[കേ.ശാ.സാ.പ] Re: [കേ.ശാ.സാ.à´ª] Re:School Education

19.04.2007
  Frame work suggested by VKS for debating education need to be broadened:
  Let us get back to the good old days of neighbourhood schooling with mother tongue as medium of instruction; the very basis of universal, free, and compulsory schooling.
  If our elites and the filthy rich want very special English school for going Global, let them have it and hang themselves, as cultural and spiritual out-castes. What they preach are nothing but sectarian solutions based on pseudo globalism, which has little to do with realities. Secular alternatives of real value and quality are the need of the hour and these are realisable, based on totally non-violent interventions and through electoral politics at the State and LSGI levels. The whole of Europe, Russia and other CIS countries, China, Korea, Cuba and Vietnam learn natural sciences, social sciences, technology and business management in their own Universities and in their own languages, easily understood by their working people. Why should we continue to block the creativity of our working people enemas, by insisting on the the superiority of a new devabhasha ? Working knowledge in English or IT could be easily acquired by anybody, any time and whenever required, with the
 ease of learning to drive a motor car or two wheeler. And, that is our life experience.
  Present IT syllabus and IT education basically serves the very same objective of universal English education of the earlier centuries: marketing of imperial products, software as well as hardware. The dot.com babus created by our IT education are a burden and drag on our people: They stand in the way of developing and mass manufacturing of own IT products that could flood our farms, factories, schools and culture houses.
  Should KSSP enter the market of competitive policies, let it first have a vision that will fire the imagination of our down-trodden people and help them seeking real patriotic alternatives. After all, there is no dearth of pseudo intellectuals on the other side of the battle line, which I am sure, Gandhi would not have any hesitation to draw in the dawn of this all-pervasive IT Revolution.
  With warm greetings to all, and as a friend and critic of KSSP.
  K Vijayachandran
  19.04.2007
     

"R.V.G. Menon" <rvgmenon_at_yahoo.com> wrote:
    The topics suggested by VKS need to be discussed seriously and urgently, in view of the impending curriculum revision.
  In fact we may need several parallel discussion streams.
   
  Let me just take up one:
  The medium of instruction at HSS Level.
  This requires a clear understanding of the role of HSS.
  Is Higher secondary a mere preparation for University Edn,
  as the old names Pre University and Pre degree implied?
  Or is it meant to be a Terminal Course, as it definitely is, for a majority of students?
  The answer is, both.
  Please remember we are envisaging a system in which all the children will have the benefit of 12 years of schooling. (I personally believe that it should be the birth right of every child, and we should accord the highest priority to this task.)
  In that case all those who enter SClass I will go on to Class XII, and at the end of 12 years of schooling they will become either intellectually and emotionally ready to pursue higher studies in their chosen area, or alternatively, they will have gained enough knowledge and skill and confidence to pursue some socially useful occupation in an area in which they have taste and talent.
  This ought to be the goal of schol education.
   
  This implies that only about 20 to 25% (presently it is something like 10%) will go for University education.
  Then why should we insist that everybody ought to be educated in English medium at HSS level? Let us give the option to the students, as is being done for Secondary classes.
  (As a matter of fact, even at the University level, we need not insist that all subjects, Music, for example, should be taught in English medium. We could take a more flexible stand. But that is another topic!)_
  Anyway, let us ask ourselves what is the compelling reason to insist that everybody should be taught in English at the HSS level.
  Needless to say, this is not to downplay the importance of English.
  I would argue strongly that English should be taught and taught well, at the school level, at least upto class X.
  But whether it shold be the medium of instruction for all, is another matter altogether.
  RVG
  

"Kiran M.V." <mv.mvkiran_at_gmail.com> wrote:
  Dear VKS,

I have some comments.

I have a feeling that in high school classes say 9,10,11,12 classes, these subjects need to be taken separately, to go in to depth. only thing is that there should be some way to maintain integrity.Yes in the upper primary level it could be a single subject. I agree with your suggestion about options of specialized streams in these classes. But the teachers should be properly updated (re-trained) in these areas to facilitate the learning process. (Which is probably the biggest hurdle always :(..... )

The higher secondary medium could be english.. I feel it better.

Regarding IT, The students (and of course the teachers) should have some basic understanding and skills to use IT as a tool or in your words IT enabled education. Some way we have to introduce this first and then got for IT enabled education. How can this be done. The easiest way is to introduce IT as a subject at lower levels, for example in UP classes. But then the UP schools should have the facilities for this. That may be a problem.

I general, I feel the biggest problem in any kind of curriculum revision is that the prevailing conditions in the class rooms and schools are not conducive for any kind of innovative (and needy) practices. The infrastructure is very poor, the class rooms are very crowded, the teacher can not give individual attention to the students, which is the key or basic requirement of the new approach. Unless and until this changes nothing is going to happen on a large scale. The attempts in the last few years could have been more successful, if this is taken care at the first level. Another problem is the approach or attitude of teachers. Many of them (not all) are still reactant to adopt the new methodology. This may be partially due to the above said reason of lack of resources/facilities and high student strength.

And I have a feeling that nothing will happen (on a large scale) until this situation is changed. I know that in HSS, there will be about 60-80 students in a class. How is possible to handle such a 'crowd' at that level with individual attention and continuous evaluation.

I was just sharing my thoughts. I am not a teacher. But I was closely observing the recent developments.

I think this worth discussing.....

Kiran

  On 4/18/07, BINURAJ kumbalam <binurajks_at_gmail.com> wrote: I'm agreeing with vks
  Let's have some new topics,
   
  I want to share something about the importance of pre-schooling system when concidering kerala model of development.
   
  When discussing about kerala model of development,we emphasices the importance of health and education in kerala.Both r just as in developed countries.In the case of education ,I conciders Indegenous pre-schooling system present in kerala as the most important factor.
   
  We r giving the reason of the our advancement in edu to missionaries.Before the English edu introduced,we have kalaries as educational institution.It was comparetively more accessible to the common people because the cost needed in this system was very low.The fee to masters was some amount of paddy,rice or some other common food materials and not money.The basic tools in study was fingers and not pens and books.It provided more accessibility to common people.We could remember that the pre-schooling system remained very after English edu.
   
  Pls share the views of all to my statements.........
   
   
  
 
  On 4/18/07, Sasidharan vk <vksasidharan_at_gmail.com > wrote: Really, it is tyranny reading these jumbled up characters or the 'manglish'. I have been watching these conversations these days and I am of the opinion that those who are really not interested in joining this debate can start a new conversation on another subject.
  Curriculum revision is a major event taking place in the educational sector. A few points may be noted for commenting:
  School time shall be from 8 or 8.30 in the morning to 1 or 1.30. Also, two hours in the evening will be utilised for related learning activities. Your suggestions?
  Physics, Chemistry and Biology (in High School classes) need not be taught as separate subjects. Instead, a thematically integrated approach shall be adopted and sciences will be converged into one. Any comments?
    In Higher Secondary, medium of instruction shall be Malayalam. Or should it be....?
  In order to transact IT skills to students, appropriate applications related to various subjects shall be selected and this will be added to the respective subjects. That is, IT education will be replaced by IT Enabled education. Or, shall we go for the other way round?
  It is suggested that after 8th standard, students should be given the option to select certain specialised stream of study.
  etc..etc...
   
vks

  
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Received on വ�യാ �പ�ര 19 2007 - 19:01:45 IST