 |
|
| EDUCATION TRIBUNE |
|
De-stressing exams
Aptech plans expansion overseas
Campus NoteS |
|
|
De-stressing exams Exams are a necessary evil, necessary because we need some certification to check the knowledge gained by the students during the academic year and evil, because it puts stress on them to show in a short span of three hours their intelligence, creativity, writing skills and all that they had learnt during the year. There seems to be a serious concern about de-stressing examinations at the secondary and senior secondary levels. While the list of suggestions for de-stressing is endless, some of the suggestions are indeed worth discussing. The level of the examination questions should be strictly according to the age and aptitude of the students and not according to that of the teachers. While the students are supposed to be taught from the books prescribed by the School Education Boards (SEBs) or the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT), the majority of the teachers, mostly from private schools, rely on guidebooks and notes. This helps them improve their results and the school managements are also happy with the ever-increasing number of students, who are ever ready to shell out more money to get “quality” education. Asking the paper-setters to limit the scope of the questions to the prescribed books can check this effectively. The NCERT should stop the private publishers from publishing the readymade keys to the exercises of their books. The semester system of examinations can help us lay more emphasis on internal assessment based on specified parameters observed throughout the year. The open book system of examinations, which was appreciated even by the President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, should be given a try. It has been seen that only those students are able to answer the questions from the books who have studied thoroughly. The present system of pre-announcing the dates for the conduct of examinations should also be done away with. This can be easily implemented with remarkable results. What needs to be done is that the question papers should be sent down to the examination centres like always, but the examination to be held on any specific day should be announced on that day itself. The state co-ordination agency can call the district offices, which in turn can call the superintendents to distribute any specific set of question paper that day. In this system, a student should be told at the time of his or her admission to expect examinations any time at the end of the semester for which no date-sheet would be given. Changing the present practice of printing five sets of question papers for each test, only three should be published, but in the same quantity as are printed at present. Aware at the start of the session itself that there would be no date sheet and examinations could come anytime, the students would start preparing early and thoroughly. A thorough preparation would automatically cut the examination stress. Additionally, this would completely eliminate copying because the students (and not even their teachers) would know which examination to expect. The formula would also cut chances of the paper getting leaked and the factor of unscrupulous elements. The loopholes in marking and evaluation can also be plugged, if we look at stopping bulk marking by teachers who have fixed targets in terms of money to be made from this act. It is not a secret that some teachers who are not qualified to evaluate the answer sheets do the same. The evaluator should be asked to attach a note on the educational qualification of the examiner with every copy and return the marked copy to the students after the results are out. This would put pressure on teachers to evaluate the answer sheets properly. The marking system should be changed to gradation system, which is more rational and scientific. The gradation system for the tests of English for immigration can show us the direction. The percentile system of ranking the students amongst the peer group is another good idea that needs to be explored. If some money is spent on the orientation of the rural students, to make them interact with their peers in the cities and the advanced public schools they could be motivated to improve their test scores. Their should be additional weightage to questions from practical studies, field trips and actual work experience. Doing away with any examination at secondary or senior secondary level would be in the interest of neither the students nor the teachers. |
||
|
Aptech plans expansion overseas
Aptech, the IT education company, plans to increase its overseas presence. The company, which opened its office in Mexico recently, is now looking to have footprints in CIS countries as well. “Aptech is spread internationally over 50 countries. Out of this, we have more than 200 centres in China, where we enjoy 20 per cent market share. A few of the geographies we are planning to expand into are Africa, West Asia, Latin America & the CIS countries,” Mr Pramod Khera, CEO and MD, Aptech, told The Tribune. Talking on business strategies as applicable to India, Mr Khera said few of the new areas the company had ventured into were content development, testing services, manpower sourcing for the IT services industry and training solutions for the BPO industry. “We would concentrate on strengthening these business lines,” he added. The company, which is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange, India, also approved foreign institutional investor (FII) investment limit to 74 per cent from 22 per cent. We raised the FII limit to 74 per cent at the EGM as there is a significant interest amongst FIIs in Aptech. This would help them invest in stock,” Mr Khera said. Taking about the offshore content development and e-learning sectors in which Aptech had recently forayed into, Mr Khera said they were focusing on verticals like publishing and academic institutes, banking and financial services, engineering and equipment to take an unassailable lead in the “For the last two years, our content services have grown at over 100 per cent, albeit from a low base. This year, too, we are looking at achieving a growth of 100 per cent in this business,” he said. |
||
|
Campus NoteS Two-day Eco-Fest (Freedom 2006) organised by PSE Economics Association of Punjab School of Economics of Guru Nanak Dev University and sponsored by BSNL and BCES Admissions Abroad concluded here, followed by the prize distribution function. Dr R. S. Bawa, Registrar, gave away prizes to the winners of paper presentation, quiz, poster making and slogan competitions in which 20 teams from various universities and colleges participated. Mr Harminder Singh and Navneet Bhatia of Panjab School of Economics, GNDU, stood first in the quiz competition, while in the poster competition, Pawanpreet Kaur of the SSSS College of Commerce for Women bagged the first prize. In paper presentation, Anuj Verma of University Business School, Panjab University, Chandigarh, received the first prize. Rupinder Kaur of Khalsa College of Education, Amritsar, stood.
HPU, Shimla
Focus on tourism:
As per the study conducted under the principal investigator, Prof Kulwant Singh Rana, the impact of industrialisation is confined to the border areas, basically the district of Solan. Almost three-fourth of the total industry in the state is concentrated in the Solan district. Tourism is the only industry whose impact has been noticed uniformly all over the state and even the remote and inaccessible areas have benefited. In spite of all this, a vast potential of tourism in the hill state is yet to be explored. The study points out that in the present form of industrialization, there is complete absence of backward and forward linkages and a survey should be done on the potential industries based on local raw material. This must include the places that have the advantage of location and where the raw material is available locally. Contributed
by Pawan Kumar and Pratibha Chauhan |
| HOME PAGE |
ADMISSION DEADLINE
Armed Force Air Force Sports Control Board, C/O 412 Air Force
Station, New Delhi 110003 Outstanding Sportsmen in Group ‘Y’ Trades Eligibility: Unmarried
Indian males, Matric pass, must have represented the country in Junior
International meet(s) / attained 5th place in Junior National
Championship or Inter University Championship in individual sports
events / represented state in team events in Junior National
Championship or Inter University Championship or National School
Tournaments conducted by School Games Federation of India Selection: Trials,
Physical Fitness Test, Interview and Medical Exam. Application
Form: Send application on A-4 size paper in prescribed format
with attested documents, 3 passport size color photographs and an
unstamped self-addressed white envelope (24 cm x 10 cm) by ordinary post
only to the Secretary at above address. Superscribe "OUTSTANDING
SPORTSMEN IN GROUP ‘Y’ TRADES GAMES APPLIED FOR `85`85`85" on
the envelope. Details: Employment News (4 - 10
February 2006) Application Deadline: 25 February 2006 Physically
Handicapped Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology,
Longowal, District Sangrur 148106 (Punjab) Person with Disabilities Scheme (MHRD,
GoI) Eligibility:
Orthopaedically Handicapped persons with 40% or more disability Selection: Test: 09
July 2006. Application
Form: Send request for application with a stamped self-addressed
envelope to the office of the Project Coordinator, PWD Scheme, EDP Block
(Library Building) at the above address. Details:
Contact Project Coordinator, PWD Scheme at the above address. Application
deadline: 30 May 2006 Engineering Sant Longowal Institute
of Engineering & Technology, Longowal, District Sangrur 148106 (Punj) Modular Courses in Engineering & Technology Eligibility: For 1: Class
10 (Science, Maths, English). Selection: SLIET Entrance
Test: 10-11 June 2006. Application Form: Send Rs 350 by
DD favouring "Director, SLIET" payable at Longowal / Sangrur
to the above address. Details: Website. Application
Deadline: 02 May 2006 IT Directorate of Technical
Education - Maharashtra State, 3, Mahapalika Marg, Post Box No 1967,
Mumbai 400001 (Mah) MAH-MCA Common Entrance Test – 2006 Eligibility: Bachelor’s
degree (45%) with Maths or Statistics as one of the subjects at 10+2 or
higher level exam Test: MAH-MCA CET 2006: 05 March 2006 Selection:
CET, GD and Interview Application Form: Available at
authorized Application Form Receipt Centers (ARC’s): Rs 750 in the
form of DD / Pay Order of any Nationalized / Scheduled / Commercial bank
favouring "Director of Technical Education, Mumbai", payable
at Mumbai. Or apply online. Maharashtra candidates must confirm
submission of On-line application form at any of the ARC’s. Details:
Website. Application Deadline: 12 February
2006 Management Times School of Marketing, 10, Daryaganj, New
Delhi 110002 PG Diploma in Marketing Management (1-year,
Full-Time) Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree (50%). Selection:
Written Test: 02 April 2006, GD and Interview. Application Form:
Send Rs 750/- by DD favouring "The Times School of Marketing",
payable at New Delhi with stamped (Rs 37) self-addressed envelope (25 cm
x 30 cm) to above address by 04 March 2006 or apply online. Forms
also available at: Chandigarh (Ph: 2544146-148). Application
Deadline: 18 March 2006 Medicine All India Institute of
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Haji Ali Park, K Khadye Marg,
Mahalaxmi, Mumbai 400034 (Mah) DNB Courses in Physical Medicine &
Rehabilitation Course (3-year) Eligibility: MBBS with either
NBE Primary Pass or NBE-CET Pass Selection: Interview: 27
February 2006. Application Form: Send application with
bio-data and relevant documents to the above address. Application
Deadline: 25 February 2006 IAS & Allied Services
Training Centre, Punjabi University, Patiala (Punj) Coaching for PMT & CET - 2006 Eligibility: 10+2
(50%). Selection: Interview / Test: 20 February
2006 (For PMT) / 21 February 2006 (For CET) Application:
Submit on plain paper (Proforma type) with three passport size
photographs and attested copies of testimonials to the Director at above
address Application Deadline: 17 February 2006 Manipal
Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104 (Kar) (Deemed
University) MD / MS / PG Medical Diploma /
MDS: Selection: Online Entrance Test: 27 March 2006 and 10
April 2006 Application Form: Send request letter
mentioning course name, postal address (mentioning Pin code, Telephone
No, E-mail id) and Rs 350 by DD favouring "MAHE" payable at
Manipal / Udupi / Bangalore to the Deputy Registrar, Admissions Office
at the above address or apply online. Details: Website. Application
Deadline: 28 February 2006 Maharshi Dayanand University, Pt
B D Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Science, Rohtak (Har) MD /
MS / MDS Courses: Eligibility: MBBS
/ BDS, Harayana domicile Selection: Entrance Exam: 12
March 2006. Application Form: Send request letter
(indicating "Prospectus for MD / MS / PG Diploma Courses")
with Rs. 800/- by DD favouring "Finance Officer, MD University,
Rohtak", payable at SBI, M D University Rohtak to the above
address. Details: Prospectus. Application
Deadline: 28 February 2006 Scholarship Narotam Sekhsaria
Foundation, 46, Maker Chambers III, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021 (Mah) Narotam Sekhsaria Scholarship Programme Eligibility:
Students with excellent academics and ECA background wanting to continue
post-graduate studies at prestigious institutes in India and abroad.
Age limit: 30 years. Application Form: Available at
the office of the Trust: Rs 300 (cash) / Rs 330 (by cash/Demand Draft /
Money Order) for outstation applicants. Details: Website Application
Deadline: 21 February 2006
|
