The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Teaching children in different styles
Prabhjot Singh

"Schools in private sector provide quality education at a much cheaper rate than government schools," is an open admission by the present Congress Government in Punjab, to give credence to its endeavour to gradually "privatise" the entire school education in the state.

There is no denying the fact that the role of private sector in education in general and school education in particular has been growing at a tremendous pace. It is not only that Delhi Public School has its franchises in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh but other chains in the field have been into "aggressive diversification too".

"The cake is big enough that everybody will have his share," remarked Capt Amarjyot Singh, who runs schools at Dharampur and Subathu in Himachal. "It is the quality of education that distinguishes one school from the other," he says. A substantial number of schools in the private sector are nothing more than "shops" where the fees charged is totally disproportionate to the quality of education provided , which invariably is "substandard".

Interestingly, schools that cater to specific clientale have started coming up in this part of the country. A trend that started in the late eighties to design schools for children of NRIs has been somewhat modified in the recent past .

Now you have schools for NRI students, you have schools by NRIs for local students and you also have schools where both NRI and local students study together. The only common feature in institutions has been the "quality of education" and the vow of their managements to produce "allrounders and good humanbeings".

Other common feature has been that most of these new schools are coming up in rural and remote areas, keeping campuses pollution-free, healthy and green environs. Each such school has a provision for free or highly subsidised education to local needy and poor students.

A school for NRI students at Pojewal, near Anandpur Sahib in Nawanshahr district boasts of airconditioned classrooms, laboratories, libraries, swimming pool and a gym.

"School has considerable influence on the child. So as a parent you have to find out what you want from a school before finding out what school has to offer," says Mr Sanjay Sinha, of Eider group, promoters of Punjab International Public School at Pojewal.

"Our school has been established to nurture the child from a very impressionable age in an open, multi-dimensional environment. The emphasis always and invariably is on the balanced and integrated development of the body, the mind and the spirit as to produce adults who are physically, mentally and spiritually mature enough to handle and face the vicissitudes of life with optimism, courage and fortitude," says Mr Sinha holding that "only those who can afford are admitted here."

The school promises to provide facilities like horse riding, roller skating, squash, badminton, basketball, swimming, football, volleyball and archery besides hockey and cricket. Since it is a fully residential school, each student is accommodated in one of the four houses with a capacity of 56 beds each. The houses are named after popular trees. The redeeming feature of the school campus is its splendid green cover.

The academic curriculum is based on the ICSEpattern. Besides, it has affiliation with Oaks Bridge Private School in Los Angeles, Dragon School in Oxford, John Fraser Secondary School in Toronto and RSEducation in Auckland, thus facilitating easy migration of students.

While Punjab International Public School is for NRIs, Max Arthur Macauliffe Public School at Bondli, near Samrala is a school by NRIs for local students.

"Our philosophy is that unless we take quality education to rural and remote areas, quality of life in otherwise affluent Punjab would not improve. It is shameful that primary and middle school education in Punjab, instead of improving has deteriorated," says Mr Kulwinder Kaur Benepal, Director-Principal of the school. Mrs Benepal and her husband, Mr Devinder Singh Benepal, are NRIs from Australia.

"There is a world of difference in the quality of education we provide at the kindergarten level here and in Australia. If we are thinking of competing with the rest of the world, we have to redesign our elementry education. Nowadays Mrs Benepal is doing advanced courses in KG education in Australia. And we want to introduce not only audio-visual aids, but also make learning at the grassroots level interactive, attractive and interesting with high content of learning," says Mr Devinder Benepal.

The response to the school, he says, has been overwhelming."We are trying to inculcate among the tinytots a need for environmental conservation and physical fitness. Sports activities are a integral part of our curriculum and we are involving some of the top sports-persons of the country in our activities. We do not compromise on the quality of teachers and instructors we have. They have to be the best. We want to make a difference and in the past more than a year, we have very encouraging results."

Sant Tirath Singh Sewa Panthi, who laid the foundation stone of the school, wants it to be a leading institution in languages in general and English in particular, information technology, biotechnology and sports. The school is being run by the Jagir Singh Charitable Trust .

Pinegrove School has a mix of both. It has both NRI as well as local students. "We do not compromise on standards. Our results prove our claim," says Capt Amarjyot Singh, headmaster of the school.

"We have designed our curriculum in such a way that no student remains free. Each student is involved in extra curricular activities,be it sports, knitting, embroidery, painting, music,pottery, or anything. We have perhaps the highest number of students in our musical hobby classes.We have four bands and six music teachers," he adds maintaining that school hockey, basketball, cricket, table tennis and athletic teams have done very well in the inter-school competitions.

"The school has one of the best multipurpose indoor hall and both our junior and senior wings are located in picturesque, peaceful and green environs. From the next academic session, we have been permitted plus two classes," concludes Capt Amarjyot Singh.

Schools need to teach non-violence
J.P. Garg

We are living in a terror — ridden society. Although India witnessed severe communal frenzy immediately following the dawn of Independence, yet it showed a downward trend later. During recent times, there has again been a spate of violence in many parts of the country. Punjab faced its darkest period during the eighties and nineties. Now Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu and eastern states stand a testimony to this cult of terror and violence.

India’s unity and peace is sought to be undermined by a multiplicity of factors — communal, ethnic, cultural linguistic, regional, religious, casteist, tribal confrontational party politics and conflicting ideologies. Like an infectious disease or a raging fire, the cult of violence trends to spread and engulf every sphere of human life. It has spread its wings not only at the national level, but also at smaller societal groups like the family. Schools, colleges and universities are replete with many problems because of the non-violent behaviour of students.

It is in this context that the "Global education conference on culture of peace and non-violence" held at Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Jalandhar, from December 19 to 21, 2002, acquired great significance. A sub-theme discussed at the conference was ‘Education for peace’.

What role can education and educational institutions play to bring about a culture of peace and non-violence in the present situation? They can certainly contribute a lot.

Education is said to be an instrument of cultural transmission as well as social transformation. Literary degrees and technical skills that an educated person acquires are only manifest functions of education. Studies have revealed that at the latent and less obvious level, education leads to changes in attitudes, values, beliefs, behaviour patterns and, above all, reasoning and logical power.

From this point of view, the role of education at the latent level seems to be more consequential than at the manifest level. And this function of education can result in inculcation of values of peaceful and non-violent co-existence.

Education as an efficacious means of changing attitudes has two aspects: content and structure. Modern education is liberal and universalistic in its content and orientation. Freedom, equality, humanism and denial of faith in dogmas are the themes of modern education. In its structural aspect, the nature and types of courses may be as influential as its organisational spheres like classroom milieu, interpersonal relationships between students themselves and the teacher and the taught, rules and manners to be observed in school and college, participation in co-curricular activities, etc.

Peace and non-violence are also related to one’s mental attitude which provides an insight, a humanistic viewpoint and a type of enlightenment. Proper education in schools, college and universities can help students assimilate these basic tenets, ideas and concepts and can lead to an environment of peace and tranquility.

When a child enters school, he incorporates into his role the ways of behaving, feeling and thinking which he observes in influential persons around him. This process is called ‘modeling’ and the concept is known as ‘empathy’. In school the most notable model is the teacher, although some peers may also serve as good models.

If a teacher conducts himself in a cool, composed and peaceful manner, whatever be the provocation by students, these qualities are also imbibed by them gradually.

At the organisational level, some type of peace associations/clubs/study circles can be established in schools and colleges. These associations can undertake myriad activities to bring awareness about issues concerning peace and non-violence. These activities can include lectures, discussions, debates, seminars, poster-making and essay competitions, skits, plays, etc.

ADMISSION DEADLINE

University

Feb 17 Cochin University of Science & Technology, Kochi 682022 (Ker)

1) First Degree Progms: BTech: (Civil/Comp Sc & Engg/Electron & Commn/Electl/Electron/IT/Marine Engg/Mech/Fire & Safety) (Polymer Sc & Rubber Tech) (Instru) (Naval Archi & Ship Bldg); 5-yr Integrated MSc (Photonics)

Second Degree Prog: LLB

PG Progs: LLM/MBA (FT/PT)/MBE/MCA/MIB/MSc (App Chem/Biotech/ Electron Sc/Environ Tech/ Hydrochem/ Industrial Fisheries/Marine Biol/Marine Geol/Marine Geophysics/Maths/Meteorology/Oceanography/Opr Res & Com Appln/Phys)

2. MTech Progs:

Atmospheric Sc/Comp Aided Structural Analysis & Des/Comp & Info Sc/Electron/Engg Stats/Indsl Catalysis/Ocean Tech/Opto-Electron & Laser Tech/Polymer Tech/SW Engg/Civil & Mech (PT).

3. BCA

4. MA Translation (German/Russian)

5. Cert (PT): (German/Russian/Japanese/French)

6. Dips: Functional Arabic/French/German/Japanese/Russian)

7. Integrated Dips: French/German/Japanese/Russian)

8. PG Dip: Communicative Eng/Translation/Admin Drafting & Reporting in Hindi.

9. MPhil Progs: Appl Eco/Chem/Chem Oceanography/Commerce/Hindi/Life Sc/Photonics/Phy).

10. ME By Res (FT/PT)

11. PhD Progs

Elig: For 1: CAT Regn; For 3-11: DAT Regn.

Other Elig, Details, Selectn, Entrance: See Academic Hand Book.

Appln F: 1, 2 & 4): Send Rs 780/- by DD or Rs 750/-, at designated HPOs & POs (incld HPO, Lodi Rd, Delhi/GPO, New Delhi/ HPO, Sarojini Nagar, Delhi).

For 5, 6, 7: Send Rs 180/- by DD to the respective HOD at above add.

For 1, 8, 9, 10: Send Rs 780/- by DD to the respective HOD at above add.

DDs to be drawn in favour of the "Registrar, CUSAT" and payable at State Bank of Travancore, Trikkakara (Code: 7235). Write your add on reverse of DD. Send 2 self-add slips with request. Last date for postal requests: 11 Feb.

Feb 28 Madurai Kamaraj University, Palkalainagar, Madurai 625021 (TN)

email: mdu_ddemku@sancharnet.in

A. IT Courses

1) MCA

2) MCA (Lat Ent, 2nd-yr)

3) BCA

4) BCA (Lat Ent, 2nd-yr)

5) PG Dip (Comp Appln, e-Com; 1-yr)

6) Dip (IT, Comp Appln; 1-yr)

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MBA, Master of (Bank Mgt, Labour Mgt, Tourism Mgt; 2-yr), MA (Advt & PR; Journ & Mass Com; 2-yr), MLISc, BLISc (1-yr), BGL (2-yr).

C. UG Courses

BA (Hist, Eco, Pol Sc, Soc Sc, Eng Litt, Tam Litt); BSc (Maths); BCom; BBA.

D. PG Courses

MA (Hist, Eco, Pol Sc, Pub Admin, Eng Litt, Tam Litt, Gandhian Th, Philo & Relig, Sociol); MSc (Maths); MCom.

E. MPhil

Tamil, Eng, Hist, Eco, Commerce, Pol Sc, Pub Admin, Labour Studies, Public Admin (Eng & Tam Medium), Entrepreneurship, Educn, Maths, Gandhian Thought, Sociol, Tourism, Telugu.

F. OUS

Introductory, Pre-Foundation, Degree, PG Courses.

G. PG Dip (Mgt, Journ & Mass Com, Mktg Mgt; 1-yr);

PM & IR (2-yr).

H. Dip (Labour Law & Admin Law, Astrol, Saiva Siddh, 1-yr)

I. Cert in Lib Sc (3-mth); French (6-mths).

Elig: For A1: UG Deg (Cl 12 with Maths). For A 2: PGDCA. For A3: Cl 12. For A4: Cl 10 (with 3-yr Dip). For A5: UG Deg. For A6: Cl 12.

Appln F: Send Rs 280/- [MBA & MCA (DLP)]; Rs 130/- (MPhil, BCA); Rs 80/- (others) by DD favouring "The Director, DDE, Madurai Kamaraj University, Palkalai Nagar, Madurai-625021" or "The Programme Officer of the Study Centre which you wish to join", mentioning name, add & course to The Director at above add or to Prog Officer of concerned Study Centre.

Agriculture

May 30 Indian Veterinary Research Institute (Deemed University), Izatnagar 243122 (UP)

National Diploma in:

(Preventive Vet Med; AH; Biol Products; Anim Reprodn; Equine Husb, Med & Surg; Zoo & Wild Anim Health Care & Mgt; Meat & Meat Products Tech; Fodder & Feed Tech; Poultry Husb.

Elig: BVSc & AH, employed. Age: below 55 yrs (on 30 May’03).

Appln F: Send request to "Scientific Coordinator" at above add.

Art & Design

Feb 7 Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai 600020

www.clri.org/www.clrim.org

1) Cert in Leather Processing; Leather Goods; Leather Garments; Leather Footwear (26-wks)

2) Dip in Leather Goods, Leather Garments, Leather Footwear (40 weeks)

(At Chennai & Regional centres)

Elig: For 1: Cl 10 (55%). For 2: Cl 12 (55%). Age: 30 yrs (on Mar 10, ‘03).

Selectn: Entrance Test (Feb 15), Interview (Feb 16).

Appln F: Send Rs 100/- by crossed DD favouring "Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai" with stamped (Rs 5/-), self-add env (30 x 15 cms) to the Head, CHORD Division.

Medicine

Mar 10 School of Medical Science & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302

Masters in Medical Sc & Tech (3-yr)

Elig: MBBS (60%), (Maths in Cl 12).

Assistantship: Rs 10,000/- pm.

Selectn: Written Test (13 Apr; at 9 Centres).

Appln F: Send Rs 1000/- by DD favouring "IIT, Kharagpur" payable at Kharagpur to Chairman, GATE, at above add by 28 Feb. At designated Canara Bank Branches (H54, Bombay Life Bldg, CP, New Delhi; SCO 117-119, Sec 17-C, Ch ‘grh): Rs 1000/- (cash).

Details: Employment News (4-10 Jan).

Vocational

Jan 30 Society for Self Employment, (G/o NCT), E-26-29, Flatted Factories Complex, Jhandewalan, New Delhi 110 055

1) Repair of Radio & TV (6-mth).

2) Refrig & A/c Course (4-mth)

3) Repair & Maintenance of Household Elect Appliances (6-mth)

4) Plumbing (4-mth)

Elig: Residents of Delhi, For 1-3: Cl 10, For 4: Cl 8. Age: 16-25 yrs.

Appln F: Rs 20/- in cash at counter till Jan 29.

Details: Employment News (4-10 Jan).

Pervin Malhotra, Director, CARING (www.careerguidanceindia.com), New Delhi

Email: pervin-trib@.careerguidanceindia.com

-Details: www.careerguidanceindia.com