Volume 1
Issue 1
April 2016 IGNITING MINDS
Children must be taught how to think, not what to think Margaret Mead
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LEDE Editor Juhi Shah Assistant Editor Meenal Singh Reporter Hridya Narang
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Editorial Advisor Shobhita Rajgopal
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Indian students in the US
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Cover Pic Dinesh Meena
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Art Direction Rexsu Cherry Design D Sharma
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Website Team Rolika Chamyal (Quality Analyst), Priya Vaishnav (Data Analyst), Monika Yadav (Research Analyst)
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*Source: Wall Street Journal
The new brain drain? Vice President Sales & Strategy Ravi Santlani Head National Sales & Marketing Ankur Verma Asst Vice President Sales Vanya Lodha Asst Manager Sales Jaspreet Kaur
EDITORIAL OFFICE EduPulse Media Pvt Ltd, J-3, Jhalana Institutional Area, Second Floor, Jaipur 302004 India Email: editor@scoonews.com FOR ALL SALES QUERIES Ankur Verma: +91-9057409515 sales@scoonews.com FOR SUBSCRIPTION +91-9057409501 subscribe@scoonews.com PRINTED AND PUBLISHED by Ravi Santlani on behalf of EduPulse Media Pvt Ltd PRINTED AT Jaipur Printers Pvt Ltd, MI Road, Jaipur 302001, Rajasthan, India and PUBLISHED AT EduPulse Media Pvt Ltd, J-3, Jhalana Institutional Area, Second Floor, Jaipur 302004 India Published for the month of April 2016 Total number of pages 68, including Covers
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s the first quarter of 2016 drew to a close, the school ecosystem was once again abuzz with news of class 12 students gaining acceptance at this college or the other in the US, Singapore, Britain even as board exams were still underway. This caught our attention at ScooNews; while we rejoiced with the youngsters, it also made us think. After all, till a few years ago, how many of them grabbed the headlines for scoring a seat at Cornell or Central St Martins straight out of school? Three or four in your city? A Wall Street Journal report of November 2015 puts the number of Indian school students heading to the US in Fall 2014 at about 16,000. Though a mere 12% of the 1,32,888 Indians who enrolled in various courses in American universities that year, and a drop in the 1.25 billion ocean that we are, the figures are still worth examining. For one, because these are only for US applications. Education consultants put the total number of Indian youth going overseas for higher education every year at three lakh plus; the percentage rises exponentially if the other destinations—UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Russia, Singapore, Germany, Italy, etc—are taken into account. Why is there such a drastic jump in the number of middle India’s high schoolers finding foreign pastures greener? Number crunching is one thing. What needs to be explored are the reasons why. For what? A boost in their resume, higher quality education, to escape the dreaded cut-offs, tough entrances and the quota system of Indian college system, or simply to have the time of their lives (not as easily available in the Indian environment)? And even at the cost it entails? (A four-year grad course can cost up to $500,000/ `3.3crore!) And, as a corollary, is the system taking note of this brain drain, particularly from the smaller cities of India? Is there any thinking on how much of this enormous powerhouse of talent actually seeks to return after college, leave alone the amount of forex going out of the country? Are we doing anything, if at all, to address the issues raised by our GenNext even as sizeable numbers leave Indian shores every July? Points to ponder in this, our inaugural issue of ScooNews. Do write in. I welcome your thoughts.
FIND US ON
April 2016
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CONTENTS
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20 COVER Mission graduation: Why small-town India wants to fly away to foreign universities ScooNews explores the reasons for young 18YO seeking to fly thousands of miles away from home in search of education...
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THE INTERVIEW: He is at home talking both Robert Frost & curriculum. Fr John Ravi, principal of St Xavier’s, Jaipur chats with ScooNews
OPEN DOOR: Inclusiveness is the first step to make education accessible to people with disabilities
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OPINION: The challenges remain for girl education
IN FOCUS: CBSE did a good turn when it offered legal studies as an elective in 2013-14. But the ambiguity surrounding the subject has left the student in a bind
32 JUST BLOGGING One day in the life of a principal… Cushy job, did you say? One has to step into the shoes of a school principal to know what it takes one to make one. Some days, it is only lines such as those by poet Maya Angelou to keep them going
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BEYOND CLASSROOM: Four blind boys and two young photographers show it is possible to ‘see’ with the ear
TRENDING: A prodigy by any other name... would be Sparsh
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PRINCIPALS ON BOARD Dear principals, your views matter to us. Do write in. Is holiday homework necessary for students? In what ways can children be engaged during the summer vacation? How do you think children should spend their holidays? Principals can send 150-200 word responses to editor@scoonews.com, along with their photographs. They should also mention their name, school, address and contact details.
April 2016
YOURS TRULY INTELLECT, ANYONE?
ONE FROM THE TEACHERS! An urge to be at the top of whatever we attempt, to be accepted in the society, have money, power is what drives us all. And, unfortunately, all this gets directed to our children. Parents want their children to be better than the best, nothing wrong there. But the pressure and the forced competition kills the real spirit of children. And it does not stop there. When the child grows up, parents still keep pushing them — to a better job, higher salary, a bigger house. Now, all this while, while parents try to fulfil their desires through their children, they are preoccupied with their own work and social life, transferring the entire responsibility on to the teachers. And, teachers of most schools, as much as they are willing to address the concerns of children, have no clue of what these children face at home, while parents, specially of the ‘problematic children,’ are willing to talk, but only on phone, which becomes a problem again. Agreed that we teachers need to be better informed about our student’s situation and how to handle individual issues; for this we need to continuously upgrade ourselves through various methods, including teacher-training workshops. But if it is not just literacy we are aiming at but education — which should be more than books, syllabi, monthly tests, exams, and scores — both parents and teachers need to put themselves in each other’s shoes. Only this can help them understand each other better, come on the same platform and thus march towards a common goal: that of smart and happy children. Jai Chandra DELHI
Thanks to the introduction of CCE and other such methods of evaluation students can now exploit various aspects of their talents whereas earlier our education system allowed them to take advantage of only their academic abilities. However, there is still one thing our education doesn’t allow the students to draw on and that is their intellectual capacity. Apart from producing prodigies in science and maths, Indian schools must also focus on producing intellectual thinkers to lead India to tomorrow’s complex world and changing geopolitical arena. Dhruv Upadhyay INDORE
‘MAKE IN INDIA’: SURE, LET’S START WITH THE BASICS My son Parag studies in a government school in our locality. The school, under RTE, reserves 25% seats for economically weak students; the school fee, even for the general category, is lower than other public and private schools. I have never believed that a government school cannot impart quality education, I myself am from a government school and so is my husband. But had we been strong enough financially to afford a more expensive school, we would definitely have sought his admission there, because the quality of the education he’s getting at his current school is of concern to me. I occasionally pick my son from school and the sort of abusive language I hear among students, both boys and girls, although these girls seem timid most of the times, is quite shocking to me. And this is not a new phenomenon. There’s a change in my son’s language and tone too. My husband and I never use such language at home, neither do our neighbours, in fact even they have been complaining of the same problem. Where is this coming from? Parag tells me there are 67 students in his class, and a teacher for each subject. This teacher-student ratio sounds quite disturbing to me. Teachers are not just ‘teachers’, they have multiple roles to play. But with one teacher han-
dling so many students, will that teacher be able to play the different roles efficiently? In any case, these teachers don’t show much concern for the language, the behaviour, etc of their students. We dream of ‘Make in India’, but we don’t seem to be bothered about our very basics. For Make in India and Digital India to be successful, we need to check and work at rectification at the grassroots. Arundhati Raghav Misra JAIPUR
WHEN WILL WE ACT? How do we measure a minister’s performance? Accomplishments against promises? That will be foolish, as everyone promises the best initially, without realizing the actual issues they’d have to address. Highs and lows are a part of any profession, and ministers face them too. But the best way for us to judge our HRD minister’s performance should be based on her ability to understand the PM’s agenda, and the capability to deliver on it, because, ultimately, the PM’s dream of a digital India and swachh Bharat depends in a great way on a robust education system. On a similar track, we do realize how important education is. And that is why the innumerable degree holders in our society. But are these degrees worth it? Are these degree holders employable? Are they setting any benchmarks? Coming down to school education, some schools have ham being served for breakfast, air-conditioned smart classes and buses, while others do not even have classrooms or even blackboards. And then, there are many that don’t even have qualified teachers. The mid-day meal scheme that tempted many BPL parents to send their wards to school is also not being delivered properly. Rather than giving those ‘saas-bahu’ish melodramatic speeches in Parliament, I’d request the HRD minister, Smriti Irani, to address these loopholes in our education delivery system. A very concerned citizen MUMBAI
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April 2016
Please recycle this magazine and remove inserts and samples before recycling
TRENDING ‘I don’t see myself as disabled. I just diss the ‘dis’ from disabled.’
A prodigy by any other name... would be Sparsh
Sparsh Shah Purhythm, the boy who has Eminem lauding his cover of the rapper’s 2010 hit.
Sparsh Shah, 12, was born with 35 fractures, is a patient of osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease); is wheelchair bound and runs the risk of even a handshake, a walk or run breaking his bones. So, is he ScooNews’ hero of the month for that? No way! Not for that! Trending on YouTube with 17,40,282 views (at the time of going to press), Sparsh is in the news for his debut cover of Eminem’s “Not Afraid” (with ‘my classical touch’ he says). Yes, the boy is a musician… he sings, composes, has learnt Hindustani classical and American vocal, writes poetry, short stories, emcees at community events. And has even got his idol, the rapper himself, tweeting about Purhythm (that’s what Sparsh calls himself). He has also mastered all 250 digits of Pi, can speak English in four different accents, and takes 18 seconds max to spell
After three years of pledging to give its first year primary students access to laptops, the Kenyan government is finally delivering on its promise. But with no desks, chairs or electricity, it begs the question how the children would actually use them. The 2013 announcement of one laptop per child. has now changed to setting up shared computer labs for schools with access to electricity and infrastructure. “We want to prepare our children and our schools for 21st century jobs. You have to start from somewhere,” said Kenyan information minister Joe Mucheru to BBC. “You can’t say they have nothing — they have books, they have teachers, they have curriculum....” While St Jude Nabuyeywe School in Bungoma, a poor farming area, still awaits basic infrastructure, children at a school in capital Nairobi are excited about the laptops.
No electricity but laptops for Kenya school
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April 2016
out the longest 12 words of the English dictionary; spelling out pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (lung disease for you and me) has been easy for him since he was 6! And wait, Sparsh is also the youth ambassador for a hospital, has helped raised funds for many philanthropic organizations, won awards in robotics, and is an orator. So, are we felicitating Sparsh for conquering his disability? Nah! “I don’t see myself as disabled. I just diss the ‘dis’ from disabled,” says this mighty heart, his smile and zest for life firmly in place. “Most people with disability always keep thinking about their disability and that makes others think about it too. I want to be the courage of such people.” We salute you, Sparsh Shah Purhythm, for your indomitable spirit! And for making us realize how small our problems really are.
‘Dear Parent, The exams are to start soon. I know you all are really anxious for your child to do well but please, do remember, amongst the students who will give the exams is an artist who doesn’t need to understand maths. There’s an entrepreneur who doesn’t care about history or English literature. There’s a musician whose chemistry marks won’t matter. There’s a sportsperson whose physical fitness is more important than physics. If your child does get top marks then, great. But if he or she doesn’t, don’t take away their self-confidence from them. Tell them it’s ok, it’s just an exam. They are cut out for much bigger things in life. Tell them, no matter what they score you love them and will not judge them. Please do this and if you do, watch your children conquer the world. One exam or a 90% won’t take away their dreams and talent.’ Seema Sapru, principal The Heritage School, Kolkata, on Facebook, to parents right before Board exams 2016.
With Kota being in the news for all the wrong reasons recently, such as the increasing number of student suicide cases in the city of ‘coaching’, district collector Ravi Kumar Surpur has decided to take matters in hand. And that has meant organizing special yoga sessions for one. Early in March, the district administration put together, in association with Isha Foundation, yoga classes for about 2,000 stressed out students and 1,000 teachers in the city. “Such sessions will bring creativity, insight and compassion which eventually will curb negativity from one’s self (sic),” said the good collector, adding that the ‘exercises taught to them (the students) will certainly bring positive energy and a change among them.’ The yoga de-stress sessions came in continuation of his earlier efforts like organizing the ‘Masti Ki Pathshala’ in all the coaching institutes with fun activities for students. “I felt very light during the session and... will share the (yoga) tutorials CDs with my friends,” said one of them. Well, that remains to be seen. The city saw 19 suicides in 2015 and three so far this year.
Kota plugs burnout with yoga, masti
The upcoming academic session will see the Delhi government release `300 more per child under the economically weaker section category. This comes as a reaction to growing number of complaints received by Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia from various private schools against the ‘minimal amount’ reimbursed to them for granting admissions under EWS category. A senior directorate of education official said that the Delhi government had decided to raise the amount to `1,598 from `1,290.
Delhi doles out more
There’s a bit of Kota in Mumbai now Cracking competitive exams and making place for oneself is not an easy task and it becomes all the more difficult when an 18-year-old is required to leave family, friends and home behind to study for an exam that is among the toughest in the country. But, to Mumbaikars’ relief some of the prominent institutes of Kota that help students prepare for IIT-JEE have now opened up branches in Mumbai. Aspirants will now be able to enrol themselves at an institute closer home. Praveen Tyagi, MD, IITians’ Pace said, “Signing up at our residential coaching facility that is right here in Mumbai is a choice not many could resist. Parents can also meet their children during the weekend.”
April 2016
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TRENDING
‘Instead of asking children what they want to do when they grow up, you should ask them what they want to be right now.’
Nazia saves kid, is now daughter designate of Hindu family
Ishita Katyal tells a packed audience at TEDx Vancouver 2016 in February. This 10 year old from Pune led a group of speakers that included AR Rahman and Shonda Rhimes.
Rowling teases with more tales of magic
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Though just 15, the fearless Nazia of Saghir Fatima Mohammadia Girls Inter College, Agra can teach a thing or two to millions of Indians. Nazia saved a six-year-old Hindu girl from kidnapping. As soon as Nazia heard the cries of Dimpy being forcibly pulled by two young adults on motorcycle, she ran to help managing to somehow free her after a tug of war between the two parties. Upon rescuing Dimpy, both of them, realizing they were from the same school, ran towards it barely 100 metres away. Nazia was awarded the Rani Laxmibai bravery award by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on 8 March 2016 and is now daughter designate in Dimpy’s home. Haji Jamiluddin Qureshi, manager of Saghir Fatima Mohammadia Girls Inter College, said, “There is no religious discrimination in our school. Even the students do not discriminate because of their religious beliefs,” going on to add that they have ‘Muslim girls learning Sanskrit and Hindus girls taking lessons in Urdu’.
April 2016
Pulling the veil back from her new series, The History of Magic in North America, author JK Rowling has revealed the titles of the stories which are a part of it on her site Pottermore. The debut title Fourteenth Century – Seventeenth Century examines the early days of the magical community on the continent, including the native Americans and skin-walkers, and wand-less magic. Rowling’s plan: to reveal details every day. The stories to be unveiled include Rappaport’s Law, 1920s Wizarding America.
TRENDING The dream campus for millions of Indians, IITs will now hold the entrance test abroad for foreign nationals. Come 2017 and Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Dubai and Ethiopia will see GATE and JEE being conducted on their shores for their nationals, so far held only for Indian nationals. This is the first time that foreign students will be admitted to 18 IITs through tests held abroad. The heartening news for Indian aspirants is that they would not affect the number of Indian seats.
IITs go abroad
KICKIN’ IT FOR MATH A random read through the newspaper gave Abhijeet Barse the idea to use football to teach mathematics to children of Nagpur’s municipal schools. The information that only 25.3% of class 3 students could do simple subtraction and 55.9% of class 8 students were
It takes an Australian to teach us Pat Farmer, Australia’s well-known ultra marathon runner, is on a mission — the mission of raising funds for girls’ education in India. On 26 January 2016, Farmer started his journey, which he and his team call the ‘Spirit of India Run’, from Kanyakumari, to reach Srinagar on 30 March. On the way, he couldn’t help but admire Indian hospitality. “The run is a public diplomacy initiative intended to raise money for the education of the girl child, to promote goodwill, friendship,” said Farmer while in Jaipur enroute to his final destination. Quite a powerful message that, though it should have been an Indian doing this, non?
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April 2016
unable to do simple division left him restless. But all he knew was how to play and teach soccer. So he decided to help girls of an Urdu-medium school learn the basics through the game he loves so much. The initiative, Edu-kick, aims at building upon existing educational outcomes with football as a tool. Games have been designed based on football to teach elementary mathematics (number system, squares and cubes, angles) and basic communication, to help the children become financially literate as well.
What a lesson! These two young boys, 11 and 6, did not know what they were in for when they landed up, dragging their feet, for their tuition at Shree Tutorial, Malvani, Mumbai. The two were filmed outside their class forced to strip down, allegedly by their coaching classes teacher, and holding their books to cover their nudity, tears rolling down their cheeks, much to the embarrassment of passersby. The video, reportedly shot by volunteers of an NGO, shows the duo holding their books to hide their vitals parts, begging the teacher to let them back in the class. It went viral and ended up with beat policemen, who landed up at the tuition centre on a busy road that has been tutoring nursery to junior college students for five years. The Malavi police booked owner Ganesh Nair and teacher Saroj Nair under the Juvenile Justice Act.
IN FOCUS
FAULT LINE
ADMISSION
CBSE did law aspirants a good turn when it offered legal studies as an elective in 2013-14. But the ambiguity surrounding the subject at Delhi University has left only one victim —the student
It paid off: DPS RK Puram’s first legal studies batch with principal Dr DR Saini (L-R ) Shreya Singh–All India Rank 17 in IP University; Mansvini Jain–All India Rank 27 in CLAT and All India Rank 6 in AILET; Animesh Singh–Secured All India Rank 2 in CLAT; Tapas Bhardwaj–Rank 1 in IP University in PWD; Owais Abbas–All India Rank 1 in IP University.
Navraj Bhatia
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W
hen the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) decided to introduce legal studies as an elective subject in Class XI in 2013-14, it gave those aspiring for a career in law a chance to find their bearings at the school level itself. The subject was introduced as a pilot in the first year on a first-come, first-served basis in 200 schools in India and abroad to be offered to other affiliate schools the following year after seeing the response. “It will empower students of the 21st century and open new career avenues for them in law,” former chairman of CBSE, Vineet Joshi, had said at that time informing that the decision had been taken after much ‘brainstorming with experts’. “Through this course the board also wants to give a competitive edge to students,” he had added.
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But CBSE’s good intentions took a bitter turn in 2015, when the first batch of legal studies’ students passed out and were caught between CBSE and Delhi University’s (DU) policy on admissions for no fault of theirs. While CBSE had offered it as an academic elective subject, DU recognized it as a vocational elective one since it is not offered in undergraduate colleges. So, it imposed a penalty of 2.5 percentage point in the cut-off. This on top of the overall aggregate of students having already dropped thanks to the marks obtained in the paper.
Out of the 600 students from Delhi, who took up legal studies last year, 92 were from Delhi Public School, RK Puram alone. Six of them scored 99%. One of them, Owais Abbas topped the All-India exam of IP University. He is now pursuing law at OP Jindal University, Sonepat.
Students were highly dissatisfied with their marks in the subject; those scoring above 90% in other subjects scored in 60s in legal studies. Harshika Mohindra, a Delhi Public School, Bhopal student obtained 67 marks, the highest in the subject. A topper in school, her aggregate
A student from another school, who wished to remain anonymous told ScooNews, “I opted for the subject since I was interested in law. Delhi University’s admission policy is that an academic/elective subject should have at least 70% component as theory exam but in this case, it is
NOTHING LEGAL ABOUT IT
percentage was 94 before she took up legal studies. In Class XII, it dropped to 88.6%. The minimum aggregate demand in most colleges last year was 90%. To make matters worse, CBSE did not allow re-evaluation in the subject only retotalling, leaving students with barely any hope of getting into a college of their choice.
IN FOCUS 100%. I did not get a college of my choice despite scoring well as 10 marks were deducted from my legal studies score.” “We offered the subject to the students on the basis of the CBSE circular that it would get equal weightage being an elective subject,” Dr DR Saini, principal, DPS, RK Puram, said when contacted. “Had we known that the students would suffer thus, we would not have offered the subject at all,” he rued. “The policy adopted by DU is discriminatory and unfair to the students who have opted for legal studies as an elective subject,” he pointed out. Although 107 students in his school have taken up the subject in the subsequent batch, Dr Saini is still fighting for justice on their behalf, including writing to the CBSE chairman and the vice-chancellor of DU.
What they said
We offered the subject to the students on basis of the CBSE circular that it would get equal weightage being an elective subject. Dr DR Saini, Principal, DPS, RK Puram
QUICK FACTS n Students can opt for legal studies and three other elective subjects (science, commerce or humanities) and a language
He never applied to DU. He was very clear about it right from the beginning. Studying law in school was the best thing that happened to him.
n Students from both humanities and commerce streams, who aim to compete for admissions to the five-year integrated law programme, can opt for legal studies n While CBSE offers it as an academic elective, DU only recognizes legal studies as a vocational elective one
Sabita Singh
n Rather than giving it equal weightage, DU imposed a penalty of 2.5 percentage point in the cut-off
Mother of Animesh Singh, all-India rank 2 in CLAT
The going was not too bad for students who did not apply to Delhi University. A case in point is Owais Abbas, who secured admission in a number of law colleges but settled for Jindal University. Then there is Animesh Singh, who secured the second rank in the combined law aptitude test (CLAT) and is now pursuing law at the National Law School, Bengaluru. “He never applied to DU,” said his mother, Sabita Singh. “He was very clear about it right from the beginning. Studying law in school was the best thing that happened to him,” she said. For the rest, however, there are only gaps and ambiguities around legal studies. CBSE claims it is an elective subject, one
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among the best of four. It does not figure in its list of vocational subjects yet it is among the 13 vocational courses approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Under UGC guidelines, all affiliate universities should offer it at the undergraduate level. But Delhi University says it is not possible to consider all the subjects offered by the CBSE and 22 other boards. It has restricted the list to the common subjects offered by the boards and to those in which the university offers an undergraduate course. Among the exceptions are accountancy, business studies, music (only honours), physical education and biotechnology. There are no penalty marks on them.
April 2016
CBSE officials are only adding to the ambiguity, preferring to avoid talking on the issue by passing the buck and are not forthcoming in giving any kind of information. It is clear that there is very little common meeting point between CBSE and DU and lack of coordination. As a DU professor, who is also the parent of a legal studies first batch student, said on condition of anonymity, “It is not fair to make students pawns in cases like this. Why did CBSE introduce the subject without taking into account DU’s admission policy? And conversely, why has DU not adhered to UGC guidelines regarding introducing the subject at the under graduate level?” Yes, why indeed.
OPINION Gender gaps in education
The challenges Shobhita Rajagopal
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Rajasthan’s enrolment ratios throw up glaring gender gaps. But they also reveal that familial support, teacher mentorship & personal resilience are triggering educational access, says a Harvard-IDSJ study of factors impacting access for girls Associate professor at IDS, Jaipur; Shobhita has worked in social development research, training and policy for over two decades. Committed to girls’ education, she works in the area of understanding politics of gender in education.
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REMAIN...
Startling findings: Programme director Jacqueline Bhabha and Orla Kelly of Harvard’s Champions project at a school in Rajasthan.
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ender gap in education has been one of the crucial development challenges in Rajasthan. There are still 17 districts in Rajasthan, where female literacy is below 50%. School level enrolments have also shown a steady improvement, but the gross enrolment ratios (GER) highlight visible gender and social gaps. Girls constitute only 46.17% of the total enrolment in rural areas at the elementary stage. Even though the state government incentivizes promotion of girls’ education of girls via free
April 2016
textbooks, transport vouchers, scholarships, etc, the gender gap continues to be challenging at 8.22%. The gaps are even starker among students from the marginalized scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. There are several factors that continue to impinge and influence access to education, especially in a traditional cultural context such as Rajasthan. In the case of girls, particularly from marginalized and hitherto excluded communities, strong cultural and traditional constraints over
mobility and perceived threat to the safety and security of older girls and lower aspirations for daughters in general, emerges as a key constraint and barrier to girls’ education at the higher levels. And then, issues of quality of teaching and learning in government institutions which primarily cater to students from disadvantaged groups is also not encouraging for girls; the gender discrimination carries over into the school choices—girls are often sent to government institutions while boys are enrolled in private schools.
Towards transformation Though the state continues to grapple with the barriers to accessing school education preventing a large number of girls from crossing the threshold to tertiary education, there are some changes. A recent study carried out by the Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur in collaboration with Harvard University (India’s Champions: Exploring Determinants of Young Women’s Empowerment in Rajasthan) explored the triggers to educational progression within the family, at school or in the community and institutions. Surprisingly, a majority of these ‘champions’ belonged to households where 71% of mothers and 23% of fathers had absolutely no formal education, revealing an intergenerational shift in supporting education for girls. Take Nidhi, 19, whose mother had never had the opportunity to study. “My brother was not keen that I go to college, but my mother and sisters supported me and I got admission in college,” she said. Girls also reported high levels of fatherly support for educational goals. What emerged as a key underlying driver, however, was the girls’ aspirations, based on a belief in the possibility of upward mobility, even for young women from disadvantaged backgrounds. As in the case of Ritu, 20. Ritu had had to struggle to continue her schooling after the elementary level, she said. “My parents had no formal education and most people in the village discouraged me. I was under a lot of pressure to drop out of school before completing class 10. I tried to convince my parents that I should be allowed to study further as I did not want to struggle like them for money,” she said, revealing that there had been no regular source of income since her father took ill when she was in class 8. Despite the high levels of reported parental support for education, a social reality that confronts most girls is balanc-
ing significant household responsibilities with educational commitments. Clearly, expectations of girls vis-à-vis their roles is not changing. Burdensome household chores continue to dog their heels; even at the secondary level 52% of girls reported spending more than three hours a day on household work. One of the worrying findings related to the broader social environment, and a barrier to progression, reported by girls was experiencing sexual harassment on the journey to and from school, which intensified as they progressed through secondary school. It was also cited as the main cause of dropout for many girls. The girls also reported that if they shared these experiences at home it would lead to their being withdrawn from college by their parents. The educational institutions did not provide adequate space or information on dealing with daily experiences of harassment.
Breaking stereotypes Given the critical role of education in individual development and empowerment, interventions are needed at multiple levels. As parental support plays a significant role in young women’s educational attainment, targeting interventions at the household level is a potentially transformative and under-utilized strategy for realizing equitable educational attainment. It is important to shift the focus beyond the ‘girl child’ to challenging stereotypes and mobilizing grassroots support for the families of girls engaged in secondary and tertiary education. Involving school and college teachers and local government functionaries to continuously engage with the parents and community can help in furthering the female participation in education. First generation learners also require formalized early career mentoring from educators familiar with the curricular and institutional choices available. Targeted social messaging, school initiated meetings, and financial incentives for families supporting their daughters’ secondary and higher education are important and underutilized strategies. Efforts should also be made to ensure availability of educational institutions within reach for girls as a large number of girls are forced to drop out due to accessibility issues. In addition it is important to engage with students and teachers on creating a nondiscriminatory and gender sensitive environment in schools and colleges.
In Rajasthan* Literacy rate
66.11% Male literacy
Female literacy
79.19% 52.12% National female literacy
65% *As per 2011 Census
Skewed ratio* Rajasthan may rank ninth in terms of the overall GER or fifth in the number of colleges it has (The Annual Status of Higher Education in States and UT 2013), however, in terms of gender, the enrolment is skewed with 60.9% comprising males and only 39% females. At 20.9, the GER for males is higher than the 15.2 GER for females.
Total no of college students
5,09,295 Total boys enrolled
2,83,311 Total girls enrolled
2,25,984 Total no of women’s colleges
272 Girls’ colleges in 14 districts
226 Girls’ colleges in 18 districts
46 Not just this, women are significantly under-represented among faculty and staff too in higher education institutions. This is also indicative of the gender disparities in the access to resources at various levels of education in the state. *As per govt data
April 2016
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COVER STORY
Mission graduation
Small towns, firang dreams Is it high cut-offs? Quotas? Or, is it the middle-class ‘aspirational’ thing to do now? Why are more and more18YO chucking Indian colleges to study abroad, once the preserve of graduates? ScooNews gets interesting answers as the new batch of undergrads takes wings overseas in July
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Team ScooNews
writeback@scoonews.com
C
hitraang Murdia, from Udaipur, Rajasthan, topped All-India IIT-Advanced in 2014. A year at IIT Bombay later he quit his B-Tech in computer science. Criticism followed, including from his friends—’You’re a kid,’ ‘You don’t know how to take important life decisions,’ ‘You’ll be earning in lakhs after engineering from IIT’. “My passion lay in physics. I wanted to do research, probably in quantum theory,” Chitraang tells ScooNews via email. Soon, he headed to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), on full scholarship, to pursue his first love. Geniuses like Chitraang apart, many young Indians, scholastic achievers or not, are set to fly across the world once school finishes this June. All that lies between them and their dreams of a foreign education are the class 12 boards. While their number cannot be compared with the several lakhs that apply to Indian colleges every year, one lakh students a year on
April 2016
American campuses alone cannot be laughed at either. Indians have always put a high premium on studying in Britain, right from the times of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, when budding lawyers went to the Inns of Court to do their bar at law. But lately the fascination has spread to even our Asian counterparts, and the US, of course. A UNESCO report of 2012 (the latest figures available) quoted as many as 1,89,472 Indian students studying abroad, however, industry experts suggested that 2.5-3 lakh students travel abroad every year to study. The US alone entertained 103,000 students in the academic year 2013-14, more than double the number of students 15 years ago, as per The Economic Times. So, after all these years of independence, are we still not free of colonialism? Or, do we find studying abroad more lucrative? Doesn’t India offer good enough education? Why are even top institutions unable to hold back Indian undergrads? Why are we
Have wings, will fly: (from L-R) Shashank Gadia, Nimesh Sagar Goel, Aditya Badaya, Eve Jain, Roshni Bahri & Madhav Juneja. still not inviting foreign students to study their choice of subjects here, even though we offer quotas to them? (Did we hear ‘quotas’ somewhere?) Robin Dube, of Erudite Architects, Jaipur does not expect the trend to reverse any time soon. “There is no looking back, not till we have a good, stabilized admission procedure in India too.” And this is not just a metropolitan fad, he pointed out. Himself based in a tier-2 city, he finds a growing number of students from Kota, Jharkhand, and northeast India seeking admission in undergrad courses abroad.
Communications, Narsee Monjee, or the National Law School of India University, have the highest cut-offs, so high that it becomes a struggle for even highly performing students to gain entrance. Enough reams have been written on the craziness of the Indian cut-offs to waste much hot air on the subject here. Suffice it to say, it is a major cause for youngsters to look elsewhere.
So, does that mean foreign universities do not have cut-offs? Well, no. But gaining acceptance is not easy. You need to be smart, write an excellent SoP (statement of purpose), have good grades to back you and be prepared to work harder... generally, just show the director of admissions just why they should pick you over hundreds of similar, if not better, applicants from all over the world!
However, this cannot be the only reason. To explore further, we talked to students likely to be heading out of India for college this year, and their parents and teachers. And they all seem mostly in agreement. Apparently, this is one issue that sees no generation gap! Dube cited the admission procedure, which means going under the scanner of reservations and quotas, as the major cause for this shift in India’s smaller towns. And no talk of cut-offs can be complete without a mention of the ‘R’ word. While the country rages under the aggression of ‘me-too’ pro reservationists,
And then, cracking GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, and the like is not easy, right?
NO RESERVATIONS
When Dube said, “Cut-off lists are obscene,” it had Jaipur’s Madhav Juneja, heading to New York University this fall, nodding vigorously. India’s most preferred institutions, the ones that the brighter ones aspire to, like the St Stephen’s, Sri Ram College of Commerce, Lady Shri Ram College, the IITs, Xavier’s Institute of
True, but educators like Suniti Sharma, principal, Maharani Gayatri Devi School (MGD), Jaipur say that with quotas the number of seats open to the general category has fallen to a level that cracking GRE does seem easier than getting through entrance tests, cut-off lists and then reservation. To an 18-year-old, faced with that and then the prospect of Board and competitive exam dates clashing, it becomes just too much. (The entire school ecosystem desires that schools and colleges get on
April 2016
21
COVER STORY
Creativity? In Indian colleges? What’s that?
Four Indian girls. Chose to study design in London and Singapore at the undergrad level. Why? Weren’t Indian institutions good enough? Or, was the competition too much? Or, was it because it was the cool thing to do? ScooNews got some interesting responses.
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retical, but generally practical studies are not incorporated in their curriculum. Sahiba: Not really, the universities aren’t managed well. The staff and the authorities are not as involved, there is no discipline from what I hear, and the focus is on written exams rather than hands-on learning, even in art schools. How do you rate ‘creativity’ in Indian institutions? Devna: Sorry, what creativity? Hahaha. No. It is curbed throughout school. I don’t know about universities. Rhea: I think creativity amongst the people in India is at par, if not more with people abroad. The only problem is that they aren’t allowed / pushed further to unlock their potential. Sahiba: 4/10. A lot of potential but not much importance given to it. Do you think the best of Indian institutions can or cannot compete with foreign institutions? Devna: I cannot generalize but the fact that very few institutes hold positions in world ranking speaks for itself. Nirati: Yes they can. Rhea: Of course, they can. Sahiba: Cannot.
Devna & Sahiba
Rhea
Nirati
Why do Indians choose foreign universities for higher studies? For prestige? Or, to avoid the demanding entrance tests? Devna Shah: I chose to go abroad because I felt that my particular skill set would not be appreciated much in India. If you’re a design student, people automatically assume that you are not smart and I didn’t like that. It doesn’t help that I find it difficult to cram information and give exams. Nirati Nayak: I think this varies from person to person. But I think it’s a combination of both. While there are some of the world’s most reputed universities in India fields like engineering, law, medicine, etc, there are many other fields that do not have as many options in India. The few that are there are extremely competitive to even get into. Besides that, many colleges lack the whole co-curricular, all rounded education aspect. It’s only academics. Rhea Bhandari: I believe that many people, including me, chose to study abroad because of the great exposure that we get. Also, the infrastructure
April 2016
and the industry for design are quite advanced here. It is also a matter of prestige. Sahiba Pannu: Better systems and facilities, more exposure, a chance to live in another country and to learn to fend for yourself, are the reasons many of us choose to go abroad. Also, there are too many seats reserved for people who may not even deserve them so the competition is really high. Do you find Indian colleges good in terms of overall development? Devna: Honestly, no. My friends in India who are studying the same course as me are at least a year behind me in the level of their work. The Indian education system is centred around only academics and not the development of other skills such as communication. Also, the kind of independence and responsibility that comes with studying abroad is incomparable to studying in India. Nirati: The top ranked schools, yes. Rhea: I think there are a number of brilliant universities in India, which include practical lessons as well as theo-
Are you comfortable with subjects offered by Indian colleges? Devna: No. The subject selection is so rigid that there is no room left for selfexploration. Nirati: Yes. Rhea: Yes. I just wish more vocational courses were offered too. Sahiba: In school, I wanted to take biology with art, but that was not allowed. We were herded into one field with limited choices and that changed the year after I graduated. But even so, the investment in the creative field is not sufficient in many institutions, which is why they are in no comparison to institutions abroad Do you think Indian students studying abroad do better? Devna: While where you get your education from matters, ultimately it is what you do with that education that matters more. Nirati: Yes. Because you are subjected to a whole new learning atmosphere, new teaching method, and most importantly people from so many different backgrounds, that the amount you learn outside of academics really helps you to broaden your perspective. Rhea: No, I disagree. Sahiba: Not necessarily. They do have more opportunities but it all depends on what you make of what you’ve got; and also being at the right place at the right time. — Team ScooNews
COVER STORY In explode mode According to a 2015 report in The Economic Times, up until 2013, only 15% of education consultants’ business came from undergraduates. This number rose to 40% in 2015. In fact, Piyush Agarwal of Abroad Education Consultants said he got almost half his business from students seeking admission in undergraduate schools abroad. Interestingly, most of the undergraduate aspirants were from North India who found it tough to get into the top local colleges. "The aspiring middle class wants to send their children abroad for undergraduate studies, especially in the north of the country, which wasn’t the case until three years ago. In south India, 80% still want to pursue postgraduate studies abroad," said Agarwal. Most undergraduate programmes in soughtafter universities abroad entail spending of about `1 crore over four years. Princeton University, ranked No 1 by US News & World Report, charged $41,820 for tuition in 2014-15.
Madhav Juneja has been offered a seat at NYU, Drexel & Pace Univ
the same page vis-à-vis competitive exam dates but with nearly two dozen education boards does that seem possible?) Yeah, that definitely makes sense. Sharma also pointed out that it is not just the seemingly reduced pressure of the admission procedure abroad but also the flexibility that foreign universities offer that draws the student to apply. A student who reads subject A as her major can shift to subject B in the second year of college and can also change the entire stream of compulsory subjects. This is something that has utterly excited students in the past years luring them to foreign shores. Along with high cutoffs, said Sarthak Suri, an IB student from Jaipur who has been accepted at Indiana’s Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to train as an electrical engineer, it was the quality of Indian college education that bothered him and the “cramming for exams that our education system makes us do”. Devna Shah, a student of design at LASALLE, College of Art in Singapore, grimaced in agreement. “The Indian education system is centred on only academics and not the development of other skills such as communication. My friends in India who are studying the same course as me are at least a year behind me in the level of their work.” Youngsters understand that depending on textbooks alone won’t help them in the long run. A practical education is what they look for now, missing from the Indian system. India has some top-class institutes with excellent faculty, said Siddhant Rathore, a student at BITS Goa. However, “colleges abroad have better connections to the industry,” and are better equipped to provide better practical exposure. “All that we do in India is study the same old things, many no longer relevant; there’s hardly any syllabus evaluation,” he pointed out. Anmol Mathur, of Jayshree Periwal School, Jaipur has opted for chemical engineering at Georgia Tech, Atlanta. Other than the research facilities, what helped him zero in was that he could indulge in sports there. It is not the Indian education system but the corruption that envelopes it that is the issue, said Anmol’s mother, Deepa Mathur, PhD in sociology and economics.
Ayush of Jayshree Periwal School handles all foreign applications
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Though most of the other students we spoke to begged to differ. Sahiba Pannu, also at LASALLE, was outraged at the state of Indian universities. “The authorities are not as involved, there is no discipline from what I hear, and it focuses more on written exams than hands-on-learning, even in art schools,” she said. Nimesh, who has put his acceptance at Indiana on hold while he awaits more calls for computer
April 2016
What they said
A more flexible college system allows youngsters the freedom to evolve, realize who they really are, what their choices are Manisha Singh, Ex-teacher, Sanskriti School, New Delhi
The US is still the top choice though the trend is gradually seeing a shift to Germany, Italy, Spain, and Hong Kong too. Robin Dube Erudite Architects
science courses, did not even bother applying anywhere in India, just like Devna. Why? Pat came the reply, “Who’d ever go through the long admission process and still not get what you want thanks to the reservation. Shouldn’t I rather focus on where I can get it easier, a place that offers me a better education and lets me explore myself ? If I choose IIT, I start on a path that I must carry on for the next four years, whether I like it or not. In case, I do want to change my course mid-way, I’d have to go through the same rigour. So, why won’t I choose the same path abroad where I would have the chance to explore myself and then if I don’t find it to be my calling, I can easily shift?” Educators and parents give thumbs up to this as a top reason for graduation abroad. Anil Juneja, Madhav’s father, cited Madhav’s foundation year at NYU and then figuring his options. Manisha Singh, who taught at the elitist Sanskriti School till recently and a parent of children studying in the US, agreed, saying that this gave students a lot more and better opportunities. To dissenters, she said, “a more flexible college system allows youngsters the freedom to evolve, realize who they really are, what their choices are.” A valid point. After all, how many Indian engineering graduates really pursue that as a career? The current startup scene is replete with engineers getting into businesses. Chitraang’s case is a prime example. “I have seen students, good in physics, maths, following the herd to pursue computer science
Chitraang’s case is a prime example of the rigidity of our college system. “I have seen students, good in physics, maths, following the herd to pursue computer science. Giving them the choice to flip will boost their morale,” he says.
Chitraang Murdia with his supportive parents, Manish and Sonali
or electrical engineering,” he said. “Giving them the choice to flip will boost the morale of those students who wish to pursue their interest in pure science but cannot beca0use of family pressure or money.” Interestingly, teachers are themselves suggesting foreign universities to their students and schools have their own cells for foreign applications, like Jayshree Periwal
School. So, have educators themselves lost faith in the Indian system? It’s the “tough competition”, not loss of faith, reflected Ayush Periwal. “If parents can afford to send their wards abroad, why will we stop them? Colleges abroad offer global exposure, which each student wants.” Schools also need to keep updated with latest trends. Averred Poonam Saxena of Scholars Global School, Haryana, “But why would we discourage them if they desire to go out for their good?” To that Sangeeta Kain, principal of Delhi Public School, Jaipur, added: “There are students from countries lesser developed than India, and some more developed too, coming to India for their education. Why should a student, a young mind, not have a chance to go abroad as long as they are ready to come back?”
High cut-offs, quotas, quality are all reason enough for a youngster to leave for ‘greener pastures’ (pun intended, bad or not!) but, talking to a cross-section of people, it begins to seem as though there’s another factor at play here, one which most avoid discussing, leave alone admit to. In all the numbers that are seeking foreign shores, is there somewhere a keeping up with the Joneses syndrome at work here? Or, perhaps, a fad? When one sees the background of many of the young applicants-from traditional businesses, for example, not known for placing a premium on education, especially higher education, till a generation back-it certainly begs the question. After all, it does up your social quotient terribly to say at your faux p3 party, ‘Oh, my son is at University of Minnesota’! or ‘My daughter’s doing her family business course at LSE’. Your worth rises, immediately, by several notches. If, after that fancy education, she comes back to open your neighbourhood designer boutique, who cares? Is that a jaundiced view? Perhaps. But worth dwelling upon, if only as a sociological trend bestowing social cachet, no? Certainly, this phenomenon is aspirational, though not in the economic sense but culturally, sociologically, definitely.
Suniti Sharma, principal, MGD
Sangeeta Kain, principal, DPS, Jaipur
As for the aspiring middle India of the SEC B towns and cities, it appears to be the same old wine, really, in an exotic bottle— ‘better’ education, better jobs, better spouses, bigger cars, houses.... And funding the high, much higher, costing education out of salaries that barely scratch 20 lakh per annum? Well, that is another story, another day.
April 2016
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THE INTERVIEW
At 75, magis is what drives St Xavier’s He quotes Robert Frost at a drop, is equally at home expounding on the competitiveness that besets schools yet is diplomatic when it comes to calling a spade a spade. Maybe that is what makes Fr John Ravi a successful principal. A freewheeling chat with him on one of Jaipur’s oldest institutions completing 75 years...
Meenal Singh
meenal@scoonews.com
75 years. How has the journey been? Fruitful. It has been very fruitful. However, I wouldn’t like to call it a successful journey. Success is a secular term, which can be achieved with fair or unfair means. Whereas when I say it has been a fruitful journey, I mean that we, as a school, which includes teachers, staff and students, have tried our best to make our children good citizens, with integrity, are emotionally balanced, spiritually sound and socially conscious.If you look at our alumni, their placement and contribution to the society, I can confidently say our 75 years of journey has been a fruitful one. And why has been this been so? We have tried our best, the students try their best. Maybe many of them are not very sound economically, but what makes me proud is the fact that none of them is sitting idle, they are trying to do something... something out of the way, something innovative. It is not just the academic performance that makes one a Xavierite, what we try here is cultivating the spirit of a Xavierite, which means going where others have not yet thought of. The idea that Xavier’s teaches is, quoting Robert Frost, Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — / I took the one less travelled by, / And that has made all the difference.... Where Xavier’s differs in is not in terms of the academic training that we impart, the kind of infrastructure that we have, but rather in terms of the nurturing, the compassion of our teachers that we try to inculcate in our students. We try to make our students feel free to interact... with their teachers, classmates, seniors, juniors, principals, there has to be no fear. Having faith in ourselves and competing only with ourselves, we have come to follow magis (a Latin term for ‘more and better’). If all these factors are considered, the journey has been very enterprising, enriching, fruitful. How do you foresee the future? Your SWOT of St Xavier’s... Conviction is where we lack. St Xavier’s has always been considered a good school, but there are things that leave me worried. Many a time, I find that students not ready for their exams even in the month of January, which is really worrisome. How can students be this slow, even after all the technological advancements? Is this how the students are preparing themselves to bring about a change in the society.
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April 2016
Dinesh Meena/ScooNews
What is your take on all the competitiveness that exists among schools now? True, there are many good schools, many with quality education too, some not. However, we are here not to compete with other schools, if it in any way harms our students. There are several schools
that feel proud of their claims of ‘n’ number of students scoring more than 90%; we are not in that league. Our students do score high, but their scores are not what we boast about. Neither do we push our students to keep scoring the highest. We encourage them to do their best, if they are capable of scoring 98%, we’d like them to see them pursing it; if they are capable of scoring 70%, we would not like to push them for 90%, but do their best and score what they are capable of. Then again, is this competition judged on the basis of how students are performing once out of school? Where we would like to compete at is how successful schools are in making students responsible citizens. Other than making money, if our students are doing even a bit extra for the society, we are competing successfully. Our agenda in not scores, but social sensitization; how the school can make a difference to the society through our children, teachers and parents. Whose fault is it if a beggar is sleeping on the pavement? A Xavierite would think it to be his fault and try to help. What do you think of RTE? RTE, theoretically, is most required, although being a minority school we are not covered by it. I believe, every capable school should follow RTE. However, all those schools that are covered by RTE, are they following it all the way through? Well, they are unable to even if willing to; there’s so much manipulation. Our education policies are decided by bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen, people who hardly know what issues educators face, but then educators are not even invited (to be part of the process). Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘if you want to know if your decision is right, see if it is pro or anti poor.’ RTE is pro-poor, but we have failed in its implementation, we didn’t move forward with a commitment to educate. You asked about competition, right? See how we compete. We, a minority institution, are not under RTE, and we need not give 25% admission to the economically weak students. However, we are teaching 500 students with scholarships worth `1.44 crore each year. We identify students from the weaker sections give the basic training to the kids so as to train them to be fit enough to face the mainstream and we have been doing this for the past 45-50 years now.
There are many in the ‘business’ of education. It is hardly a ‘calling’ any more. Your take? I believe it is a vocation. And I agree that there are people who have entered this arena with the idea of business, maligning the idea of quality education, which should always remain a noble mission. I believe it to be a vocation, to transform our children in their formative years. We might not have a palatial building, huge classrooms, or different uniforms throughout the week; for us, it is a journey, and thus we struggle and we would continue to do so. As many schools as might come in, giving us tough competition, we would not deviate from our mission of transforming our children, to lead to a better society. And as educators we need to regularize our schools and our approach to education. I have taught and held administrative positions in UP, Bihar, and now in Rajasthan, and have experienced a continuous downfall in standards. Why? Because we ourselves have stopped emphasizing on values; the elders today are not able to inspire our youth, it is we who are not up to the mark. And so, there is a huge need to introspect. We need to know where things have gone wrong, it is time we take a u-turn in our journey, return to where we were, correct our mistakes of the past, to give our youth a stepping stone. And, coaching centres? Well, yes, there are several coaching centres popping up, luring children and parents alike with the idea that they can stop attending school, sit at home and prepare for competitions if they join their institutes. But I ask my students, and would like to ask every student, will the coaching centres put you on the top? What they do is simply help you score. However, if you want something more than scores, it is not the coaching centres. To reach the top, and remain there, what you need is love, inside you for others and inside others for you. Today, what is required are not intellectual giants, rather people with integrity, sensitivity, sensibility, compassion, and intellect. You might get the top institutions, thanks to coaching centres, but not success. For being successful, what you need is the ability to connect with people, values, right attitude, developed while at school.
I am proud that our students accept the key to success and respond responsibly. This year, except for two students, all the students have applied for class 11, and even those two did not for other reasons. That our students realize the importance of schooling and not just marks makes me feel proud. St Xavier’s helps all its students build that attitude. Why can’t teachers and parents be on the same platform? Yes, there are differences. And it is to bridge this that we have PTAs. However, these monthly meetings don’t help. We need to sensitize both parents and teachers. This generation has grown too complex and, to help children to grow better, both sets need to be on the same platform. On one hand, parents are increasingly busy, the family culture is changing, children are drifting away from parents. They are given all the facilities, iPads, smartphones, and what not, but the bonds are weakening. On the other, what earlier helped teachers doesn’t help them anymore. They need to be trained a lot more. They need to forget their personal problems as soon as they enter schools and start interacting with students. And to bridge this gap, other than regular PTMs and PTA activities, we invite parents to discuss anything they want with the teachers every Saturday. We are also planning to start weekly meetings with parents, in groups, so that they can openly discuss their concerns with us and with other parents too. We hold regular workshops for teachers’ training too, where they are given an insight into psychological and behavioural patterns, etc, thus helping them look beyond the classroom. Any message you’d like to send to hopeful teachers? Teachers in St Xavier’s, or teachers anywhere, please develop a compassionate attitude towards children. Every teacher needs to forget the problems they have at home. Your students depend on you, they look up to you, if you are not compassionate towards them, if you don’t accommodate them, if you don’t accompany them in their journey, you’ll fail to make a difference in their lives and thus fail your vocation.
UNBOXED Hridya Narang
hridya@scoonews.com
The eye sees the light, the lens focuses on the object and the click captures it all. But what if there’s no ‘seeing’ and just clicking… can you even imagine a perfect picture being clicked like that? Well, when anyone hears of four visually impaired boys taking photographs and then putting them up for a show their reaction is that of yours, reader…. If you are still wondering how Tinku, Anjan, Phani and Milan from the small town of Sheoraphuli in Hooghly clicked not one but many breathtaking pictures, ‘hearing’ is how they did it. It was the sound that helped them learn the art of photography. Sound, for them, is their eye to the world. “I cannot see, but my inference is very good, and this is photography for me,” says Tinku Hazra, poetically. The idea to teach photography to visually impaired children was conceived by two young photographers of Jaipur—Chandan S Rathore and Padmaja Sharma (Gungun). Inspired by the movie, Ship of Theseus, that features a blind photographer, the duo explored the possibility of holding such a workshop but it was no go till Sampa Paul connected them to the Society For Blind in Sheoraphuli, which allowed them to work with their children. On day one of the workshop in 2014, all that Chandan and Gungun had was four tiny cameras borrowed from friends, an empty wooden frame to teach them framing, a booklet of Surdas’ verse, some articles penned by blind photographers, and a Hindi–Bangla dictionary.
But their students had never seen anything in their lives. And the teachers did not know where to begin. “First we had to change our perception that this was possible. We had to now ‘see’ with a different angle,” smiled Gungun. So, Chandan began with reading Surdas’ poetry to them. Soon, the evocative poetry not only made everyone immerse in each word spoken and imagine each beautiful visual but also made the children recall the heard
PHOTOS OF SOUND Four blind boys and two young photographers show it is possible to ‘see’ with the ear and that education is not only that which is confined to the classroom
When I photographed the temple and its vicinity, I didn’t feel that I could not see. Yesterday, children were playing football and I heard the sounds of them playing and it came to my mind that I must click their picture. —Milan Sharma
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sounds. “Within 10 minutes of class, everything changed. So, this was the bend where we were to leave all our preparations and knowledge of books. We were to learn from them, they were our teachers,” said Chandan. After that, the boys were taught to handle the camera in such a way that they had to lift it and align it with their forehead, then bring it closer to the eyes and focus on hearing the sound of the shutter. As soon as the first-time photographers heard the ‘click’, they gave an excited smile. Once the training was over, the boys were taken to various locations where they clicked as they liked. “Every day we photographed for three hours; so pleasing it was. It felt as though vision had been gifted to me for these three hours. Now, whenever I am clicking pictures, I am lost,” said Tinku. Recalling this entirely unforgettable episode of their lives, Anjan Sharen said, “While walking... so many people were there on the way, I photographed them, the temple I visit daily, and the people at the Ganga Ghat near the temple. And since it was an extremely hot day so, for a while, I took shelter beneath a tree, it not only relaxed me but also made me think that photography made me feel good.” After the workshop, Chandan and Gungun had many more miles to go. Teaching was one thing, but telling the world about it another. They wanted to organize an exhibition of the children’s work so they gave their two years in raising funds and finally, in 2016, succeeded in putting up a show at Jaipur’s Jawahar Kala Kendra. The exhibition was called ‘Dhwaniyan’ or ‘Sounds’, because, as Gungun said, “these were photos of ‘sound’, that is why this name”. None of their photos needed cropping for the exhibition. They were presented the way they were… appealing,exquisite, graceful and above all in their true form. For those who still wonder whether pictures can be taken without seeing… these photographs are an answer.
OPEN DOOR
Deepak Kalra
writeback@scoonews.com
Make them a part of things, not
A |P |A |R |T
Inclusiveness in our approach is the first step to making education accessible to people with disabilities, everything else comes after that
G
ayatri was nine years old and, like all girls her age, dreamt of going to school every morning in her uniform to be with her peers. She wanted to grow up to be a doctor but, unfortunately, that seemed a pipe dream because she was in a wheelchair, her speech was not very clear and her hand functions also impaired due to cerebral palsy (a condition that occurs due to damage to the developing brain affecting coordination of all motor functions). As she was dependent on caregivers for just movement and activities of daily living, her family was very hesitant to send her to school. It approached a few schools in the neighbourhood but was refused admission as soon as they saw the wheelchair. Deepak is a lecturer in human development, who trained herself in the field of special education after the birth of her son with cerebral palsy in 1984. She is director of Umang, Jaipur (an NGO she started with the support of parents) that reaches out to the largest number of children with brain damage in Rajasthan with a strong emphasis on advocacy and awareness. As chairperson of the state commission for protection of child rights, she worked extensively for implementation of the RTE Act in Rajasthan
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Their attention was on the wheelchair and not on the person sitting in it who wanted to live a life full of hope and ambition like her peers. Gayatri would sit with her cousins every evening when the private tutor came home to give tuitions. One day, while the tutor gave a surprise test to the children he also gave a question paper with multiple choices to Gayatri. To his surprise, Gayatri answered all the questions correctly. He shared it with her parents and they decided to approach a school once again to let Gayatri sit in the class and listen.
April 2016
The school agreed on the condition that the mother or a family member would accompany Gayatri every day to take care of her needs. Since the school transport service did not accept her, she had to travel daily by a personal vehicle. She was not included in games, theatre, or outings, had to be carried up and down the stairs, could not use the bathrooms and had to go home early if she had to use one. She was also not shown on the school rolls during board exams and had to appear privately. It was a decision that the school regretted when she scored 88% marks. Today Gayatri is a web designer and works for an advertising company. There are over 14 lakh people with disabilities in Rajasthan alone and over 2.2 crore in the country with special needs. In 99.9% cases, they would not have a support system like that of Gayatri. Are we going to let them remain at home? Oblige them by ‘letting’ them attend classes like Gayatri? Or make education available to them as their right by making our schools more accessible? India has one of the largest populations of people with disability in the world. It was one of the first countries to sign the UNCRC treaty, section 28 of which promis-
There are over 14 lakh people with disabilities in Rajasthan alone and over 2.2 crore in the country with special needs. In 99.9% cases, they would not have a support system like that of Gayatri. Are we going to let them remain at home? Oblige them by ‘letting’ them attend classes like Gayatri? Or make education available to them as their right by making our schools more accessible?
es free and compulsory education to all the children. The right to free and compulsory education act (RTE Act 2000) of MHRD was passed to fulfil the above commitment. As per the legislation, it is a punishable crime for any child below 14 years to be out of school and provisions have to be made in government and private schools to accommodate all children. The Act reaches out to marginalized groups, including persons with disability, with special provisos like reservation of 25% seats in all private schools for free education to deprived sections and inclusive education in all government schools with special educators, resource materials, etc. Besides, the Persons with Disabilities, Equal Opportunity Act, 1995 (PWD Act 1995) provides for all public building to have physical access like ramps, lifts, special toilets to make inclusion possible as also an entire section on making school education available to persons with disabilities by reaching out to their special needs. In spite of this, 75% persons with disability are still out of schools. Where are we failing? A major reason for this is our social and emotional barriers rather than physical. The latter can easily be overcome, it is the former that are much more difficult to break. If we can accept that ‘no one can do everything but everyone can do something’ and believe it, it may help us give an opportunity to everyone. It may be that some achieve more and others less but just because a person cannot ‘achieve’ as per our expectations, do we deny them all
opportunity? Do they not have a right to achieve as per their potential? Much of our hesitation to refuse admission to children like Gayatri comes out of our own ignorance. When a child with disabilities is included in a mainstream class the first reaction of the class teacher is ‘How can I give attention to all the special needs of the student; what will happen to the other 35 or 50 students in the class?’ To that, I would say it is not the job of the class teacher to take care of the special needs of the students, but, that of a resource teacher or a special needs teacher. As per CBSE guidelines, it is compulsory for all schools to have resource teachers for students with special needs, with a ratio of one teacher to five special needs students. Each school also has to provide resource materials like books with enlarged prints, books in Braille, and remedial material as per the needs of the students. If we do not look at providing for special needs as a burden but, as our job and as a right of children, it will not be such a tall order to mainstream children with disabilities or to encourage schools to take in such children. We are a country with a history of embracing people with so many differences, why are we so hesitant to accept persons with disabilities in our lives? Rabindranath Tagore so rightly said: “The idea is not to wipe out all differences, but to live together with all differences intact.” Let us celebrate differences and not let them keep us ‘apart’.
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JUST BLOGGING
One day in the life of a principal… Cushy job, did you say? It may appear so, but one has to step into the shoes of a school principal to know what it takes one to make one. Some days, it is only lines such as those by poet Maya Angelou to keep them going
Lt Col A Sekhar
writeback@scoonews.com
Monday 0740 hrs The school has reopened after the Diwali break… Exuberant children throng the school corridors and pathways with unadulterated joy! The noise levels are just that bit louder. The staff looks refreshed and bright. Yet, the head of the institution is pensive, reflective, even anxious. On the face of it, he has little reason to be. Yet he is.… Why? A peek into his schedule may offer a clue. 0800 hrs Meeting with parents, teacher, counsellor... A family problem. The child is badly affected. A long counselling session ensues. Emotions are running high! A reasonable solution is brought about. The parents walk away, relieved. The principal permits himself a half smile. Abruptly, the teacher requests for a meeting with the principal, alone… The teacher is initially quiet then breaks down into sobs! Tremendous anger, trauma and bitterness. Somehow, the principal calms her down. Picks up the phone to talk to her friend in the school; tells her to speak to her through the day…. 1015 hrs By now, the morning tea break beckons… Smart, winsome girls and boys meet the principal and share their birthday excitement. Impatient teachers and students rush in. Short crisp orders given; the principal permits himself a washroom visit. Quickly, takes a round of the school
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after the bell has gone off. The school is well set, yet the teachers have a quizzical look as they wish ‘Sir’. ‘Sir ka mood theek nahi hai...’ Back in his office, the counsellor is waiting. She is desperate for a separate audience. By now, the principal is already weary inside. Yet, outwardly, a stentorian face faces the world. The teacher quickly summarizes an issue her spouse is facing. The matter is serious… Frantic phone calls, high drama, emotion, again. Somehow, the immediate crisis is resolved. In between, distress calls from coordinators, teachers. Absentee students’ parents contacted. Some parents respond negatively to the calls. At least one teacher is in tears.... 1215 hrs By now, it is lunch time… A teacher walks in... requests for leave to handle marital discord. A recheck on absent students done… for a second time. One secondary cluster student’s parents contacted again, for the second time. Ashen-faced teachers walk in to the principal’s office. A student had left home—cycle parked just outside the school—is unavailable... since 0745 hrs. Initial panic, calls all over, parents upset, aggressive, rude, yet the principal manages to stay calm; his sixth sense tells him that the child will be back before school closes. Expectedly, the student is found; distraught family members get physical with the child. The student is beyond consoling. Only sobs, and more sobs. Over 90 minutes of patient, calm guidance and counselling make the family members and student (more than a basketball team) see reason. They are grateful. By now, we are beyond 5 o’clock in the evening. Somebody from the office asks… Sir, did you have lunch? He is flummoxed; he cannot remember! To paraphrase former Indian cricket selector Raj Singh Dungarpur, who asked of Mohammad Azharuddin, ‘Miyan, kaptan banoge?’: Barkhurdar, principal banoge?! Lt Col A Sekhar is principal Atul Vidyalaya, Valsad, Gujarat
APRIL
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APRIL
BR AMBEDKAR REMEMBRANCE DAY
APRIL
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WORLD HERITAGE DAY
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WORLD EARTH DAY APRIL
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ORISSA DAY
APRIL
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NATIONAL MARITIME DAY
APRIL
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WORLD HEALTH DAY
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JALLIANWALA BAGH MASSACRE DAY (1919)
APRIL
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WORLD BOOKS DAY
April 2016
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GET SET
Junior, R u n for your health… Hit the road to health as you run, have fun, groove, and win prizes with Juniorun coming to Jaipur on 24 April with their parents, cousins or friends, dressed in their choice of costumes as they run, jog, stroll, or just hop by. Adding a dash of fun to the run will be a live band, DJ, concert stage, fun area, finisher medals, certificates, and lots of prizes.
So, how did Juniorun come about?
ScooNews Correspondent
writeback@scoonews.com
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uys, gear up… pull up your socks and tie up your laces. To run… not for your favourite pakdam pakdai games but for the sake of your health with Gurgaon Road Runners, better known as GRR, at the Juniorun on 24 April 2016. Wondering what GRR and Juniorun is? Well! GRR is nothing fancy, its just roadrunning that was spearheaded by Siddharth Choudhary, who is aiming to reinvent the concept of running. Running for fun and fitness to bring about small societal changes is the only mantra of GRR, which so far has more than 300 mem-
bers, from those who have never run to marathoners—people from all spectrums of life, management professionals, social workers, socialites, housewives, retired defense personnel, teenagers, children.... The first-ever running event for Jaipur’s younger generation, the energetic GRR is made for children to get them away from screen time and keeping in mind their health issues. The event that will see around 4000 kids, ranging 0–18 years, running for one km, three km, five km and 10km, will not be limited to running though. Children, who are not planning to run, will have other activities to participate in without being judged. They can get silly, along
All you want to know about Juniorun Distance Age Type Fee
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Costume Run 1km 0-2 yrs Fun run `500
The Starters 3km 5-15 yrs Timed run `600
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The Edge 5km 8-18 yrs Timed run `600
The Champs 10km 12-18 yrs Timed run `600
Well! it’s the feel good factor that made Siddharth conceive of this idea. “I started running about 15 years ago and quit smoking too. I wanted to share this ‘feel good’ factor with others,” says the avid marathoner with five years of competitive running behind him. “At GRR running for fun and fitness is the mantra. If you want to run, run a mile,” he says. “If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon. The thirst you feel in your throat and lungs will be gone minutes after the race is over. The pain in your legs within days, but the glory of your finish will last forever.” And after Jaipur Juniorun? What next? Well, says Siddharth, it would be time to get in shape for Run for Rio where he will share space with Milind Soman, Gul Panag, Arun Bhardwaj, David Slotsgaard Bredo, etc as a part of confidence-boosting for Indian Olympics participants.
TÊTE-À-TÊTE
One girl, lot of talent, many dreams!
She is 12, began singing at 6, and has two albums to her credit. Abida Parveen is her idol. And Sindhi her preferred vehicle to musical fame. Meet Drshika Advani, who wants to grow up to live next to Taylor Swift! ScooNews Correspondent
writeback@scoonews.com
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n an age when more and more Indian youngsters are losing their identity, Drshika Advani is going back to her roots, roots that lie in the Sindhi culture, which is at risk from the whirlwinds of globalization and change . Singing since age six, this Mumbai girl is doing her bit to keeping alive the rich traditions of this vibrant culture through her music.
Drshika, six years of professional singing now. How’s the journey been? It seems like I just started; only six years! And I
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started on this mesmerizing journey thanks to my Nani maa; she was a classical singer, just listening to her was enticing. Mama too loves music. Both of them have been the greatest source of inspiration to me. So, teachers in the family, eh? Ah! Well, family is always the best teacher. But Kajal didi (Kajal Chandiramani, Sindhi singer) has also been a guide, a teacher, a mentor... I shouldn’t be calling her didi here, right? But she is my guru. A guru, who is almost my mother. And when you talk of Sindhi music, how can you not talk of Abida Parveen ji?! Her music is my biggest source of inspiration. I try to learn from her, from her singing.
TÊTE-À-TÊTE remember I was standing in the wings to perform on stage for the first time, cribbing ‘Mummy mujhe to ye wali trophy chahiye, trophy chahiye, trophy chahiye.’ She was quite tensed because it was my first time on stage and all I was thinking was about the trophy. But, eventually... I came back with a trophy! So, these performances, practising, etc, do they hamper your studies? They do. My report card says that I am quite good at studies, though the time that my classmates spend on tuitions, I spend in music and dance classes. But my teachers at Billabong High International School, Mumbai, not only do they teach well but also are really very supportive that I can easily manage with tuitions. Apart from this, music and dancing relax my mind and with music comes the first lesson of discipline and concentration. And that’s what studies need! And I love to sketch and click pictures.
Does that mean you won’t ever venture into Hindi/English singing? I love singing in Hindi and English. Taylor Swift is my favourite. And which singer, more so an Indian one, would not look up to Lata Mangeshkar ji? (At which she breaks into a beautiful rendition of Woh humsafar tha, from the Pakistani serial Humsafar.) Okay! We would really love for you to tell ScoooNews’ readers about all that you have done in your short life, Drshika. Noooo... (giggles). Achcha, okay. So, here goes... I am a regular feature on Radio Sindhi and Sindhi TV cable channels, recently performing for the Sindhi
association of China and Hong Kong and I was the youngest there! I don’t want to boast, but it felt wonderful! I was the winner of Sindhi Family No 1 contest held in Mumbai and I have won a cash prize of `21k last year from a Sindhi organization for being an inspiration for Sindhi youth to promote Sindhi language and culture. I can perform on any song on the piano within 15 minutes. I have released Varso, my first Sindhi album and I also have a Hindi album, Baarishein. Did you ever find it tough to be on stage? I do face stage fright sometimes, though I have been lucky always to never fumble on stage. But I
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THERE’S A WOMAN BEHIND EVERY ONE OF THESE
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kay, a quick question. Can you name some inventors? We’re sure you can! Leonardo da Vinci, Issac Newton, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, right? Now, how about naming some women inventors? ‘Ummm… let me see… nooooo’. Gotcha, didn’t we? But it’s a fact that in a male-dominated world, women’s efforts go overlooked. Often. But their part in bringing about change in the world we live in today cannot, should not be overlooked. From the first computer algorithm back in the early 19th Century to modern-day refrigerators and icecream makers, women have a lot to take credit for. ScooNews brings you some women inventors and their inventions without which the world would not be the place we know it is today. Ada Lovelace: This English mathematician and writer is often regarded as the first computer programmer. In her notes on the analytical engine she theorized a method for the engines to repeat a set of instructions, which, in computer programming, is called looping. It was Lovelace who gave the first algorithm to be carried out by a machine.
April 2016
To wind up, Drshika, what are your dreams? Other than promoting Sindhi singing? I have many! I want to win a Grammy! I want to visit and get trained in New York. I want to visit Sindh, meet Abida Parveen ji. I want to be a photographer; I have been photographing since I got to know about Barbie cams. I also want to be an IAS. And I want to be the person who sits on this recliner chair and sign cheques! I want to own a bungalow, next to Taylor Swift and have lots of dogs. Taylor Swift used to invite musical videos on her Facebook page and she would take along the ones she liked to perform with her. I want to be a part of that troupe!
Mary Anderson: She is known for her invention of the windshield wiper blade, which she got patented in November 1903. The wiper that we operate today from inside the car is Anderson’s brainchild. Florence Parpart: She won the second patent for the modern refrigerator in 1914. Though Parpart did not invent the refrigerator but this entrepreneur did improve the existing model and made the version that uses electricity and is used in our homes today. Marie Van Brittan Brown: Marie Van Brittan Brown, and her husband Albert, invented the closed-circuit television system (CCTV) in 1966 for home security purposes. Their invention received the patent in 1969. Today, apart from being used in homes, it has also been adopted by businesses in a huge way. Pratibha L Gai: After years of research, Gai invented a microscope capable of perceiving chemical reactions at the atomic scale.
Water conservation: Catch water where it falls It is of urgent necessity that we re-establish the relationship with water our ancestors had. When it comes to water, the biggest mistake we make is turning drinkable water into water that is not drinkable; for example, five-star hotels turn groundwater into making ponds to beautify the hotel. Also, in our homes and elsewhere, we let the water which falls on our land flow away... to somewhere else. The major causes of water shortage are: n Burgeoning population—the single biggest cause. n Wasteful use of water—once it was difficult to draw water so it was used sparingly. Today we only have to turn the tap and water pours out. n Deforestation and hence soil erosion—trees increase water percolation into the soil by 67 times. Indiscriminate cutting of forests and trees means that water flows away and the soil is eroded too. Now new trees cannot grow. Thus starts the destructive cycle of desertification. n Inability to retain rainwater.
Towards Maaji Ki Bawri Lebua Lodge
Delhi Gate
Bandh Talab
Amber View Hotel
Navlakha Field
lhi De To
Bharmal ki Chhattri Amber Palace
Gandhi Chowk Bus Stand
KK Royal Days Hotel
Delhi Bypass
Parvat Surya, Dickinson’s Amber Eco Trail
Okay, now that that the causes of shortage are established, I want you to think about what we can do to conserve it. Here are the four golden rules of water conservation— n Reduce: use less, reduce loss by evaporation. n Retain: store in tanks, ponds; save water for bad times as you save money. n Recycle (reuse): bathwater for plants, treat industrial wastewater. n Recharge (the water table): rooftop rainwater harvesting. Let us deal with what we can do most easily. The first step is to reduce consumption at home.
Catch ‘em young: The author, Rashmi Dickinson, explains the ecological cycle to students of Sawai Maharaja Man Singh School, Jaipur at the Amber Eco-Trail.
Stop leaks: did you know a tap leaking at one drop a second wastes 30 litres of water in just 24 hours?
In the bathroom n A bath uses 250 litres, a shower 120 litres, a bucket only 20 litre, so take your pick. n Don’t leave the tap running while brushing your teeth. n Place a brick or a litre bottle in the cistern to reduce water being flushed away!
In the kitchen n Wash vegetables your and utensils in a basin filled with water instead of running under the tap. n Reuse kitchen wastewater for watering the garden.
In the garden and lawns n Lawns can be really water thirsty; if you must have one use green irrigation techniques, like sprinklers. n Don’t water in the hot day-time, instead only in the mornings and evenings to reduce water loss by evaporation. n Add mulch, like coconut husk or jute sacks, to the ground around plants. n Grow water lilies on the surface of ponds to reduce evaporation loss by up to 70%. n There is hardly any need to wash cars all the time. If you must, then use bucketfuls instead of hose pipes.
Reduce consumption in the fields Ninety per cent of all water is used for agriculture and only 10% for domestic purposes. So it makes sense to concentrate effort on reducing agricultural use. n It is better to use water saving irrigation methods such as sprinklers instead of flood irrigation, drip irrigation for trees and even traditional desert pot irrigation. n Grow crops and trees that require less water. You know that your parents don’t throw a big party when they get their salary. Instead, they deposit it in the bank and withdraw only the small amount as and when needed. This is exactly what we should do for the rainwater. Recharging the groundwater is easier than it seems. Rainwater, collected on the rooftops, can be used to recharge the water table by channelling it down into the ground through a pipe. This benefits the groundwater table and the environment but you may wonder what our immediate gain is. How do we benefit? Firstly, stagnant water will not collect around our houses; flies and mosquitoes won’t be able to thrive and there won’t be foul smells from rotting water. Secondly, the chance of dampness in the walls will go down. Thirdly, when the earth water content reduces, it produces movement of the soil causing the foundations to move and walls to crack. This is called subsidence, which is seriously dangerous for houses. By retaining the soil moisture, this danger is lessened.
April 2016
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ON THE BALL
Did you know? n The Football League is also named under the sponsorship of its different sponsors.
Presenting... The Football League
n If you are following Football League 2015-16 or the Sky Bet Football (after the sponsor), let us tell you it will conclude on with the promotion play-off finals at Wembley Stadium on 23-25 May 2016. But fans, take heart, the next season or the EFL 2016-17 will begin soon, from 6 August 2016, that is. n By the way do you guys know which season is the 2016-17 ? No? Well! it’s the 118th season of The Football League but the very first one after rebranding as the English Football League.
Football without goal nets and penalty n Alright, guess who is credited with the kicks… and players with no shirt numbers… most number of Barclays Premier yes footballers without their pride… their jerLeague title wins and with how many? sey number. Guys, can you even imagine soccer You might not have to scratch your head like that? Well! the first season of The Football for the name but will definitely for the Birmingham City League that dates back to 23 July 1888 had neinumber of wins. The club is none other FC: Like any other fan, ther the penalty kick nor goal-nets and players’ than Manchester United and it you might just be calling jerseys wasn’t even in question. has so far won 13 Barclays this club Birmingham Known to be the oldest competition in world Premier League titles— City but actually, the full football, it ruled football in England for 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, name of this renowned over a hundred years, till 1992, actually, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00, club that competes in the when it underwent the mother-of-all 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, Football League splits and 22 top clubs formed the 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11 & Championship is Premier League or Barclay 2012-13. Birmingham City FC. Of Premier League as course, it goes by the nickwe know it today. n Any idea who is credname ‘Blues’(after the The Football League is also ited with the most colour of their kit). And the name of the governing Barclay Premier League the fans fondly call thembody of the league competiwins in a season? It’s selves Bluenoses. tion, and this body also organChelsea with 29 (2004-05 and Interestingly, the club’s masizes two knock-out cup competi2005-06). cot from 1994 to1997 was a tions, the Football League Cup and blue nose… Yes! It’s a dog the Football League Trophy. It has a n Ok, so we’ve told you about now, called Beau Brummie. total of 72 clubs which are evenly the most Barclay Premier divided into three divisions with 24 League wins, now you tell us Sheffield United FC: clubs in each Championship, League about the fewest. The answer Nicknamed The Blades after One, and League Two. is at the bottom of the page, Sheffield’s history of steel but mind if you cheat. production, this one currently But soon, there will be no ‘The plays for League One of The Football League’... chill… don’t get Football League. It was an offus wrong… the league is just shoot of Sheffield United changing its name. As per an Cricket Club in 1889. Apart announcement in November from its achievements onfield, 2015, it is all set to be known John Toral of Sheffield United is also credited by its new name, English Birmingham with being the first foreign club Football League (EFL) in City to acquire a Chinese team, the coming 2016-17 season. Chengdu Wuniu. Hugely popular, it has often been referred to in films. In the 1996 movie When Jose Baxter of Saturday Comes, real life United fan Sean Sheffield United Bean is seen playing the role of a soccer player. In the The Full Monty, the character ‘Gaz’ promises to take his son for fixture between United and Man-U. And United, along with Arsenal, was also the first team to be featured in a live radio commentary. Swell?
Those fans who have been crying out for a change in the league, will surely be happy with the change in the name as also the logo, set to change for the fourth time in the league’s history. The new logo is not only stunning to look at but will also represent each of the League’s member clubs and their respective divisions. All the 72 members are represented by balls in three (the number of its divisions) swathes of 24.
April 2016
Answer: One—Derby County (2007-08)
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COOK IT OUT
Want to cook something of your own? But Mommy won’t allow you to? In this issue, ScooNews has a couple of great easy-tomake recipes that are not only quick but will not mess up Mom’s kitchen either! And what’s more, she will be only too glad to help you make ’em! So, go on, try them out and don’t forget to write in about the fun you had making them. If you send in some high res pics too, we’d love to publish them as well
writeback@scoonews.com
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C’mon, dish it out to Mom & surprise her! Punchy cooler
Fruits are healthy, and can also be used to make something scrumptious. This punch is for all ages, it’s so easy to make. Little ones, you can override Mommy’s no’s to using kitchen knives by asking her to do all the chopping and cutting! YOU NEED: Two scoops vanilla ice cream; ½ cup mango juice and fresh orange juice each; chopped apple, kiwi, papaya, a few sprigs of mint (kiddos, take mommy/daddy’s help to cut all the fruit) and crushed ice.
HERE’S WHAT YOU GOTTA DO: To a blending jar, blend the ice cream, mango and orange juice plus any other juice you like. Take a big glass bowl and chuck all your fruit into it. Pour in the ice cream and fruit juice mix, and stir. Now take a glass and frost it with two spoons of strawberry crush in a way that it spreads all over the glass. Spoon in the mixture from the bowl, add crushed ice and garnish with your mint. Your punch is ready!
Three-step macaroni So you love pasta, right? Here’s an easy macaroni dish that will set you on the path of chef superstardom! But this one involves boiling and fire, it’s for the older ones, alright? YOU NEED: 1 ½ cups macaroni; two tablespoons heavy cream; 150 grams cheese, shredded; ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded ; salt to taste; chilli flakes to sprinkle and some oregano. HERE’S WHAT YOU GOTTA DO: In a big open pan, bring salted water to boil. Put in the macaroni and cook till al dente (means it is soft enough yet a bit chewy when you put into your mouth). Drain the water and add a little olive oil to keep the macaroni separate. Mix the processed cheese, cheddar and cream together. Stir well till the cheese melts. Sprinkle the salt, oregano and chilli flakes. Add macaroni, and mix lightly to avoid the pasta from breaking (this is why it must be cooked al dente!) well. If your pasta has cooled down, give it a spin in the microwave to heat it up. Add a few sprigs of fresh, green coriander for an Indian twist.
April 2016
JUST BECAUSE 16 Things To Do This Year For No Reason At All
Your 2016 bucket list 1. Feed sparrows 2. Spot shapes in the clouds 3. Plant a tree and watch it grow 4. Give each family member a temporary tattoo 5. Put up a magic show in your community 6. Visit a farm 7. Perfect your skipping 8. Write random happy notes for people 9. Go on a bike ride with the family 10. Read a book 11. Sleep under the stars 12. Tell ghost stories 13. Enjoy an outdoor concert 14. Skip rocks on the water 15. Climb a tree 16. Have a device-free day 22
April 2016
TAKE2
TAKE2 READ This Little President: A Presidential Primer by Joan Holub
Shravan Kumaran & Sanjay Kumaran
This board book is the perfect size for toddlers and preschoolers. Written in rhyme, it highlights ten of the most popular US presidents and presents one significant fact about each of them. I particularly enjoyed the ending which depicts all forty-for presidents, ending with a question mark and Maybe, you’ll be president one day.The illustrations are large, colorful, simple and appropriate for the targeted age group. Highly recommended as a way to introduces two to four year old children to the concept of the presidency.
All of 15 and 14, and these brothers already own GoDimensions, 11 apps and a cheaper VR device to their credit. Their app ‘Alphabet Board’ rates 5/5 on the Apple app store. One loves developing, the other is art oriented. Huge football fans, the brothers desire to have their own venture rather than working for somebody else
Under Their Skin by Margaret Peterson Haddix From New York Times bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix comes the first book in a brand-new thrilling series about twins who are on a quest to discover the secrets being kept by their new family. Nick and Eryn’s mom is getting remarried, and the 12year-old twins are sceptical when she tells them their lives won’t change much. Well, yes, they will have to move. And they will have a new stepfather, stepbrother, and stepsister. But Mom tells them not to worry. They won’t ever have to meet their stepsiblings. This news puzzles Nick and Eryn, so the twins set out on a mission to find out who these kids are – and why they’re being kept hidden.
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Q&A Why coding? Shravan: Your passion is very important, if you’re not interested in something, you’ll never do it properly… this is what made us pretty good at it. Our dad never forced us to learn things. We were always fascinated with gaming. That led us to coding. What do you like most? Designing, developing or testing? Shravan: Personally, I don’t like testing… it is very difficult because there will be thousands of bugs in your app apart from the errors and above all what pisses me off the most are the run-time errors. While I enjoy developing, Sanjay is good at designing as he is more art-oriented. What do you do when a ‘bug’ bugs you? Shravan: We either play outside or leave the comp for a while… have fun and when we are relaxed we come back to resolving the bugs. Dad also comes to the rescue when it’s C++ or Java. What’s more fun… coding or entrepreneurship? Shravan: We haven’t yet become entrepreneurs
April 2016
with hundreds or thousands of people working for us. Our company is a small one; 90% of our job is coding so, coding is easier. Any plans to attract investors? If yes, what’s the strategy? Shravan: Definitely in the future. Our strategy isn’t yet planned, but I think we would focus on making good product so that the investors fall in love with it. What about your dream tablet, ‘Go Sheet’? Shravan: Though we have a prototype for it; it requires a lot of time, market study and investment so, there is no plan for it in the near future. Apparently, you guys don’t believe in the middle-class thing of college, job... So, what plans? Shravan: We would love to complete our education and then opt to start our own venture rather than working for someone else. Sanjay: Education and a good degree would be our backbone. — As told to ScooNews Correspondent
TAKE2 Snakes and Ladders originated in India Earlier known as Moksha Patamu, the game was initially invented as a moral lesson about karma to be taught to children. It was later commercialized and has become one of the most popular board games in the world.
Science day in Switzerland is dedicated to President APJ Abdul Kalam. The father of India's missile programme had visited Switzerland back in 2006. Upon his arrival, Switzerland declared 26 May as Science Day. A floating post office India has the largest postal network in the world with over 1, 55,015 post offices. A single post office on an average serves a population of 7,175 peo-
ple. The floating post office in Dal Lake, Srinagar, was inaugurated in August 2011. Shampooing is an Indian concept Shampoo was invented in India, not the commercial liquid ones but the method by use of herbs. The word 'shampoo' itself has been derived from the Sanskrit word champu, which means to massage. Dhyan Chand was offered German citizenship After defeating Germany 81 in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Major Dhyan Chand was summoned by Hitler. He was promised German citizenship, a high post in the German military and the chance to play for the German national side. Dhyan Chand however declined the offer. Major Dhyan Chand has a statue with 4 hands and 4 sticks in Austria. Known as the Wizard of
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The human calculator Shakuntla Devi was given this title after she demonstrated the calculation of two 13 digit numbers: 7,686,369,774,870 Ă— 2,465,099,745,779 which were picked at random. She answered correctly within 28 seconds.
Hockey, the legend was honoured by Austrian citizens in Vienna. They made a statue of him with 4 hands and 4 sticks to depict his magnificent skill and control with the ball.
April 2016
Sachin Tendulkar fielded for Pakistan once Ahead of a Test series in 1987, India and Pakistan were playing an exhibition match where Imran Khan's team was short on fielders. It was then that a 13-year-old Sachin was asked to field for Pakistan.
The Nobel story Sir Alfred Nobel once read his own obituary, titled ‘The merchant of death’ is dead, after which he donated all his wealth for Nobel Prize The Nobel Prize resulted from a late change in the will of Alfred Nobel, who invented dynamite. In 1888, Nobel was astonished to read his own obituary, titled ‘The merchant of death’ is dead, in a French newspaper. It was Alfred’s brother Ludvig who had died. This incident inspired him to change his will, since after his death he did not want to be remembered as a propagator of violence. His last will specified that his fortune to be used to create a series of prizes for those who confer the greatest benefit on mankind, and this is how the Nobel Prize started.
What is Earth Day? Ever wondered why and how Earth Day began? Well, this actually came out of an interest in gathering national support for environmental issues. In 1970, San Francisco activist John McConnell and Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson separately asked Americans to join in a grassroots demonstration. McConnell chose the spring equinox (21 March 1970) and Nelson chose 22 April. Millions of people participated, and today it continues to be widely celebrated with events on both dates. But the date earmarked in the calendar for the day is 22 April. The most common practice of celebration is to plant new trees for Earth Day but it is also a great day to enjoy the tonic of fresh air, contact with the soil, and com-
panionship with nature! Go outside, no matter what the weather! The theme for 2016 is: Trees for the Earth! Our planet is currently losing over 15 billion trees each year thanks to deforestation, land development, and bad forest management (that is roughly 48 football fields every minute). Trees for the Earth (#Trees4Earth) is a plan to plant 7.8 billion trees by Earth Day’s 50th in 2020. That is one tree for every person on the planet! The goals for planting these trees are as simple as they are important: n Fight climate change and pollution; n Support communities, their local economies, and their way of life; n Protect biodiversity; and n Inspire millions of people to join in environmental citizenship and stewardship.
BRAND YOUR CELL PHONE,
SIGNATURE STYLE! Bored of the same old mobile covers in the stores? Why not try making your own? Yes! They are simple, easy-to-make and will definitely grab eyeballs. Plus, they bear your own style signature. They are super simple and just require a few materials and a little patience. Have a lovely day crafting! YOU NEED Any coloured buttons. A transparent mobile case (easily available at your neighbourhood store)
HERE’S HOW Sort your buttons and select your favourites. You will need small and medium sized, so try to avoid large buttons. Do a quick test run of arranging the buttons on the phone case in the pattern in
the pic. Just make sure you have no gaps and that you have enough of each colour. Carefully place a small dot of glue on the reverse of each button and gently press it onto the case. Note: Try working in rows. It will help prevent mistakes. Let your button phone case dry for a full day to make sure it's completely dry. Then you can slip your new case onto your phone!
YOU NEED Beige/champagne coloured phone case Blush, black, and metallic gold nail polish Pointed Q-tips or ear buds Scissors Disposable trays Triple thick glaze (optional)
HERE’S HOW Cut the very tip off the pointed end of three Q-tips/ear buds to create a flat, round surface at the ends. Starting with light pink, shake the bottle of polish until well mixed. Pour a tiny sized amount of polish into a disposable tray Dip a Q-tip into the polish and start to add dots randomly. And let it dry completely. Repeat steps 2-5 with the black and gold polish. After all the polish has dried spray the case with a thin layer of the glaze. Be sure to do this either outside or in a very wellventilated area! Let the glaze dry completely before using.
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TECH IT OUT Onwards to NASA, appily If NASA is your thing, the NASA App for smartphones and tablets includes a huge collection of the latest NASA content, including 14000+ images, videos on-demand, NASA Television, mission information, news & feature stories, latest tweets, ISS sighting opportunities, satellite tracking, Third Rock Radio and more. It allows you to choose the best NASA images, rate them and share them with friends on social media. If you plan to travel to the Kennedy Space Centre or a NASA centre, the app provides information on visiting that centre, including hours of operation, ticket info, and links to other useful information. This frequently updated app has something for everyone, from children and students to seasoned space geeks, and it’s an easy pick for ScooNews Editors’ Choice. Where: iTunes, Google Play Store, Amazon App Store Cost to you: None
The Mighty Midget The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. Introduced in February 2012, this low-cost but capable little device enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to programme in languages like Scratch and Python. In February 2015, Raspberry Pi 2 was unveiled with a faster processor and more
memory. With it, you can do everything you’d expect a desktop to do, from browsing the internet and playing HD video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games. You can install Raspbian, Ubuntu, PINET and even a special version of Windows 10 on this pocket PC. An amazing attribute of Raspberry Pi is its ability to interact with the outside world, and it is being used in a wide array of digital maker projects, from music machines and parent detectors to weather stations and tweeting birdhouses with infra-red cameras. Raspberry Pi can be used by kids to: • Learn how to programme and understand how computers work • Start learning Mathematica • Programming in Python • Build their first robot at home Do check in to www.raspberrypi.org / www.elinux.org/RPi_Hub for resources and tips. Where: Amazon India, eBay India and many other online shopping portals Cost to you: `2600 onwards
All of Wiki, on your device! Kiwix is an offline content reader, which can be used for Wikipedia as well as other content (Wiktionary, Wikiquote, Wikibooks, Wikivoyage, etc). Once you have downloaded the content file, you don’t need an internet connection to use it. Kiwix is a lightweight software reading ZIM files, which you download and store on your device or external storage. Kiwix can be installed in schools, universities and libraries or by students who can’t afford a broadband Internet access or the internet connectivity is flaky. It provides a range of features that make usage comfortable. Kiwix is a small and efficient software, usable on even older computers. Where: Android, iOS and various desktop environments (Windows, Mac, Linux)* Cost to you: None
360° virtually ARTE360 is a mobile app from the European cultural network ARTE for immersive and interactive experiences in 360° video and virtual reality and shows you around various, beautiful places in full virtual reality goodness. You’ll be able to look at mountains, explore old, iconic buildings, ocean scenes, and all kinds of other stuff. But, hold on, this is where this app falls off; it’s a bit too simple and there isn’t much else to do. However for a beginning in VR, the developers have managed to fit in some good stuff so it’s worth a shout. Where: Google Play Store and iTunes* Cost to you: None *Use the QR code to take you direct to the OS of your choice
— Vinay Singh
writeback@scoonews.com
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April 2016
Pic courtesy: www.nasa.gov