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Redefine
school governance Campus
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Boarding blues Goffman, the American sociologist has listed boarding schools as total institutions, where all aspects of the ‘inmate’s’ life are conducted at the same place and under the same authority. Activities of the day are tightly scheduled. The recruit comes with a ‘self’ and has to make adjustments while the self undergoes major changes. Boarding schools with their institutionalisational aspects are seen as places detrimental to the emotional development of children. Children as young as four years of age are sent straight from the mother’s lap to the strict environs of an institution, which is supposed to make a man or a woman out of the student. Institutions still follow the old routine which has not changed over the centuries, because the institution is bound by traditions. These institutions are meant to churn out a hardy generation in a world where the emotional quotient is being tested all the time. However, once admitted to the hostel, self-aspect of the personality is lost. The child has to fend for himself. The rookie has to withstand bullying and learns about Darwin’s survival of the fittest at too early an age. Pushpinder Singh, who spent 11 years in the elite Bishop Cotton School, says: “I was sent to the boarding school at the age of four and a half. My parents just handed me over to the matron. I remember sleeping in a bed where my toes were never warm and I was always hungry. I felt like Oliver Twist, lost and an orphan. The strict regimen included compulsory boxing for all above 10 years of age. No one talked about emotional deprivation at that time.” He vows never to send his daughter Rahat to a hostel. Hostel life makes an individual emotionally detached and at times bullying scars him for life. Too early institutionalisation can be detrimental for the child, because these are the formative years where the young brain needs the warmth of a family. When there is maternal deprivation at an early age, the personality does not bloom as it will within the safe environs of the home. The family is the first primary group a child is exposed to. When he is taken away and put in an institution, there is inadequate nurturing, cutting off of emotional needs and a feeling of abandonment. The excessive regimentation of the boarding school leads to customised responses which may hinder free thought. Studying in an expensive boarding school may be considered a privileged upbringing, but the student will be just another brick in the wall. The aura of confidence and profound stoicism is just a farce where deep down is still an unsure personality plucked away from the nurturer’s arms in the name of education. The emotional needs of the young learner have been cut off and he grows up as an emotional retard. Though acknowledging to being homesick, Jasreet Sandhu, who studied at Pinegrove School, disagrees with hostellers being emotionally deprived. She says: “My years at the boarding did not make me an emotional ninny, rather they taught me to do problem solving on my own. I stopped cribbing when everything was not served to me on a silver platter.” In today’s competitive world, where an emotionally sound personality is required early institutionalisation in the name of education is not the answer. A home environment with adequate nurturing is the need of the hour. |
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Redefine school governance SCHOOL education forms the foundation of whole of the edifice of education. Many new initiatives and challenges in the world of education like the Right to Education (RTE) Act, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan (RMSA), communication technology, increased rate of literacy, curriculum development and a host of other factors relating to psychic of the youth and teachers have added new dimensions to governance in education in our country, which needs to be addressed afresh in the context of arising complexities. Poor academic outcomes and depressing social behaviour among students hardly beg any explanation. Teacher absenteeism is common; supervision is slack; and work culture, especially in government schools, is at a low ebb. Teaching methodologies are sub-standard and unrelated to actual classroom and school situation. Administrative policies smack more of a patchwork rather than meeting vision. On the whole, school governance is in a shambles. Induction of more and more civil officers to educational administration on the plea that, perhaps, people from education are not good managers is an unfortunate development. Therefore, academic and administrative implications need to be considered before embarking upon such a drastic venture. The fact is that educationists and academicians are being made ineffective without any provision for an induction programme or purposeful in-service training. It necessitates, therefore, mend and reshape the paradigm of governance in school education, enabling it to form the solid base for proper growth of the youth in terms of academic, physical, emotional and spiritual outcomes. Digital media can be a valuable asset in governing schools. Although efforts have been made in this direction by making some schools and offices computer savvy, these are not only insufficient but also a bane rather than a boon in the present scenario. Effort should be made to strengthen governance so as to introduce the element of accountability at all levels of administration. This will help facilitate the implementation of the RTE Act and strengthen local self-government. Also, there should be a pyramid-type of administration, so that more authority and control is decentralised. There is a need to form a state-level body, such as State Advisory Board of Education, which would help make the administration accountable. Proper monitoring, follow-up and evaluation should form an integral part of this new paradigm. Induction programmes before appointment to any administrative post should be strictly adhered to. There should also be a provision for intensive in-service training programmes at regular intervals. Communication skills, team-building administration, school organisation, and good learning environment and work culture should form a component part of the training. Recreation of the Indian Education Service (IES) should be considered again. Earlier, IES formed the core part of administration and teaching. The necessity to create IES has also been reflected in a report by the Education Commission (1964-66), NPE (1986) and a host of other documents. It is very important for educational administration to comprehend the importance of each employee and to synergise him in order to create a tremendous force to reckon with. If it fails in its responsibility and the paradigm is not given a rightful meaning, there is likelihood of failing the dream of qualitative improvement in education, already in a state of erosion, which may face a chaos shattering the whole edifice beyond redemption. The writer is a former Deputy Director of Education, Haryana |
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Campus Notes THE university has dispatched the admit cards (roll numbers) to all the eligible candidates appearing in the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) scheduled to be held on June 24 in Amritsar. According to the UGC-NET coordinator, Prof T.S. Banipal, the university has established about 42 centres for the examination, including 10 on the university campus and 32 at various institutions in Amritsar. The candidates who have not received their admit cards may contact the office of the UGC-NET coordinator at the university from June 19 to 21, he said. Educational exchange programme Guru Nanak Dev University is contemplating to sign a memorandum of understanding with Australian universities to foster an educational exchange programme. It was revealed by Prof. A.S. Brar, Vice-Chancellor, after returning from his recent visit to Australia. Prof Brar was one of the members of five Vice-Chancellors' delegation nominated by the Ministry of Human Resource Development and University Grants Commission to pay a visit to Australia and participate in the India-Australia University Shadowing Programme. The programme was announced in 2011 at the annual India-Australia Ministerial Dialogue held in New Delhi. The aim of ‘shadowing programme’ is to promote educational links between the Indian and Australian universities, and to provide the opportunity for knowledge sharing and establishing future cooperation. This is a reciprocal programme, and Australian participants will visit their Indian ‘shadowing’ partners later this year. Prof Brar discussed the feasibility of having fruitful collaboration with some leading Australian universities, which could be mutually beneficial in the area of engineering, technology, bio-science and any other emerging areas.
Hemanshu, Sarabjit best campers Hemanshu of Layallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar, was adjudged the best camper, while Sarabjit Singh Bhullar of SMDRSD College, Pathankot, was declared the second best camper at a seven-day camp organised by the Department of Youth Welfare of Guru Nanak Dev University at the University Students Holiday Home, Dalhousie, recently. While Guru Nanak Dev University College, Jalandhar, was adjudged the best disciplined team, SSM College, Dinanagar, was declared the second best disciplined team at the camp. Manohar Chadha, president, Municipal Council, Dalhousie, was the chief guest and Dr G. S. Dhillon, Principal, Dalhousie Public School, Dalhousie, was the guest of honour on the occasion. Detailing about the activities of the camp, Dr Jagjit Kaur, Director, Youth Welfare, said the campers were taken to Panchpula, Kala Top, Dain Kund, Khajjiar and Dalhousie for sightseeing and trekking. Campers also showcased their hidden talents in various competitive events, including extempore, debate, folk song, poetical recitation and dancing.
Special summer school A 21-day “Special Summer School 2012” was inaugurated by Prof. T.S. Banipal, Director, Academic Staff College, recently. The course is being organised by the Academic Staff College of the university in association with the University Grants Commission, New Delhi. In his inaugural address, Prof. T. S. Banipal said such courses provide ample opportunities to teachers to interact with each other as well as various ‘resource persons’ from different disciplines. He emphasised that the holistic development of students is of utmost importance in modern times and, therefore, teachers must play a key role in the whole education system. Earlier, Dr Mohan Kumar, Deputy Director, Academic Staff College, welcomed the participants. — Contributed by G. S. Paul
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