1970s on English and Filipino as the only languages of instruction

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has signed Department of Education Order 74 nullifying the 35-year-old bilingual directive laid down in the 1970s on English and Filipino as the only languages of instruction. Neither of the languages is the first language (L1) of most Filipinos. Lapus said findings of various local initiatives and international studies in basic education have validated the superiority of the use of the learner’s mother tongue or L1 in improving learning outcomes and promoting Education For All. He added the Order 74 institutionalizes the use of mother tongue as a fundamental educational policy and program in the department in the whole stretch of formal education including preschool and in the Alternative Learning System. The policy widely referred to as mother tongue-based multilingual education aims to improve learning outcomes and promote EFA. Lapus cited findings from international and local research such as learners acquire reading skills more easily in their L1 and second language (L2). Pupils who start to speak, read and write in their L1 learn an L2, like English, more quickly than those exclusively taught in an L2. Learners develop cognitive, linguistic and academic competencies much faster in their L1 than in an L2. Under the new order, Filipino and English will be taught as separate subjects in the early grades and will be used as media of instruction when students are “ready.” This means when they have gained sufficient proficiency in the two L2s, as determined by the department, English and Filipino will remain the primary languages of teaching in high school, with the mother tongue as auxiliary and supplementary medium.

Source : www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics1_july22_2009

ISRO has several field installations

In USA the astronauts from the Apollo 11 mission, the first manned mission to land on the Moon, have appealed to President Barack Obama and America’s politicians to provide proper funding for a return to the moon and the human exploration of Mars. The concept is risky since the veterans have aged but there is hardly any doubt that the proposal speaks of the nation’s intrinsic vivacity. What is India doing then? As per ISRO Chief G Madhavan Nair, organization is planning its first manned flight around 2015. “There would be two men in a manned capsule on a seven-day mission. It will be launched from Sriharikota,” he said. Nevertheless, he also mentioned the organization was not mulling over the fact of sending a man to the moon. “At the moment we don’t have such plan,” Nair said. However he strongly favored contemplating such a mission, major reason being that both the US and China had declared they would like to have their men on the lunar surface by 2020. “I do not know whether we can afford to lag behind in that,” the ISRO chairman said. “Superiority of a nation depends on technology. Space is where the highest level of technology is being demonstrated. Today, I can say we are on par with developed nations as far as technology is concerned,” Nair said. The Indian Space Research Organization is the primary body for space research under the control of the government of India. It was established in its modern form in 1969 as a result of coordinated efforts initiated earlier. Under the guidance of a number of scientists, ISRO has conducted a variety of operations—supported by its launch vehicle fleet—for both Indian and foreign clients. ISRO has several field installations at its disposal and cooperates with the international community as a part of several bilateral and multilateral agreements.

for further details visit as : www.whatistheword.com/2009/07/isro-to-commence-manned-flight-around-2015/

European Social Fund from a range of higher education

A £16.5m scheme worth aimed at helping more than 1,300 people raise their work skill levels has been announced. Education Minister Jane Hutt said a new range of foundation degrees was to help 1,330 people without them following a three-year university course.

Led by the University of Glamorgan, it will also help part-time learners with jobs to access new qualifications, she said. People from the valleys and west Wales stand to benefit from the programme. Foundation degrees are entry-level qualifications and may lead on to degree courses. Made up of £9.5m from the European Social Fund and match funding from a range of higher education institutions, the new scheme aims to enable people to access the courses through higher education institutions and further education colleges.
It is crucial that we provide people across Wales with the opportunity to increase their skill levels during these challenging economic times Jane Hutt, Education Minister Martyn Jeffries, from the University of Glamorgan, said the scheme had been designed to meet the needs of emerging and growing industries in the Welsh economy.


For further details visit as : news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8157535.stm

Tamil Nadu Engineering Admission in the counselling process

CHENNAI: Two more engineering colleges have not received AICTE approval to enrol students into their academic programme for this academic year following which Tamil Nadu Engineering Admission (TNEA) has barred the colleges from participating in the counselling process.

All Indian Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has not given its approval to Shakthi Engineering College, Poonamallee and Udaiyappa College of Engineering, Periyakulam.
The former college offered four streams with 60 seats each (a total of 240 seats) and the latter offered six branches with 60 seats each (360 seats).
At the end of TNEA counselling on Sunday, 4,201 seats were available at Anna University
and 2,227 seats were available with Government and Governmentaided colleges. A total of 4,892 seats were taken up on Sunday.


Source :www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Two+more+engineering+colleges+barred+from+counselling&artid=M51Yg8Xtex8=&SectionID=vBlkz7JCFvA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=EL7znOtxBM3qzgMyXZKtxw==&SEO=

Infrastructure and motivated the youths to adopt a professional attitude

Guwahati, July 5: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi today said the state would soon have a sports policy of its own — a long-pending demand of the sports fraternity, as it helped the development of infrastructure and motivated the youths to adopt a professional attitude. Addressing the gathering during a felicitation ceremony of five veteran sportspersons by the Assam Olympic Association (AOA) during the Olympic Dacelebrations at Nehru Stadium here today, Gogoi said tapping talent in the rural sector would be the top priority of the policy.

Earlier, flagging off the mass jogging from the Bhangagarh flyover here, Gogoi, who is also the AOA president, said the association’s slogan of Gaonoloi Jaun Bola (Let’s march to the village) was still not yielding the desired output because of the lack of an organised approach.
The run was organised after a gap of two years since the 33rd National Games was held here in February 2007.
Five veteran sportspersons — sports personality Pulin Das, former AOA general secretary Nani Dutta, former international paddler Nandini Baruah, former ACA treasurer Ashadur Rahman and former tennis player Susan Das Choudhury — were felicitated and presented with Rs 5,000 each.


source : www.telegraphindia.com/1090706/jsp/northeast/story_11199346.jsp

Mission in Education through ICT

The provisions for the Scheme ‘Mission in Education through ICT’ has been substantially increased to Rs. 900 crore. Similarly, for establishment and up-gradation for Polytechnics under the Skill Development Mission has been increased to Rs. 495 crore. This was announced by the Finance Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, while presenting the Union Budget proposals for the year 2009-10 in Lok Sabha today. Shri Mukherjee further proposed the enhancement of overall Plan Budget for higher education by Rs. 2000 crore over Interim Budget Estimates. He further announced the allocation of Rs. 2,113 crore for IITs and NITs, which includes a provision of Rs. 450 crore for new IITs and NITs.

The Finance Minister also proposed to allocate Rs. 827 crore for opening one Central University in each uncovered State. Emphasizing the need for improving the facilities at Punjab University, Chandigarh, the Finance Minister proposed an allocation of Rs. 50 crore for the purpose. To enable the Union Territory of Chandigarh Administration to provide better infrastructure to the people, the Finance Minister also proposed to enhance Plan allocation for the city during the current Financial year.


Source : pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=49773

India and Australia working group to co-ordinate between the two countries

New Delhi, July 06: Amid growing concern over the spate of attacks on Indian students Down Under, India and Australia Monday decided to form a joint working group to co-ordinate between the two countries in ensuring safety of the students there.

CCTV to check attacks on Indians in Australia The decision was taken here at a meeting between a high-level Australian delegation and officials of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs.
The working group will primarily focus on implementing measures to effectively regulating education agents in both the countries as it was felt that the agents play a key role in system.
"We have agreed on formation of a joint working group which will help both the governments in effectively regulating education agents," K Mohandas, Secretary in the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, told reporters after the meeting.
He said both sides felt that regulating the education agents was "very important" to ensure safety of the students in Australia and governments of the two countries will work hand in hand to ensure safety of the students.
Leader of the Australian delegation Colin Walters, First Assistant Secretary from the Australian Department of Education, said his government was doing everything to ensure safety to international students in Australia.


For further details visit as : www.zeenews.com/news544909.html

Save School Public Education

The recent push for school vouchers in Georgia reminds me of the attempt by wealthy special interest groups to influence the Georgia Supreme Court race two years ago.

In this race, a highly respected judge, Carol Hunstein, was challenged with well-funded attack ads, $1.3 million of which were paid for by a group from Washington called the American Justice Partnership. However, voters proved not to be as gullible as the partnership thought they were and re-elected Hunstein.
Those who believe in public education are also likely to prove this new group of influence peddlers, the Michigan-based All Children Matter, wrong about school vouchers.
The question is why, after two centuries of unprecedented American economic success and world influence —- both indicators of a well-educated citizenry —- have we even considered abandoning public education in favor of state-supported private education?
How have we created a culture where school vouchers appear to be a viable alternative? First, conservative think tanks create a national program (No Child Left Behind) using the readily acceptable "higher standards" as justification. Then the government underfunds the program to achieve the desired mediocrity.
Next, a proving-ground state such as Georgia further underfunds its school systems. This creates a total disconnect between the State Department of Education, the Legislature and the classroom. Parents become outraged. Finally, the think tanks parade out phrases such as "school choice" and "competition between schools" and promise voucher programs will come to the rescue of the failing schools the government helped create. The result: throwing vast amounts of tax dollars at the new corporate schools that will pop up all over to teach a select few of our children. The students without vouchers? Well, let them eat cake.
The very best way for Georgia to achieve the educational promise and success that its children deserve is to fully support, with smart direction from the state, our public school system and not abandon it with "they can do better" ideology of vouchers. Traditionally, our schools have been at the center of strong community life. To throw that relationship away would be tragic.
So, how do we strengthen our schools? To paraphrase the venerable Ronald Reagan: "Republicans are not the ones we can seek to find solutions to the problem. They are the problem." I would add that some Democrats don't understand it either.


For further details visit as : www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2008/08/04/vouched.html

Indian government should develop an educational curriculum

Washington (PTI): Calling for the need to focus on science education at high school level, eminent scientist and nobel laureate Sydney Altman has suggested Indian government to develop a curriculum with a view to encourage kids towards innovation.

According to Mr. Altman, India is focusing too much on scientific research at high level and has been ignoring science education at school level, which he argues is not good for the scientific health of the country in the long run.
"Focus of the Indian Government should be on science education in high schools. This is something which has to be looked into in great detail by the government. You just can't take about science and innovation. You got to encourage kids outside of their restrictive curriculum in schools," said Mr. Altman, who got Chemistry Nobel in 1989 for his work on the catalytic properties of RNA.
"I am not talking about villages and rural areas (where there is not much of an education infrastructure), even in small towns and large cities, many students graduate from college with very high percentage levels and grades, but they do not know what to do with them after that," Mr. Altman told PTI.
The Sterling Professor of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology at the Yale University said that the Indian government should develop an educational curriculum which helps the younger generation and the school going kids develop the basics of innovation.

For further details visit as : www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200906080911.htm

Public schools ought to include Washington state

EDUCATION Secretary Arne Duncan's "Listening and Learning" national tour of public schools ought to include Washington state if federal officials are serious about understanding education reform's local impact.

Our state is at a crossroads. An ambitious education plan recently approved by the Legislature was a major hurdle crossed. The next hurdle is a question: where do we go from here?
Debates in this state about education reform rarely rise above the level of money. Granted, it will take a major investment to turn all schools around, but without planning and general consensus, the cash will be useless.
Duncan could learn from this region as well as lend guidance. Federal input wouldn't be intrusive, it would be welcomed. Education stimulus dollars account for the largest spending increase ever. This state will use much of the money to mitigate education cuts imposed by the state Legislature, but millions will be available with varying degrees of flexibility. The new rule in spending should be money spent on unproven efforts is money wasted.
Encouraging signs from Duncan, and President Obama, are the two men's refusal to simply throw money at public education's many problems. The administration is wise to to take its impressive education agenda, which includes early childhood, higher standards, teacher quality, workforce development and higher education, to the people.
Consider this the warm up before Congress delves into reauthorization of the federal No Child Left Behind law. The massive law should be tweaked, necessary improvements include additional flexibility and monEducation, ey, but not abandoned.


For further details visit as : seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2009284191_editb01education.html

Educational news

Bhopal: Shocked by the declining pass percentage in Madhya Pradesh's high school examinations, state Education Minister Archana Chitnis has ordered a high-level probe to find out the reasons for the poor results, official sources said.
After reaching a record high of 57.88 pass percentage last year, only 35.33 percent of regular students passed the 2009 examination, conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE).
The performance by private students was even more dismal, with only 8.9 percent of them
passing, compared to 25.07 percent last year.
The probe committee has been asked to submit its report within a fortnight.
Soon after the declaration of results Saturday, Chitnis chaired a departmental meeting to find out the reasons for the poor show and even directed officials to initiate a process to exclude teachers engaged in board classes from election duty, an official present at the meeting told sources on condition of anonymity.
"The minister held election duty of teachers in both assembly (in 2008) and the current parliamentary elections responsible for the poor results. She said for the next year books had been made available in all government schools before the commencement of the session from April 1, and thus the results are expected to improve," the official said.
Chitnis is also said to have apprised Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of her decision.
MPBSE secretary in charge Snehlata Srivastava straight away blamed the prolonged election process and insufficient training for teachers in accordance with the changed syllabi for the decline in the pass percentage.


For further details : indiaedunews.net/Madhya_Pradesh/Probe_ordered_into_Madhya_Pradesh%27s_poor_high_school_results_8103/