‘US school kids not overburdened’
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 8 — “There is a yawning gap between school education in our country and the USA. While schools in India are backed by an organisation, a trust or are a one-man show, there are only community schools catering to particular areas in the USA. This gives a sense of belonging to students as well as teachers of the area who carry out their work dutifully and with greater responsibility,” according to Mrs Madhu Bahl, Principal of Kailash Bahl Centenary DAV School, Sector 7, here today. She has returned to India after spending a couple of months in the USA during which she visited many elementary and high schools in different cities.

She informs that each area has its own community school which has students from that particular area only and teachers are also drawn from families living in the area.``Teachers employed in these schools cannot seek transfers or employment in schools located in another area. Since the students, too, are from that area, it gives the teacher an insight into their family life and background which enables better handling and improved student-teacher ties,’’ Mrs Bahl feels.

While students in India are over-burdened with work, their counterparts in USA are under no stress since their is no fixed examination system. “The study schedule is not taxing for the simple reason that their is no fixed time-table for the students to adhere to. Classes of different subjects are going on simultaneously and students can walk into the class of the subject of their choice.

Also, this brings down the number of students who are actually seated in a particular class in spite of the many on the rolls.``Our teachers are bogged down by the large number of students in a particular class—checking their classwork, homework and them keeping a watch on them takes a toll on their teaching skills.

Education abroad has its plus points by way of greater opportunities for students who earn while they learn, greater exposure and awareness of the latest in science and technology, and greater practical experience.

On the visit to different schools, Mrs Bahl stopped at three homes for “gifted children”. “Children with lesser abilities are admitted to these homes and are put into classes depending upon their grasping ability rather than on the basis of age. The government takes care to provide them with every facility and trains teachers, especially for the purpose of handling these children. The parents can come and look up their children whenever they want while monthly meetings of parents are organised with a panel of experts which monitor every movement of the child at this home,’’ she says.

Each home houses 10 to 15 children and the attendants give individual attention to each child, catering to all his needs for a lifetime. Some of these children also go out to work though the government gives them financial aid in addition to looking after them.“This is sadly missing in our country and most of us tend to turn a blind eye to such children. We must take a cue from the homes in the USA and work towards making a better society,’’ she adds.

How to make filters to view sun
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 8 — Never view the sun directly, eclipse or no eclipse, except during totality without safe, tested filters, otherwise temporary or permanent damage could be caused to your eyes.

The sun can be viewed safely with the naked eye only during the few brief seconds or minutes of a total solar eclipse. Even when 99 per cent of the sun's surface is obscured during the partial phases, the remaining photospheric crescent is intensely bright and cannot be viewed safely without sufficient eye protection.

Do not attempt to observe the partial or annular phases of any eclipse with the naked eye. Unless appropriate filters are used, it may result in permanent eye damage or even blindness.

The fact that the sun appears dark in a filter such as smoked glass, sun glasses, coloured film, photographic neutral density filters, it does not guarantee that your eyes would be safe. Damage to the eyes comes predominantly from invisible infra-red wavelengths. Avoid all unnecessary risks.

It is necessary to reduce the intensity of sunlight at least by a factor of 100,000 or more for safe viewing. Any filter which reduces the intensity of a standard 60-Watt incandescent frosted electric bulb such that the printed code is no more readable would be safe enough.

To prepare an effective filter, put together two or more thicknesses of overexposed black and white photographic or X-ray film (slower films are best) until a density is obtained which just abolishes the readability of print on a 60-Watt bulb. The light of a bulb in a dark room will then appear as a glow similar to that of full moon on a moderately bright night.

The metallic silver contained in the film emulsion is the protective filter. However, ordinary black and white film even if fully exposed to light is likely to be unsafe, since they often use dyes instead of silver. Dark welder's glasses could also be safely used.

A popular inexpensive alternative is aluminised mylar sheet (without any microholes) manufactured specially for solar observation. Ordinary aluminised mylar may not be safe.

As a further precaution, do not view the eclipsed sun even through these filters continuously beyond a few seconds.

Smoked glass, colour film or sunglasses are not safe. The safest way is viewing sun's projected image through a pin-hole on a cardboard held at a distance of about 1 metre or a reflected image of the sun on a shaded wall from a covered plane mirror having an exposed circular area of diameter 1cm to 2 cm.

Do not miss the joy of watching the great spectacle during totality with naked eyes. This is the only safe period to watch eclipse with naked eyes.

Stress on breast-feeding laid
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 8 — The Chandigarh chapter of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics organised a slogan- and poster-writing and paper reading contests at Home Science College, Sector 10, on Saturday, as part of the World Breast Feeding Week. Aimed at increasing awareness of the significance of breast-feeding for the proper development of a child, the topic of the day was 'Breast Feeding — an Adolescent Veiwpoint'.

Papers read out by the girl students of classes XI and XII emphasised the need of incorporating this concept as part of the school syllabi.

Most students, through their slogans and posters, came up with some ideas which revolved around the mother-child theme. Some posters talked about how mother's milk must have helped the brave Indian soldier to fight in Kargil and die for his country!

Need was felt to integrate knowledge and skills that support breast-feeding into the instructional process in all formal and informal educational settings.

The SURYA (Survival of Young and Adolescent Foundation) Foundation, Chandigarh, with BPNI (Breast-feeding Promotion Network in India) also organised various functions to mark the week.

A lecture was held at Behlana village on Friday. It was attended by about 100 women of all age groups and the issue of breast-feeding was discussed.

A seminar was organised at the Government College for Girls, Sector 11, on Saturday, where doubts about breast feeding and HIV/AIDS were discussed.

Interactive, informal approach needed
By Poonam Batth
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 8 — "Children need space to move unrestricted and to think freely. The schools, particularly kindergartens, should understand this vital need of the growing child and cater to each of his developmental processes accordingly," says Mr Atul Khanna, Head of Strawberry Fields Kindergarten, Sector 24.

"It is essential for kindergartens to have an environment which respects a child as an individual, communicates an understanding of his needs and surrounds him with love," states Mr Khanna. According to him, preparatory schools should combine montessori method with interactive approach to ensure the child adds value to his growth.

Mr Khanna has started this project on realising the need for providing tiny-tots with quality education, particularly in their formative years. He explains, "Learning can be fun when efforts are made to translate it from mere rhetoric to factual reality."

He maintains that these schools should focus on play, natural spontaneity and elimination of everything which can condition or regiment the child's perspective. "We encourage children to learn by using paints, crayons and other learning material, which also help in motor development. No stress is laid on rote learning. Readiness is created for literacy and numeric skills, keeping in view the child's pace and need for privacy," he says.

Mr Khanna says parents can make learning more meaningful by providing him with oppurtunities to experience rather than just observe. "They can help him to improve his vocabulary in ways like reading to him, talking to him, taking him to various places and showing him things," he suggests.

He is of the belief that though a major part of a child's reaction to school comes from his teacher, a child's expectations and anticipatory feelings come from the attitudes of his parents. Even 15 minutes of individual attention can do amazing things for a child, he claims.

"A teacher is a friend, confidant, guide and counsellor to students. The kindergartens should preferably have a small class composition so that personal communication is strong. A good teacher should be sensitive towards the needs of a child and should act as a facilitator in the learning process. He should have the ability to make a child feel good about himself because a child with a good self-concept learns more easily than a child with a low self-esteem," he asserts.

"Competition is not bad, especially when it involves setting goals for oneself. However, parents and teachers should help a child to realise the value of both right from the beginning. They should encourage him to have a good sportman's spirit. Teach a child to be a humble winner and a good loser," he adds.

He suggests that school time should be scientifically planned where teaching is done through music, dramatic play, story telling, group activity, communication and visual imagery. He further says children learn a lot when they are left to work out their problems and settle their disputes among themselves, for they learn to compromise and get along.