip themselves with recent trends in their domain. And also, all the coaching centers are commercialized and many are fake. Edvizo offers to get the information about the institutions from home and hands-on-training in programming can be taken from the home that saves time in this busy world.

When a student is educated he must acquire knowledge, skills, and creativity. Acquiring skills is more important because writing how to build a database is easy but implementing it in the real world is the main challenge. The creativity of storytelling in childhood may pave way for them to design a product in the future. They lag in out of box thinking. Students must learn more apart from their books and for every concept, they learn they must ask a why? to themselves.

Recent research at ‘The Association of Accounting Technicians’, London has revealed that there is a large contradictory review on University and more importantly where a degree can lead, among the school leaving students. The students do not have a clear picture of what they need to learn. As parents are used to some legacy courses, the institutions also do not add the number of courses. Research is never considered when one studies. Edvizo helps one to choose their right career path, and guidelines are given by experts from IITs, IIMs, AIIMs and more.

Dogmatism among teaching faculties makes one to do the same work every day. The students are forced and trained to write the same answers that are memorized by them from books. This may help them get good marks in their board exams but it does not enrich any knowledge in one. Grades never measure one’s Intelligence. Teachers must impart different strategies in teaching the students. They do consider that the practical knowledge is priceless for students.

Technology is into and within every aspect of one’s life. As technology advances the education must also get advanced with it. Programming, simulating and virtualizing of what we have learned is very simple today. But still, the students are forced to learn their MCQs and Q/A. Rote learning is still followed by at most all students and in colleges too.

Students must be given the freedom to choose their course of study. For example, chemistry may work out good for a boy’s dad and he may be a Chemical Engineer, but it is not necessary that the boy should also pursue the same. The boy may love English, History, Music and more. Students must choose their path with the passion. It is not that everyone should walk on the same path. Every individual can also take the road less traveled, or they can make their own path!

Nandhashree.



Source by Nandhashree Karuppiah