Education

In a recent development, the State Education Department issued a directive to all regional deputy directors of education and district education officers. They are tasked with identifying and consolidating small schools within their respective jurisdictions by October 15, aiming to integrate them into larger schools as part of the 'cluster school' initiative. If realised, this program will entail approximately 200,000 students commuting considerable distances to access education. While this initiative has been in the planning stages for several months, its core objective is to improve the quality of education. This would be achieved by exposing students to a larger peer…

A few residents of Kannagi Nagar Block 1 were occupied with the task of sun-drying salted fish on jute sheets; there were children in school uniforms amongst them. At the entrance of the block, under the relentless noon sun, the women talked about the state government's newly launched breakfast scheme in government-run schools - sharing their optimism and concerns. The breakfast scheme being discussed was inaugurated on September 15, 2022, on a small scale before being expanded the following year to cover primary schools across the entire state. The scheme now spans more than 1,500 government schools throughout Tamil Nadu. …

Mumbai has over 4000 schools and several lakh children enrolled in various private and public schools. Last year more than three lakh children appeared for class 10 exams under the state board alone. With a population of over 20 million, the need for affordable education has never been more urgent. Setting up a school, especially in a bustling metropolis like Mumbai, involves navigating through a complex web of rules and laws to ensure a safe and conducive learning environment. The local administration, mainly the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), oversees the educational landscape in the city. Legalities The Right…

In February this year, a video of a skit performed by students of Jain University went viral. Seven students performed what they called a “satirical drama skit which revolves around the reservation system prevailing in society.” Anti-caste activists pointed out the casteism in the skit that appeared to mock Dr BR Ambedkar, Dalits, and reservation. The outrage led to FIRs against the students and faculty of Jain University under the SC/ST (Prevention) Atrocities Act. COLLECTIVE Bangalore members during a signature campaign for instituting functional SC/ST cells in Bengaluru colleges. Pic courtesy: COLLECTIVE Bangalore Campaign for SC/ST cells While the criminal…

As designers at The Other Design Studio, we have collaborated with various NGOs, including Akshara Foundation, Pratham Books, Azad India Foundation, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies Foundation, and numerous others for almost two decades. Through this work, we have gained a profound understanding of the social system. Angeline Pradhan and Upesh Pradhan run The Other Design Studio, which does branding to illustration to animation and videos. They have covered everything and a little more as a design studio. In 2022, our design experience with Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar, a collection of over a decade of articles, interviews, and speeches by Rohini Nilekani, inspired…

With Siddharamaiah’s government scrapping the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and replacing it with his government’s own new education policy for Karnataka, there is not only ambiguity over what will happen to the students currently admitted as per the central NEP policy, but also lack of clarity over the very implementation of this NEP. Here we try to explain how the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) had proposed to go ahead with the Four-year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) under NEP and how Karnataka is responding to it.  What is FYUGP?  Under the University Grants Commission, Karnataka State Higher Education Council…

With admission season in full swing, students and parents in the city are busy choosing courses and colleges. Amidst this anxiety and nervousness, another issue on the minds of students is the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP). A total of 57 institutes in Mumbai will roll out the NEP from this academic year (2023-2024). One of the major changes that NEP implementation requires is the duration of courses. Three-year undergraduate courses are now a four-year course. An additional year is for the students to attain an honours degree, with a research option in the final year. The policy…

“Patience is required to work in the education field,” says Preeti Gehlot, who was appointed as Special Commissioner for Education on January 25th. “It’s not like building a road, but more like bringing behavioural change in students,” she says. Though Preeti is also in-charge of estate, horticulture, lakes and forest, she prefers to devote more attention to education. In an interview with Citizen Matters, Preeti talks about the education department’s plans and proposals as well as priorities and implementation of policies.  Excerpts from the interview: How are BBMP schools different from schools under the jurisdiction of the Karnataka Government?  BBMP…

Even as the Maharashtra government announced the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 in the state, parents and educators are confused about age criteria for entry into primary schooling. One of the major concerns that parents have expressed is about the new age criteria. According to the old criteria, in order to be admitted to nursery class, the child should have completed 2 years and 6 months by the month of June of the academic year. But the new criteria requires the child to have completed 3 years for the same.  Similarly, for class 1, the minimum age for…

During the pandemic, coaching centres were compelled to conduct classes online. However, post pandemic, the trend seems to have reversed. Many students, preparing for competitive and board exams, are opting for offline classes. However, online study material, apps, recorded zoom classes, and YouTube videos, are being used by students either because they cannot attend classes in person or due to easy accessibility. Students' preferences Lutsuhlu Swuro, who joined Rau’s IAS Study Circle to prepare for the UPSC exam, says there is no alternative to classroom teaching. "The environment at home does not give me enough privacy to focus and study.…