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JULY 2016
C O N TE NT S
volume IV issue 4
Shri. Swami Madhavpriyadasji President, SGVP
COVER STORY
WHY IS FEE HIKE NECESSARY FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS?
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Institutional Profile
21 Dr. Ashok Kumar Pandey Principal, Ahlcon International School
Mentoring
36 BRAINFEED GROUP LAUNCHES CHILDREN’S MONTHLY MAGAZINES
EVENT REPORT
Mrs. Meenal Arora Executive Director SHEMROCK Preschools
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Parenting
42 Shri. Ananth Narayan Mahadevan Screen Writer, Actor and Director, Hindi and Marathi
26 38 46 50 54 55 56 58
Co-operative Group Learning
06 07 08 14 15 24 29
Film Review Readers Column Editorial News
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Education
Mr. Peeyush Khare PhD student at Yale University, USA
Parenting Special feature Change Makers
Special feature
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Education Special Feature Dr. Sadhana R Shahi Asst. Professor, Govt College of Pharmacy, Aurangabad
Sports Event Review British Council
Career
Language Study Mind Mine
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Inclusive Education
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READERS’ COLUMN Principal as Leader The new concept by Brainfeed ‘Principal as Leader’ is commendable. It is true that the principal is always in the hot seat to improve teaching and learning and is balanced between rewarding and being challenging. The queries by the principals and the responses by Dr.Ashok Pandey are very informative and practiced as many school principals would be having the same thought in their minds.
NEW CONCEPT
Mr. A. K. Mishra, Principal, KC Public School, Odisha
The New Sports Headlines
WATCH
LISTEN
Now you can read as well as listen to your favourite article and also watch videos on education, career, sports, skill building, entertainment and a lot more. Brainfeed magazine started presenting a new concept – that is you can listen to your favourite article being read by experts while you go through the article. And also watch videos of your interest from the list of videos given in the magazine. This is how it works
Many children turn to the sports page in the newspaper to read about their favourite sport. It is true that the scenario is different now-a-days. The positive information on the sports page has dried up and children get to know more about corruption, match fixing etc. The responsibility lies with the parents and the sports teacher to explain the children that the bad news is only a small part of the overall sports world and there is a lot of good stuff happening. Mr. Venkatesh .K, Bengaluru
Helping Street Children A foreigner earning the love of 200 slum children in Pune is really great. It is a good motivational article, for all of us. It is good to know that these children are provided with good education as well as regular medical checkup. Being Indian citizens why can’t we take such initiatives? If we do so, the country will grow to newer heights. Ms. Sirisha. M, Chennai
• A QR code sign will be given along with the article or the video. • All you need is a QR code scanner or QR code reader app on your Smartphone. • Download the app from Google play store or Apple app store. • Open the application, focus and hold the camera on the QR code of the article or the video you want to listen to or watch. • Then the QR code will lead you to the audio file of an educational expert, read the article for you or to the video that you wanted to watch. Don’t you think this is cool – so go on, read like an expert reader by just listening to an expert reader, read an article for you or watch a video to learn about an issue or topic or to learn a new skill.
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International Conference The INDO-UAE School Education Leadership Conference held at Dubai has been a great opportunity for school educators and curriculum planners. I am sure the delegates who attended the conference was benefited by the proceedings and would carry them to their schools for further development. I will be looking forward to such conferences organized by Brainfeed. Mr. B.S.N. Murthy, Director, Kennedy High School, Hyderabad
Learning is Fun Being a teacher, I always think about how to make the class interesting and innovative. I use lots of teaching aids in my class and update myself to the new technology. After going through the video ‘Turning Trash into Toys for Learning’ by Mr. Arvind Gupta, I got even more ideas. Every teacher must watch this video so as to know, how small materials like match sticks, cycle tubes can be used to make teaching aids. Ms. Poornima Sinha, Teacher, Bhavan’s Vidyalaya, Gujarat
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EDITORIAL
july 2016
volume IV
issue 4
Chief Editor Brahmam K V Editor Seshubabu P V Executive Editor Bhageeradha G +91 91775 13996 Sub Editor Vanalatha Reddy T Art & Design Lakshmi D Rakesh N Director-Sales SreeNivas R B +91 85018 26497 Circulation & Photographer Hemachandra Rao S +91 91777 74851 +91 85018 26317 Printed, Published and Owned by Kakani Veera Brahmam
Printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd. 1-1-60/5, RTC X Roads Hyderabad-500 020, Telangana, India
Published from 8-3-191/565/K, Vengal Rao Nagar SR Nagar Post, Hyderabad-500 038 Telangana, India Contact No. : 040- 6551 5151 +91 94944 39444 Email: info@brainfeedmagazine.com brainfeedmagazine@gmail.com
he seventh month in the Julian calendar is named after the Roman General, Julius Caesar. The month is generally dedicated to nutrition. Monsoon becomes vigorous throughout the southern hemisphere. The academic activities go in full swing in the schools. As usual, ‘News’ brings out academic issues and interesting education updates. ‘Teacher in the Learner-Centred Classroom’ defines the transformed role of a teacher in the changed classroom.
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‘Parenting ‘has brought out how ‘Freaking Out’ helps create fun in children and how parents can help ‘Anxious Teenage Kid’. ‘Why is Fee Hike Necessary for Private Schools?’ spells out how fee hike is necessary to sustain quality education in private schools. Similarly, ‘Cooperative Group Learning’ emphasizes how collaborative learning develops interpersonal skills and increases learner confidence. Event Report highlights Brainfeed Group’s Grand Launching of Children’s Monthly Magazines on June 27, 2016. ‘Inclusive Education’ stresses about the scope of making the curriculum more inclusive. Centre Spread provides glimpses of ‘International Yoga Day’. Film Review focuses on Ananth Mahadevan’s latest release ‘Rough Book’ – a teacher’s tough journey celebrating failure as the first step to success. ‘Principal As Leader’ in the second of its series has brought Scan for more Info out Dr. Ashok Pandey’s expertise in education CHECK OUT OUR management and leadership. How academic and WEBSITE & E-MAG social learning can be enhanced is answered in brainfeedmagazine.com ‘Open-ended Questions’. Shoba Mishra Ghosh AND FOLLOW US ON talks about ‘Ethical Values in Education and facebook.com/ Society’. Institutional Profile is on ‘Sadvidya brainfeededumag Bhavanam’ the Centre of Value-based Education twitter.com/ – SGVP, Ahmedabad. ‘Change Makers’ reports brainfeedmagzn how poor aspiring students get a helping hand from a philanthropic math teacher. Ms Anne Sivanathan discusses the value of ‘Therapeutic Drumming’ and the Special Feature ‘A Young India Fellow at Yale’ makes us feel proud of Peeyush Khare, the researcher. Sports deals with spotting sports talent in schools while ‘Career’ focuses on ‘Pharm-D’ as a choice of study in Quality Control and Drug Research. g a Happy Reading! Wishing
www.brainfeedmagazine.com facebook.com/brainfeededumag RNI No. APENG/2013/49994
Brahmam K V Chief Editor july 16
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NEWS Toppers Flock IIT Bombay
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he Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) released the results of the first round allotment seats in IITs, NITs and other centrally funded technological institutes.
67 students of the top 100 rankers chose the IIT Powai campus.
IIT-Delhi retained its second position among the top choices of students, but toppers choosing the institute dropped from 30 to 28 this year and remaining five candidates have chosen IIT-Madras. IIT-Kanpur, which usually gets two to three students from the top 100 ranks, was not the top preference for any of the 100 toppers this year.
CBSE proposes setting up ‘tinkering labs’
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chools affiliated with CBSE would provide the students of class 6-12 with high-tech ‘Atal tinkering laboratories’. Named after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the innovation centre by Niti Ayog would allow young minds to make and test prototypes of new idea or device in the lab itself. The move is to groom 10 lakh children as ‘neoteric innovators’ across the country. As part of the scheme, 500 Atal Tinkering Labs would be set up. As part of the mission, schools would be provided grant-in-aid for a one-time establishment cost of `10 lakh and operational expenses of `10 lakh for a maximum period of 5 years for setting up the labs. CBSE additional director (research and innovation) Sugandh Sharma said, “The project is part of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM). These laboratories will provide a work space to students and help them hone their innovation skills. The objectives of the scheme are to foster curiosity, creativity among students, to inculcate computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing and to help students in understanding the basic concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) by providing them an opportunity to work with tools and equipment.”
The Education President
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P Jindal Global University (JGU) announced the launch of the book ‘The Education President’. Its first copy was presented to President Pranab Mukherjee during a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The book talks about President Mukherjee’s contribution to the field of higher education and was released by Vice-President Hamid Ansari. It has been published by the International Institute for Higher Education Research and Capacity Building (IIHEd), OP Jindal Global University. Speaking on the occasion, the President said, “There is an urgent need to focus on improving the quality of teaching, research and faculty in our universities. I hope the book will provide some valuable inputs to raise academic standards while promoting international benchmarks in excellence, quality and institutional governance.” President Mukherjee also expressed concern over the falling standard of higher education in the country. However, he praised the role of the private sector in the education sphere.
A Tribute to Alvin Toffler
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he esteemed author Alvin Toffler, remembered for his books ‘Future Shock’ and ‘Third Wave’, died in Los Angeles. He was 87 years. His work captured the attention of global leaders and businessmen, all of whom sought advice from the futurologist guru. In one of his observations Toffler wrote, ‘The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.’ At the core of Toffler’s vision the society wasn’t just changing, but changing faster than it ever had before. He popularized the notion of “information overload” and wondered whether human beings could psychologically handle being bombarded by so much information and by change itself. In ‘Future Shock’, he talks about the rise in prosperity in 1960’s and in the ‘Third Wave’, he had forecast the spread of multimedia.
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Proud Moment for India
Largest Number of Medical Seats
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efence Minister Manohar Parrikar formally commissioned India’s first three women fighter pilots - Bhawana Kanth, Avani Chatuvedi and Mohana Singh along with flight cadets of various branches of the Indian Air Force at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, Hyderabad, on June 18, 2016. The three women all in their early 20’s cleared the first stage of training and have about 150 hours of flying. After getting their wings as flying officers, they will train for six months on the Advanced Jet Fighter - the Britishbuilt Hawk - and will be assigned fighters and
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their squadrons. After being commissioned, they will be posted to either the Bidar or Kalaikunda airbase to undertake “transitional” fighter training on the Hawks, which includes learning intensive combat manoeuvres and armament firing spread over a year to ensure the rookie pilots
can handle old fighters like MiG-21s or relatively new multi-role ones like Sukhoi-30MKIs and Mirage-2000s. “We are lucky to have been the first three women fighter pilots. It could have been anyone else,” the three jubilant women said while addressing the media after being commissioned.
dding 3 more medical colleges to the existing 53 medical colleges, Karnataka has the highest number of medical colleges and medical seats in the country at the undergraduate and the post graduate levels. The state has 7,355 MBBS and 3,646 post graduate medical seats. According to the health ministry, there are 57,138 MBBS seats in 422 colleges across the country. After Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh has the second highest number of MBBS seats followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
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NEWS Ayurveda courses attract foreign students
Amendments to NEP to suit RTE
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everal recommendations in the draft National Education Policy, 2016 will require amendments to the Right to Education Act, 2009. Insisting on ‘consolidation’, the draft proposes merging “small, non-viable” schools. This subverts the RTE Act on neighbourhood schools being located “within a walking distance of one kilometer” for children attending Classes 1 to 5. The draft emphasizes “school mapping” - as opposed to RTE’s “childmapping” - but stresses that for children attending “non-viable” schools, transport must be provided.
The RTE mandates a no-detention policy -banning graderepetition -till Class 8; the committee wants it limited to Class 5. Its recommendations cover remedial classes “by school teachers or volunteers” and supplementary examinations. The policy proposes making education for children aged four and five a right, and roping in the NCERT and State Councils for Educational Research and Training to develop pre-school curricula.
IISc Bengaluru Bags 27th Place
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engaluru’s Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is among the top 30 Asian universities in the 2016 Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings. In fact, this is the first time an Indian university has made it to the top 30, with IISc in 27th place. Eight Indian institutions are among the top 100 on the list and India has the most institutions overall among the top 200 South Asian universities list of THE. The other Indian universities in the top half of the ranking include the Indian Institutes of Technology in Bombay (43rd), Kharagpur (51st), Delhi (60th), Madras (62nd), Roorkee (65th), and Guwahati (joint 80th) and Jadavpur University ( joint 84th) place. “India has made great gains in this list in recent years - just three institutions appeared in the top 100 in 2013 - but the nation still has a long way to go to compete with Asia’s leading university nations, such as China, Japan and South Korea,” said Phil Baty, editor, THE rankings.
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egree and diploma courses in ayurveda in Rajasthan are drawing students from SAARC nations, Europe and USA. The National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur, run by the ministry of Ayush, has received ‘expression of interest’ from foreign students to study ayurveda.
Shankar Rao, director of NIA, said, “This year again, we have received a phenomenal response from foreign students. The popularity of ayurveda has been increasing. Students are making a beeline for its courses At NIA, students are because of the vast exposed to the ancient job opportunities science of ayurveda from ancient and modern texts. this stream offers.” The state-of-the-art labs are equipped with advanced medical and surgical equipment along with a pharmacy unit for drug production. Here, special courses were introduced for foreigners keeping in mind their interest. In the past three years since the establishment of Ayush ministry, the people’s awareness of ayurveda has increased considerably. Every day, the institute has been receiving applications from foreigners seeking admission and guidance for research work. So far, 50 foreign students have completed their diploma courses from here.
NMMUN 2016
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he 8th edition of Neerja Modi Model United Nations 2016 conference will be held on August 5-7, 2016 at Neerja Modi School, Jaipur. The school believes in the holistic development of its students and this promulgated into the experience of MUN in the school. NMMUN is a 3 day conference committed to inculcate healthy debate amongst students, create awareness about the world around them,
provide them with a rostrum where they a are given a chance tto express the vviews of countries represented by tthem and develop an understanding of the challenges that need to be overcome while designing a comprehensive resolution. This conference provides students with the perfect opportunity to hone their skills and become responsible global citizens. To register, email at mundirector.nmmun@gmail.com
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NEWS ‘THE ROMANCE OF INDIAN COFFEE’
NEET-II to be held on July 24
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he Central Board of Secondary Education said that it will conduct the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test-II (NEET-II) for admission to medical and dental colleges on July 24, as scheduled. This is as per the Supreme Court orders on NEET and the Ordinance promulgated by the government.
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ndian writer P.T. Bopanna’s book ‘The Romance of Indian Coffee’ has been chosen as the world’s best book on coffee at The Gourmand World Awards function, held at Yantai near Beijing, China. Selected from the entries of 64 countries, Bopanna’s book was earlier shortlisted for the finals of the ‘Best in the World’ books, under the ‘coffee books’ category. The book was published in 2011, and takes a 360-degree view of Indian coffee. ‘The Romance of Indian Coffee’ was ranked first,
followed by entries from the United States and Brazil in the second and third places respectively.
Bengaluru based Bopanna has worked for various national dailies in the last three decades, including the Times of India. He has authored five books. He runs a few Coorgcentric websites and recently produced a documentary film titled ‘Discover Coorg’.
Education System Should be Indianised: Venkaiah Naidu
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ttending an event at Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, Union Minister Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu said, “We need to Indianise the modern education being imparted to our students. We need to take ahead what we have inherited from our ancestors. Bhartiyata is a way of life and the students should be told about Indian history and great Indian personalities.”
The process of online application for NEET-II was opened on May 25 and ended on June 26. Candidates have also been asked to check the NEET website for latest updates and information so that they can immediately take necessary action as per the instructions uploaded on the website.
Centre recommends for more Sanskriti-type Schools
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he Centre has decided to open more schools like the Delhi-based Sanskriti School in other parts of the country. The move comes after the government noticed problem being faced by the officers who on transfer to metro cities or any other location in the middle of an academic year find it very difficult to secure admission for their children. The draft policy said, “Even though Kendriya Vidyalayas exist in several cities of the country to cater to the educational needs of wards of government employees, these do not fulfill the objectives to resolve the problems of transferable central government employees.” The proposal to set up Sanskriti-type school in any state capital may be initiated by the state government. It is not intended that such schools will necessarily be set up in every state capital. Central government support would be provided only after careful examination of the justification with priority given to large metro cities where large numbers of officers are posted.
He said that the education system in India is still “a continuation of Lord Macaulay’s legacy” and it should be “Indianised” and it is the need of the hour to make the students aware of Indian culture and values. He claimed that India’s global prestige has touched new heights and countries from across the globe are coming forward to develop trade and other relations with India.
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UGC allows tie ups with Foreign Institutes
Practice Yoga Everyday
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he 1st “National Yoga Olympiad” was organized by the NCERT, where over 300 students from 21 states including differently abled displayed various yogasanas. Speaking on this occasion, Union HRD Minister Ms Smriti Irani said that parents and teachers should spend time with children practicing yoga. She urged school children to practice yoga, as it improves motor skills and also makes hand-eye coordination better.
Dipanshu Jindal Tops JEE Mains
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BSE declared the ranks for JEE Mains on June 23rd. 18 year old; Dipanshu Jindal did not need the top rank in Joint Entrance Examination (Main). With an All-India Rank of 53 in the JEE (Advanced), he was headed to one of the Indian Institutes of Technology anyway. But the ‘AIR 1’ “is good for the resume”, reasons Jindal. Jindal, a student of SD Public School, Pitampura, hopes to study computer science at IIT Delhi. “I guess my Class XII results were all right. I did fairly well,” says Jindal, admitting that he is trying very hard to sound modest. “I don’t want to sound like I am bragging,” he added. He topped his school with an aggregate of
98.6% in the Class 12 CBSE exams, scoring full marks in physics and mathematics. He thanks his father, a mathematics tutor, for his firm grounding in the subject. “He shaped me. He taught me in my initial years,” he says. Despite the long hours of study, Jindal isn’t all work and no play. “I play cricket and football. And I spend four-five hours daily on social media. My parents used to scold me but it was important too,” he says.
VIDEOS
TO WATCH
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nion HRD Minister Ms Smriti Irani said that for the first time in the history of our country, the government of India has allowed Indian Institutions to tie up with foreign institutions for degree programmes for undergraduate courses. The students now have the choice in doing two semesters in foreign institution in undergraduate courses and one semester in post graduate courses. The student will get certificate where the name of parent and foreign institutions would be mentioned. Under the previous norms, only foreign institutes could seek permission for academic collaborations but now Indian institutes which get top accreditations will be able to approach the UGC to seek its nod for entering into academic tie-ups with highly-rated education institutions abroad. The HRD Minister said that a window of one year has been provided for institutes, which already have a global partnership, to get their pacts approved by UGC and a committee of experts will examine the proposals for these collaborations. She also ensured that all applications will be responded within 30 working days and in a yes or no situation in 60 working days.
http://www. brainfeedmagazine.com/ video-july-1 A. P. J. Abdul Kalam’s Top 10 Rules for Success
http://www. brainfeedmagazine.com/ video-july-2 How to be an Effective Teacher? By Rajesh Aggarwal
http://www. brainfeedmagazine.com/ video-july-3 What makes a Great Principal?
http://www. brainfeedmagazine.com/ video-july-4 Teacher of the year in Round Rock: Revathi Balakrishnan july 16
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EDUCATION
P. V. Seshubabu
TEACHER IN THE LEARNER
Teacher’s Role
CENTRED CLASSROOM
In the conventional approach to teaching, the teacher is a source of knowledge in terms of both the target language and the choice of methodology. In other words, the teacher is a figure of authority ‘knower of all’ who decides on what should be learned. In the learner-centred approach the teacher is an ‘activity organizer’ – sets up and steers learning activities in the right direction, motivates and encourages students with feedback on students’ performance. The teacher is also a ‘learning counsellor’ and needs updating
earner-centred approach to teaching alters the role played by the learners and it also involves a parallel change in the role of a teacher. In language teaching learnercentred approach provides learner autonomy and redefines the role of students. They assume a more active and participatory role than being passive as in conventional teaching. Learner-centred approach relates to the way of organizing classroom activities. The learning activities become more relevant to the students and they decide on the conceptual and linguistic content of these activities.
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The content and form of teaching can be made at classroom level via consultation between teachers and learners. This differs from traditional approaches to curriculum design where the decisions are made by outside experts such curriculum planners. In the learner-centred classroom curriculum development becomes a collaborative effort between teachers and learners since learners will be involved in decisions on content, selection, methodology and evaluation.
• Personal skills • Educational skills • Course-planning skills
Students’ Tasks Self-awareness as a language learner – Relates to students’ motivation to learn the language Awareness of learning goals - Students need to develop an understanding of why they are studying the target language Awareness of learning options – Involves students acquiring an understanding of what language learning entails, of various learning strategies, study options and resources they can use Language awareness – Students need the basic idea of how language is structured and used
Advantages • Goal-setting can be made more relevant if students can contribute to the process on the basis of their own experience • Learning is more effective if methodology and study mode are geared around student preferences • Students get more out of learning activities if they have a say in deciding their content and in organizing the activities • Learning will benefit if students feel involved in shaping their study programme
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Helping students develop awareness in these areas - learner training – is a crucial part of the teacher’s role in a learner-centred approach. ‘Needs analysis’ and ‘goal setting’ are the two main things to be done by the teacher. Once the teacher has identified a potential for contribution the next task is to help students to formulate their insights in a pedagogically useful form. Every teaching situation involves the interaction between a given teaching method, the students and the wider socio-cultural context of learning. Next, students should be encouraged to actively participate in the learning experience. Here, the teacher transfers the responsibility of learning to the learners. Adapted from ‘Teacher Roles in the Learner Centered Classroom’ by Ian Tudor
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PARENTING
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Dr. Shayama Chona President, Tamana
t is fun to have fun, but you have to know how to go about it.” This mother has a very definite idea about child rearing. She thinks if you give children only healthy food, they will learn to prefer toasted brown bread with butter and jam to crazy pizzas. She believes that it is parent’s responsibility to keep the children away from treats that are nutritionally worthless, ultraprocessed and full of chemicals. Such treats will someday be linked up to cancer or male-pattern baldness or life-long obesity. She thinks you should never let them watch TV other than news and weather reports, and that their toys should be educational in nature. If my friend sounds like the perfect mother, it is because she is not a mother at all.
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Freaking Out Can Be Fun
A parent’s role Before I had kids of my is not just to own, I did not realise keep kids safe, this. Thank God, I think it’s also to teach differently now. But I them to enjoy am really grateful for life. That does my children’s sake that not mean you let I have not raised them completely the way others them jump into the pool without may think I “should a floater, or eat have.” A parent’s role sweets before I AGREE CHILDHOOD SHOULD BE is not just to keep kids they brush their safe, it’s also to teach LIVED IN TECHNICOLOUR – teeth. them to enjoy life. That IT IS A VIBRANT AND EXCITING TIME. does not mean you let them jump into the pool without a floater, or eat sweets before they They don’t need the hottest new that banning chocolate is not my brush their teeth. It does mean, toy to have fun. But they do need to advice to the parents. though, that on certain occasions get a message from their parents you should let them eat fast food, If you deprive children of their that it is all right to be a kid. watch some mindless TV shows, share of fun, they may grow up jump on their bed, stay up late to My son’s first pediatrician told me to be very boring adults. I am not meet their favourite aunt, and buy sternly that “chocolate is not for suggesting over-indulgence, but educationally worthless toys made young children. It is an adult food. surely every parent must give the of plastic – “just to freak out,” as “Each time I look at the photos of young ones the fun they deserve – kids have put it these days. his first birthday party, his face if they are deprived of their share I agree childhood should be lived in technicolour – it is a vibrant and exciting time. Kids have to be kids.
coated with chocolate icing from his cake and a look of otherworldly bliss in his eyes, I am glad
of fun as kids, they will grow up still seeking these pleasure, maybe at the expense of others. july 16
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COVER STORY
P. V. Seshubabu
The Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi has received complaints from parents regarding fee hike in private schools. Taking note of the ‘growing tendency among some of the institutions hiking fees under various heads’, the CBSE has asked schools to strictly adhere to the bye-laws.
Adherence to CBSE and Tuition Fees
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The CBSE states that the unaided schools should consult parents through representative before revising fees and the school is to run as a community service and not as a commercial establishment. The school needs to generate sufficient financial resources to guarantee the continued running expenses and maintain at a reasonable standard of efficiency to pay salaries to staff and undertake developmental activities/ facilities without burdening on the child or parents. Savings should be further utilized for
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Any school violating shall be punishable with fine up to ten times the capitation fee charged Any school subjecting a child to screening procedure shall be punishable with fine up to `25,000 initially and `50,000 for each subsequent contravention
promoting the school. The CBSE states that fee charges should be commensurate with the facilities provided by the institution. Fees should normally be charged under the heads prescribed by the Department of Education of the State/Union Territory for schools of different categories. No capitation fee or voluntary donations for gaining admission in the school or for any other purpose should be charged in the name of the school and that there should not be any fee revision during the mid-session. Parents Protest Parents across many Indian cities have organized themselves to fight against private schools over unregulated fee hikes in the last three or four months. They have staged protest against schools in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai
The response was overwhelming from all over - it received
1.3 lakh
calls! It reflected the kind of frustration parents across the country are experiencing.
and Kerala and recently in Hyderabad. The school fee issue has finally reached judicial corridors. The Hyderabad School Parents’ Association (HSPA) received support from parents across India when they launched a “missed call campaign”. The Association gave a call to all parents to dial a number on a given day if they wanted fees to be regulated. The response was overwhelming from all over - it received 1.3 lakh calls! It reflected the kind of frustration parents across the country are experiencing.
In Bengaluru a group of parents has already filed a case in the court. The Karnataka Schools’ Parents Association (KSPA) has put up a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court demanding for school fee regulation. Affordability was one of the factors that influenced parents’ choice. In 2012 in a residential area of IT employees, a private CBSE school charged `45,000/- fees per year. In 2016-17, the same school has imposed `82,000/- fees per year – almost double of what was charged! “We are unhappy over the ways in which schools are manipulating parents by hiking admission and transportation fees every year,” the parents lamented. “The parents are unaware of the PTA itself leave alone of the selection process of the PTA office bearers,” remarks Shri. Selvaraj, KSPA Vice-President.
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COVER STORY “There is no criteria to measure the establishment cost,” K Satyanarayan Director, Chennaibased New Horizon Media Pvt. Ltd and an education-blogger.
In 2014, the Department of Public Instruction drafted a policy to fix the fee in Bengaluru schools. However, reportedly it was shelved due objections raised by general public. The proposal also received strong opposition from school managements. What makes schools hike their fee? There are four types of private schools: The FIRST category of school established on a property bought on market value has the financial burden of repayment of loan.
“CBSE is a body to conduct examinations and not a regulator of schools. As affiliating body, it can prescribe curriculum, qualification of teachers and minimum infrastructure. CBSE byelaws simply say that the school must consult representative of parents and fee should not be revised arbitrarily.”
The SECOND category of school inheriting the property and building the school does not face financial burden. The THIRD category of school is built on land sanctioned by government or philanthropist as charity. The FOURTH category of school is run on leased property. This category of school incurs huge annual expenditure.
Schools try to recover the investment. The ‘charity’ tag for schools and the unscientific fee structure the government proposing to introduce does not help solve any problem. Is there another side to the story? Citizen Matters spoke to a few school managements and teachers. What are the costs involved in running a school? “It is not just the maintenance expenses but the initial establishment cost too,” says Dr. M. Srinivasan, Founder and Chairman, GEAR International School.
for establishing a good quality school is huge. Apart from the initial investment, the management needs to spend on annual maintenance, salary to staff, payment of bills and taxes, etc.
For instance, if one had to invest on land, he would have shelled out exorbitant amount. Investment
Ms. Seetha Anantasivan, Founder and Executive Trustee, Prakriya Green Wisdom School echoes his opinion.
On the other hand, Dr. M. Srinivasan, Founder-Chairperson, GEAR International School, opines that the government and parents consider just salaries and maintenance cost while calculating the fees. “What about the initial establishment cost?” he questions.
Shri. Damodar Goyal, President, Society for Unaided Private Schools of Rajasthan 18
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“The State has defined the heads under which fees can be collected by schools”. This has been the frontrunner in the fee-hike battle. ‘Vigilance’ is the key to success of the policy. Jayant Jain President, NGO Forum for Fairness in Education says,
“School Management is to be given a free hand to design the fee structure of their respective schools as it involves consideration of various factors like infrastructure, additional teaching supporting systems, teachers’ salaries, transport facilities and maintenance of the institution.” A Krishna Reddy State President Andhra Pradesh Unaided School Managements Association
With the inflated economy the schools have no other way except hike the fee. Expenditure towards salary is one of the key factors that the schools claim to be the reason behind the fee hike. Is there an ideal fee hike? Parents allege that schools hike fees by more than 20 percent and double it in about five years. It is suggested that ideally schools can hike fee anywhere between 10-15 percent. Everything needs maintenance, right from computers to science labs to sports facilities add up to the expenditure. “A parent should be prepared to pay a fee hike by 10 per cent every year,” opines Dr. Srinivasan. The private schools registered under Societies Registration Act or the Trusts Act is
supposed to be nonprofit organizations. The Supreme Court remarked that the government cannot fix a rigid fee structure and added that each institute must have the freedom to fix its own fee structure taking into consideration the need to generate funds to be used for the betterment and growth of the institution and provide facilities to students. Delhi Education Act gives freedom to schools to fix fees according to the facilities offered to students and the other expenditure incurred by the school. However, it will be subjected to auditing by the government appointed committee. Urban Expert, Ashwin Mahesh believes that such a system will be beneficial to parents and to schools as well. “In the existing system government is the operator of its own schools and regulator
of private schools. While regulation is imposed on private schools, there is none to monitor governments. Therefore, establishing an independent regulating body will enable strict monitoring of government as well as private schools. It will also improve the performance of government schools,” opines Mahesh. Amid concerns by parents over increase in school fees, Union HRD Minister, Ms. Smriti Irani said CBSE has asked affiliated schools july 16
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COVER STORY Fees is the only revenue for schools to sustain good quality education. Recruitment of teachers, training, procuring materials, provision for appropriate resources and materials, capital expenditure of infrastructure are the major investment for the school management. Parents also need to realize that apportioning of considerable funds for quality education of their children is very essential. The Government does not permit the ‘profit’ making schools. A possible solution could be to project the capital and operational expenditure of the school in the beginning of the school year and then decide the fee structure with a rider of return on investment back to the trust for growth and expansion of school. Alternatively, the school should be allowed autonomy to plan own expenses. In the Middle East and other countries, the regulatory body appointed by the Government monitors the management of the school. In fact, the school management, parents and other stakeholders need to be empathetic to each other’s needs.
Francis Joseph Founder, RMinds Education
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not to affect any raise arbitrarily and take into confidence parentteacher associations before initiating any fee hike. CBSE on its part advised that schools should be run as a ‘community service and not as a business enterprise’. The Government of India asked the States to consolidate the schools lacking proper infrastructure and such schools could be tied with bigger schools. “The Government will fully support the States so that the students can study classes 1 - 12 under one roof with full amenities,” Ms. Smriti Irani, informed. The Minister reiterated that ‘the fee hike is not in proposition to the facilities that are offered in schools’, and stressed that the schools should furnish receipts to parents for the fee collected and no fee should be collected
This is the fundamental flaw in our educational system. The Government should focus on the quality education system rather than fees. during mid-session. ‘The interests of students should be protected’, she emphasized. The Government of Maharashtra has a policy for private schools to curb arbitrary fee hike. The policy is parent-friendly but ambiguities have left several stakeholders disappointed with some planning to move court. The schools will have to set up a website disclosing vital information about the school and its management. The website should list the optional subjects, the fee structure, total fees for the year, the heads under which fees are to be charged, etc. The schools should file balance sheet and the contact details of the management.
Our education system is geared towards teaching and testing knowledge at every level as opposed to teaching skills. Now-a-days knowledge is largely forgotten after the semester examinations. Students focus on cramming information. This is the fundamental flaw in our educational system. The Government should focus on the quality education system rather than fees. Parents want the best and always prefer sending their wards to private schools. The steps that are being suggested will stop innovation and enthusiasm among school heads. Parents must realize that good things always come with a cost.
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INSTITUTIONAL PROFILE
P. V. Seshubabu
‘Sadvidya Bhavanam’ the centre of value-based education! Swami Madhavpriyadasji
Shri. Jaydev Sonagara
Propagating true knowledge . . . is the greatest endeavour at Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Vishwavidya Pratishthanam (SGVP), Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where quality is a way of life! Swami Madhavpriyadasji, President, SGVP and Shri Jaydev Sonagara, Executive Director, SGVP believe that the solution to all problems at world level does not come out from education only but by imbibing values. The school offers education to K-12 with a balanced emphasis on study, sports and spirituality.
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What explicit agenda for the optimal and innovative use of varied teaching methodologies are proposed to enhance the learning experience? Teaching at SGVP is personalized to achieve the set targets of learning and development and learning is a confluence of good traditional practices and the modern methods of teaching. Learning is through practical and demonstrative teaching and technology-based. Education is dynamic with Smart Classes, IT labs, world-class Science labs, Graphic Studio, Art room, etc. Morning Prayer assembly provides perfect platform to inculcate
spiritual values, discipline and character building among students. SGVP’s tie-up with the University of South Carolina provides an opportunity and exposure to crosscultural and global education. SGVP is also accredited by Advanced, USA and Indian School Audit and Accreditation Council (ISAAC). established Q leadership improvement agenda for How has the school
the school through research practices? SGVP regularly gets feedback from stakeholders to assess the performance and identify areas of improvement. The school adopts july 16
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INSTITUTIONAL PROFILE
the latest trends in education and the management representatives visit various reputed schools worldwide and identify the best practices of other schools. Periodic performance and map the progress of the school accordingly are discussed in the staff meetings.
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It is believed that the school has a sequence plan for curriculum for delivery and ensuring consistent teaching accompanied by continuous assessment to monitor learning across the year. Please elucidate. Educators prepare an annual curriculum plan – weekly and monthly – and the examination schedule, well in advance before the academic year. The course work is regularly monitored by coordinators, Vice-Principal and the Principal. The school is affiliated to Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination. The progress of students is monitored continuously throughout the year and the
corrective measures through remedial classes are undertaken accordingly. The lesson plans adhere to the highest levels of academic enterprise . . . Effective and proven pedagogical techniques with freedom of expression for the individual teacher are perfectly balanced. This combination has helped the students respond in a positive manner. The teachers have also uploaded many useful resource materials so as to enable other educators to access them. Thus the scheme of work is in place for new educators to adapt. Workshops are conducted to update the teaching-learning process and allow educators assess their own teaching and ensure that learning takes place effectively. Journey towards excellence. . . Teachers are trained continually to enhance and update their knowhow in the teaching-learning
process to identify the learning needs of students. The teachers have developed own Learning Management System aiming to achieve academic excellence. The senior management has taken the following initiatives to prepare the best task-force of teachers – • Voice of work-force survey to analyze the training needs of teachers • Workshop for teachers on innovative teaching methods • Workshop for teachers on technology integration • Workshop for teachers on Science, Technology, Engineering Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) – a unique way of student-centric learning with inquiry-based approach • Educators undergo rigorous training and upgrade themselves. • Educators are also nominated to attend seminars and workshops organized outside. Initiative by IT team The IT team designed a complete plan for search/download of educational content. Internet, computer lab, training, etc. have been provided to ensure that teachers are adequately supported. Mobile application is developed for frequent communication to parents about wards’ behavior and academic progress.
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to equip students to Q succeed excel in competitive world? How is your school able to
The pedagogy is focused on building the fundamental concepts and is drilled into the psyche of the student. This enables him to develop and master the subject. Practical exposure to active learning and use of technology gears the students to get equipped to face the challenges of the world. Students of class 11 and 12 are provided with integrated training to prepare for various competitive examinations.
The curricular activities are active learning techniques and bolster educators with passion and enhance the learning environment. Starter exercises, collaborative learning, peer assessment, projects, mind maps, interviews and classroom presentations form the key to the school academic system.
also discuss strategies which will uniquely cater to the child. Plans of events, activities and assessment are communicated through e-mail, telephone, SMS, whatsapp, facebook and website. Implementation of plans is done after taking the parents into confidence. holistic education Q isSGVP provided. Could you It is believed that at
elaborate? Education at SGVP is balanced on – study, sport and spirituality and responsible and sensitive humans are created. Students of SGVP have made a mark at national and international levels in education and sports. SGVP alumni are successful and leading citizens of our country and the world. Thus, SGVP ensures holistic development.
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The active involvement of parents compliments the efforts of the teachers in the school. Please explain. co-curricular and extraQ curricular activities the What kind of curricular,
school has envisaged for the students? The curricular activities are active learning techniques and bolster educators with passion and enhance the learning environment. Starter exercises, collaborative learning, peer assessment, projects, mind maps, interviews and classroom presentations form the key to the school academic system. The co-curricular activities such as Speech competitions, Quiz, debate, creative writing, public speaking and Olympiads help test students’ academic ability and prove to be huge confidence builders.
The extra-curricular activities are unparalleled which include dance, music, sports and games, horseriding, swimming and lawn tennis. Students are nurtured by the spirit of competition as it promotes personal well-being and health.
Q and balanced, distinctive
“The school offers a broad
academic education. The curriculum is founded on three way partnership of parents, students and teachers to ensure full involvement in the child’s growth.” Could you describe? Parents are involved in the child’s growth. The monthly parentteacher meetings not only inform the parents of the child’s academic performance and behavior but
Teachers and parents act in unison to bring about the development of the child. Parents are integral part of the process in a child’s development. Parents are constantly updated about the progress of their wards. Workshops and seminars are conducted for parents to guide them about effective parenting. School Counselors attend to the special needs of needy children. Parents are also invited to various programmes and activities conducted in the school not merely to witness but to partake! Parents and Teachers utilize the available resources effectively for the best academic experience while technology is used to bridge the gaps. july 16
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SPECIAL FEATURE
Shobha Mishra Ghosh Sr. Director, FICCI
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n ancient times in India, the education system, known as Gurukulashrams, required students from age 5 to 25 years to pass through a process of learning where knowledge, life-skills and values were learnt. The student was made aware of his/ her duties towards self, family, society and country as well as the importance of the knowledge they acquired. The family structure that existed in ancient India was the joint family system. All family members stayed together as a unit. The values of unity, love, affection, trust, respect, etc were imparted through values. These values were also lived in joint families.
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The changing social, traditional and familial structures due to The need to inculcate values industrialisation, technological and imbibe ethics, from the advancements, very beginning, has been felt Education is essentially globalisation and the by the society at large. The a process of growth and resulting conflict of National Policy on Education development, which continues values lead to serious (NPE), made a strong throughout the life of the individual dichotomies. recommendation for Education has to and is reflected strongly in the way including value education face these new in the teaching content. society responds in a given situation. challenges. The Whether studying science or mathematics In recent times, the education system CBSE and NCERT have or any language, values form an integral is undergoing been making efforts role in person’s development. Prerevolutionary to re-introduce Value school education as well as primary changes. Access Education (VE) into is being widened and secondary education bear a heavy the curriculum. Some and the quality responsibility for the future of humanity schools have prescribed enhanced, to take books for the subject. because they influence considerably advantage of the The National Education the thinking of the generations of country’s demographic Policy insists on establishing the leaders and the people of potential. However, the a Centre for Value Education tomorrow. moral value of the society (CVE’s) in all universities and is declining day by day and institutes of higher education the beliefs and attitudes of the with the sole purpose of imbibing promote young generation are changing human values in their campuses. ethical standards and drastically. Today, many educators, moral values in a successful way. Value education is a subject that administrators, and parents are Having laid the foundation well, it’s cannot be tested and graded. concerned over the startling important to integrate professional The learning outcomes are not rise in teen violence. In my view, ethics and values in every immediately visible. Values are early childhood education up to technical and higher education also something that the students secondary education is the most curriculum. will learn somehow or the other important battlefields where to
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and it cannot be the teacher’s responsibility alone. The society needs to recognize that students are not born with a set of values. They are imbibing values all the time, from their parents, teachers and peers. Hence, a combined effort is what will work to inculcate ethical values. No doubt, value education is both parent and public responsibility but schools and higher education institutions as organized institutions ought to take the major responsibility in fostering values in students. Schools and institutions can prioritize programmes and can also earmark some days or class periods. Experts, resource persons could be invited to have workshops with students and teachers wherever they deem fit. Special learning material can be designed to equip students with the fundamental values along with the development of scientific temper and the habit of rational and logical thinking.
Opportunities to the teachers for their professional development and networking with other organizations and schools engaged in similar endeavours would be useful for mutual learning and enrichment. Every school needs to evolve its own framework of values, create own goals, action plans and assessment criteria.
It is the interplay of school climate, positive relationships, modelling of the desirable values by adults, transaction of subjects as well as other curricular activities in schools which result in a healthy amalgam of education in values. There is a felt need for strengthening home-school and community partnership, concern for parent’s involvement in school and education of children. Opportunities to the teachers for their professional development and networking with other organizations and schools engaged in similar endeavours would be useful for mutual learning and enrichment. Every school needs to evolve its own framework of values, create own goals, action plans and assessment criteria. Special efforts have to be made to evaluate any impact in positive ways in terms of changes in school ethos, classroom climate, students’ and teachers’ attitudes etc. Evaluation should, therefore be aimed at ascertaining the level of implementation of plans by the school and changes taking place at different levels. Change is a gradual and subtle process. It takes time to get reflected in attitudes and values. Since nurturing values takes time, all the stakeholders would be continuously involved in assessing what they are doing, how effective their efforts are in bringing about change. Education for values needs to be pursued with will, commitment and the hope for transformation and change. july 16
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SPECIAL FEATURE
P. V. Seshubabu
Communication is widely accepted as both the goal and the means of language learning. Teachers are familiar with the advantages of group activities in English Language Teaching (ELT). The inter-relationship between the group members is also very effective when organized cooperatively. When students work together to achieve shared goals there are tremendous academic, cognitive and personal benefits. Group work, therefore, enjoys a central place among ELT methods because of the opportunities it offers for communicative practice. Small groups provide greater learner involvement and increased opportunities for interactive language use. They make communication more purposeful, encourage a greater range of language functions, develop independence and assist cognitive and affective development. Communication depends on the relationships among group members for success and the importance of these relationships has not been fully recognized in language teaching. Students learn best by collaborating with their peers. Because co-operative learning is based on interaction and person-to-person encounters, it is particularly valuable in English Language teaching.
There are three ways by which learning environment can be structured: 1) It can be set up so that students learn individually without interaction 2) It can be organized so the students study competitively 3) It can be set up to provide encouragement for students to work co-operatively Working individually, students ignore the learning goals of their peers while a competitive relationship tends to discourage all but the most able students. In co-operatively structured lessons, students discover they can only reach their learning goals in collaboration with others. Students, therefore, have to
discuss material with each other, help one another understand it, and encourage each other to work well and complete learning tasks. Collaboration also develops interpersonal and group skills and increases learner independence and confidence. Positive interdependence Developing the view that individual success depends on the success of others. This means giving common goals and joint rewards, sharing resources and dividing tasks and roles between members. Individual accountability Assessing individuals so that members are aware of each other’s weaknesses and are encouraged to assist each other in mastering material. Members are
CO-OPERATIVE
Group Learning When students work together to achieve shared goals there are tremendous academic, cognitive and personal benefits.
What is Co-operative Learning? The basic idea of Co-operative Learning is to create activities and use assessment and grouping methods that give learners an interest in one another’s progress. Co-operative learning goes beyond establishing constructive teacher-student relationships and providing appropriate materials. It depends on how relationships among learners are structured.
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accountable to the group through their contribution to the group performance Collaborative skills Assisting the development of the social and communicative skills needed to collaborate in learning situations. These include leadership, decisionmaking, conict-management, communication and so on. Group Processing Encouraging groups to focus on the actual performance of their work and assess the effectiveness of different procedures and strategies. This involves observation, monitoring and group feedback. Achieving co-operation Co-operation and positive teacher input is required to achieve the gains of co-operative learning. Mutual goals and shared learning responsibilities must be included in the classroom experience and learners provided with effective collaborative strategies to learn co-operatively from each other. Group composition and roles Co-operative learning values differences and so grouping
should be based on mixed abilities and distinct mother tongues. Heterogeneous groups tend to be more effective in solving problems
The interaction between the teacher and the members of the group is as important as the relationship between group members. Essentially, cooperative learning requires the joint management of both interaction and learning, implying new roles for teachers and learners.
as members can offer a diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds and abilities, generating a wider variety of ideas and language. Diversity provides opposition which is essential for problemsolving but groups should be between 4 and 6 members to ensure everyone can contribute and participate. An important aspect of co-operation is positive role of inter-dependence. Group goals and tasks Goals provide group motivation. The effectiveness of any group depends on structuring the personal goals of its members co-operatively. This ensures that actions are coordinated, resources pooled and relevant information communicated openly, honestly and accurately. Learning is the primary purpose of groups and the goal of a co-operative group is the learning of all is members. Teacher-Learner Responsibilities The interaction between the teacher and the members of the group is as important as the relationship between group members. Essentially, co-operative learning requires the joint management of both interaction and learning, implying new roles for teachers and learners. The teacher coordinates and facilitates cooperative learning, explaining the cooperative structure of the groups as well as the nature of july 16
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SPECIAL FEATURE the task and type of assessment. Students, on the other hand, have to make a greater contribution to the learning process, jointly planning, cooperating and using feedback to provide additional support and assistance to peers. Co-operative learning is likely to be unfamiliar to most students and group procedures and goalos need to be explained clearly. Good communication skills require group roles and members’ involvement. Members of the group must have clear
The teacher may need to intervene to help students plan and implement work or assist with the interpersonal and cooperative skills they need. Debriefing is central to cooperative group learning where individual accountability is important and feedback needs to be specific. expectations of what is required and accept group goals as their own. Consequently, goals need to be set carefully. Acceptance, openness and mutual trust will encourage the contribution of the members and improve their competence.
Co-operative learning activities stimulate interactive language use through the principle of interdependence: 1) Limit the resources distributed to a group so that the members share the available materials among them 2) Inter-dependence can be realized through multi-way tasks whereby each member has some information not shared by the others but which is required to complete the exercise. Individuals are therefore responsible for communicating what they know and this demands clear communication and the effective use of sending and comprehending skills for all members. 3) Inter-dependence may be achieved by ensuring that each group member’s work relies on that of others. Collaboration may involve a division of tasks among the group to complete a project, each member writing an act of a role play or an article for a group news-sheet. 4) Tasks may be structured as a controversy. Controversy promotes involvement and increases effectiveness in making creative decisions. Members should be aware that the object is not to ‘win’ an argument but to arrive at the best group solution possible by exploring different viewpoints and integrating different information. Such exercises typically require agreement by the group on a ranking, elimination or compilation activity. 5) An important aspect of co-operative learning is an awareness of task processing. Encouraging students to think about the way they are working fosters more critical, reflective and independent learners. It helps students develop autonomy and acquire the skills to learn with and from their peers, shifting responsibility for learning from the teacher to themselves. Cooperation should be just a spin-off of language practice; group tasks can provide a context for improving interactional and learning strategies.
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Much of teacher’s time is spent observing and monitoring to furnish groups with materials, information or skills to function effectively. The teacher may need to intervene to help students plan and implement work or assist with the interpersonal and cooperative skills they need. Debriefing is central to cooperative group learning where individual accountability is important and feedback needs to be specific. Assessment Traditionally, assessment in group work has been based on individual performance. However, rewarding individuals on the basis of overall group achievement promotes a sense of equality and fosters mutual respect, closer personal relationships, group loyalty and cooperativeness. Alternatively, criteria-referenced assessment would enhance common group standard rather than members trying to outperform one another. Students can examine the way they work together and learn to understand and develop their learning strategies. Students benefit academically and socially through cooperative group learning. The technique helps focus learners’ attention on both the process of interaction and procedures for planning, monitoring and evaluating their own and others’ learning activities. Collaboration in the learning task is based on mutual respect and the need to share information and expertise with others. Adapted from ‘Co-operative Group Work’ by Ken Hyland
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CHANGE MAKERS
S. Sainath
LISTEN
here are scores of brilliant students from Government Schools in the country who do not pursue education for want of money. A government school teacher, Dhrubajyoti Sen has taken upon himself to lend a helping hand to poor students to chase their dreams.
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Sen picks bright students who are in dire need for money and who have cleared their Board exams from Howrah, Hoogly district and provides books, tuition fee and also with the help of other teachers provides guidance to crack the IIT JEE exams.
There are a lot of students whose parents earn just `5,000 per month and cannot afford to send their children for further studies. With the syllabus changing ever so often, it becomes impossible to depend on old books. The Mathematics text book costs `600 (Bengali) and the English version `740. At the moment though he is only helping students pursue Science stream as he knows lecturer friends who teach Science and who are ready to help in his endeavor, he does not rule out the possibility of helping students from Arts stream but for that he says they would have to wait next year.
Dhrubajyoti Sen, a Mathematics teacher at a government school in Howrah parts with a portion of his salary to help poor students pursue education.
MATH TEACHER FROM HOWRAH HELPS FUND POOR STUDENTS’ EDUCATION Does he not have a problem with students lining up at his house for support? He does but he says I make sure that I help them in the available resources that I have but I want to continue this mission as long as I live, he says as he signs off.
When asked if his family had a problem with him helping people financially, he said that they have been supportive as it was a noble cause and it brings a positive change in the lives of children. “We spend so much money on entertainment, a little help will surely not make us poorer, he says.
Sen says, “My aim is to see at least a few brilliant students coming up in life. These bright students can make e a huge uge impact on society and societ someone som needs nee to help he them in what w little l way they can.”
“I want to lend a helping hand to students thinking about dropping out of school due to financial reasons, despite having a good result. I am willing to help them in any way.” Sen’s Facebook post has managed to garner much attention and create a buzz. Many students are reaching out to him with the details he asked for while several others are visiting his page to applaud his initiative. “After me, my daughter will take my mission forward,” he added. july 16
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INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY Yoga creates overall harmony of body and mind. It enhances mental and physical well being. Millions around the globe celebrated the 2nd International Yoga Day on June 21, 2016. To mark the occasion, yoga sessions were held in schools, ofďŹ ces, public parks and many other locations.
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EVENT REPORT
an educational initiative
Launches Children’s
Monthly Magazines he programme started with a scintillating Kuchpudi dance performance by the students of Musunuri Academy of Dance, Kukkatpally, Hyderabad. ‘Deepanjali Nritya’ and ‘Shivoham’ where the students balanced the ‘Kalasam’ on their heads and candle lights in their palms and standing on pots was stupendous and enthralled the audience! The students were guided by their ‘guru’ Ms. Indira Musunuri.
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Brainfeed Group organized ‘The Grand Launching of Children’s Monthly Magazines’ on June 27, 2016 at Ravindra Bharati, Hyderabad. Dr K V Ramana Chary, I.A.S. (Retd.) Adviser, Government of Telangana, was the Presiding Guest. Shri Potturi Venkateswara Rao, Dr Chukka Ramaiah, Eminent Educationist, Shri K V Pradeep, Artist & Motivational Speaker, Shri S. Srinivas Reddy, President, TRSMA, Ms Seetha Murthy, Director Education, Silver Oaks International Schools, Hyderabad & Bengaluru were Guests of Honour. 32
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Shri. B. S. N. Murthy, Director, Kennedy High School, warmly welcomed the Guests to the dais and introduced them to the
audience. This was followed by Prayer Song - invoking Lord Ganesha ‘Ganapathi Vandanam’ and Sri Dakshinamoorthy Stotram was rendered melodiously by the students of Brahmam Talent Hight School, Hyderabad. The customary Lighting of Lamp further sanctified the entire atmosphere. Dr. K. V. Ramana Chary while presiding over the programme invited Shri. K. V. Brahmam, Founder & Chief Editor, Brainfeed Group of Magazines to deliver the objective of the programme and the journey of Brainfeed Group of Publications.
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Shri. K. V. Brahmam said that ‘Brainfeed’ is a monthly educational initiative enjoying a circulation of over 40,000 catered to the educational needs of stakeholders in education – school management, teachers, and students – all in one! He explained how the newly launched children’s magazines are exclusively for the benefit of students at different levels.
Dr. K. V. Ramana Chary requested the dignitaries to release the newly launched children’s magazines: Dr. Chukka Ramaiah released the ‘Brainfeed Junior’ magazine meant for children in 3 – 6 age groups (Nursery, LKG & UKG) Shri. Potturi Venkateswara Rao released ‘Brainfeed Primary’ for children in 6-8 age groups (Classes 1 & 2) Dr. K. V. Ramana Chary released ‘Brainfeed Primary’ for children in 8-10 age groups (classes 3-5)
Shri. Srinivasa Reddy, Shri. Neti Srinivasan, Shri. K. V. Pradeep and Ms. Seetha Murthy have released ‘Brainfeed High’ for students in 10-16 age groups (classes 6-10) Dr. K. V. Ramana Chary, in his Presidential address, emphasized that one should have clear goal in life. Aspirations alone would not enable one to achieve goal. It should be combined with ‘shraddha’ – single-minded hard work to achieve the goal. He reiterated that school is a temple of knowledge and what you study and how you achieve your goal is
more important than where you study. He presented the living example of ‘Kumba Saraswathy’ IIT Ramaiah Garu. Shri. Potturi Venkateswara Rao highlighted that very presence of Dr. Chukka Ramaiah Garu reflected the quality content of the newly released magazines. He also appreciated that the language used was very simple and lucid. july 16
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EVENT REPORT Shri. K. V. Pradeep very aptly used the famous Shakespearean words: ‘To be or Not to be’ to describe the career choice in respect of Dr. K. V. Ramana Chary Garu , who chose I.A.S and became the cultural ambassador of Telangana; Dr. Chukka Ramaiah set an example of himself and became a role model for IIT aspirants. He emphasized the fact that ‘To be or not to be’ is in the choice of students of chalking out their own career. Similarly, ‘To read or not to read’ is the choice of students. “‘Brainfeed’ magazines strive to inculcate the spirit of reading habit among students and it is up to them – the choice is theirs!” Shri. K. V. Pradeep remarked. Ms. Seetha Murthy in her speech stressed that reading was the only treasure that remained with one throughout life. She complimented the excellent work executed by Shri. K. V. Brahmam in bringing out childrenoriented magazines trying inculcating reading habit in students and broadening their horizon of knowledge. Shri. Neti Srinivasan pointed out that future is bright for India and her people. Being one of the largest economies and having huge workforce available, opportunities abound in India. India could become a powerful economy only when students acquire the relevant skills. Shri. Srinivasa Reddy said that ‘Brainfeed’ magazines would be helpful to students to keep abreast of the latest innovations in the world of education. The magazines enrich knowledge of students especially for the CCE pattern under CBSEcurriculum.
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Dr. Chukka Ramaiah graced the inaugural function in spite of his ill-health. His love for children and affinity ‘abhimaan’ for education drew him to attend the programme directly from NIMS, Hyderabad. “Schools are developing faster than any other changes taking place in the world,” said Dr. Ramaiah Garu in his highly thought-provoking speech. He reiterated that teacher was important and the learner was more important in the entire process of teachinglearning. In fact, “students are the key to the whole educational process”, remarked the IIT Guru. “In the changed educational scenario, the teachers need to update their knowledge and ‘equip’ themselves with the changes taken place; the classroom teaching methodology should be revolutionized,” Dr. Ramaiah Garu thundered. He said that Finland stood on top in the advancement of education system followed by Singapore, Poland and South Korea in that order. ‘India needs to catch up!’ he said emphatically.
If teachers worked with an attitude of ‘service motto’ they would be able to provide ‘vidya dhaanam’ to the eager learners.
He said that education is the challenge for the newly formed Telangana and added that education alone could improve the standard of living. While complimenting the role of teachers, he stressed that teachers should develop the skills of teaching in order to be ‘professionals’. If teachers worked with an attitude of ‘service motto’ they would be able to provide ‘vidya dhaanam’ to the eager learners. Teachers’ role is to build the future society with the edifice of ‘knowledge’.
He reiterated that Hyderabad was a ‘knowledge hub’ therefore teachers should develop the resources for learning. He spelt out that teachers should feel proud about being a teacher and be happy for the opportunity to serve for future citizens of the society. The Guests were presented with mementos by Shri. K. V. Brahmam as a token of gratitude for their august presence and for launching the new children’s magazines. The staff of Brainfeed Group was presented with mementos in appreciation of their excellent work in launching the magazines. Shri. P. V. Seshubabu, Group Editor, proposed a vote of thanks.
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an educational initiative
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Glimpses of Brainfeed’s
Grand Launching of Children’s Magazines
02/07/2016 3:21:34 PM
MENTORING
P. V. Seshubabu
What is classroom management? How is it different today? The concept of a classroom earlier was a teacher dominated scenario, one way transaction of information, student’s passive presence, no discussion and no questions.
PRINCIPAL
AS
LEADER Effective Principals are responsible for establishing a school wide vision of commitment to high standards and the success of all students. They ensure that notion academic success for all gets picked up by the faculty and underpins. Principals often view leadership and management as two different roles but the effective Principals know how to blend the two.
It is different now. Teacher is a facilitator. Technology has entered our classrooms. Learners are diverse, learning styles are varied. Group work and collaboration is encouraged more. Classes have to be engaging and stimulating. An effective response to these classroom needs calls for new set of skills and preparation on the part of the teacher. How can school leadership ensure better management of classrooms? The teacher! Yes teacher competency is the key. Investment in teacher preparation and treating teachers as an asset is the foremost function of the leadership. Any classroom flow consists of a stimulating introduction, an engaging follow up and a crisp sum-up. Classroom experience of the students should build their curiosity and craving for learning. They should be encouraged to construct knowledge. These skills could be learnt and it should be part of in-service teacher education programme. Parents’ aspirations are ever rising. Can that be managed? Yes! The first thing is to treat their aspirations as those of the children. Both parents and students are important stakeholders. Howsoever unreasonable their demands appear on the face, it should be welcomed with respect. Building trust with the parents is the key to managing aspirations. They deserve a patient hearing without getting provoked even in the face of extreme circumstances. Besides, the feedback from them should be taken positively as guiding lamp posts. Every parent aspires their children to do better than they did themselves. It is better to work around it rather than against it.
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BRAINFEED brings out the second in the series of responses of eminent educationist Dr Ashok Kumar Pandey, Principal, Ahlcon International School, Mayur Vihar, New Delhi to the questions of Principals about effective management of school by ‘Principal as Leader’.
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Principal requires intense timemanagement. Please explain how to organize the day to meet various demands and commitment required as a school Principal? The moment we talk about management be of time or anything, we are admitting that a leader is both a leader and a manager,And therefore lets remember that leadership is an art and the management a science.Leadership is at the level of spirit characterized by vision, management is at the level of mind characterized by processes, School principal has no choice but to be the both. The problem is that we blame our managerial role for our leadership shortcomings and the vice verse.Delegation, prioritization and personal discipline could be of help.
Ms. Punita Principal, Hill Top School, Jamshedpur
Mr. K. T. V. Prasad Director, Sri Rama Rural Academy, Chilumuru
Mr. S. Krishna Mohan Director, Sri Vijaya Sai School, Bhodan
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How to recruit and maintain quality teachers and staff members? Recruitment of teachers of the quality. competence and calibre that one requires is rather tricky.Its a well known fact that the best from colleges do not prefer teaching as a preferable career option.Our teacher training colleges do not do full justice in preparing teachers either. Having said that I must add those who are passionate about teaching and wish to commit to teaching look forward to an institution known for good environment, growth opportunity and pleasant working conditions. School managements on one hand are encouraged to provide the best opportunities to prospective candidates and on the other are left with choosing the best out of the available.Once a teacher is in, their growth, learning, in service education is the responsibility of the organization.Every teacher has her first day. Only school leaders and mentors can make them first rate.
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How to foster effective schoolcommunity relationship? Schools are reflection of society they are situated in. They represent the community and they are potential change agents. Students and the parents are the extensions of the school taking it to the community. Therefore the first relationship should be forged with the parents. Integrating their resources, within the campus and sharing the school resources back to the community could be the agreeable model of out reach. Schools teach children subject competencies, sports and co-scholastic areas. There are parts of learning such as developing social sensitivities, empathy,service which can only be cultivated through direct connect. Students must be encouraged to involve in advocacy, campaigns, people-to-people connect for a variety of programmes. That includes energy conservation, environment. cleanliness,blood donation, care for the elderly and many more areas of importance in the local, global context.
‘Principal as Leader’ will be a regular feature published every month. Principals may send their queries and Dr. Ashok Pandey will answer. The queries may be sent to editor@brainfeedmagazine.com on or before 15th of every month.
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EDUCATION
P. V. Seshubabu
OPEN-ENDED
Questions Enhance Academic and Social Learning
Language is one of the most powerful tools available. Teachers can use language to enhance children’s curiosity, reasoning ability, creativity, and independence. One effective way to do this is by asking open-ended questions -- those with no single right or wrong answer. Open-ended questions elicit fresh insights and ideas, opening minds and enabling teachers and students to build knowledge together.
Open-ended questions in action A class is about to read a new story and the children have opened their books to the first page. The teacher asks a series of openended questions that draw out students’ thoughts, knowledge and feelings: “What interesting words do you see?” A few hands go up. “Castle!” shouts a student. What clues does this word give you as to what the story might be about?” “Knights? Usually castles have kings and knights.” “Maybe it’s a fairy tale,” Meera adds. “Hmm. Interesting,” the teacher muses. “What makes you think it might be a fairy tale?” Students share some thoughts on the nature of fairy tales. The teacher brings them back to the original question. “What are some other interesting words on this page?” “Milkmaid,” responds a student. “What’s a milkmaid?” “Hmm, what might a milkmaid be? Any guesses?” “My grandmother told me a story about a milkmaid. It’s a poor girl who works hard,” responds a student. “Oh, it might be a clue, what other clues could help us understand this word?” the teacher asks The conversation continues with the students deeply engaged.
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After a while, the group discusses context clues, compound words, historical jobs and fairy tales versus historical fiction, gender roles, and more. The students have been prompted to think, share their knowledge, analyze information, and connect ideas. Students’ interest in the story grows and the teacher learns a great deal about what the students know. Much of these ideas have generated out of open-ended question. What makes open-ended questions more powerful? Students’ learning naturally loops through a cycle of wonder, exploration, discovery, reflection, leading them on to increasingly complex knowledge and sophisticated thinking. The power of open-ended questions comes from the way these questions tap into that natural cycle, inviting students to pursue their own curiosity about how the world works. Open-ended questions show students that teachers trust them to have good ideas, think for themselves, and contribute in valuable ways. The resulting sense of autonomy, belonging, and competence leads to engagement and deep investment in classroom activities.
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Tips for crafting open-ended questions Learning any new language habit takes reflection, time, and much practice. For open-ended questions to be effective, it’s critical that we ask them with real curiosity about thinking: “How could you use colour pencils to show what you know about butterflies?” the teacher asked the question. “You could draw a butterfly and show the different parts,” one student replied. Others suggested, “You could make a map of Monarch butterflies’ migration paths,” and “You could make a chart showing the butterfly’s life cycle.” Then another student offered, “You could write a story about a butterfly’s life and use different colors for different times in its life.” Truly surprised by this last suggestion, the teacher realized that if she hadn’t felt and conveyed genuine curiosity, the student probably wouldn’t have created such a great idea. This has enhanced students’ learning and the butterfly project has become successful.
Students can tell when the teachers are genuinely interested in their ideas. If the teachers are truly interested, over time students develop trust in teachers and the responses would become skilful creative. “How could you use the colour pencils to show what you know about butterflies?” The student answered, “You could pretend that the colour pencils are butterflies and make a play about them.” “How could you use these colour pencils to draw or write something that shows what you know about butterflies?” is still an open-ended question.
Sometimes an openended question leads to competition to see who can give the best answer. Although wellmanaged competition has a place in certain school arenas, teachers usually use open-ended questions when the goal is for students to collaborate, to learn from and with each other, not to compete.
Sometimes an open-ended question leads to competition to see who can give the best answer. Although well-managed competition has a place in certain school arenas, teachers usually use open-ended questions when the goal is for students to collaborate, to learn from and with each other, not to compete. To keep discussions from turning into competitions, phrase your questions carefully. Competition often arises from questions beginning with “who” or “whose” (“Who knows a good way to use clay?”); using words such as better, best or most (“How can we make this graph the most beautiful?”); or somehow elevating some students above others (“Kerry, what strategies for writing neatly can you show the class?”). These natural-seeming ways of talking assume some answers will be better than others, which encourages competition. A simple rephrasing helps. Instead of “Who can tell me a good way to use the clay?” try “What are some good ways we could use the clay?” Replace “How can we make this graph the most beautiful?” with “What are some different ways to make this graph beautiful?” Path to true learning Open-ended questions power academic and social learning. Such questions encourage students’ natural curiosity, challenging them to think for themselves, and inviting them to share their view of the world. The result: engaged learners who are motivated to learn and whose responses enlighten their classmates and their teacher. Slightly adapted from the article by Paula Denton Courtesy: Education World - Responsive Classroom, Northeast Foundation for Children
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EDUCATION
Sapna Simmi Sukul Director, Sparsh
Sparsh has also taken up the unenviable task of bringing many slum dweller kids to the class trainers room. together have been working on social and emotional quotient of these children. They too need an upbringing which the parents alone can’t provide, and they do not have knowledge about special needs.
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
Thus the broader idea remains to give each student a bigger platform along with students of formal schooling. During
World Disability Day 2015
400 differently abled students, 300 EWS children along with 500 formal school Presidium students s we move towards 22nd century we are witnessing changes in all spheres of life. Our core values have changed over the years and so too has our education system. Before we address education, we must examine the inuence on humankind of great individuals like Lincoln, Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Mandela. The only single word that comes to mind is inclusiveness.
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The concept of Inclusive education to a large extent deals with bringing various strata of society that are segregated into different socio-economic classes, within the same classroom. India is
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both culturally and linguistically a very diverse country. I am therefore very happy to mention the contribution of British Council, who through so many of their programmes has brought many educators on the same page. In Delhi private schools have 25% of their students from economically weaker sections of society. But that is not enough. The concept of Inclusiveness has to now extend to children with special needs. All of us have to empathize with the parents of these children who face a major struggle in their daily life. The parents, the teachers and the
showcased their talents in sports and culture in one of the national stadiums in Delhi. It was an eye opener and left the audience spellbound as the electrifying performances during the entire event was worth replicating again and again. It boosted their morale and spirits in every aspect. As we continue to talk about widening the scope of education, it has been a global objective to improve quality standards in the education sector and to make every citizen more responsible. Challenges to this system are many, especially in developing countries like India. For instance, the child protection
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and anti bribery policies have been reinforced again and again and this keeps everyone on their toes and prevents them from ‘crossing the line’. The scope of inclusive education goes way beyond bringing everyone to the classroom and moves into making the curriculum more inclusive. What better can one do to the world other than cleaning up the environment? We have to face the truth that the biggest threat to humankind is environmental degradation. We took on one small project under the aegis of Tetrapak and Teri. Different organisations agreed to collect their used cartons and send them for recycling. Hence we collected used cartons right from Army organisations in Kashmir to embassies in Delhi to hospitals. Another project was undertaken in a flash-flood devastated village in Uttrakhand. The preliminary assessment of their needs was
A small project has become a mass movement amongst kids to collect tetra pack cartons. This project works on principle of
R5
Reduce Reuse Recycle Rethink Restore
This brings out the best in every child. It has evoked lot of interest amongst students with the idea of recycling and making it as fun activity where they were the leaders. Along with it they learned the importance of recycling teamwork, communication and collaboration and the umbrella phenomenon of inclusivity by all.
The scope of Inclusive education goes way beyond bringing everyone to the classroom and moves into making the curriculum more inclusive. carried out in one of the affected villages. The children sold their own artwork and raised funds from which we presented a soya milling machine to the villagers. Inclusiveness, however, is incomplete without an
international dimension. So what could be better than bringing the hearts and minds of India and Pakistan together? His Excellency Mr. Abdul Basit, the high commissioner of Pakistan to India accepted an invitation to the NGO when our special students visited his office. He literally stole four hours from his busy schedule and witnessed their cultural programme and enjoyed the sight where students from formal schooling shared same stage with them. The impact was so deep that one eminent TV journalist covering Indo-Pak relations who near about gate crashed the event for interviewing the Ambassador was moved beyond doubt and had to leave his interview for another time and place. In conclusion, inclusiveness is a wide canvas. We must add all the colours, shades and hues to paint the most beautiful picture. Mark my words, if the intentions are good, the standards will automatically be high. I am sure that when we return home there will be something new to include for our institutions. july 16
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PARENTING
HELPING YOUR
Anxious Teenage kid
Mrs. Meenal Arora Executive Director SHEMROCK Preschools; Founder & Director SHEMFORD Futuristic Schools
hild’s birth is one of the happiest and the most memorable moments in our lives. As parents, I hope you value & cherish all the stages of your child from her first crawl, to her first words, to her first scribble, etc. As doting parents, you tend to follow your parenting instincts and wish to handhold your little angels through all their stages for their bright & happy future. But, little do we realise that each stage comes with its own set of moments, milestones and challenges as children undergo series of physical, mental, social and emotional developments. As they traverse through various stages from a baby to a toddler, from a preschooler to a teenager,
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it is the need to update our skills and knowledge and to transform from being good mentors & instructors to being good counselors & friends.
Here are certain tips I’d like to share with you all to help you deal positively with this crucial stage, which, if handled with care, would end gradually.
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ommunication is the first step to solving our problem – Set time each day to talk to your child, when the focus is exclusively on your teen. Always focus on listening and never on lecturing. Listen gently; respecting the child’s comfort level by acknowledging her feelings and pains. Make her feel that you understand and support her in her agony. Be positive, empathetic and help her gain confidence that she can handle all the situations well.
As doting parents, you tend to follow your parenting instincts and wish to handhold your little angels through all their stages for their bright & happy future.
Although, all these stages need care and proper guidance from parents, entering Puberty or Teenage is considered the most challenging phase of all. It is a time when the child is the most confused and is in need of right counseling, which, if denied and not dealt with properly, may lead to drastic negative issues such as sadness, anger, irritability, tearfulness, hostility, loss of interest, difficulty in concentration, serious health problems, moodiness and sometimes, even depression.
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aintaining physical health: a priority – Physical health and mental fitness are interrelated. Teenagers, these days tend to develop unhealthy habits such as staying up late, eating junk food and spending hours on electronic devices. Diverting their energies towards the artistic activities such as walking, dancing, swimming, riding, etc. will ensure sound physical growth and mental development. Further, this would even reduce their screen time which is isolating them. Top it up with a nutritious and balanced meal as it would make their body and mind happy and supplement it with a sound sleep to unwind all the stress too.
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ncourage Social Connections – The positive interaction and healthy relationship with the immediate community and the society at large plays a crucial role in determining the psychological health of an individual, especially a teenager. A teenager may easily feel ignored or unwanted and may tend to feel negative about herself. Motivating her to develop good relations at home, with peers, family, friends and society help her feel valued and accepted. Also, encouraging your child to be a volunteer would be a good bonding experience. Doing things for others is a powerful self-esteem booster.
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nvolvement in Co-Curricular activities – A day well spent is a day full of fun, enthusiasm and jubilation. Your child’s active participation in areas of her interest will not only help unveil the child’s hidden talent but would also help to build her self-esteem and boost her self-confidence. So, suggest activities like music, dance, sports, art; as per your teen’s interest and talent to motivate her so that she starts feeling good about herself.
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rofessional Help, if required – Keeping all these points in mind would surely help our children boost their morale and gain confidence; still, in case the condition worsens and is not in our control, it is always advisable to take professional guidance from experts with advanced training and strong background for treating teenagers. Always remember, a kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal. Last, but definitely not the least, it is very important to take care of ourselves also as we parents are so involved in solving the problems of our children, that we tend to neglect our own mental and physical state.
For this, it is important to reach out for the much needed support of other family members, as the saying goes “You can’t do everything on your own. It takes a village.” In the end, remember to live in a way so that whenever your children, in future, think of LOVE, FAITH, CARE, GUIDANCE, they think of you. july 16
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FILM REVIEW
P. V. Seshubabu
‘ROUGH BOOK’ Cast: Tannishtha Chatterjee, Amaan Khan, Joy Sengupta, Jayati Bhatia, Vinay Jain, Kinjal Rajpriya
s y touche The stor mes – from upon the poaching teacher-cessive to the exis on coaching emphas ular classes over reg eas are not but the idrongly. voiced st
Direction: Ananth Mahadevan Genre: Drama Duration: 1 Hour 40 minutes
Story: After a traumatic break up with her husband, Santoshi joins a new school. The physics teacher is given the weakest class to coach. It is an insurmountable task to make her students focus on studies. Will her guidance help them?
Review: Ananth Mahadevan’s ‘Rough Book’ has certain overtones with Sidney Poitier’s 1967 classic, ‘To Sir, With Love’. A sincere teacher and a class full of incorrigible students makes for the notable film. Ananth and his co-writer Sanjay Chauhan sketched the
myriad shades of the protagonist, Santoshi. She is everything one expects her to be – a mix of 3 idiots’ Ranchoddas Chanchad with a wee bit of Maria from ‘The Sound of Music’. Unwaveringly idealistic, fiercely honest and unafraid of authority, she brings a new lease of
Rough Book is an honest film which questions the prevalent education system in the country. It exposes the stress level of a teacher and a student likewise. It highlights the growing race for marks and our high dependence, as an education system, on examinations which sadly is the one of the only prevailing indicator to be a successful learner. It raises some valid questions about the relationship between the management and the teachers at
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life in her students. The teacher-student camaraderie which is pivotal is focused in a subtle manner. The Director delves into Suhail’s journey from reckless to studious. The transformation happens abruptly without much impact.
The story touches upon themes – from teacher-poaching to the excessive emphasis on coaching over regular classes - but the ideas are not voiced strongly. The mission is portraying education as a calling and not a money-minting business.
large. It’s not a “reel” life in the film; but a “real” life about our schools. Thanks to Aakash Chaudhry, Anant Mahadevan, Viveck Vaswani, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Amaan Khan, Kaizaad Kotwal, Jayati Bhatia and the complete Rough Book team for adding such a lot of value to our teachers and for building their efforts as Nation Builders. – Francis Joseph, Director, RMinds Education
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Shri Ananth Narayan Mahadevan is a screen writer, actor and director of Hindi and Marathi films and television serials in India. He has been an integral part of the Indian television serials and Hindi films since 1980s. Besides, he has been actively involved in the professional English and Hindi theatre. His latest film ‘Gour Hari Dastaan’ was part of the Indian panorama at the International Film Festival of India, Goa, Kerala, Bengaluru and Chennai. His next film ‘Rough Book’ has already created enough excitement at the festival circuit and the Film Bazaar recently held at Goa.
festivals Dorothy Wenner says “this film has laid its finger on the wound of education and is the best film on education made in India”.Students, parents and teachers who have watched pre-release screenings have looked on the film as an eyeopener.
What prompted you to choose the title – ‘Rough Book’ – to the film? Is it justified? The education system in India and many parts of the world is as sketchy as the work in our rough books…and like our teachers insisted, it needs to be “faired”. So the title ROUGH BOOK accomplishes a double task…of being a catchy title and a metaphorical one. Is the plot of the film an attempt to send a signal to the educational planners about the pitfalls in the educational life and in the education system in India? system. What is ‘Rough Book’trying to suggest? The ailments are deep Does it drive home phobia rooted. Would you feed about examinations in the your children medicine minds of students? that has expired? Then why induce a system that has expired decades ago? Firstly, Rough Book steers away from anything that is Irrelevant paper chases, a clichéd and predictable rat race for high scores approach of cinema to the and admissions oversee urgent topic of education. the actual truth…that no It strings together real country ever developed life teachers’ experiences on rank holders alone. It is aptitude and enterprise through the journey of a teacher SantoshiKumari that lead to innovations. who steps out to celebrate failure as the first step ‘TaareZameen Par’ highlighted the problems to success.The film deals with several issues regarding disabled like coaching classes, child and ‘Chalk-Nsegregation of students, Duster’ focused on the teacher poaching and hardships of teachers in
It is believed that the film asserts how the existing educational system impedes opportunities for growth and teachers’ typical demand and supply mentality toward education. Could you elaborate? The indiscriminate way in which colleges target cent percent toppers, the other roadblocks that bureaucracy invading make life difficult for college premises, the student,parent and differentiation of students teacher. who aren’t considered Do you expect any impact bright enough to boost the in the education system institution’s rank status… in India after the film is these are some of the released? points raised in the film. The response of several educationalists likeAvnitaBir[Principal, Poddar School] and the Education Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia has been overwhelming. MrSisodia says “what I have set out to achieve in the last 12 months, this film has done in 2 hours”. The selector for the Berlin and Dubai
What message would you like to pass to the viewers? Education which determines the furure of youth and subsequently the nation and world at large has become a virtual Bermuda triangle of issues concerning students,parents and teachers. This triangle needs to be solved,pronto!
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SPECIAL FEATURE Ms. Anne Sivanathan Educationist, Malaysia
LISTEN
Therapeutic
rumming ngaging the brain to drumming movement is central to learning. Kinesthetic movement engages the cerebellum, the part of the brain that affects movement and timing. Movement activities have an impact on more than just physical learning; each development is linked developmentallyphysical, social, emotional, cognitive is closely related to the other.
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I attended a workshop by Dr Jane Bentley on therapeutic drumming two months ago. In the beginning of the session I was feeling insecure as I had no drumming experience and everyone in that room looked like
they were professional musicians. At the end of the day, I realized that one need not be a professional to enjoy drumming or drum circle. A drum circle is any group of people playing handdrums, percussion or other instruments in a circle. They are distinct from a drumming group or troupe, in that the drum circle is an end in itself rather than preparation for a performance. It is important that the facilitator ensures that the ‘space’is safe. Dr Jane Bentley certainly ensured that ‘safe’ space. Her approach to engage, focus and meeting my needs to settle was just to be admired. She understood right away that I needed more time to connect new information. This is a trait that all teachers must have, as research shows that most children cannot process information for an extended time. Movement experience enables children to process better what they are already learning. Drum circle sessions work best for all! This I have witnessed in the work of Edwin Nathaniel who is a musician and also owns a music school in Malaysia ‘Music Mart’ Edwin has been volunteering for more than ten years now at the Spastic Centre in Malaysia and has trained the students there and now they have a band and perform for social engagements. It is through his great work that I have a better understanding of how music is
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therapeutic and does well for the social wellbeing of a person amongst other things. Music, connects regardless he says! In a classroom the daily activities can be challenging, for some, times when children tend to be fidgety or low on energy, drumming helps to calm the environment; it can be performed with chants, songs and even dance. The teacher can choose any style preferred based on a few components that match the skill levels of the children, some may be afraid of loud sounds or totally disinterested in sounds. Activities like this can help children overcome issues they are challenged with. An example: In a drum circle session, there was a boy with autism showing no interest at all. He was seen sitting on the teacher’s lap; he was not forced to participate as being in that circle was seen as Jane has been participation. After a while drumming for picked an instrument and 24 years, and a he began playing with facilitator for 16 it ,upon seeing this the years. In 2011 teacher called his name she was awarded and asked him if he would like to play with the drum, the first ever he immediately got up and PhD based on went to the drum, this is an drum circles and achievement to see great improvisation, confidence and leadership highlighting the skills in the child. The effects of group effect of group drumming is ‘magic’. music on human
wellbeing. She Dr. Jane’s presentation was recently won very clear; she ensured that participants had a complete the BBC unsung grasp of the activity so that hero award. everybody can perform competently. Start small and build over it over time, building on familiar exercises also builds a sense of novelty, while allow all involved, to use prior knowledge if any.
What did I learn? I took my learning experience to Bangladesh and Nepal working with children of different learning needs. The child’s comfort level and point of view must not be ignored. It is important that children are allowed to do what is meaningful and relevant to them, under the supervision of the adult. It is important to offer children challenging learning experiences that leads them to be thinkers- “how do I make this instrument sound louder, softer, what will happen if both hands are used?” Educational goals must not only include knowledge and skills but also the dispositions that will enable children to go on learning. We can help children to lead, teach them how to serve as moderators or mediators in class discussions and allow them to vote or resolve conflicts and to voice issues that need everyone’s attention. All this is possible through therapeutic drumming! Music In a set up where inclusion encourages all for the special needs is children to be involved practiced, drumming in the meaningful acts as a good way to process of life and Jane embrace that. This has taught me to be can also be used as an more expressive. assessment tool, the more closely we observe children, the more evident are their capabilities. As an educator our role is to trust children and be willing to relinquish some control. There will be a Music Therapy conference in Malaysia on August 20-21, 2016.
“Music as a Catalyst for Nation Building and community growth.”
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SPECIAL FEATURE
Vanalatha
A Young India Fellow at Yale
Peeyush Khare joined Young India Fellowship (YIF) in New Delhi
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Graduated from VIT, Vellore and having an advanced American engineering degree, Peeyush Khare joined Young India Fellowship (YIF) in New Delhi for studying Liberal Arts that turned out to be a fabulous experience which changed his understanding of the world. Peeyush believes in striving for diverse academic and life experience, and has received his education in five different universities in India, Europe and the US, all on scholarships. He says that putting oneself in a constructive, unfamiliar environment and observing how one reacts to what it has to offer is the best way to attain individual growth. Mr. Peeyush Khare, a PhD student at Yale University, USA, responded to the questionnaire sent by Brainfeed.
Q
You carried out a scientific environmental research at Virginia Tech. What was the research about? My research work at Virginia Tech focused on the aggravating issue of indoor air pollution. I specifically focused on determining the extent to which virus laden floor dust could resuspend in indoor air during human walking. The work was a combination of physical experiments and computer simulations. We found in our research that kids of height up to 1 meter or below are especially susceptible to breathing in pathogens carrying floor dust resuspended by walking adults. It has important implications for several households where small children are let be close to the floor. in New Delhi for Q studying liberal You joined YIF
arts. Please share your experience as a YIF. YIF is among the most extraordinary academic experiences I have had so far. YIF strives to build wellinformed individuals who are motivated to lead the nation to the loftiest frontiers of its ambitions. At YIF, I was thoughtfully taken out of my comfort zone i.e. engineering and was exposed to beautifully diverse subjects like art appreciation,
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business, mathematical reasoning, foundations of leadership, psychology, sociology etc. It broadened my intellect and inoculated an ability in me to break out of disciplinary boundaries. I find this a critical ability to have in today’s world where seeking interconnections is essential to finding effective solutions for modern societal problems.
Q
You were among 12 national scholars for the Charpak exchange. What experience did you gain from the Charpak exchange? After gaining an advanced degree in environmental engineering, I was interested in understanding the political and economic dynamics which governs the implementation of technological solutions. French Embassy instituted Charpak Scholarship allowed me to pursue this interest at the world renowned Sciences Po Paris. At
Sciences Po, I learned about the development related environmental issues in East Asia, sustainability issues associated with growth in developing nations and also how the geographic distribution of mineral resources affects global politics and policy implementation. Paris is among the world centers for sustainability debate and it was exciting to discuss burning environmental issues with my European peers.
Q
Your article on alternatives to economic growth has been selected among the world’s best 16 articles for the Leaders of Tomorrow Summit at the St. Gallen Symposium 2016, Switzerland. Please comment. I was part of the Leaders of Tomorrow cohort at the St. Gallen Symposium 2016 where I met with emerging leaders from fifty nations. In my article on alternatives to economic growth titled ‘Stop Measuring
Happiness from Material Gains’, I have voiced for the growing need to alter our perception of happiness. I argued for the need for financial equality across all sectors of society along with incentivizing work through non-monetary benefits. I strongly believe that unless we stop measuring our happiness from what we consume or accumulate and start measuring it from what we give back to the planet, we cannot march into the future as one cohesive, sustainable global society.
Q
What kind of preparations and efforts should one take to achieve Young India Fellowship? YIF is an education for life and equips one with new intellectual lenses to see the world from. It is not based on a written exam but rather on a thorough investigation of an individual’s talents, mindset, perceptions and aspirations. In my experience, YIF admissions panel likes to see passion backed by demonstrated abilities. While writing the admission application essays, your talent is exhibited through competitive awards, academic performance and leadership campaigns. Your purpose behind applying for YIF will showcase your mindset and perception, and hopefully your
aspirations will focus on the betterment of the collective and not just yourself. If written application is selected, an individual is probed deeply during two interviews rounds to ascertain these qualities and suitability for the fellowship.
Q
What message would you like to give the students and school management? I write this to you from Yale University which is one of the major intellectual centers of the world. I see that human life is changing at an unprecedented rate and young educated minds produced by dedicated schools are driving this change. A thing common among all changemakers is the ability to think independently, innovatively and fearlessly. School management must always encourage students to be bold and innovative. It is critical to instill in young minds the belief that they can think out of the box and change the world. I urge students to know that not a single person on earth ever gained long term success without honest efforts. Those who sincerely dream can never escape hard work. Be faithful to your aspirations today and your aspirations will be faithful to you, tomorrow. july 16
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SPORTS
Mr. Saumil Majmudar CEO & MD, Sportz Village
Spotting Sports Talent and Developing in Schools: Is it an impossible dream?
Is school the right place for spotting and developing sports talent? Let’s start with the primary conditions required for talent spotting. Development of talent only makes sense once you have spotted some talent. 1. Foundation level skills and fitness in all children. Absent in schools. Most programs are not inclusive and do not focus on all children. If all children are not taught the right fitness and skill, how do we know of potential talent? Only naturally gifted children will play - as is the status in most schools today. 2. Adequate opportunities to play. Missing in schools. Only 2-3 classes per week. 3. Adequate opportunities to compete.
How do you spot and develop exceptional talent? “Why sports aren’t considered a part of education? Why isn’t play for the sake of play good enough?” But I think a more fundamental question needs to be answered: 50
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Not adequate in schools. Only 35 minute session. 35-40 students with a range of fitness and skill. The talented kids don’t really get challenged. Students serious about sports need to compete more. 4. Trained coach who can spot talent. Absent in schools. 1 PE teacher for 1000 students. 5. Committed and Patient Parent: There are committed parents but they are impatient!
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How should talent spotting and development happen?
School Team Trials Students do not even come to know of the trials! Sometimes, after school interested ones show up - and the PE teacher selects a team based on some races/matches. Therefore, talent gets spotted when the right kid with the right fitness/skill meets the right coach in the right school at the right age! Not really talent spotting, is it? It is not the PE teacher’s fault. The space and time constraints just do not lend themselves to an effective talent spotting setup. However, if the fitness and skill data of all children is tracked over a period of time, the analysis can throw up some possible “diamonds in the rough”, that should be one important goal of the school sports system....just as maths and science scores are tracked for each child, fitness and skills improvement should be tracked and delivered by the school sports program.
It can only happen in dedicated academies that run after-school and weekend programs - and with dedicated kids with dedicated parents. The combination of an in-school inclusive sports program and an after-school/weekend talent development program can provide the personalisation required for talent to develop. The school sports system can support talent spotting by: 1. Increasing the pool of children with the correct ageappropriate skills and fitness. 2. Increasing the pool of children who love sports and want to play more. 3. Tracking children’s fitness and skill parameters so that coaches, academies and parents can figure out which child might be best suited for which sport at the appropriate age.
For talent development, personalised attention has to be given across things like:
4. Having partnerships with academies that can develop the talent.
1. ongoing, year-round training program- that focuses on sportsspecific, child-specific and agespecific fitness and skill.
5. Supporting the program with logistics and flexibility with attendance/ examinations.
2. Ongoing year-round competitive matches - that gives the child realmatch exposure to varied opponents. 3. Diet and nutrition. 4. Physical conditioning. 5. Mental conditioning. 6. Appropriate equipment
The academies (usually) have the coach-child ratio, the parent attention, the infrastructure, opportunities to compete etc to provide the level of attention required for talent spotting and development. If the system is not designed for talent spotting, it will only spot talent by serendipity not by design. If the system does not have the personalisation required for developing talent, it cannot really develop talent. The in-school sports system should develop a generation of kids who fall in love with play - just as we’d like them to fall in love with science. The in-school sports system cannot be the talent spotting and development system. It can - and should - support it by making more kids experience the joy and magic of play, give them as many opportunities to play as possible.
Let the school sports program do its job by making sports an integral part of the education, by getting children love to play, get healthier and fitter through play, develop key life-skills like teamwork, leadership, dealing with failure etc. Let the academies do their job by spotting talent and developing them into champions! july 16
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CAREER
Vanalatha
PHARM D The Real World Of Life Science
any of us are familiar with a pharmacist in the local drugstore, and may have even had important questions about our medications answered. Have you ever heard of the course Pharm D????
M
Pharm D is a professional Doctoral Programme. Pharmacy is the art and science of preparing and dispensing drugs and medicines. The course focuses on class room theory, penetrative laboratory experiments and motivated research projects.
Job and Career options for Pharm.D The Pharm D holder has opportunity with Administration, Government and constitutional agencies including the various drug implementation, quality control, manufacturing regulation Research and Development etc.
Objectives of Pharm D Programme 1. To provide patient care
In India it is introduced from the academic year 2008- 2009. The Pharmacy Council of India is the apex body controlling the course. As the pharmaceutical sector is growing day by day the chances to prosper in this field is very high.
2. To manage and use resources of health care system and to improve therapeutic outcomes of medication use. 3. To promote health improvement, wellness, and disease prevention
How to enter the field? Students those who have completed 10+2 examination with Physics and Chemistry as compulsory subjects with one of the following subjects either Mathematics or Biology are eligible to apply for this course.
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4. To develop leadership qualities to function effectively as a member of health care team 5. To communicate effectively with patients and the community.
Some of the Prominent Institutes 1. Manipal College of pharmaceutical Sciences, Karnataka 2. Navodaya Education Trust’s N.E.T. College of Pharmacy, Raichur 3. Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharti Vidhyapeeth, Pune. 4. SRM College of Pharmacy, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu 5. Annamacharya College of Pharmacy, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Andhra Pradesh 6. Government College of Pharmacy, Aurangabad 7. Government College of Pharmacy, Amaravati, Maharastra
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Q
Pharm D is a new trend in the field of career now-adays. What are the primary skills required for the aspirer? How is the course beneficial? The paradigm shift from product to patient in recent years is due to alarming outcomes of unregulated use of medicines, which subsequently endangers patient safety. The Pharm D students will be an important link between the Doctor, Nurse and Patients. They will play a vital role in ensuring the patient safety and efficacy in therapeutic set up. Thus, a student having a liking and zeal of being associated with health care management and social commitment through Redesigning, Re-regulating, Right-sizing, and Restructuring, can select Pharm D course as a first choice as career option.
Dr. Sadhana R Shahi, Assistant Professor, Government College of Pharmacy, Aurangabad shares her views to the Brainfeed Readers….
Q
Pharm D is a professional degree course. What are the students required to do in their internship programme? Sixth Year Pharm D: Internship or residency training including postings in specialty units. Student should independently provide the clinical pharmacy services to the allotted wards.
Q
There are two types of course Pharm D and Pharm D (Post Bacalaurate). Please highlight about it. What is the course content of these courses? Pharm D course is a Professional Pharmacy doctoral programme of 6 yrs duration after 10+2 (science academic stream) which includes 5yrs of academic study + 1 year of internship or residency. Pharm. D (PB) course is a Professional Pharmacy doctoral Programme. B.Pharm graduates shall be admitted as lateral entry candidate to the 4th year of Pharm. D programme & the duration of course is 3 academic years ( 2 years of study and 1 year of internship or residency). For detailed course content (syllabus) see: PharmD Regulations 2008. PCI website: www.pci.nic.in
agencies and personnel on specific issues affecting their business. i.e. working with such agencies as the Food and Drug Administration or European Medicines Agency (pharmaceuticals and medical devices); The Department of Energy; or the Securities and Exchange Commission (banking), Correspondents & Trainers, Top level medical representatives, Academics, Community Pharmacy, Geriatric Pharmacy, Governmental agencies, Home Health Care, Hospital Pharmacy, Pharmacoeconomics and many opportunities to pave path in future.
Q
What are the diverse career options available to Pham D graduates?
Due to the changes to health care in today’s society and the increasing need for counseling and medication maintenance, pharmacists have taken on a larger role as clinicians. This increase in the need for accessible health care information for consumers has led to great strides in the field of pharmacy. The numerous and diverse career options available to Pharm D students: Clinical Research, Pharmacovigilance, Research & Development, Pharmaceutical Industry, Medical Writing, Product Manager, Regulatory affairs, opportunities to work with federal, state, and local regulatory
(i) Six months in General Medicine department, and (ii) Two months each in three other specialty departments (Surgery, Pediatrics, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Psychiatry, Skin and VD, Orthopedics)
Q
What advice would you give the Brainfeed readers, who would like to choose Pharm D as a career for their future? Dear students, you will never regret of taking up this profession. The future is very bright, well pay off profession and above all you will get an immense satisfaction of serving humanity and working for betterment of life. For this you will have to give 100% commitment and dedication. All the best for future endeavour. july 16
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EVENT REVIEW
une 17 and 18 witnessed the birth of THE SCHOOL CONF, a powerful body of dedicated educationists, committed to the task of empowering the new age leaders with the vision of future. Aptly titled The Future of School Management, it was conceived by Dr. Ashok Pandey, Chairman, NPSC and Mr. Arunabh Singh, Director Nehru World School, as the duo felt a strong need to address the various areas in the school domain to prepare them for 21st century expectations. 72 School promoters and School principals attended this conference.
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THE SCHOOL CONF:
A NEW BEGINNING intervention, done from time to time to keep a check on the growth of the school.
Ahlcon International, Mayur Vihar, New Delhi hosted the first day of the Conference, which began with lighting of lamp, amidst chanting of divine mantras. Mr. Singh welcomed the illustrious gathering of school leaders from over nine states and invited Ms. Abha Adams. In her address on “Improving your school: mentoring and monitoring”, she suggested that the schools should practice distributed leadership and invest in professional development of teachers. In his thought provoking session on “Essentials of School Leadership”, Dr. Ashok Pandey said an effective leader should get a SWOT analysis of instruction, assessment, technology and
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Ms. Rittika Parrukh, Asst. Director, British Council India shed light on the “Continuous Professional Development” elaborated on British Council India’s engagement with government and private schools teachers in India specifically on Core Skills training of the students. Mr. Kunal Chawla’s presentation on “Engaging Learners” demonstrated clearly that teaching needs to be supported with technologically engaging tools like videos, online demonstrations and experiments. On June 18, Gyanshree School, Noida welcomed the delegates. Ms. Rita Kapur, Director, Gyansree, stressed on empowerment of staff and said best practices could be shared on platforms such as “The School Conf.”
Ms Ruchira Ghosh, Director, South Asia, Cambridge International Examinations made an interactive presentation on “Learning for Global Competence.” She said teachers must have knowledge of international dimensions of their subject matter and be empowered with more tools to engage learners. The next session by Dr. Ashok K. Pandey was on the “Dimensions of Positioning in Leadership.” He elucidated all the four factors of identity, essence, attributes and positioning. Ms. Annie Natarajan highlighted on “International Alliances.” She argued for the need to evaluate the relevance of study tours and alliances that the schools engage in. The last session, taken up by the man behind the vision of The School Conf, Mr. Arunabh Singh was quite fascinating as the audience quizzed about how to get “The Visibility Window for their schools in Future.” Arunabh proved with examples that in the modern times, schools cannot ignore the need to be ‘visible”. The day ended with mementos being given to the speakers and taking a feedback from the audience. Ms. Gayatree Anand proposed the vote of thanks. The next date for the Conference is June 2, 2017.
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LearnEnglish
BRITISH COUNCIL Activity 1 Before you read, match the word to a definition.
1. adoptive
2. documented
4. trait
5. walk upright
3. fictional
a. a feature or characteristic that someone has b. having taken somebody else’s child into their care c. invented; part of a story d. supported by written data e. using two feet to move
Feral children
© Mat Wright
By Andreea Pulpea Born to be wild? People have always been fascinated by stories of children raised by animals. Also called ‘feral’, such children have lived away from humans from an early age and have not experienced social behaviour or human communication. Fact and fiction We have heard the stories and seen the films. Mowgli, the boy lost in the jungle, was my childhood hero. I watched him taking his first steps outside the care and protection of his adoptive wolf family. I loved his adventures in an animal world filled with funny bears, curious monkeys and dangerous tigers. But how close are such fictional tales to reality?
Activity 3 Answer the questions below using information from the text. Who ... 1. ....... is a fictional character? 2. ....... was raised by monkeys? 3. ....... likes using social media networks? 4. ....... managed to make a full recovery? 5. ....... was found hiding in a tree? 6. ....... was only able to say three words? 7. ....... saw her son on TV?
Raised in the wild One of the first documented cases of feral children is Peter’s. He was found in the woods in 1724, aged 12. He climbed trees, ate plants and could not speak. He spent 68 years in society but the only words he ever said were ‘Peter’ and ‘King George’. John ran away aged 3 and was found a few years later (in 1991) hiding in a tree with a family of green African monkeys. He remembers the monkeys coming up to him, days after he had left his home, offering roots and nuts. His adoptive family were so upset when people came to take John that they threw sticks to stop them. Traian disappeared when he was 4. He was found in 2002 in a cardboard box in a forest. A pack of wild dogs had cared for him for three years. His mother recognised him during the TV programme announcing his discovery. Difficulties Like Mowgli, who found humans scary, feral children experience huge difficulties when they return to human society. Many have trouble learning to walk upright and show no interest in the human activity around them. Some may never be able to learn a human language.
Activity 4 Change the sentences below so that they start with the word(s) in bold and use a passive verb. Make sure the meaning stays the same. Example: Some people found Peter in 1724. Peter was found in Italic. 1. The monkeys gave John roots and nuts. 2. Sometimes people invent stories about wild children. 3. Some wild dogs cared for Traian in the forest. 4. A family of wolves adopted Mowgli when he was a baby. 5. His teachers describe Traian as an intelligent teenager.
Activity 5
A happy end for some
Do you know any other stories about feral children?
In the months following his return to society, Traian lost many of his animallike traits. He quickly switched from walking on all fours to walking upright. He is now 17 and doing well in school. His teachers describe him as a tall, intelligent teenager, who loves football and spending time on Facebook.
Do you think you could survive in the wild? For how long?
1. Although he never forgot his biological mother, he really loved his (..........) family. 2. He showed all the (..........) of a perfect gentleman. 3. Humans started to (..........) 4 million years ago. 4. Cinderella was my favourite (..........) character when I was a child.
Answers
Now complete the sentences using words and phrases from the text. Make any changes to the words that are necessary.
Activity 1 1. b; 2. d; 3. c; 4. a; 5. e Activity 2 1. adoptive; 2. traits; 3. walk upright; 4. fictional; 5. documented Activity 3 1. ropen; 2. bunyip; 3. sirrush; 4. mountain gorilla; 5. yeti; 6. mokele-mbebe Activity 4 1. John was given roots and nuts (by the monkeys). 2. Stories about wild children are sometimes invented. 3. Traian was cared for by wild dogs in the forest. 4. Mowgli was adopted by a family of wolves when he was a baby. 5. Traian is described as an intelligent teenager (by his teachers).
Activity 2
What would you miss most if you left human society for a while?
5. The social behaviour of chimpanzees was (..........) in a 2004 book by Jane Goodall.
To find more English language activities visit: www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish © British Council 2014
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LANGUAGE STUDY
LISTEN
ENGLISH
VOCABULARY in
DEUTSCH for BEGINNERS
Here is some everyday vocabulary in DEUTSCH (German) language. Listen to the Audio for correct pronunciation.
BOOK
Review
Author: Bruce Coville (Compilation) Illustrator: Tim Hildebrandt Published: HMH Books for Young Readers Pages: 216
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DEUTSCH
PRONUNCIATION
Yes
Ja, jawohl
Yah, Yahwol
No
Nein
Neighn
Please
Bitte !
Bitte!
What?
Was?
Was?
Where?
Wo?
Woe?
Why?
Warum?
Warum?
How?
Wie?
Wee?
When?
Wann?
Won?
How much?
Wieviel?
Weefeel?
How many?
Wieviele?
Weefeeleh?
THE UNICORN TREASURY: STORIES, POEMS, AND UNICORN LORE Filled with the most popular legends about the mythical unicorn and including original poems and stories, this collection brings together the singular talents of Bruce Coville, Madeleine L’Engle, Jane Yolen, C. S. Lewis, Myra Cohn Livingston, and many others. A perfect companion to Coville’s own bestselling Unicorn Chronicles and an ideal gift for the child who has always wondered about these glorious beasts, The Unicorn Treasury is sure to find a large and enduring audience.
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ORDER YOUR COPY
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Note: If you want to get the magazine by courier add `500/- per year.
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MIND CRISS CROSS PUZZLE 01
MINE
STORAGE
A criss cross is a fun puzzle in which you are presented with an empty grid and a list of words underneath. Each word must be placed into the grid in either an across or down direction in order to ďŹ ll the grid.
3 letters Pot 5 letters Chest Flask Glass Hutch Pouch Purse 6 letters Basket Beaker Bottle Bucket
PUZZLES 01 7 5 4
?
2 7
6
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SUDOKU 37
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