A Time To Reflect

charukesi November 24th, 2005

But what I do? What can an individul do?

Anuradha at Project Why believes that not only do individuals matter but even single rupee contributions to a cause do.

Which is why this plea for a rupee day donors.

If you have not heard of Project Why, please read about it here and here. Pwhy is about a remarkable lady Anuradha Bakshi and her commitment to making a difference to the lives of hundreds of underpriveleged children .

First check out this pledge at pledgebank.

We keep talking about the power of the blogosphere and the differene we can make. Will the blogosphere please respond to this call for help?

This is how can help :

Please start with making your one rupee a day (or more definitely) contributions towards the cause.
Please spread the word around.
Please leave your ideas and suggestions on what else Anu can do in this effort. And how bloggers can help. Ammani had run this short story competition to raise funds for the effort. Any more ideas?

And if you are wondering why one rupee, here goes…

• Children and youth , Society & Development
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charukesi November 21st, 2005

21 MOST LIKELY QUESTION SETS STD - X SOLD HERE

I was passing by and I just had to stop at this shop window. And I just had to take out my mobile phone to take this picture.

In the course of research, I have come across students who believe that school is just a necessary evil - grin and bear it - whereas tuition is where the real action is. I have met teachers who frankly admit to not paying attention to class work because most of the students come for tuitions anyway. (As for those who don’t, well, tough luck for them). And parents who find school books a “waste” and goad their children into studying only using study guides and such exam “guess papers”.

This is the state of education in India.

• - Education
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charukesi November 7th, 2005

I got this via email : sick of making minimum wage

You’ll thank me later… Start making money TODAY… not years from now.

The mail ended helpfully with a US phone number for me to call for further information, and finally with a pleasant, have a good day.

I did have a good day mulling over the letters to choose for behind my name. And about what will do when the loophole gets discovered and closed.

And above all, my heart bleeds for those poor sods who have multiple letters behind their names and still manage only minimum wages.

Have a good day. And as you go out, please notice that the post is filed under ‘education’.

• - Education
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charukesi October 21st, 2005

The BBC reports that advertisements for babies have been appearing on the Chinese counterpart of eBay, Eachnet.

China’s strict “one child” birth control policy, coupled with the traditional bias for male children, has led to widespread reports of child abductions, and several people have been sentenced to death for their part in smuggling rings. .

Not suprisingly, boys were advertised for 28,000 yuan ($3,450) while girls were offered for 13,000 yuan ($1,603).

The seller advertises under the user name “Chuangxinzhe Yongyuan” or “innovator forever”. What can I say?

• Children and youth
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charukesi October 17th, 2005

In the previous post about the nature of advertising in high involvement product categories, education figured as a lucrative business area. I discussed briefly the areas of English coaching and higher education (as represented by the numerous private MBA institutes and dental colleges and engineering college all over the country). Exciting promises of a bright future. In exchange for a king’s ransom as fees. Which people were willing to pay - in anticipation of even part fulfilment of their dreams and aspirations - as conveyed in the advertising for such “products”.

Another money making business in the sphere of education which is discussed here is computer training. What lies behind the phenomenal success of computer training centres that have mushroomed across large and small towns in India in the last decad? Clearly, the key reason is that of a tangible benefit - a job at the end of the course. An advantage that “vocational” training has over conventional college education. These training centres started small, diffidently offering courses that supplemented formal education. And soon caught on to the fact that people were willing to accept such training as substitutes instead. From certificate / diploma courses offered in return for a few weeks / months of classes, soon there were degrees being ofered, for courses extending over a few years. If as a conventional graduate, you had no perceived value in the job market, as a graduate from the ‘premier computer training centres’ of the day, you landed straight from your desk at the class to a desk at a “multinational company”.

Apart from this, there is another reason for the roaring success of such centres. Especially in small town India which made as much money for this business as the large towns. A new dimension to social mobility that conventional sociology has not taken much notice of.

These centers offered young men and women an opportunity and place to meet other young men and women in public. In a society that was otherwise traditional and constricting, such classes offered legitimate and even parentally approved meeting grounds for the young with romantic notions. Or just the young wanting to ‘break free’ - in more ways than one.

I discovered this dimension quite by accident while an acquaintance mentioned to me that he had met his wife at NIIT; there were four other couples from his batch alone. “I got the feeling that some of them came there only for that purpose“.

Think about the number of times you have noticed groups of young people hanging out in front of computer centres - at all times of the day. I am not suggesting that this was the only reason for the popularity of such courses. I see this as a bonus that a lot of young people in the last decade or so discovered. Get an ‘education’ that is job-oriented, and along the way, if you happen to meet and like someone, then all the better. And your parents are paying for all this too… (so what if they, with dreams of their children’s brilliant future, went bankrupt in the process…)

• Children and youth , - Education
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charukesi October 9th, 2005

Much has been happening in blogland - Gaurav Sabnis gets a legal notice from IIPM about his post on the institutes’s tall claims - requesting him to either back of and apologize or else…

And Rashmi Bansal gets, to put it mildly, obscene comments on her blog. And what’s so strange about that? Because these comments seem to originate from people supporting the insitution that she had earlier published an incisive - needless to add, negative - report on. And they all lead back to newly created blogs with only one or two posts, usually dealing with the same theme - a supplementary website to their original one.

Strangely enough (or maybe not) none of the comments have anything good to say about IIPM. Instead, they all attack the writer - and if it is a woman, then it is even easier… Absue her in filty language and threaten her with physical violence.

All I can say is that these responses on their blogs speak more about the quality of the institution and its students than anything Rashmi or Gaurav might have to say. Having said this, I can actually sympathise with these students - how many times have you all spent loads of money on a coveted product promising the sun and the moon and a few stars, and then found that all you have got is some mud. Post purchase dissonance. And when someone else points out to you what a fool you have been, and that a false marketer with a ponytail and a flop movie behind him is just as bad as any other, then you are bound to direct your anger towards those who pointed it out to you - considering the money has already been spent and the dream seller has moved on to his next big thing in life.

Please keep this issue alive and lend your support to Rashmi and Gaurav. Other bloggers who have already written about this : Harini, Kaps, Anshul, Press Talk, Walk with me, desipundit, The arbit council, Patrix

Update : There is one comment - actually two from the same er, person - on Rashmi’s blog that is worth a dekko. This person is doing a PhD, has done a PhD, will do a PhD, is teaching PhD students - whatever, it doesn’t muter (no typo this) - at Haas UCLA. Uh, where? Harini just googled for Haas and came up with Haas Associates - A resume writing service specializing in resume writing for the IT industry.

But more importantly, this person is proud of his alu mutter. He says it not once but several times in his comments. I quote, I’m proud of my alum mater, and where it has reached, without governemnt subsidies or interference. He also accuses Outlook editor Sandeepan Deb of writing a book on alu mutter. Sanjeev Kapoor has stiff competition.

Another Update : I found this recent post of mine on MBA institutes - where I have written And while on this, I was searching in Fabmall for some books and I noticed that Arindam Chaudhuri’s book Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch is to be found under the Humorous Section. Go check it out. Fabmall has my vote for best ecommerce site of the decade or some such thing.

Further updates as on October 12: Three days after the ugly controversy first reared its head on the blogosphere, over a hundred blogs have linked to it. Fake IIPM blogs have disappeared and other equaly fake IIPM blogs have appeared. The rants and threats from IIPM “students” have gone from bad to worse.

Legal notices are flying fast and furious across the blogosphere with Varna receiving one from the “legal cell” of IIPM.

Hindustan Times coves the story in its third page today. Mumbai Mirror mentions this in their bloggers’ park corner. And hopefully, other newspapers and TV channels will carry this soon. A no-words-minced post from Harini here on this.

Gaurav’s professor from IIML calls the IIPM bluff. No words minced here either.

For detailed updates, head to the fantastic desipundit.

• Society & Development , - Education
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charukesi September 20th, 2005

I had written about the saas bahu sammelan a while ago. Now read about the Pardada Pardadi Educational Society, an educational progam based in Anoopshahar in the Bulandshahar district of Uttar Pradesh. The PPES opted for a unique approach of education through academic, value-based, and skill-based education allows PPGVS to address the interrelated issues of poverty, gender-bias, and education in India. At present PPES working with girls from 46 villages of Anoopshahar in Uttar Pradesh.

To me, the following rationale make this a remarkable program…

Economic : this is one of the prime reasons for parents to not send their children to school :

- many poor people who want to educate their children cannot afford to send them to school - especially their girl children - where there is a need felt, the priority is for the boys to be educated
- and there is a clear (perceived, and maybe even real) lack of link between education and opportunities for work or economic betterment in any way. Mera beta (and much more, beti) school jaake kya karega - usko naukri to aasani se nahi milega na (what will my son / daughter do going to school - he will not get a job so easily)

PPES takes care of this with by providing free education for girl children. In fact, this report says that students, all girls, are paid Rs 10 a day for attending classes. Wisely, the money is not given in the hands of the girl or her parents on a regular basis but placed in a joint account n the name of the girl and her mother - the money can be withdrawn only after the girl completes Class X.

More on this here.
For every day a student attends school, 10 rupees (US$0.30) is put into her bank account. By the time a girl completes the program (about 7-10 years), she should have approximately 100,000 rupees (US$2,200), assuming she has attended most days of the school year. Ideally, the products produced by the students bring back Rs.30 (US$0.90) per day. Of that, 10 rupees goes in their account and 20 rupees goes back into sustaining the school.

And what is even better is that the PPES has a clear focus on prividing vocational training to the girls, along with bookish learning. The vocational school run by the Society produces fine hand embroidered linen appliqué work and block printing which can have various uses, along with table clothes, luncheon sets, bed covers and sheets, curtains, and cushion covers says this website describing the activities of the school.

Social : the school, in addition to regular education and vocational training includes training in other social aspects such as personality development, health and hygiene, leadership development, legal awareness, money management, business management, and values and ethics. Ideally, the girl comes out of school, not just educated but also confident and trained in social skills.

Apart from this, I think the money incentive is also great for making parents push the age at which they will get their daughter married off. Right now, girls in this district are married at the age of 13-14.

Cultural : and this is what I love most about this concept - the idea of drawing on the wisdom of our great grandparents. Bringing educatoin into their lives by associating it with a concept that such people know and respect - the knowledge and wisdom of the elderly. As opposed to introducing an education system completely foreign to their ideas and values - and forcing it on them.

And finally their business model : in other words, their plans for sustainability and scalability. As the students work and get trained in different skills, they also contribute towards the expenses incurred in running the school through the products they make and sell. At present ( yr-2004-2005) school has 280 girls and it costs app. Rs 2 lac10 thousand per month towards running cost of the school. Running cost of PPES is Rs. 35 per girl per day. Vocational training of the girls is planned in such a way that with a training of two years students can earn wages of Rs.35 per day through the vocational skill they learn. In the month of Jan 2005 school earned Rs.1 lac 35 thousand. Deficit of Rs. 85 thousand is because the newer batches of girls have still not reached the required levels.

Their website is called, rightly, education for change; you can sponsor the education of girls there if you wish.

****
And then this extremely heartening (but seeming to me over-optimistic in tone) article on rediff, The Quiet Revolution - that has been taking place in India’s elementary education that, if successful, will equip an entire younger generation with skills to improve productivity and reduce the burden of disease, high birth rates, hunger, and poverty, while changing societal attitudes toward gender, caste, tribe, and disability. I need to go back and read this piece again…

• Children and youth , Society & Development , - Education
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charukesi September 17th, 2005

IBM to train staff as math, science teachers (for some strange reason filed under ‘money’ in rediff. er, why?)

Concerned over the critical shortage of math and science faculty in the United States, global IT major IBM has announced a programme that encourages employees to take up the teaching profession. The world’s largest Information Technology company said on Friday that it would reimburse participants in its new transition to teaching programme up to $15,000 for tuition and stipends.

IBM sees this this as a natural move for employees who might be interested in this program, given that many of them have math and science backgrounds. I think it is an interesting idea because :

1. the people involved in this program are well qualified and skilled - which is not necessarily true of many teachers in the US (and anywhere else for that matter) who choose teaching as the last resort to earn a living. With sincere aplogies to all good teachers I have known, it is more and more becoming those who can, do, those who can’t, teach.. Will such a program make a difference to the quality of teaching - and learning therefore?

2. these are people who have been on the job for many years and have kept themselves aware (ideally) of what is happening in their field. As opposed to most teachers who seem to live in a time warp of sorts - where the world froze at the time of their last degree.

3. from the perspective of the employees, it is safe to assume that some level of boredom must be creeping in to their jobs - exploring teaching as an option looks to me a great way of getting over ths ennui and using their skills and experience in a very positive manner…

And the short rediff report ends with this - The move comes as technology executives voice concern about the US losing ground to China, India and other countries in math and science education. Uh?

• - Education
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charukesi September 6th, 2005

Found this piece that Uma has linked to - Andre Beteille in the Telegraph about Intellectual Capital in India that needs to be rebuilt from a different perspective - and quickly - through good quality undergraduate education…

Brought back many memories of my own undergraduate days. The time when I managed to disgrace my family so thoroughly and it seemed then, permanently - by enrolling for a BA in Economics. I still remember the look of utter incredulity on my father’s face when he first heard that - BA? You are going to do a BA? Of course, his spirits soared marginaly when he heard that the BA was in Economics and not shudder, English Literature or shudder shudder, History.

But the question was repeated - with much the same look on his face - over the next few days. BA? And then the look turned to one of weary resignation, bordering on despair. God, I just hope no one asks me about my daughter for the next few years. BA? And he went about mumbling shamefacedly to people who asked about me… And I suppose the sympathetic looks on their faces when they heard the BA story only made it worse for him - this should not have happened to a good man like you. Paavam, his daughter is such a dunce - and he had such hopes for her. BA. Not even BSc. Just imagine that.

(Of course today my father only mentions to everyone that I got a University Rank, and forgets to mention the B word. And also pretends that I had LSE in mind all along when I chose my undergraduate course :))

And coming back to the Intellectual Capital bit, I found myself thinking that in India, as of today, there is no single undergraduate degree that is considered good enough or just enough - to get on with life and make a good living. Not even the coveted engineering or medical degrees. Given that state, of what relevance undergraduate arts and science degrees?

I leave you to mull over that with this nugget from my favorite cartoonist Glasbergen…

Update : I find that both Sunil and Anand have thought-provoking posts today on education and pedagogy. Some more things to mull over…

• Indiawatch , - Education
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charukesi September 5th, 2005

Happy Monday Morning. Happy - to be back in Bombay, back home, and back at my blog (there, I said it) - and earlier than I had planned…

Also happy to have come across this remarkable initiative in flickr - The Kalleda Rural School Photoblog. This is the photoblog of the kids at Kalleda Rural School in Andhra Pradesh, India. The students take their own photographs documenting their lives and post them on their own flickr accounts. This account is a collection of some of their best photos.

Most of these photographs are simple and tell stories from the lives of these cildren - glimpses that would otherwise never be available to the outsider. I have written to the person behind this suggesting that specific themes could be introduced to the kids so 1. we the outsiders get a better idea of what certain notions - like say freedom or modernity or education mean to the kids there, and 2. the kids themselves think more deeply about them…

Photo-ethnography at its most basic and brilliant best… Please check it out. And if you are on flickr, do leave a few words of encouragement on the pics - the co-ordinator says, Photography is new to the kids, so please post comments and suggestions. Thanks!

This is the photograph that led me to this project first…

(The original can be found here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/gdstone/26457702/)

I checked out the India Rural Development Fund which supports this school project and found out some more… This school started in 1996 currently has a strength of around 530 students, and 10 grades (Kindergarten through Grade 10). It offers high quality education to the children of Kalleda and surrounding villages. The first graduating class (2004) passed with distiction. Atleast 50% of the seats are reserved for girls, and admission to the school is based on a lottery system. Care is taken to ensure all communities are adequately represented based on the local demographics. The children have access to their own computer center and the internet.

Lottery system - does anyone know how this works?

• Children and youth , Technology , - Education
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