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| EDUCATION TRIBUNE |
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CCE falters in classes with large number of students
Funding cuts ‘threaten Oxford’s global prestige‘ |
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CCE falters in classes with large number of students
EVEN as the Union Government has made the right to education a fundamental right by bringing about the 86th Constitution Amendment, thus making education compulsory for the children in the age group of 6-14 years, the move to promote all students till Class VIII in furtherance of compulsory education appears to have spell doom for school education in Himachal Pradesh. The unmindful move of abolishing board examinations for Class VIII has created a situation, where even the weaker students are promoted. Thus, when they appear for the only board examination in Class X, it results in a large number of students failing, so much so that schools are witnessing a dismal pass percentage of 0 to 10. Since the failures are compelled to repeat, they significantly perk up the class strength to more as much as 60 to 70, with both new and old students sitting in a single classroom. While this situation has been noticed in several government schools in the state, this has made a mess of the ideal student-teacher ratio of 40:1. Now, a teacher has to cope with the strength of 60 to 70 students in a classroom of limited dimension. Under such circumstances, a teacher not only fails to do justice to teaching but also fails to give special attention to weaker students. Though the Directorate of Elementary Education has sought explanations from the teachers whose results have been lower than 50 per cent, virtually nothing has been done to improve the situation, which is going from bad to worse. It would not be surprising if the results proved to be even worse next year when a teacher would be accountable for poor results in a class strength of even higher number and dominated by weaker students. A teacher while terming the situation as deplorable says, “No one has bothered to understand this grim situation and we are trying to spare extra time by skipping the assembly and putting in extra hours for teaching. This has also failed to yield much, as we can’t segregate the weaker students and accord extra attention to them in a class of 60 to 70 students.” Though as per the continuous comprehensive evaluation (CCE), a child has to be assessed for even minute habits like means used to solve mathematical questions, learning habits, etc., a teacher fails to take note of any of these in a large class. Even for routine class tests, evaluation of copies becomes a difficult task for teachers. Overcrowded classes are considered inimical to the interests of students, as a diverse field of students with varying degrees of learning ability fail to assimilate information in a uniform manner. Consequently, lesser time will be spent in academic pursuits and following the curriculum. Surveys prove that a lower student-teacher ratio is better for teaching complex subjects like physics, chemistry and mathematics. According to a report on the education sector in India, various policy level initiatives need to be taken to ensure quality education, including training and hiring more teachers and rationalising their deployment, so that the supply matches the demand. While the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) lays down the need to initiate programmes to improve the internal efficiency and quality of secondary education, but this purpose seems to have been defeated. Since the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for secondary education has declined to 52 per cent and at the senior secondary level to 28 per cent, there is an urgent need to encourage enrolment of students. Since the number of secondary schools is almost half the number of upper primary school, this necessitates the need to take measures to promote secondary education. It is interesting to note that though the various teacher unions have been voicing their concern against other issues affecting them like direct appointment of headmasters, explanation of teachers by education directorates in cases where the teachers show less than 50 per cent results, but none has taken up the issue of suggesting reforms for dealing with the skewed teacher-student ratio. |
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Funding cuts ‘threaten Oxford’s global prestige‘ Too many talented graduates were being lured away by better financial support abroad for research jobs, Andrew Hamilton said in his annual speech to the university. In addition, visa restrictions were threatening “the academic health of the university”. All leading UK universities faced a similar threat. “If disadvantage is not addressed, the UK higher education sector will increasingly lose out to its international competitors in the recruitment of the best students and academics,” Professor Hamilton said. The funding gap was “the single biggest reason why those to whom we make offers turn us down”. US universities were able to offer a five-year financial package to overseas graduates. At Oxford, just over half of graduates received full scholarships for post-graduate study. The Higher Education Funding Council for England in July axed its research students’ awards scheme, which had provided £1.5m to support overseas graduates at Oxford. Visa restrictions putting new limits on the number of international academics that could be recruited also posed serious risks to the standing of universities — both in terms of scholarship and economics, he said. “When other governments are ramping up investment in higher education, particularly for research, treading water will not be enough,” Professor Hamilton said. — The Independent |
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CAMPUS
NOTES
CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar HARYANA Agricultural University has made a major breakthrough in the field of genetically modified (GM) plants. The university has developed Bt Pigeonpea (arhar) plants in the laboratory, which are resistant to pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) insect known to damage different crops. This is the second genetically modified crop variety developed by the university. Earlier, it had developed Bt Chickpea (gram) plants resistant against the same insect. The genetically modified Pigeonpea plants carry "Bt Cry 1 Ac" gene that has been successfully transferred to an early maturing Pigeonpea variety "Manak". Pulses are genetically low yielding and less responsive to inputs, but prone to attacks by pests and diseases. In this scenario, hybrids and genetically modified pulse crops like Bt Pigeonpea are the only way to increase the production of pulses. The Director of Research, Dr R. P. Narwal, said the university had filed a patent for this technique.
Blood donation camp held
To mark the National Blood Donation Day, a blood donation camp was organised at Haryana Agricultural University recently. Students, teachers and non-teaching staff of HAU and Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences donated 400 units of blood. The camp was organised by the Directorate of Students' Welfare in collaboration with the Rotary Hisar Club, State Bank of India, District Red Cross Society and Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immune Haematology. The Registrar, Dr S. S. Dahiya, who inaugurated the blood donation camp, applauded the students who had turned up in large numbers to voluntarily donate blood. He said blood donation was a noble deed and every healthy person should donate blood.
Farm Darshan Mela held
A two-day Farm Darshan Mela was organised by Haryana Agricultural University. Over 30,000 farmers from Haryana and adjoining states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh visited the mela and acquainted themselves of the latest techniques of farming. They also purchased improved seeds of crops and vegetables. According to the Director of Extension Education and Convener of the mela, Dr J. S. Dhankhar, the farmers purchased certified seeds of various rabi crops like wheat, gram, sarson and vegetables as well as fruit saplings worth Rs 52 lakh during the mela. Farm literature worth Rs 50,000 was also sold. A seed sale counter was set up at the mela venue by the university in collaboration with various government seed agencies, including the Haryana Seed Development Corporation, National Seed Corporation, Central State Farm and KRIBHCO, for the convenience of the farmers. Dr Dhankhar said the farmers who visited the mela were taken on guided visits to the research farm of the university and shown bumper crops. They were also given demonstrations of the technology applied by the university scientists in raising these crops. Besides, they were also apprised of the technologies for the conservation of natural resources like soil and water in agriculture.
Student bags fellowship
Niharika Chauhan, a student of Haryana Agricultural University, has been selected for the Junior Research Fellowship of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). She is pursuing her M.Sc. programme in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the College of Basic Sciences and Humanities of the university. Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary
and Animal Sciences, Hisar The Regional Research Centre on Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) of Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences has been adjudged the best in the country. Dr S. M. Chahal, Director of Research, said two scientists of the project, Dr R. Sharma and Dr N. K. Kakker, recently attended the Annual Scientists' Meet of the FMD Project at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and gave a presentation. On the basis of their performance, comprehension, presentation and other criteria, the centre was awarded the first prize for the "Best Regional Centre of FMD during 2010-11". The Regional Research Centre on FMD, Hisar, was established in 1971. — Contributed by Raman Mohan |
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OXFORD University’s reputation as a world leader in higher education is being threatened by funding cuts and restrictions on international students, its Vice Chancellor Andrew Hamilton has warned.