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| EDUCATION TRIBUNE |
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Montessori
system—boon for children Fixed hours for college lecturers?
No way! Institute to hone skills of techno-managers |
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Montessori system—boon for children The US-based Brilliant Child has entered into a strategic alliance with a Patiala-based educational group, GCS Group, to launch Montessori education schools in India. A significant aspect about the Montessori system is that it has special equipment and system for teaching children right from infancy to 6 years. The system of education uses special equipment that caters to the developmental needs of a child. Surroundings play a vital role in developing the child’s thoughts, beliefs and skills. According to Col. N.K. Mohindar (Retd.), Montessori has adopted the franchisee route and created a business model that requires minimal investment and excellent returns. In unique move that is expected to bring high benefits, ABC Montessori will focus on the untapped 0-3 years age segment, apart from the immense potential in the 3-6 years age segment. According to Ms Kimberly S. Hardin, Director, Academy for Brilliant Child Inc: “The Montessori system of education has been implemented all over Europe and the USA and is highly sustainable. It is easily replicable and can be adapted successfully to new regions. The Montessori system of education is a boon for parents and their children, as it pays much attention to the mental, physical and sensory development of the child. At the same time, it brings social recognition, respect and financial rewards for the entrepreneur setting up the school.” According to Col. Mohindar: “Montessori schools are cost-effective. The initial investment can be as low as Rs 4 lakh and the school requires only about 2,500 sq. feet of covered space. The initial investment is in the creation of assets, which includes special learning tools for children that are re-used every year. “There is a low gestation period as revenue inflows start immediately with enrolments. Royalty is payable in a phased manner. Thus, franchisee is not placed under pressure.” ABC Montessori and Academy for the Brilliant Child, Georgia, USA, will provide all equipment, marketing and technical support as well as training to local teachers. The Rs 50-million GCS group has nearly a decade of experience in managing educational networks. There is network of a large number of schools spread out in the states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The group is providing modern PC hardware and software for imparting IT education to students up to class 10+2. It is an affiliate of Sikkim Manipal University and is the master franchisee for Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. It is also the Regional Learning and Facilitation Centre for Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, for Chandigarh and Ropar district. Sixteen learning centres of PTU have been set up in its jurisdiction. The group also has in its fold Bhupindra International Public School, Patiala, the first ISO-certified and IT school of the region. |
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Fixed hours for college lecturers? No way! The
administration has been working hard to tether college lecturers by fixed hours for a fixed number of days during academic sessions. The teaching profession is entirely different from other jobs. Rapid economic and social trans-formation has brought about a deterioration in the teacher-taught relationship, with teachers consumed by materialism and the taught by liberalisem. The old rapport between the two is missing and an impersonal relationship has replaced it. A new policy regarding college lecturers’ stay in the college has been implemented. Now college lectures are required to be present on the campus for at least five hours, which means seven periods. Hence a lecturer is supposed to spend three or four vacant periods — dozing off on a broken chair in the not-so-clean
staff-room; gossiping with friends of convenience in the college canteen over a cup of substandard and subsidised tea; sitting in the lawn with full-grown grass, discussing all subjects under the sun but for their own; women talking in twos and threes of bad relatives, mostly in-laws, or having happy moments discussing laundry, cookery and teleserials; brooding over an old edition of a dusty book or outdated magazine, wary of spiders and cockroaches in the library; or waiting for the hands of the clock to touch the desired hours. Reasons may be any, but our institutions have failed to provide a conducive atmosphere for serious intellectual labour. This is an exercise which cannot be taken in public. One needs a secluded cosy corner to be alone with oneself. Every lecturer has to prepare for the next day’s lecture. His or her study hours at home are part of duty. This explanation may not please many, who often criticise college lecturers for their handsome pay package and less working hours. According to them, the early departure of teachers from the college is harmful for students as they may require their guidance any time during college hours. For this students have been fixing time with teachers if they have any individual problem and no teacher ever says no to them. Some teachers may have been guilty of staying away from classes on many pretexts. For this, strict rules are required. Teachers can be assigned proctorial duties for certain periods during a week. The main grudge is against summer vacations. Teachers work on Saturdays while other offices are closed. Most college teachers are put on evaluation duty during summer vacations. Sitting idle for a number of hours exhausts a teacher. Mental fatigue is a deterrent for their intellectual development and spirit of teaching. College teachers also develop a routine of sitting with like-minded friends of convenience and as a consequence, branded as a group, gradually these groups start enjoying rival-group-bashing. Things worsen when teachers involve themselves in petty politics. The more idle hours teachers have, the more nonchalant their attitude towards teaching grows. There are many yardsticks with which a teacher’s performance can be evaluated and judged. Let the authorities review their decision lest they kill the spirit to keep the body alive. |
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Institute to hone skills of techno-managers Post-economic liberalisation, there has been continuous technical change in the construction sector. The scope of development has enlarged to include complex projects involving roads, ports, dams, irrigation, power plants, oil & gas, and civic infrastructure. A large number of engineers / architects, both degree and diploma holders are engaged in the mammoth task. They work with various project authorities, contracting firms, consultancy houses, manufacturing and service enterprises, financing agencies. Many others are engaged in work related to management of designs, cost estimates, quality, safety, and ecology. Construction engineers and managers need to be proficient in the state of art techniques of engineering, technology and management. This has laid considerable emphasis on learning in a short span of time. Therefore, capacity building efforts involving specialised graduate or postgraduate-level education and training programmes are required to prepare professionally educated techno-managers. The National Institute of Construction Management and Research (NICMAR) was set up to fulfil this need of the construction industry The NICMAR has both full-time as well as part-time faculty. It is administered and operated as a university system with campuses at Pune, Delhi and Hyderabad and study centres at Mumbai, Bangalore, Kathmandu and Dubai. The main campus is located at Pune. The NICMAR’s Construction Industry Staff College (CISC) is located in the National Academy of Construction, Hyderabad. In pursuance of its strategy to evolve as a university of management education, the NICMAR has now set up the NICMAR School of Management. The school is located at the Pune campus. The school has launched its first full-time postgraduate programme named postgraduate Diploma in Management. The first batch will be admitted in the academic year beginning July, 2004. FULL-TIME ON-CAMPUS PROGRAMMES Postgraduate programmes Postgraduate diploma in advanced construction management:
The flagship programme of the NICMAR is the PG diploma in advanced construction management (PGD-ACM). The programme boasts a 100% placement record. It is offered through its Pune and Hyderabad campuses. Postgraduate diploma in management (PGDM):
The two-year postgraduate diploma in management (PGDM) is the new programme launched by the NICMAR — School of Management from the new academic year. Graduate Programmes:
The following are the three graduate diploma programmes. i. One-year graduate diploma construction management & infrastructure development (GD-CMID). ii. One-year graduate diploma in construction safety management at Delhi & Hyderabad. iii. One-year graduate diploma in quantity surveying at Hyderabad. DISTANCE LEARNING The distance learning courses are delivered in both print and electronic media and are offered by the Centre of Distance Education (CODE), Pune. The Distance Learning Programmes of the NICMAR are especially designed to suit the convenience of engineers and other personnel working on construction and infrastructure development projects. CODE offers a total of 18 courses which include a postgraduate diploma of 2-years duration, 8 graduate diploma courses of one-year duration, 6 graduate certificate courses by correspondence, 3 Internet-enabled graduate diploma programmes and 3 Internet-enabled graduate certificate programmes. The institute is very much like a “one stop shop” for meeting various professional education and training needs of the construction industry. The institute is now embarking on new initiatives to propel the institute towards emergence as a full-fledged University of Management Education. Towards achieving this objective, the institute has started the School of Management and launched the two-year, full-time postgraduate diploma in management from the current academic year.
— TNS |
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Management Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad offers through Distance Learning the following courses:- *3 years Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM) *2 years Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management (PGDMM) *2 years Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management (PGDHRM) *2 years Post Graduate Diploma in Supply Chain Management (PGDSCM) *Eligibility: Graduate in any stream. No entrance test for Defence Personnels & Working Managers with 5 years of Working Experience. 1-year Specialised Diploma Courses in Business Administration (*Marketing Management) *Export Management (*Personnel Management) *Financial Management (*Materials Management) *Eligibility: 10+2 with 5 years working experience or graduate in any discipline. Student appearing in final year may also apply. For Distance Learning Programmes, prospectus and application forms can be obtained on cash payment of Rs. 700.00 from I.M.T. Study Centre, BXX-3050 Gurdev Nagar, Ludhiana-141001. Phone 0161-2421520, 9814153399. Last date of submission of forms: March 31, 2004 and with late fee: April 15, 2004. University Mar 31 Singapore-MIT Alliance E4-04-10, 4, Engineering Drive 3, Singapore 117576 www.smu.edu.sg Degree Programmes: Accountancy, Bus Mgt, Sc (Eco/ Info Sys Mgt), Soc Sc. Elig: .Cl 12. / IB Dip/ GCE A- Levels/ SAT I: Reasoning Test. Details: Website. Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002 (U.P) A) Test Courses: B) Deptt Test Courses: C) Non-Test Courses D) MPhil/PhD: Appln F: Send (For A, B, Class XI, Dip in Engg & Non-Test Course): Rs 50/-; (For MBBS & BDS, BTech, BArch, BE (Evening), MPhil/ PhD): Rs 100/- by DD fvg “Finance Officer, AMU, Aligarh” payable at SBI, AMU Branch (code: 5555), Aligarh with Stamped (Rs 70/-) self-add env (29 cm x 23 cm) to the Asst Controller (Admissions) at above add. May 31 Banasthali Vidyapith, PO Banasthali Vidyapith Rajasthan 304022 www.banasthali.org Various Courses (UG & PG) in the Depts of: Humanities & Social Sciences/ Bio- Technology & Life Sciences/ Fine Arts/ Mgt /Mathematics & Applied Computer Tech./Home Science/Interdiscipinary. Details: Website. Feb 27 Madurai Kamaraj University, Directorate of Distance Education, Palkalainagar, Madurai 625021 (TN) www.mkuniversity.org IT/Professional/UG/PG/MPhil/OUS/PG Dip /Dip /Cert Courses Details: Website. May 10 Andhra University, School of Distance Education, Visakhapatnam 530003. Common Entrance Exam (For BA/ BCom) Age: 18 yrs (as on 1 Jul) Exam: 13 Jun. Appln F: Send Rs 80/- by DD fvg “Director, School of Distance Education, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam”, with self-add env (9” x 6”) to above add. Maths & Stats Apr 30 Chennai Mathematical Institute, 92, GN Chetty Rd, T. Nagar, Chennai 600017 www.cmi.ac.in 1) BSc (Maths & Comp Sc) (3 yr, intgrtd) 2) BSc (Phy, 3 yr) 3) MSc (Maths) 4) MSc (Comp Sc) 5) PhD (Maths) 6) PhD (Comp Sc) (BSc & MSc deg awarded by MP Bhoj Open Univ, PhD awarded by Univ of Madras & BITS, Pilani) Elig: For (1) & (2): 10+2. For (3): BSc (Maths)/ BMath/ BStat/ BTech. For (4): BE/ BTech/ BSc (Comp Sc) or BSc (Maths) with background in Comp Sc. For (5): BE/ BTech/ BSc/ MSc (Maths). For (6): BE/ BTech/ MSc (Comp Sc)/ MCA. Selectn: Entrance Exam (31 May at 10 centres incldg Del & Ch’grh). Appln F: Send Rs 250/- by DD fvg “Chennai Mathematical Institute” payable at Chennai. (write name, add & course) at above add by 12 Apr. Details: Website. Apr 18 National Board for Higher Mathematics, D/o Atomic Energy, 2nd Fl, OYC Bldg, CSM Marg, Mumbai 400001 Research Awards (for PhD) in Maths Elig: Master’s degree (Maths/ Stats/ Phys;65%). Age: Below 25 yrs (on 1 Jan). Selectn: Written Test (at 16 centres incldg Ch’garh & Del), Interview Appln F: Send in prescribed format to Dr DC Khandekar, Secretary, at above add. Details: Employment News (6-12 Mar). Recruitment Mar 20 West Central Railway Sports Association, JDA Buiding, Civic Centre, Jabalpur (MP) Sports Persons in Gr ‘C’ & ‘D’ Elig: For Grp ‘C’: Cl 10. For Grp ‘D’: Cl 8. Age: 18-25 yrs (as on 30 Sep). Selectn: Trial & Interview. Details: Employment News (6-12 Mar). Scholarships Mar 31 National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (Council of Sc & Indl Res), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440020 (Mah) CSIR Diamond Jubilee Research Interns Awards (15) Elig: BE/ BTech (Biochem/Chem/Environ/ Comp Sc/ Civil or MSc: Org / Appld / Phy / Analytical Chem/ Env Sc / Phy / Mol Bio /Microbio / Biochem / Biotech; I-Div). Age: 25 yrs (as on Mar 31) Details: Employment News (Mar 6-12)/ Website. Mar 15 M/o HRD, (D/o Secondary Education & Higher Education) ES. 5 Section), A-1/W-3, Curzon Rd, Barracks, Kasturba Gandhi Rd, New Delhi 110001 Greek Govt. Scholarships (For PG or Research) (i) Maths (ii) Pol Philo/ Pol Thought Elig: For PG: Bachelor’s deg in rel subj (60%) For Research: Master’s deg in rel subj (60%, fluent in Greek/ Eng/ Fr) Age: Below 40 Appln F: Employment News (6-12
Mar). Pervin Malhotra, Director, CARING (www.careerguidanceindia.com), New Delhi Email: pervin-trib@.careerguidanceindia.com Details: www.careerguidanceindia.com |
