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Now, Olympiad for Class I Meditation can help school students beat stress
Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak
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Now, Olympiad for Class I DOES a five-year-old kid understand what the Olympiad is? Can he even spell the word ‘Olympiad’? Believe it or not, but students of Class I from across the country, including from the schools of the tricity, will be getting a taste of competitive test-like, pressure cooker-type environment, when they appear for the Science Olympiad, Maths Olympiad and English Olympiad.
An otherwise reputed private organisation, Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF), which has been conducting Olympiad tests from Classes II to XII for 13 years now, has announced these similar exams for Class I from this year. Many parents believe that holding these Olympiads for junior classes runs contrary to the purpose and tenets of the continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) system introduced by Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal. The whole idea behind the CCE is to reduce stress among students and focus on evaluation based on a series of curricular and extra-curricular activities along with academics. Apprehensive of the fact that their wards may miss the “rat race bus”, many parents have enrolled their children for these exams, even though their doubts about these tests remain. “Though I am helping my Class I child prepare for the exams, I am not taking them as if these are IIT-JEE or CAT. Exposing a young child to too much stress can cause burnout. To help their child excel in Olympiad, some parents resort to decreasing time spent in playing and other leisure activities. This can have negative impact on children’s social, emotional, and academic well-being.” opines Aakriti Aggrawal, a mother and a software engineer. Even some teachers are critical of these tests. Only students from Class VI onwards should be allowed to participate in these tests. Otherwise, students become fixated on ranks attained at school, city, state and national level, which can ultimately lead to them, confronting an ugly reality of “I-am-not-intelligent-enough-for-this-world” at a tender age. This can add to feelings of negativity directed at school and learning in general, says a teacher. Though the syllabus of the Science Olympiad is the science and mathematics syllabi as is prescribed by the CBSE, ICSE or various state boards, the workbook recommended by the SOF for the purpose of preparation goes well beyond the curriculum. A case in point is the inclusion of a section on concept of annual and biennial plants for Class I, which is difficult for a young child to grasp. “Life is not a multiple-choice test, and never will be. Can preparing for the Olympiad exam enhance my child’s creativity, curiosity, imagination or good judgement?” asks Anju Rawat, who feels very strongly about the issue and has not allowed her daughter Aisha to participate in the exams. How the subject is tested often becomes a model for how to teach the subject, often to the detriment of overall learning process, she opines. On the other hand, these exams find many vocal supporters. “Competition is a reality of today’s world. The Olympiad gives children a unique platform for performing their skills and hence making them comfortable with the world of competitive exams,” says Reema Dewan, Principal, Delhi Public School (DPS), Sector 40, Chandigarh. She further adds, “Students of Classes III-X are being specially coached for the various Olympiad exams by a team of teachers thrice a week. The key to student success is balance. Integration of the test preparation with the school curriculum helps in strengthening the continuous and comprehensive evaluation, as we have found a way to help students succeed without causing them too much stress.” On the issue of suitability of such tests for young children, a teacher of DPS, Chandigarh, elaborates, “All of us, even little children, need a little push to study and do our best. Children of our school are very enthusiastic and eager to learn new concepts, using different study techniques. This triggers the problem-solving ability and critical thinking. “Apart from improving mental ability, logical and analytical reasoning, Olympiads play a key role in developing scientific aptitude. There is no harm in fostering these skills early, as all knowledge is cumulative. These tests motivate students to really learn the material rather than just memorise for school tests the night before, as the questions are based both on knowledge as well as application.” Comparison with students at a national level is not bad, she says, as these results are free from the biases local teachers. The SOF provides comprehensive results which highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the participant in each skill area. The Olympiad also allows parents and teachers to identify students who have a special gift in some area of study, she adds According to Rajan Marwaha, Director Corporate at the SOF, Approximately 14,000 schools participate in Olympiads every year with the number of students running into millions. He wonders what the hue and cry is all about, as these tests are not mandatory. Secondly, the SOF started this after huge feedback from schools. The final verdict: If everybody is appearing for Olympiads, it must be alright, but then it’s your choice whether you want your child’s growth as a student to be reduced merely to a multiple-choice test.
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Meditation can help school students beat stress
Washington: Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique can significantly decrease psychological distress in public school students, according to a new study. The finding suggests a simple stress-reducing meditation technique could be a viable solution to increasing stress among students. The study, conducted with at-risk minority secondary school students, showed a 36 per cent reduction in overall psychological distress. Significant decreases were also found in trait anxiety and depressive symptoms. A total of 106 secondary school students took part in the study. Results showed that over a four-month period, students practising Transcendental Meditation as part of their schools’ Quiet Time programme exhibited significant reductions in psychological distress factors compared to controls. “It is vital that we start addressing the high levels of emotional stress being reported by high school and college students. Decreased stress can have a positive impact on mental health, and can also reduce the risk for hypertension, obesity, and diabetes-major risk factors for heart disease,” said Dr Charles Elder, MD, lead author of the TM study, and investigator at Kaiser Permanente Centre for Health Research Educational Research. He has also linked student stress to negative school behaviour and poor academic performance. “These new findings on reduced stress, along with the recent research on academic achievement gains, hold tremendous promise for public education,” said Sanford Nidich, EdD, principal investigator, and Professor of education at Maharishi University of Management. “There is a growing body of evidence showing Transcendental Meditation to be an easy to implement, value-added educational program that promotes emotional health and increases academic achievement in at-risk students,” added Dr Nidich. The study has been published in the Journal of Instructional Psychology. — ANI
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Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak STRESSING on the all-round development of infrastructure, industry stalwarts joined the IIM-Rohtak in the celebration of the institute's third foundation day recently. The chief guest, Arunabh Das Sharma, Executive President, Bennett Coleman Limited, claimed that leadership was not only about numbers such as GDP and per capita income but also about softer measures such as becoming a net donor of aid, adapting a strategic or tactical foreign policy and sustaining an inclusive growth. Sharma said there was a dramatic possibility of growth in India, which could be achieved by developing good infrastructure, investing in agriculture and fostering the existing talent pool. He remarked that MBA graduates from IIMs head most companies in India, but urged that the IIMs must upgrade their programmes by considering the emerging skill-set requirements of the industry. While the inaugural address was followed by a debate between the first-year and second-year students on the topic, "Free Market or Controlled Economy— the Way Forward", Ajay Srinivasan, Chief Executive, Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group, threw light on the role of innovation, better governance and vocational training in propelling India's growth. S. P. Gathoo, Director (Human Resources), BPCL, said India could build its brand as a spiritual and soft power and regain leadership through frugal innovation. Dr D. Subrahmanyam, Executive Director, HUDCO, discussed sustainable development and the path ahead for our country to fulfil its potential. A panel discussion on the topic "Mission India," which was moderated by Dr Subrahmanyam, brought forth many valuable ideas. The Social Development Programme at the IIM, Rohtak, received a special mention for its association with NGOs in Haryana, Uttaranchal and Delhi NCR. Candle march against corruption The students of the IIM-Rohtak held a candle march recently to express their solidarity and pledge integrity on the issue of crusade against corruption. The candle march was organised to mark the sixth death anniversary of Manjunath Shanmugam, an IIM alumnus who was murdered on November 19, 2005, at Lakhimpur Khiri, UP, for "resisting corruption and oil adulteration". He had joined IOC as a sales manager in 2002 and led the company's sales operations in the most ethical manner. He was shot dead because he had refused to take bribes and ignored threats from a petrol pump owner and his henchmen, it is claimed. The candle march, organised by the Manjunath Trust, was spread across various IIMs and other premier B-schools. This march is held every year to infuse a sense of responsibility and integrity amongst the budding managers and leaders of the nation. Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences of MDU is organising a National Pharmacy Week with a slew of programmes. Professor Arun Nanda, Head, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, said the department would organise a parent-teacher meet, blood donation camp, career talk(s) on "Pharmacy as a Career", and a pharmacy meet during the week. Prof Nanda said efforts would be made to popularise the subject amongst school students and crystallise the opinion about the discipline of pharmaceutical sciences. Science conclave from Dec 2 The university will host a science conclave from December 2 to December 3 under the aegis of the Science and Technology Department of Haryana. The conclave will be inaugurated by Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India, on December 2. Professor S.P. Khatkar, Director, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, MDU, and convener of the science conclave, said Dr Kalam would deliver the inaugural lecture and interact with students. Four technical sessions and a science exhibition will be held during the conclave, which is being organised to popularise science subjects amongst school students, he added. — Contributed by Bijendra Ahlawat
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Deadline Column 328Agriculture
Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana.
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