Young Learner News Magazine May 2019

May 2019

YOUNG LEARNER News Magazine on School Education

Young children forced by parents to sell eatables outside a school building in New Delhi, India

An Editorial Initiative of Raman Media Network Editor: Rakesh Raman

Modern Education | Trends | Job Market | Campaigns | Policy

Main Stories in This Issue

Learning

New Book: Never Stop Wondering McGraw-Hill Open Learning Solutions

News Analysis

Manish Sisodia Debuts as Author Education Awareness Campaign in Delhi

Research

UNICEF Report on Pre-Primary Education Education Dilemma in Indian Schools

Support

Norway Commits $150 Million to UNICEF Donations Campaign for School in Vietnam

Harmful Effects

Donation

Appeal for Donations to Education Charity

Effects of Pollution on Children in India

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McGraw-Hill

Open

Learning

Solutions

to

Create

Customized Digital Courseware McGraw-Hill works in close partnership with instructors to understand their individual course objectives.

McGraw-Hill has introduced a new offering, Open Learning Solutions, which provides instructors with the tools and support needed to create digital learning experiences that can drive student success.

Through Open Learning Solutions, instructors are able to curate and combine content from a variety of sources – such as digital ​textbooks​, personally authored material, open educational resources (OER), national media, YouTube videos, and interactive simulations -- with McGraw-Hill's adaptive technology, assessment tools, and mobile reading capabilities.

McGraw-Hill works in close partnership with instructors to understand their individual course objectives and provide access to the company's advanced tools for authoring content​, creating assessments, and delivering digital courseware. The company also offers development and implementation support services, such as instructional design or systems integration, where needed.

Open Learning Solutions adds to McGraw-Hill's ​suite of flexible offerings in higher education that are designed to increase affordability and help students excel in school.

Download and Read RMN Publications TechWise Today

The Integrity Bulletin

Clean Climate

Legal Directions

Young Learner

Real Voter

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AAP Politician Manish Sisodia Debuts as Author Positioned as a book of hope, Penguin believes it will interest a wide spectrum of readers.

Penguin Random House India announced on April 8 the acquisition of the first writing venture by Manish Sisodia, who is a politician in Aam Aadmi Party (​AAP​) and Delhi’s education minister.

Dalai Lama with Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia. Photo: AAP (file photo) To be titled Shikhsha: A Journey, his debut book will release in September 2019. According to Penguin, it will be a story of reformation and his experiences in transforming the public education​ system in Delhi.

“Shiksha: A Journey by Manish Sisodia will capture his experiences as Delhi’s education minister,” said Premanka Goswami, senior commissioning editor at Penguin Random House India.

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Positioned as a book of hope, Penguin believes it will interest a wide spectrum of readers, including those exploring ideas of a welfare state, in the present and the future.

Manish Sisodia will recount his journey of raising the bar of public education in the state and the challenges he overcame to improve the infrastructure and quality of schooling​.

Slated to be a candid anecdotal narration, according to Penguin, this book will engage readers to know more about transforming a vision to a reality.

“The transformation of each ​public school in Delhi is a story in itself,” Sisodia said, adding that this book is going to be a document about 'Idea of India through education'.

Download Previous Issues of Young Learner January 2019

February 2019

March 2019

April 2019

175 Million Children Not Enrolled in Pre-Primary Education UNICEF is urging governments to make at least one year of quality pre-primary education universal and a routine part of every child’s education.

More than 175 million children - around half of pre-primary-age children globally - are not enrolled in pre-primary ​education​, missing a critical investment opportunity and suffering deep inequalities from the start, UNICEF warned in a new report released on April 9.

In low-income countries, the picture is much bleaker, with only 1 in 5 young children enrolled in pre-primary education.

“Pre-primary schooling is our children’s educational foundation – every stage of education that follows relies on its success,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “Yet, too many children around the world are denied this opportunity. This

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increases their risk of repeating grades or dropping out of school altogether and relegates them to the shadows of their more fortunate peers.”

A World Ready to Learn: Prioritizing quality early childhood education – UNICEF’s first ever global report on pre-primary education – reveals that children enrolled in at least one year of pre-primary education are more likely to develop the critical skills they need to succeed in school, less likely to repeat grades or drop out of school, and therefore more able to contribute to peaceful and prosperous societies and economies when they reach adulthood.

As school education is bad, young children forced by parents to sell eatables outside a school building in New Delhi, India. Photo: Rakesh Raman / RMN News Service Children in pre-primary education are more than twice as likely to be on track in early literacy and numeracy skills than children missing out on early learning. In Nepal, children

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attending early childhood education programs were 17 times more likely to be on track in their early literacy and numeracy skills.

In countries where more children attend pre-primary programs, significantly more children complete primary school and attain minimum competencies in both reading and math by the time they finish primary school.

The report notes that household wealth, mothers’ education level and geographical location are among the key determinants for pre-primary attendance. However, poverty is the single largest determining factor.

UNICEF is urging governments to make at least one year of quality pre-primary education universal and a routine part of every child’s ​education​, especially the most vulnerable and excluded children.

To make this a reality, UNICEF urges governments to commit at least 10 percent of their national education budgets to scale up early childhood education and invest in teachers, quality standards, and equitable expansion.

New Book for Children: Never Stop Wondering NSTA Kids is a division of NSTA Press that offers books to supplement science learning while encouraging children to become avid readers.

A new ​book shows budding scientists how the need to know can lead to great discoveries.

Never Stop Wondering is the latest offering from the author of the Next Time You See series, published by NSTA Kids.

Packed with lively rhymes and whimsical illustrations, Never Stop Wondering encourages children to be inquisitive about the mysteries of the universe—just like the great scientists of history. Activities invite readers to do what scientists do: study their surroundings, come up with questions, test ideas, and then question some more.

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Author Emily Morgan is an educator who knows how to connect with children both intellectually and emotionally. A former elementary and middle school teacher, she is also a coauthor of the Picture-Perfect Science series.

NSTA Kids is a division of NSTA Press that offers books to supplement science learning while encouraging children to become avid readers.

You can browse sample pages of this new title for free at the NSTA Science Store website.

The 32-page book is priced at $12.95 and discount-priced for NSTA members at $10.36.

The book is also available in a hardcover edition for $18.95 and discount-priced for NSTA members at $15.16.

The Arlington, VA–based National Science Teachers Association (​NSTA​) is a professional organization that promotes excellence in science teaching and learning, preschool through college.

NSTA’s membership includes approximately 50,000 science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business representatives, and others involved in science education.

NSTA Press produces 25 to 30 new books and e-books each year.

Donations Campaign to Support School in Vietnam The donations are used on community development projects including the improvement of educational environment.

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Bikes manufacturing company Hyosung says it has completed a project to renovate an

elementary school in a village in Kon Plong District, Kon Tum Province in the central part of Vietnam on April 23.

The project was funded with donations from its employees. Some 200 employees including the management have donated a portion of their monthly salaries to charitable efforts including the project.

Hyosung completed a project to renovate an elementary school in a village in Kon Plong District, Kon Tum Province in the central part of Vietnam on April 23 “Hyosung has been growing together with Vietnam by operating its largest production base there,” Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon said, “I hope its employees’ donations will contribute to the bright future of the country.”

The donations are used on community development projects including the improvement of educational environment for about 700 kindergartners, elementary, and middle school

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students in the district and the construction of libraries for local residents. Hyosung has donated a total of 97 million won, including 48 million won contributed by its employees, to the projects over the past year.

This year, two new classrooms and sanitary facilities including restrooms were built in the elementary school. Fences were also set up on its property and its wall and gate were renovated to create space for children to play around safely.

A roof was constructed in an open space at a nearby middle school to ensure students can enjoy outdoor activities away from the hot sun. Hyosung plans to construct new school dormitories in other villages within its affiliated region.

Hyosung also runs a program to enlighten residents in addition to the construction of infrastructure. It let children select the design and color of their classrooms. Restrooms were gender segregated at the request of adolescent female students.

Hyosung supports student-led gender meetings and sex education to resolve such issues as early marriage custom and unwanted pregnancy and childbirth.

HDI of India As the education quality is very poor in India, the degree holders do not learn skills that are required in the modern ​job market. As a result, the employment situation is equally bad in all parts of the country. It is reflected in the worsening Human Development Index (​HDI​) of India.

Published by the United Nations Development Programme, HDI indicates the level of skills in a country and lets you know if people in that country are able to achieve their goals. Unfortunately, India falls at No. 130 in the global list of countries ranked on the basis of their HDI. The HDI rank of war-torn countries such as Iraq, Palestine, and also Sri Lanka, China, Namibia, Vietnam, and Guyana are better than that of India.

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Education Dilemma Persists in Indian Schools RMN Foundation has launched the next phase of its education awareness campaign in New Delhi.

As there is no accountability for teachers, bureaucrats, and politicians who are working in a free-wheeling manner to waste huge public money, the education standard of Indian schools continues to be in the doldrums.

Meanwhile, RMN Foundation has launched the next phase of its education awareness campaign​ in New Delhi.

Recommendations from the RMN Foundation Campaign ●

Government and education departments should create new syllabuses for different subjects keeping in view the contemporary j​ ob​ market requirements.

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New books should be developed based on the new syllabuses. Besides covering subjects, these b ​ ooks​ should also include pedagogical instructions for teachers.

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Government should immediately launch a new “teacher eligibility program” in order to assess the employed teachers’ suitability in the modern education ecosystem.

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Teachers should be asked to appear in a properly designed test covering different subjects. Only those teachers should be retained who clear the test comprehensively. The services of failed teachers must be terminated.

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The salary of new teachers should be based on the performance of their students in the class and in the job market.

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The services of teachers who ask students to attend private tuitions must be terminated.

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Government should create a special cell to handle each and every complaint from students or parents. Depending on the complaint, the services of teachers must be suspended before initiating legal proceedings against them.

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Retired teachers – most of whom are clueless about the modern education systems – should never be appointed as teachers.

As part of its ongoing education awareness campaign in Delhi, RMN Foundation has started presenting a street play – चमेल क पढ़ाई – which highlights the problems in the current education ecosystem.

Despite all the loud claims by the Indian governments about the education standards in the country, the education in India is not producing skilled ​workforce​. The so-called educated people in India are not employable in any modern field. Worse, most of them are not even trainable.

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Environmental Damage and Pollution in India Appeal to Global Community

A new IQAir AirVisual report, which covered 3,000 cities of the world, has revealed that Gurugram (a.k.a. Gurgaon) a suburb of India’s capital New Delhi is the most polluted city of the world while 22 of the top 30 polluted cities are in India. Also, Delhi remains the most polluted capital across the world.

As pollution levels remain dangerously high throughout the year in India, all travelers including business executives, tourists, and diplomats need to exercise utmost caution while planning to visit India – particularly India’s capital New Delhi.

Moreover, companies and investors must not come to Delhi for setting up their businesses or for trade conferences as ​pollution can harm them as well as their families. Foreigners who have come to stay in India for their work, should preferably go back to their countries. Or, at least, they should not keep their children with them because ​Delhi’s pollution is very harmful for children.

Delhi Government, the Indian Government, and the pollution-control ​agencies are not taking proper steps to control pollution because most politicians and bureaucrats in India are corrupt, uneducated, and careless.

The extreme pollution in Delhi is being compared to the poisonous gas chambers used by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust for the genocide of millions of European Jews. As pollution in Delhi / India is harmful to millions of Indians as well as people in other parts of the world with its impact on global warming and climate change, its lethal effect is equivalent to weapons of mass destruction.

The Indian government - including bureaucrats and politicians - is causing serious environmental damage which is harmful for the entire planet. Therefore, the global ​community including the UN and the U.S. Department of State and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (​OFAC​) must impose strict economic, diplomatic, and trade sanctions on India and Indian officials.

Rakesh Raman

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Norway Commits $150 Million to UNICEF Norway is one of UNICEF’s top 5 government partners, contributing $206 million to UNICEF in 2018.

Norway will be contributing $150 million to UNICEF over the next three years to help provide education, protection and health services to some of the most vulnerable children around the world.

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. Photo: UNICEF “Norway is among the largest contributors of voluntary core contributions and thematic funding support to UNICEF,” said Norway’s Development Minister Dag Inge Ulstein. “We are committed to the Secretary-General's reform agenda and his vision for funding that is multi-year, predictable, flexible and timely,” Minister Ulstein added.

Norway is one of UNICEF’s top 5 government partners, contributing $206 million to UNICEF in 2018. Norway is also one of the top contributors to UNICEF's core funding which offers flexible funding allowing UNICEF to allocate resources where they are most needed.

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“Millions of children around the world are denied their right to education, health and protection,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “This generous contribution from Norway will go a long way in helping us realize their rights and keep many of them healthy, safe, protected and at school.”

Appeal for Donations RMN Foundation is a humanitarian organization that was formed in May 2015 as an educational and public charitable Trust for the benefit of humanity at large. It is registered with the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi at New Delhi, India.

Currently, all the activities of RMN Foundation are being managed single-handedly (without any support) by RMN Foundation founder Rakesh Raman who had left his job a few years ago to run this charity.

As RMN Foundation has embarked upon some major humanitarian projects during the past over 3 years, now it needs a significant amount of funds in the form of donations​ to expand the scope of its activities.

Individual Indian donors can help RMN Foundation with their contributions using the following bank details:

Bank Name: ICICI Bank Bank Branch: HL Square, Plot No. 6, Sector 5 (MLU), Dwarka, New Delhi 110 075 Account Number: 025005004368 Account Name: RMN Foundation Type of Account: Current IFSC Code: ICIC0000250 Or you can ​click here​ to donate with PayPal, credit card, or bank account.

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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 deserving children at a poor J.J. Colony in Dwarka, New Delhi under his N ​ GO​ – RMN Foundation.

He also runs a global edutainment site ​RMN Kids for children, their parents, and teachers. It is a global online content property covering diverse topics of contemporary relevance for children of all age groups. He has developed a “Constructive Education Framework” for school students to help them compete in the modern knowledge-driven world.

He runs a 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 has formed an environment-protection group called​ Green Group​ in Delhi.

He creates and distributes a number of ​digital publications that cover areas such as technology, law, environment, education, politics, corruption and transparency.

He has created a comprehensive online information ​service to educate the Indian voters for the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

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.

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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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