NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY
History lesson in mother tongue instruction
NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY : History lesson in mother tongue instruction

Tarun Jain and Revathy Suryanarayana point to the link between vernacular language use in schools and educational achievement using data from large-scale historical events in South India.

#History #Education
RTE IN TN
Non-compliance and violations of RTE Act in TN schools

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India’s report on Tamil Nadu (General and Social Sector) for the year ending on March 31, 2014 got tabled in the state assembly last month. Himanshu Upadhyaya analyses the report and asks question on the non-responsiveness of the state government to CAG’s performance review.

#Education
MP SURVEY
Can educated MPs do more for education?

Basic education and subsequent employment opportunities are issues that India has continued to grapple with. Could highly educated parliamentarians necessarily drive these forward? Tanvi Bhatikar analyses findings of a recent voters’ survey in search of an answer.

#Livelihoods #Government
INCLUSION IN EDUCATION
A school for me too
INCLUSION IN EDUCATION : A school for me too

The Nanagu Shaale programme shows why the provision of home-based education for children with special needs may in practice defeat the ideological objective of inclusion. 

#Disability #Education #KARNATAKA
THE RTE ACT
The Reservation syndrome
THE RTE ACT : The Reservation syndrome
There has been a needless focus on the Right to Education Act's provision of aspirational seats in private schools. Only a small fraction of public schools students can benefit from this, writes E S Ramamurthy.
#Education
PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND RTE ACT
Imperiling public education
PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND RTE ACT : Imperiling public education
Most private schools are not elite at all, contrary to public perception, and the Right to Education Act will let them run amok at the expense of the public education system, writes E S Ramamurthy.
#Education
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Plugging the skills gap
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION : Plugging the skills gap

There is a great shortage of people with employable skills. But vocational training is neither popular nor seen to be offering good job options. The challenge is to overcome this perception, writes Megha Aggarwal.

#Labour Issues #Skills Development #Economy
EDUCATION FUNDING
Tripura focuses on education for tribals

A wide range of programmes and strong financial support have helped Tripura raise access to education for its tribal population. Ratna Bharali Talukdar on the many incentives that anchor the state's efforts to bridge the learning gap between tribals and non-tribals.

#Adivasis #Education
MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION
Tripura promotes Kok-Borok in tribal schools
In 2005, the Education department of Tripura decided to give a push to Kok-Borok as a medium of instruction at the Junior Basic level to help tribal students learn in their mother tongue. Ratna Bharali Talukdar reports on the challenges as well as the gains from a strong focus on education in recent years in the state.
#Adivasis #Education
EDUCATION OF GIRL CHILDREN
Wanting to study, daring to dream
EDUCATION OF GIRL CHILDREN : Wanting to study, daring to dream

In U.P., the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya scheme - instituted under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in 2005 to ensure access and quality elementary education (Class 6-8) for disadvantaged girls - has opened new doors hitherto closed because of discrimination and poverty. Swapna Majumdar has more.

#Education #UTTAR PRADESH
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
Funded, controlled, and run aground
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION : Funded, controlled, and run aground
Meghalaya's vocational training system, despite being funded by New Delhi as well as the state government, has two problems. One, there is dearth of adequate number of Industrial Training Institutes (ITI). Two, the placement record is poor and does not generate demand. Ratna Bharali Talukdar finds out what went wrong.
#Labour Issues #Education
MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION
Goa wrestles with language in schools
MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION : Goa wrestles with language in schools

The abrupt transition from Konkani and Marathi in primary schools to English in Standard V puts tremendous pressure on children from rural communities in Goa. By the time these learners reach the crucial higher grades, nearly half of them drop out of school. Rupa Chinai reports.

#Curricula #Education #GOA
EDUCATION/LEGISLATION
An entitlement with no law
EDUCATION/LEGISLATION : An entitlement with no law
With the Central government lobbing the ball into the states' court, the right to education bill has practically lost its very essence. Without a central legislation to support it, a constitutional guarantee will have little meaning, say most experts. Deepa A concludes the 'Lens on Education' series.
#Education #Human Rights #Laws
EDUCATION
New indicators needed to track SSA
Since the introduction of the central government's Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme, enrolment numbers in schools have gone up. But how reliable and meaningful are the enrolment figures? Deepa A uncovers major indications of things having gone wrong in SSA's quest for targets.
#Education
LENS ON EDUCATION
Government stalling sec. school reforms
The central government's own figures indicate that many as two-thirds of those eligible for secondary education remain outside the school system today. A Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) committee estimates that 88,562 additional classrooms will be required in 2007-08 and over 1.3 lakh additional teachers. Deepa A reports.
#Education #Lens on Education