February 2019
YOUNG LEARNER News Magazine on School Education
International Education Day
Main Stories in This Issue
- Quality of School Education in Delhi - New Book for Primary Learning - International Education Day - Challenges in the Education Systems - National Youth Parliament Festival
- Pariksha Pe Charcha with PM Modi - Children Are Vulnerable to Slavery - Help for Economically Weaker Students - Winners of Rashtriya Bal Puraskar - Ending School Violence and Bullying
Can Classrooms Improve Quality of School Education in Delhi? कूल क बि डंग कूल नह ं है । कूल का अथ तो कूल क पढ़ाई है , जो कसी कूल म नह ं हो रह । If you want to survive in the dirty politics of India, you need to be a top-class liar and tell lies even when truth can serve the purpose. That’s what politicians in Delhi are doing. The Delhi Government headed by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal often hoodwinks the people – rather Delhi voters - by equating quality of school education with the school buildings. Kejriwal and his colleagues claim that they have improved the education standards by constructing cement buildings and classrooms.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Photo: AAP “ द ल क श ा यव था सध ु ारने क तरफ एक और मह वपण ू कदम। पछले तीन साल म 8000 नए लास म बनने के बाद आज 11000 और नए लास म बनने का काम शु ।" Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed on January 28.
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Kejriwal government deceives the people of Delhi by saying that it is improving the education system in the city by constructing thousands of classrooms. Are you a building contractor or education reformer? While the Kejriwal government is blatantly spreading falsehood, the truth is that quality of school education has gone from bad to worse under Kejriwal government. Kejriwal fails to understand a basic fact that " कूल क बि डंग कूल नह ं है । कूल का अथ तो कूल क पढ़ाई है , जो कसी कूल म नह ं हो रह ।"
Most students even in higher classes as well as government school teachers do not understand basic arithmetic and English language rules. Students can’t even read their books. But instead of providing them elementary education, Delhi Government is confusing them by introducing irrelevant courses such as “Happiness Curriculum” and “Entrepreneurship Curriculum.” As the Kejriwal government has failed to provide basic education in schools, its focus is on construction. The enormous construction that is happening in the form of building classrooms, swimming pools, etc. in schools will only lead to more corruption as construction projects consume huge money which can be easily swindled by bureaucrats and politicians. And this is an open secret now that corruption has increased manifold during the past 4 years of Kejriwal’s government in Delhi. While there are multiple complaints of corruption against AAP legislators, recently the party decided to defy the notice from Delhi’s anti-corruption body Lokayukta which has asked AAP MLAs to reveal details of their assets. While bureaucratic and political corruption is rampant in Delhi, new reports suggest that the office of Delhi’s Lokayukta has received 41 complaints of corruption against the AAP legislators. The complaints are against the AAP MLAs as well as ministers. In the Delhi Budget 2018, Kejriwal government had allocated Rs. 13,997 crore or 26% of the total outlay of Rs. 53,000 crore for the education sector. But it is expected that for obvious reasons a major part of this money will be spent on polluted construction projects in schools, because such projects are highly lucrative for bureaucrats and politicians.
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Meanwhile, a research report highlights numerous pitfalls in the current state of school education including irrelevant syllabuses, poor content quality of books, defective pedagogical methods, incompetence of teachers, disturbing teacher-student ratios, and overall lack of administration in Delhi schools. It finds that since there is no connection between the education being imparted in schools and a student’s employability, the joblessness has been spreading like a dreaded disease. As the education quality is very poor, the so-called educated people do not learn skills that are required in the modern job market. Result: Unemployment is increasing. Then how can Kejriwal and his naive friends make claims that they are improving the quality of education? They can’t and they shouldn’t.
National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 Launched The National Youth Parliament Festival will encourage the youth to engage with public issues. India’s Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Rathore launched the National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 in New Delhi. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Mann Ki Baat program, had shared his idea of organizing Youth Parliaments for young people in every district of the country. He reiterated his idea to capture the voice of the youth in his address to the youth during the 22nd National Youth Festival last year. National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 is being organized on the theme of “Be The Voice of New India” and “Find Solutions and Contribute to Policy.” Youth in the age group of 18-25 years are invited to participate in the District Youth Parliaments. This is done in order to hear the voice of youth who are allowed to vote but cannot contest elections. The National Youth Parliament Festival will also encourage the youth to engage with public issues, understand the common man’s point of view, form their opinion, and express these in an articulate manner.
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Relevant and effective voices on the vision of New India would be captured and documented to make these available to policy makers to take it forward.
Challenges in the Indian Education Systems The government document has highlighted many flaws in the existing education ecosystem of India. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), Government of India, had released the outlines of the government’s Draft National Education Policy, 2016. Although the government failed to make and implement a new education policy, the draft document has highlighted many flaws in the existing education ecosystem of India. The National Education Policy, 2016 finds the following challenges in the education systems of all levels in India: ●
Participation in preschool education remains low
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Large numbers of children leave the school before completing elementary education
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Dropout rates in secondary education continue to be high, especially for socially and economically disadvantaged groups of learners
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Slow progress in reducing the number of non-literates
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Poor quality of education resulting in unsatisfactory learning outcomes
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Quality-related deficiencies include inappropriate curriculum (syllabus), lack of trained educators (teachers), and ineffective pedagogy (method of teaching)
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Majority of preschool educators are inadequately trained
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Unsatisfactory level of student learning
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Poor quality of learning at the primary and upper primary stages affects student learning at the secondary stage
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Poor quality of learning at the secondary stage spills over to the college and university years, leading to poor learning outcomes in the higher education sector
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After reading the government document which underlines the poor quality of teachers and teaching methods at all levels, most wise parents would wonder why they are sending their children to schools, colleges, and universities.
Children Are Vulnerable to Trafficking and Slavery: Michelle Bachelet UNICEF estimates 60 million children under 5 will die between 2017 and 2030 from preventable causes. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said that children are vulnerable to trafficking and slavery, including the worst forms of forced labour, domestic slavery, sexual slavery, and forced marriage.
Michele Bachelet. UN Photo / Jean-Marc Ferré Ms. Bachelet was addressing the 80th session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in January. She said testimonies collected by the staff of the Office, UNICEF, and other bodies clearly indicate that child migrants and internally displaced children, in every region, are at heightened risk.
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According to ILO studies, more than 20 million people are victims of forced labour, including more than 5.5 million children. The Special Rapporteur on the sale of children has reported that the share of children trafficked for the purpose of forced labour is increasing, and the share of children involved in forced labour is particularly high. And according to the most recent available data from UNODC, as of 2012, one in three detected victims of trafficking was a child. Among these identified victims, there were almost double the number of girls than boys, with the trafficking of children for sexual exploitation greatly facilitated by digital technologies, which create new marketplaces and streamline the organization of trafficking networks. UNICEF estimates 60 million children under 5 will die between 2017 and 2030 from preventable causes. Stunting, or chronic malnutrition, was estimated to affect 155 million children in 2016; UNICEF reports only 13% of countries are on track to meet their target. Millions of girls become mothers while they are still children, damaging their health and entrenching a cycle of poverty. Millions of children are traumatized and harmed by armed conflict. And it is impossible to accurately estimate just how many boys and girls are forcibly recruited by armed groups as fighters or, in effect, as slaves. In 2016 alone, UN monitors verified more than 20,000 such victims – but the full number is clearly far higher.
Govt Announces 10% Quota for Economically Weaker Students Adequate additional seats will be created in colleges and universities to implement the quota. India’s Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister, Prakash Javadekar, said in New Delhi that the Government has decided that from the academic year 2019-20, 10 percent Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota will be implemented across 40,000 colleges and 900 universities in the country. This 10 percent quota for EWS will be over and above the existing quotas for SCs, STs, OBCs, and general seats.
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Adequate additional seats will be created in these colleges and universities to implement the quota for EWS. The UGC and AICTE will be provided the operational mandate to implement the quota.
Minister for HRD Prakash Javadekar (file photo) Javadekar also informed that the Government has approved proposal to extend the 7th CPC (Central Pay Commission) to the teachers and other academic staff of the state government and government-aided degree level technical institutions in the country, which will have additional Central Government liability of Rs. 1241.78 crore. He said that the Central Government will reimburse 50% of the total additional expenditure (from 1.1.2016 to 31.3.2019) to be incurred by these institutes for payment of arrears on account of 7th CPC implementation. This will directly benefit a total of 29,264 teachers and other academic staff of State Government funded institutes. Besides, about 3.5 lakh teachers and other academic staff of private colleges / institutions within the purview of AICTE will also benefit from the approval, he added.
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The Minister said that the implementation of pay commission recommendation in State Government-aided or -funded AICTE-approved technical institutes will help them in attracting and retaining the faculty of high academic standards.
Quality Education Must be the Top Priority: UNESCO As the world marks the first International Education Day, UNESCO calls on governments to make universal quality education a leading priority. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development. Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, UNESCO says countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth, and adults behind.
Photo: UNESCO “This day is the occasion to reaffirm fundamental principles. Firstly, education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility. Secondly, education is the most powerful force in our hands to ensure significant improvements in health, to stimulate economic
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growth, to unlock the potential and innovation we need to build more resilient and sustainable societies. Lastly, we urgently need to call for collective action for education at global level," said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director General, in her message on the occasion of the International Day of Education. Today, according to UNESCO, 262 million children and youth still do not attend school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school, and some four million children and youth refugees are out of school. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable. As the world marks the very first International Education Day, UNESCO calls on governments and all partners to make universal quality education a leading priority.
Bullying Affects Children’s Mental Health: Report Bullying must be addressed because it significantly affects children’s mental health, quality of life, and academic achievement. UNESCO’s report, Behind the numbers: ending school violence and bullying, released in January at the 2019 Education World Forum in London, reveals that nearly one-in-three boys and girls have been bullied at least once at school over the last month, and a similar proportion have been affected by physical violence. Overall, according to the report, physical bullying is the biggest problem in most regions, but in North America and Europe, psychological bullying is the most common, followed by sexually related bullying. The report says physical bullying is more common among boys, while psychological bullying is more prevalent among girls. Meanwhile, online and mobile phone bullying is on the rise. Children perceived as different in any way from the norm, are the most likely to be bullied, with physical appearance being the most common cause followed by race, nationality, or skin color.
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Bullying must be addressed because it significantly affects children’s mental health, quality of life, and academic achievement, the report suggests.
Photo: UNESCO Frequently bullied children are nearly three times more likely to feel shunned and more than twice as likely to miss school. Their educational outcomes decline, and they are more likely to leave after finishing secondary school. The UNESCO report is one of the UN educational agency’s contributions to the ‘Safe to Learn’ campaign, an initiative focused on ending violence in schools, so children can learn, thrive and pursue their dreams. It brings together data from a range of global and regional surveys, covering 144 countries and territories in all regions, yielding the most up-to-date and comprehensive evidence on school violence and bullying. Download and Read RMN Publications TechWise Today
The Integrity Bulletin
Clean Climate
Legal Directions
Young Learner
Real Voter
Constructive Education Framework for Modern Education Schools and parents who want to adopt this modern system for the education of their children can contact RMN Foundation. YOUNG LEARNER News Magazine on School Education by RMN Foundation
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In order to help schools revamp their educational and pedagogical systems, RMN Foundation has developed a curriculum: Constructive Education Framework.
It will help those forward-looking schools and parents who believe that the current education system in India is not quite helpful to ensure the right career for their children in the modern knowledge-driven world. Objectives of Constructive Education Framework ●
To connect education with employability
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To focus on skills development rather than on plain theory
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To teach with the principle of “Learning for Earning”
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To produce morally sound and honest people
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To build a clean and prosperous society
Schools and parents who want to adopt this modern system for the education of their children can contact Rakesh Raman, founder of RMN Foundation.
PM Modi Meets the Winners of Rashtriya Bal Puraskar The Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awards have been given in two categories. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, on January 24 met and interacted with the winners of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2019.
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The children explained in detail, their special achievements, and shared their inspirational stories. The Prime Minister appreciated and congratulated the award winners for their achievements. He said that these awards offer an opportunity for recognition of talented children, and serve as inspiration for others like them. The Prime Minister urged the extraordinarily gifted children to stay connected with nature.
Narendra Modi in a group photograph with the winners of Rashtriya Bal Puraskar – 2019, in New Delhi on January 24, 2019. Photo: PIB The Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awards have been given in two categories: Bal Shakti Puraskar to individuals; and Bal Kalyan Puraskar to institutions / individuals working for children. A total of 783 applications were received for the Bal Shakti Puraskar this year. The Ministry for Women and Child Development selected 26 awardees for Bal Shakti Puraskar, under the category of innovation, scholastic, sports, arts & culture, social service, and bravery. The National Selection Committee also finalized the names of 2 individuals and 3 institutions for Bal Kalyan Puraskar.
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Multiple Subject Guide for Primary Learning Schools that want to introduce this book for their students can contact RMN Foundation. RMN Foundation school – which provides modern education free of charge to deserving children – has introduced its new book to educate the students at primary level.
Written by RMN Foundation founder and teacher Rakesh Raman, the book is a multiple subject guide comprising the following subjects: 1. Moral and Behavioural Education 2. English 3. Arithmetic 4. Information Technology (IT) / Computers 5. General Knowledge Schools that want to introduce this book for their students can c ontact RMN Foundation.
PM Modi Holds Pariksha Pe Charcha in Delhi With a vision of Sabko Shiksha Acchi Shiksha (good education for all), the government is committed to providing quality education to the students. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, interacted on January 29 with students, teachers, and parents in the Pariksha Pe Charcha 2.0 (discussion on exams) program held at
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Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) of Government of India organized the program.
Narendra Modi interacting with school and college students, during the ‘Pariksha Par Charcha 2.0’, in New Delhi on January 29, 2019. Photo: PIB While introducing the program, India’s Minister for HRD Prakash Javadekar said that the Ministry of HRD has taken a number of initiatives to provide holistic education. He said that with a vision of Sabko Shiksha Acchi Shiksha (good education for all), the government is committed to providing quality education to the students. According to a government statement, the interaction lasted for over 90 minutes and the Prime Minister took questions from 18 participants including students, teachers, and parents. An online competition was organized from 7th January to 17th January, 2019, for students of classes 9 to 12, graduate and undergraduate college students, their parents and their teachers for selecting all those who will interact with the Prime Minister this year.
Meet the Editor The editor of Young Learner news magazine Rakesh Raman is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. Besides working at senior editorial positions with leading media companies, he was writing an exclusive edit-page column regularly for The Financial Express (a daily business newspaper of The Indian Express Group). Nowadays, for the past about 8 years, he has been running his own global news services on different subjects. He also has formed a free Education and Career Counselling Center for
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deserving children at a poor J.J. Colony in Dwarka, New Delhi under his NGO – RMN Foundation. He also runs a global edutainment site RMN Kids for children, their parents, and teachers. He runs an exclusive community-driven anti-corruption social service “Clean House” to help the suffering residents of Delhi raise their voice against the growing corruption and injustice. He also creates and distributes a number of digital publications that cover areas such as technology, law, environment, education, corruption and transparency. He has created a comprehensive online information service to educate the Indian voters for the upcoming Lok Sabha election scheduled to happen in 2019. Earlier, he had been associated with the United Nations (UN) through United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as a digital media expert to help businesses use technology for brand marketing and business development.
Collaboration for School Education Content Project The Young Learner news magazine is being published by RMN Foundation. It is being circulated among the top UN agencies, education departments, policymakers, schools, civil society organizations, social activists, and others in India and abroad. RMN Foundation is looking for sponsors and collaborators across the world who can join hands with us to expand the school education content activity with the objective to improve the quality of school education in a holistic manner. Contact
Rakesh Raman Founder RMN Foundation 463, DPS Apts., Plot No. 16, Sector 4, Dwarka, Phase I New Delhi 110 078, INDIA Contact by email
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