EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CONFUSSED WITH MINORITY

State government’s revised definition of minority institutions seems to have done little to clear the air as the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) itself is confused and has sought clarification from the state.
The Urdu and other Minority Education Department, a part of the DPI, has written to the government seeking clarifications over its July 24 government order that mandates institutions to have over 75 per cent of students belonging to a minority in order to get the minority tag.
A senior official, who spoke to ‘Express’ on condition of anonymity, said there are two major points of disarray that need clarification. “We must understand that there are two types of minorities — religious and linguistic. Which of these types does the new definition apply to? If it applies to religious minority, is a school expected to admit 75 per cent of students from a single minority community or all minorities?”
“The second clarification,” the official continued, “is whether the new definition applies only for the implementation of Right to Education (RTE) Act or is it a general definition?”
These points coupled with a few others forms a part of the letter the department has written to the government over two months ago. However, the official said, “We have not heard from the government.”
The mapping exercise to identify minority institutions prescribed in the GO has not started because of these bottlenecks, the official added. “We have also asked the government to tell us how we can grant minority status to ICSE and CBSE schools as they are not covered under the Karnataka Education Act of 1983,” the official asked.
Prior to the new definition, schools were declared minority on ratio of minority students admitted, which should be more than the minority population in the concerned area or locality. As per this parameter, there are 1,059 minority schools in the state.
The official suggested that the government can make it applicable for implementing RTE. “If the new definition is made general, then the entire system will crumble. We will not have any minority institutions. Can a Christian school be able to get 75 per cent of Christian students?” he said.

TEACHERS WHO LOVE THEIR WORK

Teachers from across the nation recently gathered together in Rockefeller Plaza, and virtually through Facebook, Twitter, and an online chat for the second annual Teacher Town Hall hosted by NBC's Education Nation. One topic that elicited some strong opinions among the participants was that of how to prepare students for the future.www.futurekidseducation.com/ Towards the beginning of the segment, host Brian Williams of NBC asked: "Is your job as educators, as institutions, to educate kids, or to get them ready for the wider world?" Annie Bogenschutz, a community resource coordinator for Cincinnati Public Schools, answered that in her experience, kids come to school carrying all sorts of baggage, whether that be hunger, homelessness, or a lack of support at home, and that in Cincinnati, educators try to align their school goals with resources to help students face the world around them. Kids can't learn when they are grappling with these issues, said Bogenschutz. She explained that her district incorporates services such as after-school programming, health and mental health programs, extra-curricular activities, and mentoring to help kids succeed not just in school, but also in life

But there was a stir in the room when Williams asked why students are unprepared for college. Survey results for the teachers at the summit showed that 52 percent believed it was due to lack of academic prep, 34 percent because of lack of student motivation, and 14 percent due to lack of encouragement. A national survey conducted by Scholastic and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation showed that 41 percent believed it was due to lack of academic prep, while 35 percent thought it to be lack of student motivation and 24 percent because of lack of encouragement.

WHOSE HEAD SHOULD ROLL?

"we talk equality but we impliment differantation so in reality we have a two tiered school system" Dr  Martin Prew, The University of Limpopo is oiling the wheels of the patronage machine around expelled ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema through two multimillion-rand contracts handed to his close associates.
The beneficiaries, Mandla Seopela and Collins Foromo, are linked to the Friends of the Youth League, which Malema and his allies set up as an alternative structure to the ANC Youth League after his expulsion from the ANC The Mail and the guardian was told the higher education department had questioned the awarding of the two university contracts, but the university's senior management, which cited the Higher Education Act as protecting their autonomy,denied it.most people consider the university as taking part in fraud especially because Malema is involved.http://disqus.com/forums/mail-and-guardian/university_of_limpopo_fuels_malemas_mining_revolution/trackback/ :read more

WE SHOULD BE RECIEVING CORRECTIONS INSTEAD OF CORRUPTION

People don’t realize that there is as much corruption in the private education sector as in the public sector for the corrupt counter party that offers the bribe or corrupt payment is in the private sector.
There is corruption in all its forms- favoritism, nepotism, bribery and influence peddling in the education sector, which is now taking first place in the Corruption Ranking.
Corruption occurs among many groups of actors from policy makers

at the government level to providers of education at the school level, such as teachers and principals. Corrupt practices in the educational sphere can include bribes, illegal fees for admissions and examinations, examination frauds, preferential promotions and placements for teachers and charging students for ‘tutoring services’ to cover the curriculum needed to pass mandatory examinations and that should have been taught in the classroom. Illegal practices in textbook procurement, meal provision, and infrastructure contracting and so on are other malpractices.
Educationists point out those students who are educated in corrupt systems may not learn the skills needed to take advantage of available opportunities and to contribute to economic and social development. A third impact could be added to this list: corruption’s impact on core values and ethics during the formative years of young people’s lives. Corruption in education may undermine an entire generation’s core values regarding accountability, personal responsibility, and integrity as seems to have been done since the take-over of denominational schools in the early 1960s. Corruption may also affect learning outcomes. Countries with higher levels of corruption tend to have higher dropout rates. In fact, dropout rates in countries with low corruption and highly efficient government services are 26 percentage points lower than dropout rates in countries with high corruption and low efficiency according to studies carried out by educationists.

IS SPECIAL EDUCATION BECOMING TOO EXPENSIVE

Special education caters to the need of children requiring special attention in the form of different types of care and education. Since that is why expenses in providing the special education are high. Some people argue that it is not worth to spend so much money on special education when it can be taught in other simpler ways. Owing to the emotional side related to special education for special children, it remains one of the most challenging issues in education.If students with learning disabilities are favored in any way, there is huge cry of unfair competition by mainstream students. Many teachers and students say that if people with learning disabilities are given different and easier sections to study, it will lead to unfair competence among everyone.

BLACKBOARD THAT SHOWS GENDER EQUALITY ON EDUCATION

All students should be treated with respect and i think there should be more funding to schools that have disable students.

THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING

Scholars have become tired of framing stringent policies on curbing violence in schools and colleges but it seems that school violence incidents are not lessening at a rate as they should be. Some say it's the fault of burdening educational system while others propagate it to be just the recklessness of youth. Violent movies and effects of violent video games are other major reasons for increasing school violence among kids. School violence and bullying are certainly a reality of today's school and college campus.

These are the most frequently asked questions

• How much homework should student have?
• Should homework be graded?
• What is the role of rewards in education?
• What is the advantage of median grading over averaging?
• Should students be graded on effort?
• Should students be graded on participation?
• How do teachers' experiences as students affect their teaching?

teachingdoneright.blogspot.com/..

RIGHT TO EDUCATION OR WTITE TO EDUCATION

The Bill of Rights, contained in the Constitution, 1996 stipulates that everyone has the right to a basic education, including adult basic education and further education, which
the State, through reasonable measures, must progressively make available and accessible.
Education continues to receive the biggest share of the country's budget with an allocation of R165 billion to the departments of basic education and of higher education and training for 2010/11, R17 billion more than in 2009/1
In February 2010, President Jacob Zuma announced new measures to boost the country's education system. From 2010, all grade three, six and a sample of grade nine learners write annual national assessments that are independently moderated. In 2011, more than 19 000 schools participated.
At the July 2010 Cabinet Lekgotla, government announced plans to get more than 200 000 children between the ages of seven and 15 enrolled in school by 2014 by increasing the number of no-fee schools, while widening feeding schemes. There is also a drive to ensure that teachers are in class and teaching for the allocated school time. WWW.INFO.GOV.ZA/aboutsa/education