Tag: India

The medium of instruction is very important at every level of education and more so during the elementary education as that is the time when a child is exposed to the vast world of knowledge. It is a long held debate in India whether the medium of education should be universally recognized English language or the regional language. There are pros and cons of both the options. While English is important when one grows up and goes into a professional life, regional language has an advantage of being easily understood, thus helping the students grab the right information and understand better. Educationists around the world have debated this issue but to no concrete result.

In India, where there is a multilingual culture, there is not one accepted medium of instruction. Though Hindi is considered the national language but it is not spoken in many parts of India like South India and East India. There are other regional languages. Thus, many state-run schools follow the language of their region to impart education. However, in urban India, English is the preferred medium of education for obvious reasons. Even people from economically weaker backgrounds and those who do not speak English themselves prefer to send their children to English-medium schools.

The prime reason is that English is the preferred medium of higher education and is accepted worldwide. There are no good professional courses available in regional languages. Thus, it is believed those who study in regional languages tend to lag behind those who have studied in the English language. Worldwide, studies have been conducted to show which medium is better. Purists reckon that language is not just a means of communication but also a cultural window which introduces one to the social and intellectual surroundings. And language development leads to educational development, which in turn leads to national development.

Till a long time, the medium of instruction in India was the dominant regional language from primary to the high school level. English was only introduced as a subject after the primary level. English as a medium of education throughout schooling was only found in a few schools but that starting changing slowly. Soon, English was directly related to being forward-looking, modern and developed. This trend worked in the favor of many but gave inferiority complex to a lot others. People who could not speak or understand English started feeling that they were no good. The point is highly debatable. Acquiring knowledge, as such, doesnt need only one particular language.

There was a study conducted in the US in Ramirez et al in 1991 with 2352 students. The study compared three sets of spanish-speaking minority students. The first set had studied only through the English medium, the second group had started education in the Spanish medium but switched to English in one or two years, while the third group started education in the Spanish medium and switched to English after four to six years. The three groups were then tested to find out which group showed the best results in English and in educational achievement in general. Contrary to the popular belief, the third group showed the best results while the other two groups were falling way behind.

This completely quashes the accepted conviction that English is the best medium of instruction. In fact, for children who do not speak English at home find it very hard to grab concepts in an alien language. Then, the pressure doubles on them as they are expected to learn a foreign language with the concepts simultaneously. On the other hand, if they receive the same learning in the language that they are comfortable in, it becomes much easier and convenient to understand the subject.

However, when it comes to higher education, English medium is a must. It is foolish to think that streams like Engineering, Medical, MBA or any technical course can be imparted in a regional language. The first problem is acceptability and the second is terminology. There are not enough terms in the regional languages that can define the usages in these fields. Also, even if one were to get this education in the regional language, he/she cannot use it professionally as the whole world does no understand the same language and they end up becoming misfits.

In India, Tamil Nadu is the one state where some universities offer professional courses in Tamil medium. For instance, Madurai Kamraj University offers many courses in the Tamil medium through distance learning programmes. It offers Postgraduate Diploma in Labour Law & Administrative Law and Postgraduate Diploma in Information & Communication Laws in the Tamil medium. In addition to this, Algappa University offers BA (History) and BBA in the Tamil language. But if one does a college search or a university search to find courses in vernacular medium, there are not many choices which speak volumes about the relevance of such a thing. In todays competitive world, it is advisable to get higher education in the English language and prepare a base for it from school only. Regional language as a medium of instruction should be used only till the primary level.

Education is important for everyone in the world. It makes one able to understand what is happening around us logically and clearly. An educated person has the ability to take viable decisions and make right moves at the right time. Education provides the ladder for achieving success in life and enables us to utilize skills and caliber in a constructive way. However, government and civil societies have made the process of education simple by providing basic facilities and making going to the school necessary for everyone up to 10th class.
Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live in absolute poverty today.
Children are the future of a nation. For an emerging and developing country like India, development of underprivileged children holds the key to the progress of the nation itself. Education for underprivileged Children is the key whether we are addressing healthcare, poverty, population control, unemployment or human rights issues. Even though India’s children account for more than one-third of its population, their interests have never been given priority.
The situation of underprivileged children in India
40% of India’s population is below the age of 18 years which at 400 million is the world’s largest child population.
Less than half of India’s children between the age 6 and 14 go to school.
A little over one-third of all children who enroll in grade one reach grade eight.
Nav Prayaas is a nongovernmental organization working to provide quality education to the underprivileged children of India. Nav Prayaas is an NGO that takes care of the underprivileged children. Nav Prayaas is an initiative of a few likeminded people in the direction of enabling young India to fulfill its potential and while doing so it takes special care of the environment where it thrives. We use law, science and the support of our members, volunteers and online activists to protect not only the interests of under privileged children but also to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all.
Nav Prayaas is a not -for- profit organization which was set up in 2006 and since then has been expanding its scope of services quantitatively as well as qualitatively through various interventions. Over the years, Nav Prayaas has been voicing its concern on various issues relating to environmental awareness and education for the underprivileged.
Nav Prayaas believe that everything we do should be measurable and transparent. Monitoring and evaluation are integral aspects of all our programs. The reason is twofold: firstly, to ensure that we can measure the impact and secondly, to make changes in the strategy and model to increase efficacy based on the assessment. Numerous projects under Nav Prayaass educational programmed cover poor children under difficult circumstances such as child labor, children of poorest of the parents, underprivileged children inflicted, runaway and street children, children with rare disability [Autism, Deaf & Dumb, Blind, and Spastic etc.], disaster struck children and slum children, etc.
Nav Prayaas aims to deliver free quality education to underprivileged children across rural India.This rural education initiative focuses on setting up temples of learning radiating knowledge and excellence for underprivileged children in the rural pockets of India to provide quality education to underprivileged children to develop them into confident, employable and responsible citizens of tomorrow. Nav Prayaas works to improve the lives of underprivileged children, their families and communities through an approach which puts children at the centre of community development.
Nav Prayaas is one NGO in India that has been able to contribute greatly in the area of providing education to underprivileged children.
Various education programmes launched by Nav Prayaas are:
Education for Underprivileged in India, basic education for poor child, a ray of hope for Slum children, A Helping hand to deprived children, Education for poor in India, Education for underprivileged is a national level programme from Nav Prayaas which focuses on basic education for underprivileged children and youth. Nav Prayaas makes it possible for an individual to sponsor the cost of education of a child.
We welcome you to learn more about our organization and join us in our mission.

Indian education system has shown impressive development and today all the metropolitan and urbanized cities of the country have founded and established some of the eminent and most sought after educational institutions of the country. You can easily get information related to the best educational institutions like universities,research academies,schools and colleges located in different regions of the country.

The city of Dehradun is one of the hilly and pollution free regions of India which is located in the Northern region and is situated in the India state of Uttarakhand. This city is an age old education domain where some of the best educational institutions are founded. Many renowned boarding and residential schools are also established here. Even the nursery schools in Dehradun are well established and are providing the contemporary comprehensive education system to the students for their strong education foundation. The small children coming here are taught to work together in team as well as to work independently so that they can get the glimpse of the outer world and how to act in it. The teachers here are dedicated faculty members who aim at providing their best guidance to the small children for their better future. The schools are located in close proximity to the residential locations making it easy for the students to easily commute to the school everyday. Parents and guardians of the students can get the full information related to these institutes through their official websites that provide all the information related to the school infrastructure,to schools facilities,academic curriculum and the admission procedures. Like Dehradun the region of Meghalaya is also a green and pollution free city of the country that also is successfully delivering quality education to the students of different age groups. The play schools in Meghalaya are the modern institutes that focus on the academic as well as the co curricular activities.

These institutes have adopted modern education tools and technology to cater the education system and to make the learning process easy for the students. These play schools have provided best possible amenities to the students here that include better and well stuffed school libraries so that students can inculcate the habit of learning at a very young age and different activity rooms to encourage students to take part in various school related activities .The school has included different co curricular activities in the curriculum to help students discover their likes and true potential. These different types of activities also contribute in building of self confidence and motivates them to work hard for a better future. The best schools in Gwalior are at par with the world level education institutes and are affiliated with one of the following boards,CBSE,ICSE,IB or state boards. The schools here are adminsitererd either by the government or by some private education trust or organization in some cases the schools are given financial support by the government but are run by the private trust and organization. The schools aim at contributing in the education sector of the country.

There is an old saying: Time moves on. That is certainly true in the world of education. In the past, higher education was strictly an option for the wealthy and privileged. Beginning in the last century, higher education became a reality for the common person. But the pace of change has not slackened up one bit!

And while the so-called ‘experts’ argue among themselves about future trends, we know one thing for certain: technology has turned the world of higher education upside-down. It is now the primary delivery channel for millions of students worldwide – in the form of ‘Distance Education.’ Coupling the power of the home PC with the interconnectivity of the Internet, distance learning is revolutionizing the educational landscape, right before our eyes.

Let’s put it in it’s most simple form: Distance learning means that a student can participate in class – in India, let’s say – when the school is located in Boise, Idaho. Distance is no longer an obstacle – in fact, distance from the school, from the instructor, or from one’s fellow-students has become irrelevant. What matters now is receiving the course content, whether one lives down the street or in another continent.

The U.S. has a population that is aging, as is well-known. And an aging population is one with increasing responsibilities – work as well as family – that throw up road-blocks and obstacles in the path of the would-be student. Distance learning is a solution that works for them – as academic assignments and classroom participation can now be completed around work schedules and family activities.

Here’s our take on the situation: as more and more schools start distance learning programs, more and more adults will take advantage of them and enroll. And when these students graduate, they will bring their up-to-date skill sets into the workplace. As a result, business will greatly benefit. Overall, we can see the American worker becoming more and more efficient. Our workforce will then be positioned to keep – and retain – better paying jobs, as we compete in the global marketplace.

What is a part of the distance learning experience? Well, after your enrollment is approved (and courses paid for) you will sign in(via your home PC) to a ‘virtual campus,’ where your course instructor, fellow students and you all interact in a kind of chat room experience. You will be given assignments there, e-mails will be used as a means of communication, and course papers will be uploaded for review. You will often be required to complete assignments in collaboration with other students – just like collaborative projects in the real world.

Course testing in distance learning programs is also unique. Instead of the traditional approach, where you would ‘spit out’ on paper everything that you have memorized, you will be asked instead to complete projects and collaborate with others. This is because there is no way to administer a test online in such a way to guarantee that the student doesn’t look at their book/notes to cheat!

This means that distance learning programs put a premium on ‘learning by doing’ – not simply spitting out facts that have been memorized. And does this not more accurately mirror the kinds of responsibilities one has in the real world? Graduates of distance learning programs are in fact better prepared to ‘hit the ground running’ and be productive in their job from the first day of employment.

The pre-primary education and childcare industry in India has experienced a rapid growth in last five years. The increasing revenues of the market players have been propelled by the rising awareness about the quality early childhood education and care amongst parents. Additionally, the growing number of preschool centres in the large and small cities has attracted a growing number of enrollments nationwide. The market revenues of the pre-primary education and childcare industry have increased from USD 897.4 million in FY’2007 at a CAGR of 16.5% during FY’2007-FY’2013.
The demand for the pre-primary education and childcare is driven by the increasing women workforce participation. Additionally, the growing dependence of working mothers in nuclear families on these preschool and childcare has also been driving increasing enrollments for the industry. The market has been boosted by the increased spending by the government to ensure proper care of young children of 3-6 years old. Various schemes and initiatives such as ICDS, Anganwadis and Balwadis have been in operation to fulfill the same.
The marketplace has witnessed growing private equity investments and venture capital over the years owing to the increasing profitability of this sector. The pre-primary education and childcare sector has presented vast opportunity for the market players, supported by an increasing population of the under-six year olds in the country. The market is highly fragmented and has been historically dominated by the unorganized segment. The rising competitive pressures as a result of strongly growing share of organized market are expected to result in the increasing revenues of the industry in coming future.
Over the years, there has been an increasing trend amongst the market players operating in the pre-primary education and childcare industry of India to extend their market of K-12 education. Additionally, the market has also experienced a growing involvement of ICT being used as a teaching aid. The curriculum design and activities of the pre-primary education and childcare has gradually been focusing on the activity and play based learning. All these efforts are expected to improve the quality of the pre-primary education and childcare being provided, in the forthcoming years.

The report “India Pre-primary Education and Childcare Industry Outlook to FY’2018” provides detailed overview on the pre-primary education and childcare industry from various perspectives. The report encloses a comprehensive analysis of the various segments of the market reflecting the present scenario and future growth affected by changing industry dynamics in coming years. Additionally, the report also entails information about the public and private sector initiatives, rational analysis of the macroeconomic factors, along with the profiles of the major market players of the pre-primary education and childcare industry. The report will help industry consultants, companies and other stakeholders to align their market centric strategies according to ongoing and expected trends in future.