Initiation of the Mentoring Programme for the Stage 2 of State Talent Search Examination (STSE) in Mathematics and Science to Promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in Nagaland - A Project by PARAKH in Collaboration with the Nagaland Board of School Education

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024: Evaluating Competencies and Strengthening School Education

---

India is set to undertake a crucial initiative in 2024 with the launch of PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan—a competency-based large-scale assessment aimed at evaluating the educational achievements of students across the country. This national-level survey will provide a comprehensive evaluation of the school education system, offering critical insights into how well students have mastered essential competencies at different stages of their academic journey.

The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 is a significant step forward in understanding the learning competencies at the end of Foundational, Preparatory and Middle and administered in Grades 3, 6, and 9. It aligns with the competencies as defined in the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023 and the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasize competency-based education and the need for regular, data-driven feedback on enhancing the learning processes in schools.

What is PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024?

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 is a large scale assessment, the National Achievement Survey (NAS 2024) that will assess students in key grades across India. It will offer data on how many students have achieved specific competencies at each level of education, thereby guiding educators and policymakers in making informed decisions to improve learning outcomes.

By focusing on students in Grades 3, 6, and 9, the survey will evaluate their stage-specific Knowledge, competencies and skills. The insights gained from this large-scale assessment will help stakeholders better understand the effectiveness of teaching and learning in schools across the nation.

Why Grades 3, 6, and 9?

The PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 focuses on Grades 3, 6, and 9, which represent critical milestones in a student’s academic journey:

• Grade 3 marks the completion of the foundational stage, where students develop basic literacy and numeracy skills..

• Grade 6 falls at the end of the preparatory stage, where students expand their learning across various subjects and build on the core competencies acquired earlier.

• Grade 9 represents the end of the middle stage of schooling, where students deepen their understanding of core subjects and prepare for higher secondary education.

By assessing students at these points, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 will measure how well students have progressed through these stages and whether they have developed the competencies required to succeed in future learning.

Competency-Based Assessment: A Focus on Core Skills

At the heart of PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 is its focus on competency-based  curriculum framework introduced through NCF-SE. 

This approach shifts away from traditional methods of testing that prioritize memorization of content. Instead, it evaluates students based on their ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world contexts. By doing so, the survey seeks to assess whether students have truly mastered the competencies outlined in the NCF 2023. It ensures that the survey provides a deeper understanding of student learning and identifies gaps that need to be addressed to improve overall educational outcomes.

The survey will provide valuable data on the performance of students across different regions, highlighting strengths and identifying areas where additional support may be needed. This evidence-based feedback will help improve the quality of education by ensuring that students are not only gaining knowledge but also acquiring the competencies essential for success in the modern world.

Efficient Data Collection with Advanced Technology

To ensure accuracy and efficiency, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 will utilize Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) technology for data collection. This technology enables smooth and precise evaluation of responses, ensuring that results are collected and processed quickly across the nation.

The large-scale assessment will cover both the district and national levels, providing a granular view of the education system’s performance.

The Broader Impact: Shaping India’s School Education

While PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 is an assessment of students' competencies, its impact extends far beyond evaluation. The insights from this survey will inform the development of education policies, help in improving the teaching-learning processes, and guide curriculum development at various levels.

The data will allow policymakers to:

• Identify gaps in learning and address disparities between different regions.

• Adapt curriculum and teaching methods to better align with the competencies students need to thrive.

• Foster an inclusive and equitable education system that offers high-quality learning opportunities for all students, regardless of their location or background.

The survey’s focus on competency-based learning aligns with global standards of education, ensuring that India’s education system prepares students not only for academic success but also for the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

As India embarks on the journey of PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, this competency-based large-scale assessment will provide critical feedback on the overall health of the school education system. It will offer a clear picture of how students are progressing through different stages of their education and highlight where more support is needed to achieve the goals set out by the NEP 2020.

The survey’s results will not only guide the future of school education by offering data-driven insights, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 will also help in creating a more robust, inclusive, and future-ready education system, one that ensures every student is equipped with the competencies they need to succeed.

Stay tuned for more updates as PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 unfolds and takes us closer to achieving a higher standard of education for all learners across India.

–

Gandhi in 2020? …………It’s Possible

Gandhi in 2010? …………It’s Possible

Dr Indrani S. Bhaduri

NCERT, New Delhi

Gandhi as a personality is immense but far more gigantic is the philosophy that bears his name. ‘Gandhism’ is the essence of peace and non violence, goodness, creative thinking and efficient admin. Certain quarters may subscribe to the idea that ‘Gandhism’ is not practicable is today’s existence. But in reality, it espouses the very eternal whose relevance transcends the barriers of geography and time. This omnipresence in both temporal and spatial dimensions can be substantiated by the fact that it can be the ideal for movements in lands where human right were and is routinely abused. Its temporal relevance can be gauged on the basis of the immensely popular and successful movie, 60 years after the physical departure of Bapu. He rules in the inner consciousness of all conscientious people though most of us either are oblivious of this existence or simply choose to ignore him. So what is this Gandhism?. These are the ideas and practices which he believed as well as lived. He believed, and I quote, “……It is easy to be friendly to your friends but to one who considers you to be his enemy it is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.”

The world today is fragmented into hate zones where we refuse to see eye to eye on most matters. A small difference grows into tall walls impeding exchange of feelings. We turn our back to the other school of thought thereby shutting the vast expanse of existence from our senses. Nations-hate nation, regionalism, religions, caste, creed, language -all becomes building blocks of barriers which impedes the smoothness of the flow of brotherhood.

In such a clime Gandhism opens on window of fresh wisdom which has the power to resolve crisis, the ability to dissolve differences, capability to make you turn towards yours adversary and perhaps galvanize you to take a stride forward to embrace him. To like him in spite of the difference that exist, and perhaps slowly but surely get an equally heartening embrace in return.

Peace and Gandhi are spoken in the same breath, though unfortunately in many an occasion without the appropriate emotions or thought. Peace to Gandhi was not a destinations but the path itself. Your thought, your feeling, your deeds and your achievement are ‘peace’ itself. It is that provincial ‘Paros Pather’, the ‘Philosophers Stone’, which can turn the basal instincts in minds of men to the noble, shinning, and pure thought which exudes nothing but positivity. We all know that coherence, co-operation and collaborations brings better outcome for the larger populace and yet choose to confine ourselves to narrow mental ghetto-ism. Gandhi believed that changes we want to see can be ensured by being the change itself. The society cannot and will not change according to your liking but you can change yourself a little to what you want the society to be and perhaps that will cascade into a change that you wish to see.

He was never tired of saying that ‘the body should be controlled by the mind and the mind by the soul. But this control is not to be achieved by despising or neglecting either the body or the mind or in the mystic exaltation of the soul by itself’. He advocated and practiced the importance of physical health and well being in the same manner as he valued thinking and responsibility. He was one of the most powerful writers and yet shied away from any idle and purposeless playing with words and ideas. He was convinced that all thoughts and ideas must have a real-connect with all actions and deeds. It has been claimed that the greatest achievement of Gandhi was the spiritualization of politics. He conceived it as a kind of illumination or fragrance which should accompany every thought and action. It is difficult to define it, except, perhaps, through the verses of the Bhagawad Gita which constituted his daily prayer. Yet he was equally knowledgeable and respectful of all other scriptures which was routinely used by him as a source of inspiration.

His philosophy of non-violence was the avoidance to practice consciously and unconsciously violence in every activity of our day to day existence. Most violence are not apparent or have a physical form. Violence which includes rape, fighting, killing, murder, beating and war, which most of us do not indulge in and hence we don’t see ourselves as violent. But to Bapu violence can be both physical and passive. Passive violence includes anger, hate, bigotry, name calling, insults, rude teasing and all forms of oppression, discrimination and suppression. When someone has an act of passive violence committed against him or her, he or he responds with anger, which often leads to some form of physical violence. Thus physical violence is the outcome of or it is the overt manifestation of the acts of passive violence committed on the person. To decrease and ultimately eliminate physical violence, we need to stop passive violence. Given this framework, none of us can disassociate ourselves from violence.

Gandhi taught that all life is unified whole. Violence committed against another person is at the same time violence committed towards oneself. We more readily justify violence against others when we perceive them as separate and different from us, or judge them to be lower than we are. However, because we are unaware of our connection to others, we are also unaware that we are hurting ourselves at the same time. We have to break down the barriers of ignorance that keep us from knowing others. We have to get out of our class, gender, racial, religious and cultural comfort zones. This is the work of becoming who we need to be.

First, we must identify within ourselves our acts of passive violence as part of the problem as opposed to seeing the problem as outside ourselves or in “those people”, or “that country”, or “those beliefs”. We must take action to eradicate our negative tendencies even if no one else around us is doing so. Gandhi said, “nonviolence has to be pursued in the face of violence raging around you. Nonviolence with a nonviolent man is of no merit.” For example, how do you react when your boss, spouse or co-worker treats you unfairly and does not want to dialogue with you? As you express your reaction, you are either manifesting the change you wish to see in the world or not. Peace is not a passive state where there is no conflict. It is the dynamic manifestation of each person’s struggle between their negativity and their capacity and willingness to respond to evil behavior without engaging in passive or physical violence.In waging this intense, internal and external battle, we become the change we need to be.

The democratic process which is the cornerstone of any successful nation has its bedrock in equal and total participation of all the people. But the equality can only be true if there is improvement of the citizen. Where the fruits of success benefit a minuscule and evades the majority it cannot be called as ‘success of the nation’. Percolations of the progress to the grassroots are the only way to ensuring total development. Gandhi realized it and advised its practice but perhaps we have not really lived-up to his advices and practices.

Gandhi rejected colonial education and put forward an alternative to it. Gandhiji ideas on education were the introduction of education closer to life, with which one can relate it is not an abstraction in the school curriculum. The philosophy behind was not to burden the child with artificially crafted situations and at the same time it also contributed to restructuring of the schools as a social system. His social philosophy of ‘basic education’ thus helped to percolate a system of acceptance and inclusion. Gandhism galvanized many and helped to break the shackles of imperialism in the early half of the last century. It is needed today to shatter the shackles which impress us in our shallow chambers of hated and individualism and lead us to the chambers of fraternity and brotherhood. And in this regards the life and times and thoughts and deeds of Gandhi is relevant even today.

I am sure that the readers even today will be blessed by feeling the true Gandhism through his writings and will be able to discover Gandhi which resides within them. The readings will assist them in understanding love, realize god an goodliness and become brave towards the injustice and insult to humanity that exist around us. After all as Bapu had said, “…..the only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within,”

TRIBAL EDUCATION

TRIBAL EDUCATION
Dr. Indrani Soumyesh Bhaduri

How is education of the tribes different from Non-tribal education?

To answer this we need to explore into the background of this concept. Traditionally the tribes as a group have been relegated to the wilderness from the path of progress. The reason for this can be attributed to:
- The reluctance of the tribes to join the mainstream and also their tendency to stick to their tradition. (Perhaps this is to maintain their cultural identity; however, the merits & demerits of this are not being deliberated).
- The so-called developed people (read urban India) have only exploited the forests and the tribes for their own economic gain and have failed to plough back a portion of this gain back to the forest or the tribes.
Consequently, the so-called march of progress or the feel-good factor of prosperity has given the tribes a total bypass. This phenomenon is not unique to India. We see similarities amongst the American Indians, Australian Aborigines, Non-European South-Africans, etc. What however defies logic is that unlike the other places, the divide in India is between the members of the same race or the place of origin. In the cases of American Indian or Australian aborigines or the coloured Africans, the dominant populations are the Caucasians with their overt or covert policies & practice of discrimination and apartheid. Unfortunately in our country, it is the members of the same race that is vertically divided into tribal and non-tribal. For the sake of arguement, there are certain people who will put forward the concept of Aryans and Non-Aryans. There is a basic flaw in this argument:
- Aryans to begin with were also tribes.
- Most of our compatriots are the product of mixed blood of the Aryans, the Dravidians and the Mongoloid, with the percentage of Aryan contribution being probably the least.
　
Most of our compatriots suffer from the mistaken notion of being of Aryan descent because: Aryans were fair, tall and slightly (handsome) and our belief that the indigenous Indians in pre Aryan era were wild and uncivilized. They were the 'Asuras'. Generations, on the steady diet of constured fables and mythologies have confirmed this into our collective sub-consciousness.
This however, as most of you, my esteemed readers will agree, is very far from the truth.
The effect of this mind-set is the fissuring of the Indian population into the tribes and the non-tribes.

Unfortunately, this is not the only fracture in the population. In fact, it is splintered into various groups aligning to religious, regional, castes, language, urban-rural, north-south etc. It boils down to the divide between the 'haves and the have-nots'.
The tribe as a group is a misnomer. They are actually a collection of a number of groups as diverse as the 'Bhils' of M.P., the 'Gonds' of Central India, the 'Aos' of Nagaland, the 'Santhals', the 'Bodos', the various Nilgiri tribes, the Aborigines of Andamans - so on and so forth. Therefore, it is neither wise nor practical to place them under one umbrella and aim a universal programme of welfare. The unique characteristics of each tribe based on geographical, social and material needs have to be delineated before planning any governmental policy, including that of their education.
The author had the opportunity to interact with a large number of teachers who are working in the tribal areas. The findings of this interaction are interesting as well as relevant and certainly demand to be reflected upon.
- The quest for knowledge among the students from the tribal background is as potent as amongst any other student.
- The gain from the existing form of education, as palpable by the students in terms of material progress is not sufficient hence resulting in disenchantment and dropout.
- The pedagogy or even the facilities offered to these students is not different and certainly not tailor-made.
- In many an occasion the teacher is not from the native tribe and suffers from an attitude of superiority, which certainly influences the teaching - learning experience negatively.
- In most if not all cases the methodology of rote is practiced to impart knowledge. This is in spite of the fact that such methods have been discarded in the world over for decades.
Further probing reveals that due to lack of adequate resources the teachers are not motivated enough to experiment and implement newer and innovative methodology. The basic idea is to impart the three 'R's and make the tribal members 'literate' i.e. able to scrawl a signature instead of 'LTT (Left thumb impression). The usage of tribal way of life in imparting education has rarely been attempted. This again brings up two important questions:-
-Is there a requirement to attempt the above suggested method ?
- Is there any form of education indigenous to these 'tribal people' ?
Firstly – Yes, it is required and that is the only way it will be relevant. The main idea of education is to enable the child to face the vagaries of life. Any education, which fails to address this requirement, is designed to fail. The peculiarities of tribal way of life have to be taken into consideration while designing the content and methodology. To site an example cricket as a sport is not as much relevant to a tribal as say archery!!!
Secondly - Let us shed our notion that the tribes are not educated. Perhaps they are better equipped than most of us to deal with the 'craft of living'. Yes, they are certainly not educated in the contents of education that is being peddled by the present day school curriculum, which at the first place may be totally irrelevant to the tribes. However, the very fact that these tribes have survived successfully for generations in challenging circumstances is proof enough of their having the know-how to meet the challenges. Also the fact that this know-how has been successfully handed over to their successive generations, points at the existence of an education mechanism in place. There is a system of 'Ghotul' amongst the tribes of Central India where each village provides a community building for the children and the adolescents of the village to live and learn together. Older children pass on the learning to the younger ones in the ways of life, without interference from the adults. Vocation, leisure, life-style, values, social customs
and even sex-education are passed on to successive generations in this manner. This system of education predates most of the modern day educational system (perhaps even the oldest gurukul !!!) and has passed the test of time most remarkably, at least as far as the tribe is concern.
The tribes are also a great reservoir of indigenous knowledge, which is so enormous, and such diverse that it is a shame not to tap it for the utilization and common good of the whole humanity. Today when everyone speaks of sustainable growth, the expertise in management of natural resources, this indigenous knowledge, particularly the forest management, is worth learning. The use of the bounty of nature within acceptable limits and re-ploughing a portion back to nature is necessary. Mindless exploitation is never practiced. The modern urbane man can certainly learn about these wise ecological practices from his tribal counterpart.
Traditional medicine is another area of expertise, which has a scope of mutual benefit. Unfortunately, not enough research input is being invested in this area except by a selected few.
Community governance is another aspect in which the tribes have considerable mastery. Most actually practice communal materialism i.e. possession of the natural resources as well as decision about utilization of the same is taken in cognition of the whole community. Such a democratic procedure has been in practice for time immemorial. These can and should be studied and adapted by the so-called developed groups.
Each and every tribal group has the potential to be the teachers in various aspect of life .The process of education can and should be a two way process. Present system suffers from this intellectual immaturity and lacks the sense of symbiotism. The tendency of the outside community to consider the tribes different, unfortunate, backward and hence inferior has to be shed. The feeling of charity associated to any effort directed towards the tribes has to be discarded. The tribes on the other hand view the present educational system as alien and of little or no practical significance, which necessitate a review of the content, curriculum and methodology. A culture specific pedagogy is the need of the hour. Failing this would only contribute to further alienation, marginalization and deepening of the existing chasm instead of assimilation, amalgamation and empowerment. The recipe for success is based on:
- Respecting the tribal identity,
- Accepting the need of cultural resilience,
- Modifying pedagogy as per the need of the respective tribes,
- Exposing the tribes to modern day scientific practices and methodology in agriculture, animal husbandry, health & hygiene, forest management etc,
- Study and learn the age old practices of lifestyle management, traditional medicine, ecology community governance etc,
- Development of a symbiotic relationship based on trust and respect and

Finally, the realization that the tribes are a part of us, as much as we are nothing but a tribe............

ROLE OF TEACHER IN THE EMERGING INDIAN SOCIETY

Teacher, Guru, Ustad is not only a person but also a symbol. A symbol of Good, of Truth, of Purity, & of Beauty. Ancient India has revered teachers as almighty, the ‘Param Brahma’. He is the Creator, the Preserver & the Destroyer. He creates ideas & ideals. He preserves the sense of Truth, Justice & Fair play. He destroys evil, both intention and deeds. Though with the passage of time the modus operation of ‘Teaching’ has changed, the teacher till date has essentially remained the same. He facilitates the learning in the minds of the taught, catalyzing the chemistry of knowledge in the cauldron of intellect. S/he stimulates the growth & development of values, moral, attitudes & beliefs in body & spirit. He is the true architect of the individual, the society, the nation and the humanity.

The world is always in a state of flux, with changes taking place all around. Thus it is imperative for the teachers to modify the methods to obtain the maximum outcome of her efforts. The role of the teacher is primarily two folds.
The role of a person, helping to construct knowledge.
The role of a person transforming personality.
Knowledge is one commodity, which is expanding at a mathematical progression. To be abreast with the latest is therefore essential. Knowledge is available in books, periodical journals and nowadays in the information web. A teacher today has to read and study constantly. She should be able not only to answer the numerous queries of the students but also guide them to various resources available in a given topic. She should be able to differentiate the essential from the necessary, the necessary for the useful and the useful from the trash. This sense of prioritization of knowledge has to be the backbone of today’s teacher, to truly utilize the abundance of information at the disposal of mankind.

Knowledge is the bricks with which the building of education is constructed. However the building should also have a plan, which facilitates better living condition. This architectural plan is developed on the blue print of ‘PEACE’……truth, non conformity and acceptance. The necessity of Education for Peace is more so relevant today when the social frictions are so high. The society is fragmented in lines of caste, creed, nationality, religion, sex, colours of skin, language, political affiliation etc. The ability to tolerate the others point of view, the ability to think from another angle, the ability to realize the others perspective is another area, which the teacher should emphasize. The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (2005) emphasized the concept of Education for Peace. ‘Nationalism’ is to be integrated yet in this world of ‘global village’, ‘Internationalism’ is the way to go. The teacher today has to deliberate in these areas.

The tremendous increase in the population has caused an uneven teacher to student ratio. A teacher faces 80-100 students and is sometimes burdened with 120-140 students in a class. Individual attention has become impossible and yet the teacher has to ensure that the exceptional gets her attention. Exceptional not only, are slow learner & under achiever, but also the gifted. For these are the leaders of tomorrow’s world and their neglect in the alter of mediocrity will ensure poor progress of humanity & the nation. The teacher has to fight inspite of this ‘massification of education’ to assist the best, for the genius lotus to bloom in the mud of mediocrity.

The UNESCO international commission on education for 21st century has identified four pillars of learning.
Learning to know (acquisition of relevant knowledge)
Learning to do (prepare to contribute to economic development)
Learning to be (development of individual for self reliance)
Learning to live together. (to minimize social frictions)
The teacher has to reap all these to be effective in tomorrow’s world. She has to, to quote Tagore, ‘Keep the windows of the mind open’ so as to ensure that her students ‘hold their head high with a mind without fear’.

The task is difficult, to quote another great man, Abraham Lincoln
‘A tall order – but see what you can do’.

PEDAGOGY OF PEACE FOR QUALITY PRIMARY EDUCATION

PEDAGOGY OF PEACE FOR QUALITY PRIMARY EDUCATION
Dr.Indrani S.Bhaduri

There are a number of definitions of peace but it basically deals with a situation which is devoid of conflict. This conflict may be with surroundings i.e. the environment or it may reside inside our very mind. It is said that wars begin in the minds of men and hence, the path to peace must also start there. But is it only wars that cause conflict? Isn’t it often the mundane day to day occurrences which are more disruptive and damaging to an individual’s calm?

Conflicts are ‘disagreements’ through which the ‘parties involved’ ‘perceive’ a sense of threat to their own ‘needs, interests or concern’. This disagreement evolves because of the rigid stand that we take on issues from various walks of life; and also our inability to see a different point of view. This process of ‘rigid perception’ starts very early in life and concretizes by the time one reaches adulthood. So, it is imperative to intervene at that stage of life i.e. early & late childhood to train the minds in the fundamentals of peace.

Elementary education is not merely the educative process imparted between six and fourteen years of life or between standards I & VIII (lower and upper primary). It is also the foundation on which each & every future academic edifice is erected; all subsequent scholastic interactions are made. This is the age when fundamental concepts of all abstract ideas are formed… Peace, truth, beauty, purity are concepts which start taking root…

As educationist we must appreciate that this is the most fertile soil for the tree of peace to be planted so that by the time the child reaches maturity the concepts of peace are well rooted, the flowers of peace bloom and bear fruits. This is the stage for laying the foundation of a ‘peace oriented’ personality. The advantages of this stage are apparent:
a) Less academic burden
b) More number of students available (i.e. not yet lost to dropout-ism or system- rejection)
c) Child is more receptive as the mind is almost non-polluted by dogmas and ideas.
It is easier to build a child than repair an adult.

The areas of ‘peace integrations’ in primary education are many. It should teach care of self, understanding the self, respect for environment, recognition of dignity of labour, harvesting in honesty, understanding love, learning the rudiments of sharing and cooperation, recognizing the need for tolerance and acceptance of another, appreciating the need of responsibility etc.

The child is naturally good and it is the educators who can help in scaffolding and fortifying this natural goodness. The overall aim of education for peace is to lay the foundation of peace which will permanently equip the future adult to deal with conflict situations and evolve a non-violent solution when confronted with one. The child needs to be trained to appreciate, enjoy and celebrate life in all its positive dimensions, its diversities, its beauty and its harmony.

If we analyse the areas where a primary student is likely to face conflict we see that it evolves right from the act of leaving the home into a situation and join a school. All of a sudden he is catapult from a zone of comfort and familiarity into a situation to which he is alien. He is confronted with new faces and newer demands of social interactions. A peaceful resolution is needed which can only be provided by the teacher.

Early childhood is also the time when there is a chance of the birth of the sibling in the family. Suddenly there is a change in the equation in the household when he ceases to be the point of attention and this gives rise to turmoil. This too needs resolution. At times some children may have siblings with not much age difference and this may give rise to sib- rivalry. If not resolved effectively this may also cause a lot of trauma.

The curricular and co-curricular load that the child has to encounter may also lead to a situation of conflict. His inability to understand the lesson and keep abreast with rest of the class may also be a reason for arousing conflict. A rigid time-table which doesn’t allow independence of thought, an exacting examination and an evaluation system which has a tendency to classify the students into degrees of success or failures and mark them as good, mediocre etc, peer pressure, parental expectations, so on and so forth, all contribute to the child’s conflict.

An important ingredient in the schools environment is the multi-cultural diversity which, if not dealt sensitively ,may cause fracture in the school’s social fabric. It is responsible at times to create the ‘us & them’ phenomenon. The society in the school is necessarily a reflection of the society outside. The differences due to race, religion, caste, creed, class, region and language in the society at large are bound to be mirrored in the school as well. Resolution of these potential “conflict zones” therefore becomes imperative.

Another area of grave concern is the gender inequality that exists in our society. Even today the number of non-schoolers or dropouts amongst girls is far more than in boys. A child growing up in such a social environ is bound to imbibe the negativity associated with the process.

Having delineated the problem areas that exist in today’s primary education related to presence of conflict it is necessary to formulate a pedagogy imbibed with education for peace.

Teachers are an important member in the educational organization. They are the ‘peace builders’. For students, teachers are the role models. But the sort of news one gets regarding teacher student interaction are horrifying. Even today classroom violence seem to exist. A teacher’s responsibility is to help in character building. He must be a disciplinarian but not by force or intimidation. He needs to use love and care, as well as personal example, to garner this attribute. A forced discipline may bring a temporary compliance but fails in a permanent conformity. Children usually are amicable to examples and adverse to advices. This needs to be emphasised.

Syllabus and examination has always been the mainstay of pedagogy principles. Usually in schools, primary emphasis is on the transmission of information rather than knowledge, retention of concepts than understanding and memorization of text rather than comprehension. Evaluation is aimed at testing short time memory rather than judging the quanta of learning.

The syllabus is often blamed for its quantitative excesses and never appreciated for the qualitative excellence. Each topic/ lesson has hidden or explicit peace content which needs to be transacted with a positive and humanistic perspective.

The creativity in teaching must be concentrated at. The child-centred and participatory negotiation of contents is a must. Though difficult but at least an attempt should be made to individualise the learning. This is the only way to ensure universal success.

The present method of directing teaching to the mediocre student leaves both the talented and gifted as well as the slow learner far behind. Instead of a didactic podium based transmission of knowledge a teaching learning experience based on discussion, debates, presentations, group activities, cooperative projects etc. are more appropriate. This not only ensures active participation but also generates interest amongst the students and trains them in social dynamics which help them to appreciate the virtues of cooperation and collaborations.

This generation and the generations before us have existed in the most violent of environments. We have invaded the lives of our fellow men as well as devastated nature simply to carve out a luxurious existence for ourselves. The effect of these ills is self evident all around us. We need to give the “generation next” a better chance and the best place to start is at the very beginning………..

Tailoring of a System that Works - Autonomy v/s Accountability

Tailoring of a System that Works Autonomy v/s Accountability
Dr. (Mrs.) Indrani S. Bhaduri

Any educational institution has to be established, sustained and developed with resources by the funding authorities. In most instances it is the state, which does so, though private bodies are also in the arena. Irrespective as to who provides the ‘mullah’, the provider will always and invariably arrange to have a say in the matter of things related to the institution. Having an atmosphere of so-called absolute independence in relation to all aspects of the institution will remain nothing but a distant dream for the governing body. However, by nature, education is based on independent thinking and the propagation of this sense of liberty in all pursuable dimensions. Thus to a large extent a good institution enjoys a sense of independence in pursuing it's objectives and goals.

Any institution by way of autonomy demands
· Independence to determine what's to be delivered, i.e. determine the curriculum, structure their own syllabus transact the same using an appropriate methodology and device a reliable and valid evaluatory mechanism.
· Independence also in terms of who will deliver the goods and at what price, this would involve recruitment of the faculty, determine their remunerations, decide on their promotion etc.
· And finally independence to determine who will be the recipient of the ‘goods’. This will determine the criteria of intake of the students.

Of course autonomy as discussed above is put very simplistically. For who may teach, what may be taught, how it is to be taught and to whom it is to be taught though central and vital is only a part of today's University functioning. After all the composition and functioning of Universities have changed with the changes in the economic and social scenario. In the nineteenth century Universities were small and restricted to a privileged few and affected a miniscule percentage of the population. But the upheaval of the last century has made the Universities relevant to all. In many cases they have become mammoth organizations, which by it are ungainly. Consequently many more aspects have come in to play in the world of University than mere academics.

Autonomy in functioning is of two kinds, the internal and the external. The external autonomy is primarily related to non-interference in day-to-day running of the University. As far as academic aspects are concerned many universities still enjoy this substantially and if this has been lost it is mostly a case of self-surrender. However, there is always interference in the administration aspect of the University. Restrictions/ Scrutiny/Auditing of the finances and budgets of the University will of course be there from the funding authorities but interference in matters like recruitment of teaching and non teaching staff, their working patterns, their wages, perks and privileges, disciplining and punishment etc. have been increasingly interfered by the funding authorities and bureaucracy.

As far as the internal autonomy is concerned it largely lies in the heads of the academic bodies in the institutions. The independence of the teachers, scholars, researchers to pursue academics with a healthy degree of independence is not only expected but should be taken that the zeal of liberty do not impinge upon the overall goals of the society and also in guise of independent thinking teachers do not indulge in propaganda. After all the aim of higher education is to prepare the generation next to be able to use their intellect independently. This autonomy therefore is largely in the hand of the scholars who are part of the system.

Universities and centers of higher education is part of the community, society and the state and therefore has certain responsibilities towards them. The rightful discharging of these responsibilities is a must and demand for the same by the society/community is not unreasonable. Therefore the institutions of higher education have to account for its activities to the society in general.
As mentioned earlier, the world of academics has grown tremendously. This growth is always at a great cost on the public exchequer. Therefore there is a great responsibility upon those entrusted with the utilization of the resources and finance to use it wisely. This encompasses.
· Economy
· Efficiency
· Effectiveness
Economy primarily relates to utilization of the resources in least possible quantity with proper budgeting and careful monitoring. Efficiency relates to utilization of the given budget in maximal output by proper supervision and management. Effectiveness relates to gaining the primary objective for which the institution is made.

To who are these Universities accountable to – the state? Obviously as they determine the next budget and hold the purse strings. But in doing so the Universities particularly, the highest office holders in the office shouldn't sacrifice the priorities of the institution or trade the liberty of the members, staff and students. The vice chancellor and his team have to ensure that the state and bureaucracy is not allowed to tamper with the basic fabric of the institution. This is the real challenge for the 'Kulpati'. In this endeavor he requires the support and cooperation of his entire 'Kul' – teachers, staff and students.

Accountable to the faculty and staff? Of course but it is also the other way round. Recent history of higher education has seen increasing incidents of irresponsibleness from the two quarters. The trade union mindset of the teachers' bodies has resulted in the dilution of dedication amongst other and has brought a bad name to the institution. The faculty has to be accountable to the institution in discharging their duties.

Accountable to the students ? By all means, after all they are the very reason for their existence. The institution by being accountable should by no means be adjustable to the unnecessary and often unjustifiable demand of the student bodies. Many an institution and universities have been burdened with a large body of so called student who use the premises of the University and the excuse of education just to spend some time. With subsidized education as in our country this has become an epidemic. The political bodies in the country have identified those 'willing' student as a big chunk of their workforce. Consequently these student bodies have started exercising power on the functioning of the universities. Their demands are often unreasonable and mostly at loggerheads with the needs of the genuine students. Authorities in the university should resist any interference from this quarter.

At the risk of repeating the obvious it should be mentioned that autonomy and accountability are the two sides of the same coin and cannot be exchanged independently. The art is to strike the right balance. Any extreme in one side will jeopardize the balance and tilt the edifice on which higher education stands.