Value Education/Media Education

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The National Policy on Education (1968) states: "The Government of India is convinc-ed that a radical reconstruction of education on the broad lines recommended by the Educa-tion Commission is essential for the economic and cultural deve-lopment of country, for nation-al integration and for realising the ideal of a socialistic pattern of society." This will involve a transformation of the system to relate it more closely to the life of the people: "A continuous effort to raise the quality of education at all stages, and the cultivation of moral and social values. The education system must produ-ce young men and women of character and ability committ-ed to national service and deve-lopment. Only then will educa-tion be able to play a vital role in promoting national pro-gress, creating a sense of com-mon citizenship and culture and strengthening national integration. This is necessary if the country is to attain its right-ful place in the comity of nations in conformity with its great cultural heritage and its unique potentialities." The National Policy on Edu-cation (1986) has laid empha-sis on value education through readjustments in curriculum. It states: "The growing con-cern over the erosion of essenti-al values and an increasing cynicism in society has brought to focus the need for readjust-ments in the curriculum in order to make education a for-ceful tool for the cultivation of social and moral values. In our cultural plural society, educa-tion should foster universal and eternal values, oriented towards the unity and integra-tionof our people. Such value education should help elimina-te obscurantism, religious fanaticism, violence, superstition and fatalism."

ED1 National Curriculum Framework, Communalisation of education  http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=10244 

ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT Education / K Subrahmanyam Towards Unbiased Meritocracy
The present system of education is devoid of our rich cultural heritage. The erstwhile gurukula system aimed at making the pupil a complete man, inculcating moral and ethical values in him. Ever since we deviated from our ageold gurukula system which was value-based, ethical and moral, our educational system took a destructive turn. The advent of the British and their necessity to have clerks, who would be machine-like, paved the way for Lord Macaulay's system of education which unfortunately is still in vogue. This system is devoid of our rich cultural heritage which aims at making the pupil a complete man, inculcating moral and ethical values. It is sad to note that the gurukula system of education which is the backbone of a country's civilisation is considered to be unproductive by our people's representatives in Parliament.

To a Government whose aim is result (concrete and material) oriented, culture and ethics- oriented education appears to be unimportant. An educated person is expected to be of clean habits, pleasing manners law-abiding, kind-hearted, unselfish, soft spoken and of helping nature. Education is useless if the "educated people" are otherwise. The need of the hour is education based on ethics. The three fold aim of valuebased education ought to be:
• Problem-facing capacity,
• Problem-solving capacity and
• Large-heartedness and service while solving the problems which are at physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual levels. Only a person of ethical excellence can be of righteous help to humanity. Morality is expected to ensure ethics. —HI Dr K Subrahmanyam, the principal of Vivekananda College at TiruvedaKam, near Madurai and author of Values in Education. 10 The former is the code of conduct and the latter is the purity of character. The present educational system is not directed towards or based on ethics.

The first and foremost reason for this is the madness for materialism and the lure of sense pleasure which are unchecked by stringent laws and uncontrolled by society for want of inspiring models. Education ought to be a mission. But it has ceased to be even a duty and in recent times has become a business. All the deterioration is due to weakness for wealth and luxury at the cost of love of humanity. The three-fold functioning of the educational activity ie — spot out the talent, train it to perfection and direct it towards the able service to humanity therefore is jeopardised. Even those who need education most for earning a livelihood are affected due to profiteering in education. Money-making and missionary service do not go hand in hand. However, without inconveniencing financial viability, unbiased meritocracy can very well be maintained, if only the institution builders can put up with a few teething troubles.

There are philanthropists who are willing to fund institutions which stand on solid principles. Often, official interference is highlighted as a hindrance for imparting education based on ethics. But in practice it is found that there will be official interference, only when the thrust on ethics is absent in education. There are institutions, though few in number, which are totally free from official interference simply because of their meticulous adherence to sound principles. Character is strength, not weakness. And one needs to be strong to be of character. Then the question will be whether we can ensure good character by introducing academic courses in ethics. Courses on moral science and ethics will only be a mockery if they are not conducted by people of character and conviction. Parents, teachers and elders in society have to set an example. Else, all efforts to inculcate ethics in the classroom will be a waste.

Only a revolution from the youth can set society right. That day is not far off. The youngsters are fed up with bad models. The awakening is sure to come. The unmotivated, the ill-motivated, the adversely motivated and the demotivated teachers are the greatest enemies to the very citadels of education. And good teachers are not only few, but even they are bullied by the bad. Unless society learns to respect a good teacher of ethics and provides protection, there is no stimulus to sustain integrity.

- Towards Unbiased Meritocracy,  K Subrahmanyam, Humanscape, 01/01/1998,  /eldoc/n00_/01jan98HUS.pdf 

ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT Education / Raju Z Moray
The whole educational environment needs revamping. Only then there is hope for the modern individual to be a man of values. Following are excerpts from an interview with Dr Sister Lillian Rosario, Principal St Theresa's Institute of Education, Mumhai How would you define a Value"? A value is something that is chosen from alternatives and is acted upon thereby enhancing creative integration and development of the human personality. What according to you is value education? Providing education to develop basic human qualities in students. Why should there be value education? Today the lifestyle of young people is more and more determined by the group phenomenon. We do not live in isolation. Nor can we grow in isolation. We live in a society. As persons living in a soci ety we need to acquire certain values and good manners that are essential for a respectable, successful life because our success in life depends mainly on our relationship with other people. Good values are the spontaneous and natural manifestations of good character which is built on sound principles of moral life. God is the foundation and source of all good values.

To face a life that is full of challenges, it is essential to empower ourselves with good values. If all our learning and training cannot makes us persons with good values, then our education is a failure. As the Chinese poet Kwan-Tsu put it, We pass this way but once. Any good, therefore, that we can do or any kindness that we can show to any human being or any impression we can make, let us do it now. Let us not postpone or neglect it for we shall not pass this way again. While planning for a year - sow corn While planning for a decade - plant trees -H The interview was conducted by Raju Z Moray the guest-editor of this issue of Humanscape.

HUMANSCAPE•JANUARY 1998 PAVAN

While planning for a life train and educate people Is the present educational system based on ethics? If not, why not? Any educational system is and will always be based on the basic value system. For ultimately any educational system is aimed at providing an all-round development to an individual. What do we mean by educational system? It is any organisation, or institution which imparts education at the different levels of pre-primary primary, secondary higher secondary, gradu- , ates, post graduate levels. In any educational system the textbooks may not reveal values - in the open - but any material in the hands of a conscientious teacher will open wide vistas of values for the values are inherent and often not obvious. Just as any material object can be made use of for innumerable purposes the material in the textbook depends on the way it is used. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. There is truth, beauty and goodness everywhere and in any educational system. Is education a mission, a duty or a business?

Let us see what each stands for - a mission is a freely chosen way of life, a duty is something which compels me to carry out an activity whether I like it or not, a business is something do to gain something for myself by helping others. Today education has become a business and it is a big question whether education helps in inculcating values which are subtly implicated in the educational system. Man by nature has values - but today, because of the explosion of technological gadgets - man is regressing in the spiritual field as he advances in the materialistic amenities.

In this jet-age 13  - Mission Incomplete,  Raju Z Moray, Humanscape, 01/01/1998,  /eldoc/n00_/01jan98HUS4.pdf 

BLUEPRINT for Social Justice founded in 1947 by Father Louis J. Twomey, SJ. BLUEPRINT is published ten times a year by the Twomey Center for Peace through Justice, Loyola University, Box 12 6363 St. Charles Ave. New Orleans, LA 70118-6195 (504)861-5830 Publisher
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• Joe Forte, Sr. ISSN #0895-5786 Opinions expressed in PLUEPKJNT are the author's and not necessarily representative of Loyola University. There is no charge for BLUEPRINT", but tax- deductible donations are gratefully accepted. Please make checks payble to Loyola Twomey Cenfer. ©1992, Loyola University for Social Justice Volume XLVI, No. 3 December 1992 Creating Non-Violent Schools: Beginning with the Children Linda Lantieri If we are to reach real peace in this world., we shall have to begin with the children — Mahatma Ghandi Recent events in our country have begun to shake us as they never have before. This year has been a pivotal one for us in terms of the realization that we as a society arc in the midst of an epidemic of violence. In 1992 we witnessed the killing of several students in the hallways of what was once a sacred place—the school.

In Thomas Jefferson High School in New York City, one student shot and killed another and critically wounded a teacher. This kind of incident was repeated in other schools throughout the country. We also experienced the Rodney King verdict and its violent aftermath, Accordingto the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 2.5 million US teens carry guns, knives, razors and clubs— and some inevitably bring these weapons to school. At least 65 students and six school workers were killed by gunfire at schools in the last five years. Young people in the US are dying in the prime of their lives. Statistics show that the leading New York City Public School student Michael causes of death for youths ages 14- Tozzi's pledge for peace. This is my pledge for peace: BLUE PRINT Volume XLVI,No.3 01 Dec 1992 N00 Many of our children in large urban areas are shielding their ears from gunshots in the night. 23 arc car accidents, homicide, and suicide. We can no longer be numb to the fact that the US is leading the industrialized world in the number of homicides: we are #1. In fact, it is more dangerous for a young person to live in one of our large cities than it would have been for him or her to serve in the Gulf War. There are more American lives lost through violence each year than at the height of the Vietnam War. According to Carol Beck, the Principal of Thomas Jefferson High School, over 50% of the young people in her school have puncture wounds on their bodies.

Many of our children in large urban areas arc shielding their cars from gunshots in the night. They exhibit signs of posttraumatic stress syndrome we observe in children who grow up in war-torn areas of the world. Why is this happening? Deborah Prothrow- Stith, Associate Dean at Harvard Medical School has addressed that question, and her response is hard for us to take in: Why arc our children killing each other? Because we arc teaching them to. We arc a society that glamorizes violence. Our television programs, movies, the models of our leaders all portray the s/hcro who opts for violence to get what s/hc wants and needs. "They say we arc the future/' observes 11 -year old Jessica, a student mediator at PS 261 in Brooklyn, "but they treat us like we're nothing. On TV, it's sex, drugs and violence they're projecting that to kids. Practically all cartoons have something to do with guns or destruction." The kids at Thomas Jefferson High School went home after the shootings that left one student dead and a teacher wounded, and on their TV set the next day they saw Saturday Night Live portray the scenes at their school as something to laugh at. For the producers of the program, there were no tears, funerals or images of kids crying in teachers' arms.

Yet we as adults arc confused and appalled when we sec young people commit violent acts with no apparent remorse! That's the bad news. The good news is that as big a problem as violence is, we have the power to change it. For the past eight years I have been the Coordinator of the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program. In our work at RCCP, we have found that violence is not inevitable but preventable. I visited Brooklyn'sThomas Jefferson High School after the incident last November and had an intense conversation with 14 young people, several of whom had actually witnessed the young person dying. In the first hour, I learned a lot from them about the futility of the violence Uiat surrounds them and the hopelessness they feel. They knew that violence was destroying them but saw no alternatives. Then I began asking them whether, from the beginning to the end of this dispute which ended in death, there was anything anyone could have done differently. They began to identify eight or nine things—mainly done by bystanders—that actually escalated the conflict in the hallway. What I was helping them sec was that the act that became violent had escalated in many small acts.

Young people often think these arc things that no one has any control over, and that makes them feel helpless. When they step back, they begin to feel empowered. RCCP: A New Way of Fighting "Mom," says eight-year-old Wayne, arriving home from school, "the fifth graders arc learning Interrupting Violence At a local Manhattan high school, after Yvcttc broke up with Johnny, Sandra started going out with him. Then a friend told Yvcttc that Johnny and Sandra were saying bad things about her. Soon there were looks, whispers, rumors. When Yvctte showed up at Sandra's building once Saturday with a knife and several friends to back her up, it was clear that the situation had swirled out of control. On Monday, when the girls came to school, stories of the incident spread quickly, reaching some of the school's trained peer mediators. Yvcttc and Sandra agreed to mediation. After a two-hour mediation session, the girls worked through their problem, which they discovered had much of its source in misunderstandings deliberately sown by a mutual "friend." Yvettc and Sandra will never be bosom buddies, but their conflict has been solved, for good.

How often the right kind of intervention can bring peace and calm to a potentially violent situation.B a new way of fighting." "Oh? What do you mean?" "Well, when kids get mad, they don't hit each other. Other kids help them talk out the fight instead." Wayne is referring to the student mediation being established in his school as part of the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program. Inspired by the groundbreaking work of Children's Creative Response to Conflict in the early 1970s, we began this work in New York City in 1985— focusing on conflict resolution, intcrgroup relations and countering bias—with 20 teachers from three schools. From the beginning, RCCP was a collaborative effort of the New York City Public Schools and Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR Metro), a non-profit national organization devoted to work in the areas of conflict resolution and multicultural education. Today we are one of the largest school programs in the country that deals with conflict resolution and intcrgroup relations. The RCCP is being piloted in four other school districts: The Anchorage School District in Alaska, the Vista Unified School District in California, the New Orleans Public Schools in Louisiana, and the South Orangc-Maplcwood School District in New Jersey.

During the current school year, the program will involve over 4,000 teachers and more than 120,000 students from 200 schools throughout the United States. With tears streaming down her face, sevenyear- old Veronica picks herself up from the asphalt of the playground and charges toward her friend Jasmine. "Why'd you trip me? She screams. "I didn't trip you." "Yes, you did and I'm gonna trip you right back on your face!" "Try it and see what happens!" Suddenly two fifth graders appear, wearing bright blue T-shirts with the word "mediator" emblazoned on front and back. "Excuse me!" says one. "My name is Jessica." "I'm Angel," says the other. "W;c'remediators. Would you like us to help solve this problem?" "I guess so," the girls say grudgingly. Jessica and Angel get agreement to some ground rules (including no name calling and no interrupting), Students in a conflict-resolution program in the New York City Public Schools drew their own pledges of non-violence. and suggest they all move to a quieter area of the playground to talk it out. "You'll speak first, Veronica," says Jessica, "but don't worry, Jasmine, you'll get your chance. Okay, Veronica, What happened?" Within two minutes, the girls solve their problem. Jasmine acknowledges that she tripped Veronica by accident as she was trying to tag her. She says she is sorry. Veronica agrees to accept the apology and to be Jasmine's friend again. After being congratulated by Angel and Jessica for solving their problem, the girls resume their game.

The world yearns for "a new way of fighting," one in which people are strong without being mean. Conflict is part of life. We wouldn't want to eliminate it even if we could. But we're urgently looking for ways to end the violence that causes so much unnecessary pain and suffering between diverse groups of people. At RCCP we arc giving young people an What I was helping them see was that the act that became violent had escalated in many small acts. Conflict is a part of life. We wouldn't want to eliminate it even if we could important message—that the Rambos of the world, far from being heroes, arc pathetic because they can think of only one response to conflict. Young people in our program are beginning to see that the highest form of heroism is the passionate search for creative, non-violent solutions to the problems of our pluralistic society. Affective Approaches Teachers want to continue to grow and they want to learn....They want to be able to serve the needs of the kids, so they are excited about this program. When they come away from the workshops they feel it is the most valuable training they' ve had, because now they feel that they have the tools to go back and work with their students to help shift values there. —Janet Dutrey, Assistant Principal of Roosevelt Middle School and RCCP Coordinator in Vista Unified School District, California How do we do this? We work with the adults principals, teachers, and parents—who have the potential of affecting a change in the lives of children.

We have learned that adults have a lot to learn, because multicultural education and conllict resolution were not part of their own school experience or teacher education. Adults have to first learn to look at their personal feelings, attitudes and behaviors in relation to their own cultural identity and the way in which they approach conflict, before they are able to address these issues with their colleagues and students. We arc primarily a staff development model, helping adults gain skills in conflict resolution and intcrgroup relations so that they can in turn begin to teach these skills to the young people they come in contact with. The training includes practical skills such as active listening, mediation, negotiation and interrupting prejudice. Our program primarily uses what we call affective approaches; we use methods that arc highly experiential, where, for example, young people imagine what things would be like if they approached a situation differently. The aits, such as music and drama, arc also used in our work. Our approaches arc very involving—we use a workshop format rather than just discussion. This includes the use of role-playing of conflict situations anc practicing creative and non-violent responses tc conflict. We encourage teachers to use "teachable moments/' when issues around them—in the classroom or the world—relate to the concept? they arc teaching. We also encourage the practice of interrupting prejudice when we experience 01 witness it.

Our intervention in a school has three components: First, the teachers experience a 24- hour course to prepare them to teach the skills in the classroom using the RCCP Curriculum (K-12 grades, 300 pages). They then receive an average oflO visits to thcirclassrooms by expert consul tains to help the work become part of their active repertoire. As the curriculum takes root, we introduce a school-wide peer mediation program in which young people selected by their peers arc specially trained to mediate disputes in the schools on an ongoing basis. The third component is our work with parents— teaching them these skills and concepts so that they can integrate them into their homes and play a crucial role in advocacy for school change. Parent leaders arc then trained to conduct these workshops with their peers, creating a strong parental involvement in changing the school climate.

An Observable Impact We had been discussing news articles, and I asked the students in my class to find stories in the newspapers about people solving conflicts...there were two boys in the class who were buddies, and at least five times during the day became enemies. The fighting would go on and on and it was driving everybody crazy. One day they decided, on their own, to go out in the hall and write a peace treaty. They were afraid to get into an argument about the peace treaty, so they picked four other kids— not necessarily their best friends, but definitely people who would be dependable. They all went out into the hall and signed a peace treaty. (At that time we hadn't even used the word mediation.) The treaty is still up on the wall...it belongs to the whole class now, and serves as a reminder that you don't always have to fight. Tony Soil, 6th grade teacher at the Brooklyn New School. From the beginning, teachers have reported positive changes in their students and themselves. These results were confirmed in a formal evaluation of our program conducted by Metis Associates, an independent cvaluator.

The Metis Report, published in May 1992, assessed the impact of the program during 1991 - 1992. The 1992 report concluded that the program has had "an observable and quanti liable positive impact on students, participating staff, and classroom climate." The teachers reported that they devoted an average of seven periods per month to specific lessons in conflict resolution, and that they were also infusing conflict resolution concepts into other aspects of the curriculum. They reported there was less physical violence in their classrooms, a decreased use of verbal put-downs in favor of more supportive comments, spontaneous student use of conflict resolution skills, and an increase in scl f-estccm, leadership skills and initiative in their students. They also reported positive effects kin themselves, particularly in their ability to handle angry students and deal with conflict in general. my pU-dge for peace: X koffc "W&t Pupils were asked to illustrate one realistic step they might take in a situation of conflict to create peace.

A Way of Life / look at the violence and see that it is rooted in fear, rooted in injustice, rooted in poverty, racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia—all of these are violence because all of them deny the basic humanity of our brothers and sisters and the children in this village we call earth. —Ted Quant, Executive Director of the Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice at Loyola University and RCCP trainer Learning conflict resolution skills is only one h way to address the epidemic of violence in our society. Violence has many sources, among them drugs, poverty and racism. Conflict resolution can help, but it will be most effective as part of a larger strategy. As one of our teachers put it, "the Program is more than a curriculum, it's a way life." Conflict resolution is not a quick fix. We've learned that it takes time for adults to integrate conflict resolution concepts and a multicultural perspective into their own lives; it takes time for them to learn how to translate those concepts into the classroom; and it takes time for even the most effective classroom instruction to have a significant impact. Some of the most effective teachers in RCCP have observed that it sometimes takes months for youngsters to begin integrating concepts and skills in such a way that their behavior begins to change. But we are seeing the change. We arc seeing adults change first. We arc seeing individual kids change second, and then we arc seeing whole schools change. More than anything, we arc observing that violence is preventable, not inevitable, and that the intervention of education can change us and our schools around. We can create a climate of non-violence. Imagine a child being born today who enters kindergarten in 1997 and begins to learn "another way of fighting." From that first day of school, imagine that this child experiences an atmosphere of acceptance of differences and non-violent approaches to conflict. Imagine that by the time s/hc reaches 5th grade s/ he is chosen by peers to be a mediator to settle Conflict resolution can help, but it will be most effective as part of a larger strategy.

Our children deserve a future in which their right to safety is reclaimed and their cultural diversity is celebrated. disputes among classmates. And imagine that by the time the young person enters high school, s/hc is walking through doors without metal detectors and is taking required classes in conflict resolution and intcrgroup relations. Finally, imagine that this young person will, for the rest of his or her life, have the courage to be a s/hero for peace and justice. This is already happening in the lives of thousands of young people across the nation. We have the preventive tools to begin to turn the tide of bigotry and violence around. There is no turning back. Our children deserve a future in which their right to safety is reclaimed and their cultural diversity is celebrated.
• About the Author Linda Lanticri is a peace educator, intcrgroup relations specialist, workshop leader and Fulbright scholar. She is a former teacher, assistant principal and director of an alternative junior high school in East Harlem, New York City. She is currently the Coordinator of the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program, a collaborative effort of the New York Public Schools and Educators for Social Responsibility. V^OnillCtisanatural,normalpartof life. Conflict can often lead to violence but it doesn't have to — especially if people have skills in conflict resolution. If a response to a potentially violent situation is non-violent, the conflict can de-escalate and violence can be avoided. There are ways people respond to conflict that cause it to escalate into violence. But there are also skills that people can learn and always use to keep conflict from escalating. When there is a violent response to a conflict, be it verbal, physical or psychological, the chances of it escalating into violenceare much higher. When the response is non-violent, the conflict is likely to de-escalate. In the classroom, if our response to any conflict situation carries with it the elements of non-violent confrontation, the conflict has a good chance of dc-cscalating. The following arc some of the elements of non-violent confrontation that can be useful in the classroom.
• Active Listening: letting the other person know you've heard what they have said by reflecting, rephrasing and clarifying their remarks.
• Neutral Language: sharing how you experience the situation by describing the behavior rather than attacking the person.
• Aggree to disagree if you have different points of view.
• Maintain a positive tone, seeking to solve the problem at all times.
• Jointly choose possible alternatives to resolve the situation separating needs from positions and coming up with win-win solutions in which both partners get what they want and need.

Resolving Conflict Creatively Program VIDEOS The RCCP has produced a series of videos that offer moving testimonies and portray the experiences of young people learning skills in conflict resolution. A Fistful of Words The adult version oi this video describes the main components of the RCCP. (23 min.) The shorter student version focuses on one component of the RCCP-mediation. Making a Difference Highlights the dramatic changes in attitudes and behaviors of teachers and students in the RCCP in relation to dealing with conflict. 5th grade-adult (26 min.) An Eye for an Eye... Makes the Whole World Blind Alternative high school students, teachers, and their principal share the dramatic changes they have experienced in attitudes and behaviors in dealing with conflict in their lives as a result of their participation in the RCCP.
Grades 7-12 (12 minutes) $25.00 each video Order from: Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR National) 23 Garden Street Cambridge, Ma 02138 Or ask for a Complete Catalog of ESR Materials TOLL-FREE ORDERING: CALL 1-800-370-2515 FAX ORDERS: 617-864-5164
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- Creating Non-Violent Schools: Beginning with the Children, Linda Lantieri, 01/02/1992,  /eldoc/n00_/01dec92bl1.pdf 

Teachers need to be vehicles of value education The consumerist-inclined education system in India needs to be revamped to inculcate values in children and youth, says KK Khullar N THE Indian context, edu-cation has always stood for inculcation of values and character building. It is only during the British regime that value education received a set back. In the post Independence India, value education was sought to be revived. The National Policy on Edu-cation (1968) states: "The Government of India is convinc-ed that a radical reconstruction of education on the broad lines recommended by the Educa-tion Commission is essential for the economic and cultural deve-lopment of country, for nation-al integration and for realising the ideal of a socialistic pattern of society." This will involve a transfor-mation of the system to relate it more closely to the life of the people: "A continuous effort to raise the quality of education at all stages, and the cultivation of moral and social values.

The education system must produ-ce young men and women of character and ability committ-ed to national service and deve-lopment. Only then will educa-tion be able to play a vital role in promoting national pro-gress, creating a sense of com-mon citizenship and culture and strengthening national integration. This is necessary if the country is to attain its right-ful place in the comity of nations in conformity with its great cultural heritage and its unique potentialities." The National Policy on Edu-cation (1986) has laid empha-sis on value education through readjustments in curriculum. It states: "The growing con-cern over the erosion of essenti-al values and an increasing cynicism in society has brought to focus the need for readjust-ments in the curriculum in order to make education a for-ceful tool for the cultivation of social and moral values. In our cultural plural society, educa-tion should foster universal and eternal values, oriented towards the unity and integra-tion of our people. Such value education should help eliminate obscurantism, religious fana-ticism, violence, superstition and fatalism." It also lays emphasis on the positive aspect of education.

The need of the hour is value education
Make students, not monks: NCERT FROM MONOBINA GUPTA New Delhi, Jan 18:The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has attacked the government for pro-moting obscurantism in the name of value education. The "spiritual" organisations nominated by the government for this task will only erode the scientific temper of education, the NCERT has alleged. "The government's recommen-dations on value education seem to be based on the model adopted by the Satya Sai Baba institute of higher learning," the council has observed. But this critique of the govern-ment's report on value orientation of education has been dubb-ed "too harsh" by senior officials in the human resources develop-ment ministry. The standing committee on value education, headed by Mr D. Swaminadhan, has allocated Rs 200 crores for five organisa-tions to promote value-based edu-cation. These organisations are Ramakrishna Mission (Mysore) Jain Vishwa Bharati (Rajasthan), Gujarat Vidya-peeth, Avinashlingam deemed university (Coimbatore) and the Regional College (Bhubaneswar).

The government's choice of organisations has led to fears that obscurantist ideas are likely to be fortified. So far, these orga-nisations have lectured students on spiritualism, which is passed off as value-orientation. "The spiritual, didactic approach of these organisations goes against the government's professed stand on inculcating a scientific temper among stu-dents," said a senior NCERT official. The lumpsum set aside for value education has also led to a scramble among some voluntary organisations which have approached the standing commit- tee for a grant. Among them the latest is the Vidya Bharati Foun-dation, constituted with the "blessings of the Jagadguru." "We as managers have to deve-lop character and character com-es from saadhana," says the orga-nisation's brochure.

The NCERT feels that such applications should be summarily rejected, as they are complete-ly unfit for promoting value education. But the government has an entirely different notion. The stand-ing committee members feel that the application of the Vidya Bha-rati Foundation should be seriously considered. The government's recommen-dation for a "short, serene" 10-minute session on value edu-cation in schools has also come under sharp criticism from the NCERT, which argues that value education, if treated as an auto-nomous subject, would be reduc-ed to mere preaching, which is not the objective. So far the standing committee has met six times, even though the only concrete outcome has been a plan of action on value orientation in schools. And des-pite the NCERT's active inter-vention, this plan aims at integra-ting the committee's idea of value education into the curriculum.

ED1 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT NCERT THE TELEGRAPH (CALCUTTA) 19 JAN 1995 N20 

Make students, not monks: NCERT FROM MONOBINA GUPTA New Delhi, Jan 18:The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has attacked the government for pro-moting obscurantism in the name of value education. The "spiritual" organisations nominated by the government for this task will only erode the scientific temper of education, the NCERT has alleged. "The government's recommen-dations on value education seem to be based on the model adopted by the Satya Sai Baba institute of higher learning," the council has observed. But this critique of the govern-ment's report on value orientation of education has been dubb-ed "too harsh" by senior officials in the human resources develop-ment ministry. The standing committee on value education, headed by Mr D. Swaminadhan, has allocated Rs 200 crores for five organisa-tions to promote value-based education.

These organisations are Ramakrishna Mission (Mysore) Jain Vishwa Bharati (Rajasthan), Gujarat Vidya-peeth, Avinashlingam deemed university (Coimbatore) and the Regional College (Bhubaneswar). The government's choice of organisations has led to fears that obscurantist ideas are likely to be fortified. So far, these orga-nisations have lectured students on spiritualism, which is passed off as value-orientation. "The spiritual, didactic approach of these organisations goes against the government's professed stand on inculcating a scientific temper among stu-dents," said a senior NCERT official. The lumpsum set aside for value education has also led to a scramble among some voluntary organisations which have approached the standing commit- tee for a grant. Among them the latest is the Vidya Bharati Foun-dation, constituted with the "blessings of the Jagadguru." "We as managers have to deve-lop character and character com-es from saadhana," says the orga-nisation's brochure.

The NCERT feels that such applications should be summarily rejected, as they are complete-ly unfit for promoting value education. But the government has an entirely different notion. The standing committee members feel that the application of the Vidya Bharati Foundation should be seriously considered. The government's recommen-dation for a "short, serene" 10-minute session on value edu-cation in schools has also come under sharp criticism from the NCERT, which argues that value education, if treated as an auto-nomous subject, would be reduced to mere preaching, which is not the objective. So far the standing committee has met six times, even though the only concrete outcome has been a plan of action on value orientation in schools. And des-pite the NCERT's active inter-vention, this plan aims at integra-ting the committee's idea of value education into the curriculum.

ED1 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT NCERT THE TELEGRAPH (CALCUTTA) 19 JAN 1995 N20   

Make students, not monks: NCERT FROM MONOBINA GUPTA New Delhi, Jan 18:
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has attacked the government for promoting obscurantism in the name of value education. The "spiritual" organisations nominated by the government for this task will only erode the scientific temper of education, the NCERT has alleged. "The government's recommen-dations on value education seem to be based on the model adopted by the Satya Sai Baba institute of higher learning," the council has observed. But this critique of the govern-ment's report on value orienta- ATTEMPT TO PROMOTE DIDACTISM' tion of education has been dubb-ed "too harsh" by senior officials in the human resources develop-ment ministry. The standing committee on value education, headed by Mr D. Swaminadhan, has allocated Rs 200 crores for five organisa-tions to promote value-based edu-cation. These organisations are Ramakrishna Mission (Mysore) Jain Vishwa Bharati (Rajasthan), Gujarat Vidya-peeth, Avinashlingam deemed university (Coimbatore) and the Regional College (Bhubaneswar).

The government's choice of organisations has led to fears that obscurantist ideas are likely to be fortified. So far, these orga-nisations have lectured students on spiritualism, which is passed off as value-orientation. "The spiritual, didactic approach of these organisations goes against the government's professed stand on inculcating a scientific temper among stu-dents," said a senior NCERT official. The lumpsum set aside for value education has also led to a scramble among some voluntary organisations which have approached the standing committee for a grant. Among them the latest is the Vidya Bharati Foun-dation, constituted with the "blessings of the Jagadguru." "We as managers have to deve-lop character and character com-es from saadhana," says the organisation's brochure.

The NCERT feels that such applications should be summari-ly rejected, as they are complete-ly unfit for promoting value education. But the government has an entirely different notion. The standing committee members feel that the application of the Vidya Bha-rati Foundation should be seriously considered. The government's recommen-dation for a "short, serene" 10-minute session on value edu-cation in schools has also come under sharp criticism from the NCERT, which argues that value education, if treated as an auto-nomous subject, would be reduc-ed to mere preaching, which is not the objective. So far the standing committee has met six times, even though the only concrete outcome has been a plan of action on value orientation in schools. And des-pite the NCERT's active inter-vention, this plan aims at integra-ting the committee's idea of value education into the curriculum.

Why regulate cable TV, The Economic Times, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2002 /eldoc/p21_/14may02et.htm

Dev Naganand Before one answers this question, it is imperative that we understand the cable television industry in India, its present status and future prospects. The cable and satellite television industry in India is only about a decade old, or young. With the advent of Zee Television in 1992, India got its first private channel. Soon Sony, Star, etc., registered their presence. In-home entertainment now spelt versatility and freedom of  choice. The moot question is not so much the regulation of cable TV, but protection of consumer choice. At present there are about 40 million C&S homes in India: 260 million viewers. The Cable Television Regulation Networks Act, 1995 thus seeks to address this sizeable population. And the government proposes to do so via the new regulation mantra: Conditional Access System: CAS. We firmly believe that CAS will be beneficial to the entire industry. Subscribers, broadcasters, MSOs and cable operators stand to gain through this move. As a broadcaster we see this as a positive step towards consolidating and protecting not just the cable industry but also the consumers’ interest.                 

However, the critical index for success of CAS lies in implementation. The dynamics of technology, investment and time will have to come together in a cohesive manner if CAS is to emerge a winner. The most crucial parameter would be investment. Half of the 40 million C&S households are expected to switch onto CAS, paying only for what they choose to watch. The rest continue to receive Free to Air channels through their regular cable connection. CAS Households will have to invest in set top boxes costing between Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 each. This cost has to be borne by the subscriber. One option could be to work out an arrangement between set top box manufacturers and financial institutions, so that there is no one-time burden on the consumer. Most important, the time taken to seed such a large number of boxes would be at least 18-24 months and regulation needs to take this factor into account, failing which broadcasters and MSOs would suffer tremendously through lower channel visibility and considerably reduced revenues, making the new proposal a non-starter. Subscribers of Free to Air channels would benefit as their monthly subscription for cable connection would come down. At present cable charges vary with each locality.

However, once a basic FTA package is created, subscribers to that will have to pay a definite sum only, whether he stays in an upmarket area or otherwise. Uniformity will be ensured. Cable operators would need to pump in about Rs 400 crore for upgrading their equipment. With costs running so high, it is but natural that market forces will bring the industry together. In fact, CAS will prepare India for the next big leap. The industry will see further growth in niche channels, consumers will opt for value added services like video on demand, pay-per-view, etc. What deserves appreciation is that CAS will bring about transparency in the system. At present, people are exploiting  loopholes. Under-declarations have been a long pending issue that needs to be addressed. We feel that under-declarations would decrease considerably with proper implementation of CAS. With cable operators assured of a minimum guaranteed fee, there would be less reason to under-declare connectivity.

The total pay market is currently around Rs 8,000 crore but due to under- declaration, broadcasters were getting only Rs 600 crore. The difference cannot be ignored; and if CAS can help bridge that gap, there is no reason for anyone to complain! Consumer Viewing Pattern would be monitored in a more transparent manner. Hence, advertisers (Media Planners) will get better quality data do decide on their budgeting. CAS will facilitate a boom in regional and niche channels. Overall, if consumer interest and business objectives can work in harmony and create a cleaner, transparent and professional environment, one in which the consumer’s freedom of choice is fully protected, there would be no reason to use seemingly harsh words such as ‘regulation’. The author is director & CEO, Zee Network

-Govt must be pro-consumer on cable TV issue, The Economic Times, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2002, Ashok Mansukhani
/eldoc/p21_/14may02et.htm

The Indian Readership Survey 2001 reveals urban cable penetration of 84.7 per cent in towns and 32.7 per cent in villages. Cable/satellite broadcasters have current revenues of Rs 3600 crore mainly from advertisement revenues with the expected growth by 2006 to Rs 8100 crore largely on the strength of  subscriber revenue. Herein lies the rub. The average growth in the TV segment sector has been 38 per cent. Naturally the broadcasters want a greater share of the cable pie and local cable operators are unwilling to give in easily to demands of full declaration when no broadcaster is willing to reveal his cost of acquisition of content or operating costs and when the whole trp audience rating issue has become tainted with controversy. In the past two years broadcasters and multi-system cable operators have resorted to bitter litigation on various issues and inevitably settled out of court. Broadcasters have had to face flak from advertisers for not providing assured connectivity. Cable operators have had to face wrath of consumers for blank screens. The cable industry is ‘governed’ by the Cable Network Regulation Act 1995 which only provides for post office registration and is otherwise a toothless and technologically redundant law.

Ultimately the Convergence Bill will become law but in the meanwhile government has been resorting to piecemeal legislation to take care of burning issues affecting the electronic media. These include major amendments to the Cable Act in 2000, a local (satellite) up-linking policy in 2001, and DTH guidelines in 2002. Now the government has accepted the Rakesh Mohan task force report on introduction of a conditional access system for pay channels. This mandates that all pay channels would be available only through a set top box to provide the consumer the choice of  viewing and an option to pay for what he chooses to watch. Free-to-air channels would continue to be available through present receivers at an‘ affordable price’ to be determined by the government.

After the initial round of euphoria in the cable industry, various queries are being raised mainly by broadcasters and consumer organisations: Is the set top box a feasible solution for ensuring that broadcasters are paid? Broadcasters have been able to double their subscription revenue in the last one year forcing cable operators to raise rates to Rs 300 per month in Mumbai. Any further raise will not be tolerated. Will consumer choice be reduced by government mandated solutions? All that the government is doing is restoring the right of choice of watching channels to the consumer who will only now pay for channels he chooses to watch. Who will bear the costs of regulation? Obviously, the consumer will bear the cost of the set top box. The cable operator will bear the cost of the subscriber management system. The broadcaster will have to fix a maximum retail price to compensate the cable operator for use of the infrastructure and system upgrade including the subscriber management system.

The government has to chart the road ahead once conditional access becomes mandatory. Government has to continue to take a proactive consumer stance by taking the following additional measures immediately:
1) Ensuring a three-phase roll out to cover metros in the next six months, mini metros in the next 12 months and the entire country in 18 months.
2) To ensure easy acceptability of set top boxes and subscriber management systems for cable operators all duties including central/state and local levies be waived for a period of three years.
3) As government has decided to fix a maximum retail price for free-to-air channels, it should also freeze all current pay channel rates till deployment of set top boxes is actually in place. Thereafter the broadcasters would have to persuade customers to subscribe to their channels both in terms of attractive content and pricing.
4) As the Convergence Bill is still being scrutinised by a standing committee of Parliament, an interim arrangement to settle all disputes in the TV segment between broadcasters, cable operators and consumers may be considered by enlarging the function of the Telecom Regulatory Authority or appointment of an ombudsman. The author is executive vice-president, Hinduja TMT Ltd.

CAS a boon for cable TV watchers, TIMES NEWS NETWORK, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2002  12:46:15 AM

                
Can you imagine your vegetable-wallah saying that he will sell carrots to you only if you also buy white pumpkin and potato? The very idea is preposterous, but this is what has been happening in cable TV. They were making you and me watch and pay for channel bouquets of their choice, and not what we wanted to watch. Last week’s government decision to introduce amendments to the Cable Bill in the form of conditional access system (CAS) is a timely intervention on behalf of consumers. The effectiveness of this decision will be determined by the speed with which and the time-frame in which the government implements CAS. The chaotic cable TV industry needs to be regulated — and fast. How will CAS benefit the consumer? Individual cable homes will have the power to pick, watch and pay for channels they want instead of what is being dished out to them. It is for you to choose whether to watch Ten Sports or ESPN, Star News or Zee News. A consumer can subscribe to HBO, Star Movies and AXN, and avoid Star Plus, Sony and Zee, or any combination of his choice. Let the consumer be the king.

Will consumers have to buy the set-top box? In developed markets, service providers rent out these boxes . Here the consumer may have no option but to buy a set-top box or be content just watching free-to-air channels. Many broadcasters have been making noises that consumers would end up paying more in the new set-top box regime. It is ironical that broadcasters who began this entire drama of under-declaration by cable operators are now trying to scuttle the transparency behind CAS. Broadcasters are saying that consumers will have to shell out more if they want to subscribe to individual pay channels through a set-top box. This is ridiculous. As in all other businesses, the market will determine the price. Take cellular service for example. It started in India with a per minute air-time charge of Rs 16. Currently the costs are down to less than Rs 2. Domestic and  international telephone tariffs are also falling. Cable homes will determine what to watch and how much to pay for what they watch. Many broadcasters ask where will the millions of set-top boxes come from? Indian entrepreneurship helped shape the cable industry.

Likewise, the market will determine who will make the boxes for the consumer. Over a dozen manufacturers with the licence and the technology are waiting to grab a slice of this soon-to-open $600 million market. Also, the government has to set up a regulatory body like Federal Communication Commission (FCC) in the US for protecting consumer interests. It is a fact that 38 million cable homes pay an average Rs 150 per month to their respective cable operators. This totals to over a whopping Rs 6,200 crore. The system has to be disciplined and consumer interests protected. The government should not wait for the Convergence law for appointing a regulator. While the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is working towards prescribing technology that is to be adopted in set-top boxes, this should best be left to the market. Ultimately the consumer has to make a choice between analog and digital set-top boxes. While an analog box would cost Rs 3,000, a digital unit is expected to cost about Rs 7,000 (prices may come down as we go along). Manufacturers are prepared for both. While an analog box would just enable the customer to pick and pay for channels he would like to watch, the digital unit would provide value added services like interactive TV, Net telephony, Internet access, tele-shopping, among others. Analog box cannot be upgraded while a digital units can be upgraded through simple downloads from the service provider. Moreover, the government should make it mandatory that service providers adopt a technology for set-top box service which is open-architecture based. This means a consumer can buy a set-top box that can be carried anywhere in the country and get multiple-channel service in one box from any operator. Implementing CAS and regulating cable TV industry is the next logical step. The sooner we get it, the better it is for everyone.

- To fight AIDS, stop being coy about sex education, NEERAJ KAUSHAL, Economic Times, 14/05/2002, /eldoc/d52b/14may02et.htm 

CHILDREN TODAY ARE 'WELL INFORMED' ON SEX.
We all tend to feel that today's children are smarter and more worldly, mainly because they are exposed to so much via the media and information. Sex education formerly used to be considered a hush-hush topic. There were never so many books or films on sexeducation as there are today. Workshops and seminars are organised not only for children, but also for teachers and parents to prepare them to answer 'innocent questions' in the most relaxed manner possible. The office of the Family Planning Unfortunately, most of it is misconception. But they must be taught the facts of life. LAXMI DHAUL discusses sex education in Bombay schools Association of India has two divisions. One is the population education department and the other is the department of sex education and counselling. Campion School, one of the best schools in Bombay, was one of the first to request them to talk about sex education to parents. This was as early as 1974. By 1980, a large number of schools, from municipal to private schools, were requesting them to hold sessions. "Today we look at sexuality as a part of total health. Health is not only preventive or curative, it is also sexual health.

The term sexuality is not properly understood. It is not only what one performs or one's physiological differences; it includes how the mind feels and thinks, it has to be taken as part of the totality of the human being. Sex education cannot be separated from family life or the social and cultural values around him," says Mrs Mukhi, director, Family Planning Association of India. Mrs Mukhi and her team split up the discussions into four or five sessions. Usually they prefer to segregate the boys from the girls in the sessions, as they find the children more relaxed about asking questions amongst their own sex. The sessions are mostly personality-oriented. In one session they might discuss the neurological system and the hormonal imbalances that take place during adolescence.

Another session may concentrate on the feelings that children go through at that time. How the child is suddenly compelled to bring attention on himself, how he or she may go through a phase of 'self love', preening in front of the mirror for hours, talking for long periods on the phone. Children are also told that because of the physiological changes taking place in the body, young boys are attracted to risky challenges like fast driving, experimenting with alcohol, cigarettes and drugs, thus giving them a chance to understand why they are lured to certain temptations. The importance of realising the responsibilities and consequences of their actions is also explained to them. Another session concentrates on "What are the tasks we have to fulfill" and relationships of all kinds. They discuss what boys think about girls and vice versa. Each of the discussions is tailored for different age groups.

A college group may have a discussion on marriage and parenthood. The Family Planning Association does not discuss contraception unless the agencies request them to do so. A programme that they had with the SNDT college girls, revealed that young girls even today believe in love as an 'ideal' as seen in Hindi movies. There are several other agencies that handle sex education and related topics for instruction in schools and colleges. Some institutions involve doctors, psychologists and other professional people to talk to their students. Most schools today have their own counsellors, to whom children can go and talk freely, especially if their parents can't cope with their questions. The Cathedral school counsellor, Mrs Farida Sethna, feels that "Our kids are seemingly well-informed about a lot of things. However, it is also amazing how much misinformation they get from each other. I call it the Chinese Whispers Syndrome". At the Cathedral school, standard seven girls are given talks on menstruation by a gynaecologist.

In the eight standard, they start with "Values Discussion". Usually, they call Mrs Sarla Mukhi and her team from the Family Planning Association for discussions. A short movie is also shown. Mrs Sethna also keeps little booklets on "What teenagers want to know about sex" that children are free to avail of. After these discussions, Mrs Sethna carries on with matters of related interest in her values discussion class. "Children are very idealistic, about sex education with children," says Mrs Sethna. Mrs Sarla Mukhi was once conducting a discussion with a particularly outspoken batch of standard eight Cathedral boys. On entering the classroom she greeted the class and asked them if they knew what she was going to discuss. "Yeah," they sneered, "Sex." Mrs Mukhi, who looks gentle, sweet and grandmotherly wrote the word on the board. She then asked for explanations. The boys volunteered all the abusive words they had come across, and to their horror she wrote each word down on the board. "Now that we have all the words, lets take it from here," she said, and went on in her very relaxed and factual manner. The boys did not dare tease her after that! The sex education at the Bombay International School is conducted in a very informal manner.

The dynamic principal, Ms Panthaky con- "The reproductive system can't be isolated. Emotional, social and moral values have to be discussed along with it." even when they are in the ninth and tenth standards," says Mrs Sethna. She recounted an incident when, after screening a short movie on the anatomical difference between males and females, a boy came upto her and said, "Miss, how could you show us a blue film?" "I feel it is very important to give attention to the way in which the talks are conducted. You need someone who is comfortable with the subject. Children don't only listen to the words, they simultaneously cope with their feelings. They may feel shy, shocked, dirty, guilty or even giggly about it. Therefore, the person who conducts these sessions must be at ease when talking ducts the discussions herself. Being a biology teacher, she started sex education in the biology class as far back as 1967.

Dr Israel from the Family Planning Association started a programme for teachers highlighting how it could be done. Ms Panthaky was surprised to find a lot of sniggering from the seniormost class when they first started discussions. From a questionnaire that she gave out she found that the children thought they already knew everything and so she brought the programme down to the ninth standard. Bombay International School is a co-educational set-up, with a very relaxed girl-boy interaction. She found the girls in standard seven very embarrassed when boys opened their bags to take out sandwiches and found sanitary napkins instead. So they had a talk for both boys and girls on puberty and menstruation. This was also taken to the fifth and sixth standards. Ms Panthaky then found that children in the K.G. classes were peeping into bathrooms, looking under the tables to see what colour panty the little girls wore. She then let the children feel free to ask questions whenever they wanted to.They were encouraged to learn the proper names of the body like -'nipple' and 'penis'. Most of the questions arose when there was a new addition in the family and the mothers would get embarrassed and not be able to handle the questions.

The subject is discussed very thoroughly in the ninth standard. Panthaky feels, "The reproductive system can't be isolated. The emotional, social and moral values have to be discussed along with it. " After discussing physiology, they diversify into related topics : families, nuclear versus joint families, sex change, surrogate mothers, puberty, abortions, venereal diseases, age limits, homosexuality, perversions and so on. Ms Panthaky feels, "No matter how balanced education is, the basic concept of the man-woman relationship that the child gets is from what the child sees at home in his own family." Dr H. Ginott in his book "Between parent and child," says, "Sex education starts with the parents' attitude towards their own sensuality". Do the parents like themselves and each other? Do they see each other as inconsiderate and exploitative or as loving human beings who share their lives?'Whatever the parents' unspoken feelings are, these will be conveyed to their children even if their spoken words talk about "the birds and the bees". Parental attitudes are based on their own childhood experiences. If there was any guilt or shame they felt while growing up, it will be transmitted to their children.

Today's children are not asking for free sex, but are in a dilemma very often because of their parents' double standards. Boys who see their fathers reading pornographic magazines are frowned at when caught glancing through the same stuff. Values on sex and human relationships are picked up very early by children from their parents. How does a young child cope with things he hears on the news — sex changes, test-tube babies, surrogate mothers? He needs someone to discuss and evaluate the changing values of today's society for himself. If his parents are open-minded, he is lucky, but if they are not? Will he develop a sense of guilt, frustration and low esteem? Every child has his own in-born curiosity fashioned by his home values and peer group. The success by which he will find the answers most suited to him will depend on the confidence put in him by his parents and the stimuli gets in his school or college.

A school with a difference By a Staff Reporter ing counsellors, doctors, legal experts and cosmotologists has been set up to deal with problems in their related fields. Ms Urvashi Guha, project executive of Aadhar, said: "Sessions on sexuality and contraception attract a number of young women". She went on to add: "Most of us harbour false notions about sex, as matters even remotely related to sex are never openly discussed in our society. This programme aims at dispelling such myths. Legal experts holding these sessions explain the significance of various legal issues related to marriage." She said that 'legal issues' was incorporated in the course as "most couples take such issues lightly and remain ignorant about their rights". A Parivar Seva Sanstha registration form reads: "There should be more to preparing for marriage than buying clothes, deciding the venue and printing invitation cards". Explaining this, Ms Urvashi Guha said: "Tips on personal grooming and home management, are a must.

Cosmotologists holding these sessions, apart from giving beauty tips, hold discussions on having the right kind of wardrobe. Discussions on home management include finance and saving, first-aid and crisis management". Some might dub the crash course as "over ambitious" and "unrealistic". But women who have enrolled for the course, feel that they learn a lot. Ms Priya Bansal, a 21-year-old student of fashion designing who joined the first batch in October last year, said: "There were only two other students in the first' batch. The discussions were interesting. The session on sexuality and contraception proved to be informative". The course, however, has failed to attract many. The organizers had expected at least 20 girls in the first batch, but only three joined. Since October, there have been five batches. The last session with the fifth batch which concluded last Friday, attracted just six people. The. next session begins on March 20. It remains to be seen if this experiment is a success or a failure.

BEFORE she becomes a bride, prepare her to be a wife", reads an advertisement placed by Aadhar, a sort of a finishing school for young women about to enter into marriage.. Critics might dimiss this as yet another run-of-the-mill finishing school that teaches one how to walk, talk, lay the table, attend to guests and so on. But Aadhar claims to offer much more. It has a comprehensive programme, ' overing every important aspect pf marriage. And all for a fee of Rs 650. The school is run by Parivar Seva Sanstha, a voluntary social service organization affiliated to Marie Stopes International. It is a relatively new concept in India and it remains to be seen if it is successful or not. The programme offers an unique opportunity to all who want the kind of counselling which has been available to their Western counterparts for long. The programme is divided into five sections — relationships, sexuality and contraception, personal grooming, legal issues and home management. A team compris- "B A School with a difference

THE STATEMAN 04 MAR 1995 A 11 ED1

Education of girls G.D 14 JUL 2005  SUDESHNA CHATTERJEE NOVEMBER 15

AS the new millennium draws near, students arc increasingly expressing opinions about their teachers' performance that could prod the teaching community into some serious introspection. The latest to jump onto the teachers' performance-shouldbe- audited bandwagon is a report of a workshop involving students, teachers and parents. "Ban tuition centres and coaching classes and take strict action against defaulting teachers," reads the report, prepared by non-governmental organisations Young Men's Christian Association and Avehi.

The NGOs conducted a threeday workshop with 125 participants from 23 schools across the city late last year. The report, though, was made public just recently. Students recorded that "Only clever children are encouraged in extra-curricular activities." They also described teaching methods as "one way communication, lack of interaction, questioning is restricted...". "Value education is taught but not practised by teachers, parents, society at large. Products made by multinational corporations are used by teachers and elders while the concept of swadeshi is taught in schools" said the students. Students suggested that teaching should be interactive, interesting and should involve them. Techniques like debates, presentations, project work and teaching aids should also be deployed. Rote learning should be replaced by exploratory and more real life experiences. Homework should be minimised and made challenging. The report maintained that poorly staffed schools with limited infrastructure like playgrounds, inadequately equipped laboratories, lack of laboratory assistants, librarians, arts and crafts teachers and teaching aids burden and demotivate both teachers and students. The teachers too had suggestions, including continuous in-service training to upgrade knowledge and skills. "Teachers should be relieved of clerical work. Some relief should also be given from better teaching methods amination supervision duty. Extra tutors and counsellors could be appointed and some of the class correction work could be taken over by these tutors. Parents who are qualified and willing could extend their support and guidance to slow learners and those who need special help," are some suggestions. The report also quotes suggestions from noted social worker and educationist, Kalindi S Mazumdar.

Ex- STUDENTS MAKE A PITCH FOR BETTER TEACHING METHODS INDIAN EXPRESS (BOMBAY) 16 NOV 1999 N20

"The last period of every day could be used for doing homework so that the children do not have to carry the burden home. This is currently being successfully done at the Cathedral and John Connon School at Fort," she observed. "Value education, sex education, current issues and family life education must form a vital part of the curriculum. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and NGOs can be contacted to take these classes. This has been successfully implemented in the Bombay International school at the nursery level itself," added Mazumdar. When asked to comment on the report, principals expressed their frustration over teachers whose performance dropped once they joined coaching classes, "Even I take tuitions with permission from my management. But that did not deter me from teaching my students," said a principal of a south Mumbai school Another educationist pointed out, "Teachers are only bothered about their pay-scales. Nobody talks about responsibilities which is specified in the Chattopadhayay Committee report in the early eighties. So, the merit holders in different examinations pay their obeisance to their respective coaching classes. The latter too advertise with pictures of meritorious students. It's a vicious cycle." The secretary, Metropolitan Programme Committee, YMCA, Allen Kotian told Express Newsline, "We have already distributed the report along with feedback sheets to over 500 English medium schools. For the benefit of the municipal schools, we have left several copies with the BMC's education department. Once we compile the feedback, we will plan our next action."

ED1 TEACHING METHODOLOGY QUALITY OF EDUCATION