OPEN LETTER NUMBER-2 TO CHAIRMAN CBSE.

Chairman

CBSE-New Delhi.

Dear Sir,

In my Open Letter No-1, I congratulated you on assuming office and mentioned our expectations.

I am pleased to find that you and the CBSE are moving forward in the right direction and tackling issues of concern, one by one.

CCE:

We are mostly glad to know of the proposed changes in CCE Pattern. We read this from Newspapers across the county and each Newspaper claimed that you said so,

We are happy that the Class X Examination will be held by the Board from March 2018.

However, it is not clear whether it will be a test of Syllabus Prescribed for the SA-2 or a combined Examination of the entire Syllabus of SA-1 & SA-2.

CBSE is surely between the devil & the deep sea in this matter. If CBSE decides it to be a Test of the entire Syllabus of Class X, then all those who have been propagating Stress free Examination will raise hue and cry. If the CBSE decides upon the SA-2 only being tested by the Board in the March 2018 Examination; in that case.,our friends who speak of poor performance of students at the +2 Stage will be on war path.

Besides, we have also heard that there will be only two FA’s, one in each Term.

May be this will not be in tune with the spirit of CCE. It may be that the Grades of only two FA’s are carried forward while several FA’s will be there for Diagnostic Remediation.

The CBSE may come up with Scores of FA Manuals, Trainings and Notifications regarding FA’s, Schools and parents will be happy only when these are written paper pencil Tests, Class Tests, Unit Tests; in addition to other Tools and Tasks.

Another issue that concerns all will be the weightage to FA’s, each SA and how the large Number of Descriptive Indicators in the Co-scholastic Area is reduced and yet Objectivity maintained.

EAMINATION BYE LAWS:

The CBSE has recently modified the Examination Bye Laws and we are ally happy about it, especially about clauses that deal with Children who are differently abled and who have Special Needs.

But the decision about not allowing re-evaluation is against the spirit of fairness, transparency and objectivity. I am sure, if such a decision is announced, there will be Parents who will seek legal redress.

SCHOOL FEE:

Contradictory reports have confused all. The CBSE Affiliation Bye Laws do speak of FEES being charged by a School to be commensurate with the facilities offered by the School.

The CBSE would like its autonomy and the Schools that are affiliated to CBSE are being denied Autonomy in dealing with financial issues of levy of School FEE.

We are glad to know that Schools need to put up on the website of the School, information about the School. This was an integral part of CBSE SQAA; which we feel has been put in the cold storage.

I remember having voiced our opinion in several forums, that the Schools need to follow Statutory & Regulatory Rules and Affiliation Bye Laws and choose to seek Quality Accreditation from a National Apex Body – Quality Council of India.

The thinking to have two Fee structures, one GENERAL and the other SPECIAL will lead to discrimination on social & financial basis. Education in Schools must cater to Equity, Quantity & Quality.

STAFF:

I am grieved to see that while populist moves are kept uppermost while bringing in changes and pleasing the masses; the most important kingpin of the school system and one of the stake-holders-the faculty is ignored.

I take this opportunity to express my pain and anguish when I see that affiliation Bye Laws are not followed when it comes to issues of Staff Salary, Service Conditions, Leave Rules, Gratuity, Maternity Leave etc.

Schools appoint teachers on ad-hoc and fire them at will. Recruitment is a farce. It is a matter of bidding. The jobs go to the lowest bidders.

Schools change Principals at will and the Principals instead of being empowered are forced to tow the Management line and deal with staff as wage earners and a third rate commodity.

Schools face attrition of staff and hence they ask teachers to deposit a security amount or else the Managements deduct a part of Salary as Security. No receipts, no accounts and the security amount is never paid back. Schools retain Original Certificates of teachers and if the teachers wants to shift, they are not given either the Original Certificates or the Experience Certificate.

There are Schools that are following the CBSE affiliation Bye Laws; but the percentage of such schools is very less.

By and large the schools treat staff badly; the Principal as their agent and the main mission is seek more & more admissions, procure more and more funds through fees, fines, donations, sale of Books, Uniforms, organizing fetes & fairs, tours & trips and competitions. These Funds go to the coffers of Management and the more the money, the merrier.

The latest trend is sending students on foreign trips under one or the other pretext and depute the Principal or a Staff member along with the students, since the management has no encumbrances as the tour operators are giving free tickets & stay to one staff on every 10 to 15 students.

The CBSE needs to ensure that Staff is paid as per requirements of affiliation Bye Laws. One Way to do so is to pay all staff members through either the CBSE or the State Treasury and ensure that maltreatment and exploitation of Principals and teachers is stopped by having a Common Code of SERVICE RULES.

While we have been thinking of our children and the Parents; we have ignored the most vital element of the School: the Staff, Principal, Teachers, Administrative and Support staff.

I am sure you will surely think of this also while trying to improve Schools & School Education,

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF CBSE

Dear Mr. Rajeev Kumar Chaturvedi,

After months of uncertainty and indecisiveness of the HRD Ministry and the Central Government, we have a full time Chairman in you.

 All of us: students, teachers, Principals, Mentors, Managements and the Society at large have many expectations from you. We are aware that you as Chairman of the largest Central Board of Education will have your primary focus ‘School education in CBSE Affiliated Schools.’

CBSE has been engaged in Research & Development, Assessment, Pedagogy, Quality Accreditation, Training and played role as also looked for space in Higher Education and Sills for Work.

CBSE Scheme of CCE though introduced with pious objectives has suffered like other schemes and needs an immediate re-look. The Formative Assessment of the present scheme is an eye-wash and has neither been diagnostic nor remedial. Schools have used paper pencil tests more frequently now and grading them has been a mere formality. By the way, adding these marks/Grades in cumulative assessment is against the very basic principle of Formative Assessment, which is “assessment for learning.’ Children read CCE as “Chotay Chotay Exams’ and teachers speak of it as: ‘Confusion Confounded Everywhere.”

CBSE has shelved the SQAA Scheme. The very introduction was challenging the Apex Body for Quality Promotion and Assessment: Quality Council of India. Many Schools have applied and paid even a Fee of Rs 55000/ but never heard from the CBSE.

 Capacity Building Programs for In-Service Training of Teachers on a regular basis have been entrusted to CBSE Centers for Excellence without caring for either the location of a School or developing a cadre of trainers and Master Trainers.
The Sahodaya movement has become a showpiece of ‘Rising Together’ to ensure that we pull down one another. The rat race of competition among affiliated Schools has led to several malpractices.

CBSE Affiliation Bye Laws are more violated than followed. There is no pay parity and teachers are exploited at will and parents fleeced. Adhoc appointment, non-adherence & even absence of Service Rules, hire & fire policy, attrition of staff, dynasty run schools with total family control are making education a business without any scruples.

There are exceptions as we have a very large number of GOOD SCHOOLS and we have sufficient examples of Good Practices and these ought have been benchmarked. Instead schools and the managements derive vicarious pleasure in ‘not caring’ and are becoming a power unto themselves.

Absenteeism, irregularity, indiscipline and insecurity prevails and CBSE watches helplessly, giving a feeling that it indirectly promotes all this.

 We have full faith that in the coming four years of your tenure. We hope you will catch the bull by the horn and eradicate the present bureaucratic system and have an open, fair and transparent: student friendly, teacher supportive Board and the managements are made accountable.

Lead us and the nation please, out of the existing chaos.

 
   

WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS & PRINCIPALS CONDUCTED BY IECS IN SCHOOLS.
IECS has across the yeras conducted Teacher Training Workshops, Mentoring & Leadership Workshops in the following Schools:-

ADITYA VIDYAHRAM, PONDICHERRY; AHCLON INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, MAYOR VIHAR, DELHI;

AIR FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL, ALLAHABAD; AIR FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL, KANPUR; AIR FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL, LUDHIANA; AIR FORCE PUBLIC SCHOOL, PUNE, MAHARASHTRA, ALPINE PUBLIC SCHOOL, AMRITSAR; APEEJAY SCHOOL, SHEIKH SARAI, NEW DELHI; BABA SANT BAGH SINGH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, PADHIANA, JALANDHAR; BAL BHARATI PUBLIC SCHOOL, BHOPAL; BAL BHARATI PUBLIC SCHOOL, DWARKA, DELHI; BAL BHARATI PUBLIC SCHOOL, NISHANT PURA, BHOPAL; BALAK & BALIKA VIDYALAYAS, NOIDA & GREATER NOIDA; BCM ARYA MODEL SR. SEC. SCHOOL, SHASTRI NAGAR, LUDHIANA; BLUE BELLS SCHOOL- JHANSI-UP; BOSCOE PUBLIC SCHOOL, ROHINI, DELHI; CBSE SAHODAYA COMPLEX, COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU; CBSE SAHODAYA COMPLEX, HYDERABAD; CBSE SAHODAYA COMPLEX, SECUNDERABAD; CBSE SAHODAYA COMPLEX, THRISSUR EAST, KERALA; CBSE SAHODAYA COMPLEX, THRISSUR WEST, KERALA; CENTRAL TIBETIAN SCHOOL SOCIETY, ROHINI, DELHI; CHAMAN VATIKA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, AMBALA; CHAMAN VATIKA RESIDENTIAL PUBLIC SCHOOL, AMBALA; COUNTRY WIDE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BHIMASUR, PITTORAGARH; CRPF PUBLIC SCHOOL, ROHINI, DELHI; CRPF PUBLIC SCHOOL, DWARKA, DELHI; DALIMSS, ROHANIA, VARANASI; DARSHAN ACADEMY, AMBALA; DARSHAN ACADEMY, DASUYA; DARSHAN ACADEMY, DELHI; DARSHAN ACADEMY, DEVLALI; DARSHAN ACADEMY, HISSAR; DARSHAN ACADEMY, JALLANDHAR; DARSHAN ACADEMY, KAITHAL; DARSHAN ACADEMY, KALKA; DARSHAN ACADEMY, LUCKNOW; DARSHAN ACADEMY, LUDHIANA; DARSHAN ACADEMY, MEERUT; DARSHAN EDUCATION FOUNDATION-KIRPAL ASHRAM-DELHI; DAV PUBLIC SCHOOL, SHRESHTAVIHAR, DELHI; DAV PUBLIC SCHOOL, VIKASPURI, DELHI; DAYAWATI MODI ACADEMY MEERUT; DAYAWATI MODI ACADEMY MODIPURAM; DAYAWATI MODI ACADEMY RAMPUR; DAYAWATI MODI ACADEMY VAARANASI; DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL, BHOPAL; DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL, JHIND; DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL-KHANNA; DELHI PUBLIC SCOOL SOCIETY, HRD CENTER, ROHINI, DELHI; GOENKA PUBLIC SCHOOL, LAXAMANGARH, SIKAR, RAJASTHAN; GOODLEY PUBLIC SCHOOL, SHALIMAR BAGH, NEW DELHI; GREEN VALLEY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUE, BUCHHAPURA, SRINAGAR, KASHMIR; GURU HARKISHAN PUBLIC SCHOOL, NANAK PIAO, DELHI; GURU HARKISHAN PUBLIC SCHOOL, VASANT VIHAR, DELHI; GURU NANAK PUBLIC SCHOOL, PUNJABI BAGH, DELHI; GURU NANANK COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, BARI BRAHMNA, JAMMU; GYAN BHARTI SCHOOL, SAKET, NEW DELHI; HANDA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, JAMMU; HOLY ANGELS SCHOOL, RAJPURA; INDIAN PUBLIC SCHOOL, DHERADUN; JASPAL KAUR PUBLIC SCHOOL, NEW DELHI; KASIGA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, DHERADUN; KHALSA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, JAMMU; KHEL GAON PUBLIC SCHOOL, ALLAHABAD; KIIT WORLD SCHOOL, PITAMPURA; LALA LAJPAT RAI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, MOGA, PUNJAB; LIKES TRIPPUR, COIMBATTORE; MAHARAJA AGARSEN MODEL PUBLIC SCHOOL, PITAMPURA, DELHI; MAHARAJA SAWAI MAN SINGH VIDYALAYA, JAIPUR; MAHESHWARI PUBLIC SCHOOL, JAIPUR; MATA JAI KAUR PUBLIC SCHOOL, ASHOK VIHAR, DELHI; MASD PUBLIC SCHOOL, PANIPAT, HARYANA; MB COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, JAMMU;  MODEL ACADEMY, JAMMU; MODEL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION & RESEARCH, JAMMU / DELHI; MODERN SCHOOL, VASANT VIHAR, NEW DELHI; MOGA DEVI MIDA MEMORIAL SCHOOL, HISAR; MOTHER SITA PUBLIC SCHOOL, JHANSI-UP; NEIIL WORLD SCHOOL, MOREANA, MP; NEW STATE ACADEMY PUBLIC SCHOOL-PITAMPURA-DELHI; PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, AMRAVATI, MAHARASHTRA; PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, HASAN, KARNATAK; PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, NAGPUR, MAHARASHTRA; PODAR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, PIMPRI, PUNE, MAHARASHTRA; PRELUDE PUBLIC SCHOOL, AGRA; RAJENDRALOHIA VIDYA MANDIR, HATHRAS, (U.P); RANI LAXMI BAI PUBLIC.SCHOOL, LALITPUR, (U. P);RANI LAXMI BAI PUBLICSCHOOL, DATIA, (M.P.); RANI LAXMIBAI PUBLIC SCHOOL, JHANSI, (U.P); RBG OF SCHOOLS, CHENNAI; RISE ACADEMY, SAMPLA, ROHTAK; RM COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, JAMMU

ROCKWOOD SCHOOL, NOIDA; SAI GIRLS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, DELHI; SAI SHAM COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, JAMMU; SAPIENCE PUBLIC SCHOOL-JAIPUR-RAJASTHAN; SATYANAND PUBLIC SCHOOL, GOHANA, SONEPAT; SITA GRAMMAR SCHOOL, MALERKOTLA, LUDHIANA; SOS-HGS, AGANPORA, FARIDABAD; SOS-HGS, BHIMTAL; SOS-HGS, BHOPAL; SOS-HGS, FARIDABAD; SOS-HGS, JAMMU; SOS-HGS, PALLAH NUH, HARYANA; SOS-HGS, VARANASI; SRI CHAITNYA GROUP OF SCHOOLS, HYDERABAD; ST. EDMUNDS SCHOOL, MALVIANAGAR, JAIPUR; ST. PETER’S SCHOOL, BHARATPUR-RAJASTHAN; SUNBEAM GROUP OF SCHOOLS, BHAGWANPUR, VARANASI; TAXILA JUNIOR INTER COLLEGE, UJJAIN; THE BANYAN TREE SCHOOL, LODHI ROAD, DELHI; THE INDIA SCHOOL, CHIRAG DELHI, NEW DELHI; THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL BHOPAL, BHOPAL-MP; THE NEW STATE ACADEMY SCHOOL, PITAMPURA, DELHI; TITAKSHA PUBLIC SCHOOL, ROHINI, NEW DELHI; VIBGYOR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, PHILKHOWA, HAPUR; VISHWA BHARTI PUBLIC SCHOOL, NOIDA; VISHWA BHARTI WOMEN'S COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, SRINAGAR, J& K; ZEE LITERARI SCHOOL, BHOPAL.

IECS: NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

Dear Friends,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
May the New Year bring you all joys, peace of mind, prosperity, happiness, success, fame, wisdom, love and the Blessings of the Lord!

My New Year Resolution is to re-dedicate my life to help all concerned in imparting values through education using both the conventional and the high-tech approaches. There has to be a Life-connect and activities that bind our future generation to our roots and yet let them soar in the realms of their latent potentialities in an age of innovation & creativity.

What gives me the confidence and expertise that I can do this is:
I spent the first 26 years of my career at Vishwa Bharati, with girl students only; 12 years in the Women’s Degree College, 2 years in the 10+2 Girls School and then 11 years as the Founder Principal of a Residential Women’s Teacher Education College. Vishwa Bharati was committed to welfare of Women and the basic tenets of philosophy were Shiviaism, Sufism and Mysticism.

I had the privilege of being Project Director of NCERT National Conferences on Development of ‘Value Development Models of Teaching’ at Indore and at Srinagar. We developed two models: ‘The Value Dilemma Model’ and ‘The Jurisprudence Value Development Model.’

As Educational Consultant and Dean Academics for over 5 years at Darshan Education Foundation, I was responsible for Training Teachers in the implementation of a Spiritual Curriculum developed by the Organization. The Curriculum was based on the science of spirituality and included Life Skills, Peace, Meditation, Non-violence, Vegetarianism, Universal Brotherhood, Self-Introspection and Love & Respect for all Creation.

I have worked on my Research on Cognitive Development for several years at RCE Ajmer and in the process delved deep into Stages of Cognitive Development, Stages of Moral Development, Adolescent Psychology, Behavior Modification, Counseling techniques and Pedagogy required for the 21’st Century.

You will all appreciate that the need of the hour demands that we help our teachers, educators and administrators in creating a congenial climate for Value Education and learn how to do it. The CBSE has also recently come up with a Manual for Value Education, Value Cards etc and this can be of great help.

I count on guidance and support of the members of the IECS Academic Advisory Board:        Dr. Arjun Badlani, Dr. Avtar Singh,Dr. B.Singh, Dr. Dheeraj Mehrotra, Dr. Rakesh Chander, Dr. Ranjan Roy, Dr. S. Arora, Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia, Mr. Anil Sharma, Mr. IR Pathak, Mr. P.S.Kalra, Mr. Sanju Tiwari, Mr. Suraj Prakash, Mr. Vikram Dutt, Mr. Yog Raj, Mrs. Arti Khosla, Mrs. Mukta Misra, Mrs. Neera Mathur, Mrs. Paramjit Kaur, Mrs. Sadhna Pandey, Mrs. KR Maalati and Mrs. Rupam Sah.

I will also be seeking the cooperation of Educators, Administrators and Trainers like:              Dr. Nisha Peshin, Dr. Usha Tickoo, Mr. Anil Kumar Sharma, Mr. Anirudh Gupta, Mr. Arun Gupta, Mr. Ashish Agarwal, Mr. Bharat Bhushan Jha, Mr. Kirpal Singh, Mr. Mohd Yussouf Wani, Mr. Mushtaq Mehindru, Mr. Ram Singh, Mr. RD Sharma, Mr. SL Jain, Mr. Vekat Aalagiri, Mr. Yogendra Singh, Mrs. Arti Chopra, Mrs. Harinder Sraw, Mrs. Kusum Warikoo, Mrs. Kavita Lohia Bajpayai, Mrs. Manjeet Kaur Makkar, Mrs. Monica Saraswat, Mrs. Namreeta Anandani, Mrs. Rupa Chakravarti, Mrs. Shyma Hawa, Mrs. Sona Babar and Mrs. Urmil Vajpai.

I am hopeful that with the efforts of all of us we will be able to give our education that cutting edge that helps us to bring a social change that is deliberate & planned and enables to reconstruct a society that is modern & progressive, liberal & free and yet safe, secure and just.

CBSE- CCE SCHEME- Class X SA-2 in 2012

The CBSE CCE Scheme introduced in Oct. 2009; has been a major demand since pre-independence period. Reform in Education & Evaluation has been the concern of all Educational Committees and Commissions.

Education has to ensure holistic development of all aspects of the personality of a student. Schools have focused on Scholastic Areas and marks too long and ignored Life Skills, Values, Attitudes, Performance and Participation of students. The result has been a crisis of character and conscience.

Evaluation is integral to teaching learning and has to help in both the processes.Students need to be assessed continuously in a stress free environment and feedback given to students and parents.

Teachers have to assess their own teaching and the students learning and diagnose the deficiencies and organize remediation. This is assessment for learning and is done through Formative Assessments, twice in each term; four times in a year. Assessment of learning is done twice a year, at the end of each semester and is called Summative assessment.

CBSE has stipulated Course content for each SA and Question Papers with Marking Schemes are sent to Schools. For FA’s teachers are required to use various tools & techniques like: Projects, Assignments, Quiz, Laboratory Work in Math & Science, Discussion, Survey, Presentations and an occasional paper pencil test.
Thus a year has Two Terms: April to Sept. and Oct. to March. Each Term has Two FA’s and an SA at the end of the Term. Hence during the year there are Four FA’s and Two SA’s. The weight age of each FA is 10% and SA is 30% from 2011 Class IX. In 2012 Class X, it is Sa-1 20% and SA-2 40%.

CBSE has thus moved over to School Based Evaluation and made evaluation continuous. Schools that are 10+2 Schools have to conduct internal SA-2 for all students; except those who intend to change the Board after Class X and make a request for the same in writing, well in advance in Oct.

The SA-2 held at School-internal- or held by CBSE-external- are both conducted on the same Syllabus. Question papers & Marking Scheme are provided by CBSE in both the cases. Evaluation is done at the School in internal and by the Board in external; as per the Marking Scheme; checked and moderated, where required by CBSE in both the cases.

Schools are required to send Grades for the remaining 60% evaluation already conducted by the School to CBSE, in both the cases. CBSE tabulates and declares the Results. There is no pass or fail.

The Certificates of all students-internal or external are issued by the CBSE and have no difference. The Certificate does not make any mention of SA-2 as external or internal.

Students of 10+2 Schools move normally from X to XI and the students face only one external examination at the end of schooling at XII.

CCE hence ensures development & assessment of proper Thinking, Social, Emotional Skills, Attitudes and Values. Aesthetic, Scientific, Cultural and Literary tastes are developed and students learn subjects like Science & Math and excel in Life.

Parents Complain about adoloscent children!

We have been facing crises of character and crises of conscience, the world over. The family which is one of the basic institutions of our society has been under tremendous pressure for quite some time and has been breaking. Our mothers were our first teachers. The family was our first school. Unfortunately, transition from the agrarian society to the industrial society led to the family passing on its role of educating the younger generation to teachers in a school. Eric Ashby regards this as the first revolution of the world.

In India, we had a firm foundation of values and these were transmitted by the family to the children. The ethical foundations of the society were strong and prayer, meditation, fasting, religious teaching gave all of us a strong moral foundation. The elders were respected; parents were held in high esteem and hence obeyed and followed. Cut throat competition, absence of ethical values, desire to be rich as fast as possible and climb the social ladder of influence and power; has led to degradation of human values. Coupled with this, the social upheavals’, the spurt of violence, the influence of media, change in life style and food habits, the impact of peer pressure and the absence of rational and human parental control has led to growth of a misguided younger generation. The percentage of such youth is very high in each social strata and more so in upper middle classes and the upper classes. These youth resent being advised and guided. They want freedom from all controls and resent any intrusion or interference in their life and work. They have their own preferences, likes and dislikes, recreational activities, social and political outlook and look upon the family as an institution that meets their needs. They feel and believe that their parents are obliged to do what they do for their upbringing, education, career since the parents are under a debt to their own parents for having done it for them. Often, if the parents are not so well educated or placed in society, the young start taking charge and advising them on matters concerning family, life etc. The anti-social elements are always on the lookout for such youth as they easily fall prey to their mechanization and the desire to enjoy a life of luxury. Sometimes the youth experiment with their lives and fall prey to substance abuse, become drug addicts, alcoholics and so on.

Our problem as teachers becomes acute when we try to bring the school and the home closer and interact with the parents of such students, in the hope that together we may improve upon the behavior and academic performance of these students. What the parents share in confidence reveals that the student has revolted against parental control already and the parents are scared of him. He has already threatened the parents of dire consequences in case they keep nagging, advising or complaining against him. These threats vary from suicide, running away from home, joining bands of anti-social elements, bringing bad name to the family to physical assault on the parents. Stories from such parents are heart rendering and our blood boils. But this is the true test of a teacher’s patience, care and love for the student.

I have been a strong advocate of love-therapy and even when people regarded my love for my student as a sign of weakness and cowardice; I can boast of the fact that it has helped me in dealing with over 90% cases. The remaining 10% needed psychological counseling for behavior modification. Our Schools have to have a climate of dedicated scholarship and pursuit of excellence in any and all fields has to be rewarded. The students need to find that the school has teachers who are scholars in their subjects and role-models of what they say and desire their students to be. The Schools have to have a vision, a value system, a culture that sets the tone for all activities. Adolescents are passing through a period of stress and strain. They want to assert their authority. They need appreciation and recognition for what they are. They are very conscious of themselves and do not like to be treated as kids or insulted in public or a social group. They thirst for appreciation, for improving upon their self esteem, for recognition and for love. They have reserves of surplus energy and want to use it. They are torn by emotional conflicts, physical bodily and glandular changes, social interactions and the absence of models. The failure of both teachers and parents to understand the growth and developmental needs of the adolescent, the stress levels, the pressure of studies and the peer group influence are the other factors that add to his misery.

What should we as teachers do in these circumstances?
• Be aware of the growth and development characteristics of students.
• Find out more about their family, their peer group, their interests, their study schedule, their learning style, their hopes and fears, their psychological makeup etc
• Provide for a range of activities in the school as keeps the student always engaged. These have to be a variety of Physical Activities, Games & Sports, Recreational Activities, and Activities for Social, Emotional and aesthetic development.
• Activities like Theatre, Adventure Sports, Dramatics, Nature Trips, Tours, Leadership Camps, working in teams for NGO’s, Social causes, Experimentation, Group Projects etc; have been found useful.
• Every teacher has to be a counselor, a surrogate parent, a scholar with expert knowledge of his subject, a human being with a caring and loving heart and a friend.
• Value education has to be an integral part of the School Programme. It can be both Direct and Indirect. Schools have to realize that ‘Values are caught and not taught.’
• Teachers must be good listeners. Do not offer advice at once. Listen. Befriend the child. He needs an understanding friend. Model the behavior you wish your student to acquire. Show him examples and models that are positive. Use anecdotes, parables, and stories to drive home your point.
• Visit the family of the child more often. Have talk sessions with all present. The parents may also need counseling. Set targets and goals with time-lines for the students. Make parents help the child achieve the target.
• Conduct case studies of a few cases that you find alarming and in need of help. Use the Case Study to identify the causes and we can all put our heads together to find remedies.

CORRUPTION IN EDUCATION?

A recent report by British media revealed that millions of pounds of aid for education under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme have literally disappeared. The report put this figure at a staggering £340 million, which is around Rs 2,327 crore!
To further this report, the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) investigation found that almost £14 million (around Rs 100 crore) had been spent on luxuries viz. new cars, luxury beds, computers et al, that had no connection with SSA. So much so that around Rs 1.02 crore was transferred into non-traceable bank accounts. Not just that, electronic equipments like air conditioners, faxes, photocopiers, colour television sets et al were bought for regions which had no electricity supply! And that’s just one side of the entire SSA story! Another CAG report reveals that around 68 per cent of the Rs 8000 crore allotted for ‘Elementary Education’ development work, which was spent under SSA, had no records. A 2006 report highlighted irregularities of funds usage to the tune of Rs 470 million in almost 14 states in SSA schemes. A brief glimpse through other media reports, in the span of the last few years, is enough to give a concrete idea about how states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are spending allocated funds on projects that have nothing to do with SSA.
In such a situation, what hope can we have of the RTE Act and our pious wish of getting everyone to school and having an educated India.