my thoughts

It has been almost five years when CBSE New Delhi introduced the new pattern of assessment and evaluation popularly known as CCE. There were apprehensions and problems related to the proper implementation of the system. This was same for all whether it be a student, teacher or the parents. The then HRD minister was very fond of this and wanted to give autonomy to the schools so that comprehensive evaluation could be done and the performance card reflects complete picture of the child`s personality and gives a fair idea to the child and the parent about the areas of strength so that they could work to build on the strengths of the children. Another important reason was to reduce the stress of the school going children and make learning an enjoyable exercise. In the first two years CCE was expanded with different words, confusing everyone how to implement it. Though CBSE tried to its level to provide best possible assistance to the schools and the teachers and a number of schools a...

March is the month every year when most of the families are focused on the final examinations of the students (school as well as the college/universities) and everybody prays that the students succeed. Earlier it used to be in case of public examinations only but now this custom has started even in primary classes also. Though there have been reforms introduced to reduce the stress of the parents and the children but it had little impact. Though we keep getting inputs that the children are less stressed now but the real picture does not match with this. Very unfortunate news was telecast yesterday which must have disturbed all the people who are concerned about the children of this nation and I am talking more in context of India. As per the news two girl students of a school in Bengaluru died (some say committed suicide) and the reason quoted for that is, that they were stopped from playing Holi in the school. The reports suggest that they were scolded by the principal and a t...

Bullying in the schools An article published in one of the widely read monthly magazine should act as the reminder for parents and the school teachers. This is not something new but has been there in the schools for the last many decades and not much has been done by the responsible people. Yes, I am talking about menace of bullying in the schools. Many school going children suffer from the act of violence, physical or emotional, at one or the other time. This may happen in the classrooms, games field, in the bus or some other areas which may be deserted by time. Bullying has very negative psychological effect on the personality of the kids which may drive them to isolation, depression and lack of interest in doing anything. The schools are the place where children come to learn and imbibe values so that they can prove to be productive citizen of the society in future. The schools provide the space to showcase and further develop their skills in the positive direction. And the ...

At the outset I would like to wish all the readers and the people around the globe a happy and joyful year 2014. The first thought, as a teacher, which came to my mind was importance of education in the life of an individual and its impact on the society irrespective of caste, region or gender.   Gurdev Rabindranath Tagore once said ` in my opinion the maximum misery which rests on the heart of the country has its sole foundation in the absence of education`. We all know it well that the role of education in the process of development and social equality is critically important. Jean Dreze and Amritya Sen have beautifully defined and explained the role of education in the chapter `centrality of education` of their book, an uncertain glory of India. They talk about its impact on quality of life, economic opportunities and employment, democratic rights of the people, tackling health problems, change in the public perception towards life, women empowerment and societal equality....

Indian society is going through a transition at a fast pace. Though the changes are an integral part and human race has been experiencing the same right from its existence. But if we talk in context of India then it is found that in the last twenty two years, inevitable changes have taken place at a rapid pace. This has brought the problem of adjustment on the forefront and the society is finding it difficult to cope up with the fast paced changes. These changes have taken place in multiple areas. The people are better off in terms of the materialistic facilities available to them and also overall life style has become better and easier for many in comparison to the situation before. Exposure to the entire world because of liberalization and the openings due to evolution of the internet has contributed in a big way. Due to these changes the schools and the school education has also undergone several changes. The environment at home and in the school has become child friendly which wa...