Competitions on Primary Education

Prof. Somaraju has decided that instead of just a poster competition, we should hold competitions in three areas of creativity - posters, songs/poems and skits. The competitions details are:


Theme of the Competitions: Primary Education - Existing & Future

Rules of the Competitions:

1. Open to anyone below 24 years of age.
2. Posters need to be on A0-A3 size paper.
3. Every poster should have a title.
4. Poster competitions will start at 2 PM and go on till 5PM.
5. Prize money for posters: 1st prize = Rs.500 ; two 2nd prizes = Rs. 250 each; three 3rd prizes = Rs. 100 each.
6. Length of each song or poem should be a maximum of 2 minutes.
7. Songs and poetry competitions will begin at 5 PM and go on until 7 PM.
8. Song lyrics and poems should be sent to studentsforeffectiveeducation[at]yahoo.in BEFORE 10th Nov 2009.(replace [at] with @).
9. Prize money for songs/poems: 1st prize = Rs.500 ; 2nd prize = Rs. 250; 3rd prize = Rs. 100.
10. Length of each skit should be a maximum of 4 minutes.
11. Skit competitions will begin at 5 PM and go on until 7 PM.
12. Draft skits should be sent to studentsforeffectiveeducation[at]yahoo.in BEFORE 10th Nov 2009.(replace [at] with @).
13. Prize money for songs/poems: 1st prize = Rs.500 ; 2nd prize = Rs. 250; 3rd prize = Rs. 100.
14. All entries will be judged on originality, clarity and presentation.
15. Judges decisions will be final.
16. Prize distribution will begin at 7 PM.
17. Downloaded or otherwise copied entries can be and shall be disqualified at any time. No movie songs.
18. Entry fee of Rs. 10 per student per competition. No refunds under any circumstances.
19. All entries shall become the property of Students for Effective Education (SEE).
20. Register online at: http://tinyurl.com/ygjqqgs
21. Sponsors: BCT, Conduira and GVP

The theme of the entries should be:
Primary Education in India - Existing & Future.

New people, New ideas and School visits

We had a couple of new people come in - Mrs. Hattangadi and Mr. Abdullah. They had new ideas and new contributions. Some of the students, like Prasanna, Srujana and Saranya are following up on Mr. Abdullah's idea of conducting a poster competition on Primary Education. The idea is to gain publicity, make more people think about the issue, come up with posters that are creative and maybe even bring out new things that we are not aware of.

Some of the students have been encouraged by Prof. Somaraju to print out the slides from the presentation and place them in front of the college or in the college buses. Srujana and Prasanna are following up on this.

Accepting the invitation by Ms. Jaganmohini, 6 of the students will be visiting MLBT school and Visakha Seva Sadan school on Friday between 10 AM and 12 noon.

ISRO chief G Madhavan Nair bemoans poor quality higher education

Business Standard carried this news article by PTI:
ISRO chief G Madhavan Nair, who is to retire by this month-end after an illustrious career at the space agency, bemoans that the country's higher education system is not up to the mark, churning out graduates only for routine jobs.
...
Nair said if the quality level is not up to the mark, then one would only get people for clerical or routine jobs.

For reading the full article, please click here.

Mr. Nair is talking about the quality of the 12.4% who are going to college. To quote Mr. Mohandas Pai's (Member of the Board, Infosys) article in The Business Line, "greatest human tragedy in this planet is being played out in India".

How can we make everyone realize the urgency of this matter?

What can we do to prevent this tragedy?

When one motivated child can accomplish so much...

The 'youngest headmaster in the world'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8299780.stm

Isn't this just amazing? We keep questioning ourselves about - we are so few, who will listen? when will things change? can we bring about the change? Well, here is a child showing the way.

If a 16-year old can achieve so much with so little, how much can we accomplish with all the resources at our disposal?

Let us march towards our goal with renewed vigour.

Radio show and ad spots

Sushma, one of our volunteers, who is a RJ at a radio station had done a show with Dr. Parameswara Rao a few weeks ago. Many of us did not know because it was done at very short notice.

Now, Kalyan, one of our newer volunteers, has stepped forward to help spread the word. He will be talking to two other radio stations, with which he has contacts, to see if they would host a segment on primary education.

Stay tuned for updates on this.

At the cost of being repetitive, what is really remarkable is the effort, energy and enthusiasm that many of our volunteers display. Be it students or young professionals, their concern for the young children and for the future of the country is indeed heartwarming. The guidance being given by many senior citizens whose untiring work serves as a example and guiding beacon to these youngsters cannot be underestimated.

Dr. Parameswara Rao's sample letter

Dr. B. V. Parameswara Rao is requesting everyone to:

Please send your email to our PM and join the group for propagation of effective primary education. A model of your mail to the PM may run as follows:

Dear Prime Minsterji,

1.  We congratulate you for getting the "Right to Education Act" passed in the parliament after 6.5 years of hibernation.
2.  As you know primary education is not only important and primary to every school going student, but also the to the country as it moulds the minds in their formative periods, as is being taken advantage of by Japan.
3.  But we learn with dismay that the primary education is in shambles all over the country with 80% of the children not reaching the Minimum Levels of Learning (MLL), 60% dropping out of school by 6th and 87% out of high school.
4.  But more pathetic and distressing is that children in primary schools are taking to stealing, marijuana and even drinking, besides other wayward behaviour.
5.  The problems is because every state government handles primary education in its own different way. As primary education is in the concurrent list, kindly take it under the wings of your central government and give the benefits of good uniform primary education to every child in the country.
6.  It is all too important a subject to be let in the hands of the state governments or the officials of HRD alone. Your role is vital, even though you are highly preoccupied.

 We urge you, with all sincerity, not to tarry any longer but consider the following steps to be taken.

1. Please generate minimum standards and develop guidelines for running the classes in the primary schools across the country and work out the head cost per child.
2. Make over all the primary schools (both private and public) to constitutionally empowered and elected bodies of Panchayat or Municipal bodies, which are nearest government machinery to every school, along with appropriate authority and adequate funds (on the basis of the cost worked out per student).
3. The local bodies may be authorized to constitute appropriate school committees consisting of the headmaster and a teacher from the school, two mahila members, two parents, two youth with total membership not exceeding 11. The committees may further be authorized to generate additional funds locally, as or when needed. The committees will supervise running of the classes, conduct examinations and do all other chores to maintain the scholastic or other standards set by the government for each student to attain.
4. The governmental authority could be delegated to the state governments to inspect, monitor, audit and supervise the operationalization of the school system.

 Thus you would have involved the neartest local constitutional authority in the operation of schools, while making parents and teachers responsible for their childre, and thus maintain the uniformity of standards and curricula. These would ensure standard, uniform and good primary education toe every child across the country irrespective of the state, class, creed, sex and location of the student.

 Hope you would take this letter in the correct perspective in getting approrpriate primary education imparted to every child across the country. May God bless you to groom many more Nobel laureates.

 In conclusion, we urge you once again with all our sincerity for your personal involvement.

 Your's in service,
 
 

Address the above letter to:
 The Prime Minister,
Prime Minster's Office (PMO)
New Delhi - 110001
email ID: manmohan@sansad.nic.in

Meeting on Friday, the 16th

Due to Deepavali falling on Saturday, the 17th, most people have opted for moving the next meeting to this Friday. So, our coming meeting will be on the 16th of October (Friday) at 6 PM at the same venue.

Can India be great again?

Mr. Paul Krugman, a Nobel laureate in Economics from USA, wrote a recent column titled 'The Uneducated American'.

Here are some excerpts from his article that should make us stand up and take notice. (For the entire article, please follow this link.)

If you had to explain America’s economic success with one word, that word would be “education.” In the 19th century, America led the way in universal basic education. Then, as other nations followed suit, the “high school revolution” of the early 20th century took us to a whole new level. And in the years after World War II, America established a commanding position in higher education.

America, which used to take the lead in educating its young, has been gradually falling behind other advanced countries. 

Education made America great; neglect of education can reverse the process.


We are neglecting primary education. We are neglecting basic science. We are neglecting research. We have mostly forgotten innovation, at least in urban India. We have to stop this neglect. We have to get our basics right. Only then can we be on our way to being great again.

Minutes of the 10th October 2009 meeting

• Dr. BV Parameswara Rao mentioned that a meeting for the sarpanches of villages in Yellamanchili at BCT tomorrow (11 October 2009). The meeting will be attended by the sarpanches, mahila mandal members, grama aikya sangham members and teachers.
• In a school that Dr. BV Parameswara Rao visited a few days ago, there were 105 children in the school and only 1 teacher. A Vidya Volunteer who was supposed to be present was a no show. The school was surrounded by a gutter from which unbearable stink was emanating. It turns out that the people living in that village were oblivious of the situation. Once apprised of it, they offered to immediately look into it. Incidentally that village spent Rs. 60,000/- to celebrate Vinayaka Chavithi!
• Sri Ram Murty has reported that over 10,000 cards have already been sent from the villages. Another 7500 cards are planned for this week. He also aptly reminded everyone that the postcard campaign is ONLY a first step in our attempts to make primary education effective.
• Two new versions of letters to Prime Minister (PM) and Chief Minister (CM) were circulated (one in English for PM and the other in Telugu for CM).
• On a Telugu news channel, TV9, during their ‘Dial your CM’ program, the anchor asked the new AP CM about the thousands of letters they have been receiving from Visakhapatnam district, on the sorry state of affairs in primary education. The CM is reported to have said that the concerned department is taking care of primary education and that they will look into the matter.
• Students from Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering for Women, with active interest taken by Madhulika, Srujana, Hari, Prasanna and Siva Kesava Kumar, have reported that about 450 cards have been written by students so far. They are planning to send more.
• Prof. Somaraju mooted the idea of starting a group called “Students for Effective Education (SEE)” along the lines of NCC and NSS programs as new students need to be enlisted towards improving education in India. As primary education is the foundation, the students could start working on it and later get into the issues of secondary and higher education.
• Prof. Somaraju will also provide, as a first step of volunteer recruitment in all colleges of GVP, a laptop and a LCD projector in every campus for the students to show the Primary Education video and enlist new volunteers. He also said he would provide a desk and some space for the group for their meetings.
• Prof. Somaraju also mentioned that in two weeks i.e., after Deepavali, Gayatri Vidya Parishad will be releasing a newsletter called Gayatri. At first a thousand copies will be made for distribution to all the colleges and schools in Visakhapatnam city. Students have been asked to constantly contribute their ideas, thoughts and actions towards effective primary education.
• Shri Markandeya Sarma added that the force behind this campaign is and should be students only. All the elders in the group are only supporters and guides. He reminded the group that the agenda for SEE should remain the same while the members might keep changing (as the current students finish their studies and move on while new students join in).
• Saranya has been nominated to take the lead on the media advertisement idea (to generate 30 seconds video for ads as well as a short 10-12 min for dissemination). She will collect ideas from all interested people and plan with them on taking the best ideas forward.
• Senior advocate, Ms. Jaganmohini, suggested that SEE members should be visiting primary schools to make themselves aware of the prevailing situation first hand rather than relaying someone else’s observations and experiences.

Attempts at answering the questions

Since others may have questions just like Dr. Shenoy, here is an attempt at answering them.

The petition was created after some thought just like the rest of the campaign. Here are some of those thoughts though this list is not comprehensive:

1. Instead of assuming that Dr. Manmohan Singh and his cabinet are aware of all the issues, we are assuming that they do not know the harsh ground reality. This is because we want to believe that at least the PM would not allow the future of children to be destroyed by ignoring the problem.
2. Even if our assumption is wrong, since his priorities seem to be elsewhere, the postcards and emails are to show his team that there are many people who are concerned and want him to take action.
3. You may already know that recent research has shown that online petitions are not very effective. Still we created this online petition to enlist the support of those who are unable to send individual postcards and emails. So, the online petition is complementing the postcard and email campaign.
4. Yes, our responsibility does not end with signing a petition or sending a postcard. However, many of the people signing such petitions are at least aware or becoming aware of the problem. For example, of those who have signed our primary education petition so far, we personally know many who are actively working on many issues of pressing concern and some who have withdrawn temporarily for personal reasons.
5. Many of the people who are participating in this campaign directly in Vizag have already visited some government primary schools in the last few months. Some of them were visiting them for the first time while others have been doing so for many years. Not only that, they have been giving a lot of their time, energy and other resources. Hopefully, some of the students will start volunteering in these schools.
6. The brightest sign of this campaign is the participation of many students from various degree and professional colleges from Vizag (and now from other cities and towns in AP). Some of them have narrated their past experiences in primary schools and are eager to help children from going through the same poor standards. Many of them have been trying to do something for society and did not have any guidance regarding what they can do. They now have that.
7. Participants of the campaign have been talking to their parents and siblings as well as their neighbours thereby increasing awareness. Yes, many people many not have voted but maybe this might give them a reason to reflect on their apathy?
8. Many of us who volunteer in organizations working on different issues have started off with something small and a lot of ignorance. We are hoping this is the same with others who are joining this campaign and will learn more just like the rest of us.

Questions about the online petition

Dr. Bhamy V Shenoy, Convener of Mysore Grahakara Parishat has brought up some very pertinent questions which others following this blog might also agree with. Here are his comments verbatim:

   "it is not that the government is not aware of the need for primary education. Please ask yourself what another petition will serve. What we need is the involvement of each and every one who is capable of signing such petitions from the comforts of the house to visit the government schools and see what is happening. How many of us would like to send our children to those schools? Even the figure of 67% literacy is highly exaggerated number.  Many of these "literate" can at the most put their signatures on the paper. 

   We need direct involvement of professionals and not signing petitions which may produce some democratically vibrant countries. India has democracy no doubt, but it is not one where such petitions produce any results. The signatories of such petitions do not vote and it is the illiterates who know the value of the votes (may be in a wrong way) vote.

  I know not many would like to hear what I am writing. But this is a reality in India."

Dr. Shenoy has been working for India's development, including consumer movements and fighting against corruption, since 1987. He is an author of books and has published hundreds of articles on various topics in Indian newspapers. One of them appeared as a cover story in the Industrial Economist titled Million Mutinies to revolutionise India's education sector.

Press meet held on 1st October

A press meet was held on 1st October to make the print and audio-visual media aware of the campaign. Many of them have obliged. Here is one such article by The Hindu -
Campaign for effective primary education

Other links will be added as and when they are found online.