TIME TO TAKE A DECISION

Pavan is an enthusiastic and a high energy kid. Ambitious and strongly focused towards his career goal, Pavan is sharing his views on the process of career guidance and planning. Pavan underwent the career guidance and career planning session last year.

 
HUZZ……BUZZ ………everywhere in schools do you know why, but I know because everyone is tensed and are anxious about their 10th board exams. Everyone after writing/finishing the board exams have to take a decision. It is time to take a decision about their future. Because life is a road and a person travels on this road of life and at this particular time and point he/she, but a student comes to a fork or to halt on their journey of life as they are in front of a road which has many divided sections of roads and this roads can be treated as the courses taken in inter first and second year. They are as follows Mpc, Bipc, CEC, MEC, HEC, etc. These are the roads for the students and at this particular point of time one has to take a decision as to on which road he has to travel or which course he has to take and on which he has interest and may have a bright future.

The student himself has to take decision as on this decision his future is dependent. Students are responsible for their future and they can’t blame others in future saying that because of u now I am suffering. It is time for every student to realize and to make a decision about his/her future. Always remember that “right decisions at right times bring bright results.”

Then why waste time? Go, run, get information about all the courses and colleges offering the groups and then take a decision but decide very carefully because it is your future and don’t try to play with it. And I request all the parents not to force their children to take a course that has a lot of demand in the society. We all know that parents are concerned about their child’s future but they should also give him a chance and try to find out where his interests are.
And if you have any problem, you can consult for aptitude test which can be written online and one of them is dheya.com. I opted for it and I am now enjoying my studies and I am also happy with my decision because at first I wanted to be an army man and the course for it is MPC but I am a lot weak in math’s and I don’t have any interest towards physics and chemistry. So I thought and decided to take CEC, and whatever may happen will happen.

Many criticized my decision and soon I was in a dilemma about my decision of taking CEC. But soon my mother noticed my position and she advised me to write an aptitude test. Aptitude means ability. I wrote the test and he guided me through the right path. They told everything about all the courses and that my decision is right and also asked me not to fear that my decision is wrong. They also said that people say many things but it is your future and nobody will help when u will listen to them and change your decision and opt for an unwilling course. There will be none and u can’t blame anyone about your fate. So try and wake up to take a decision.

And one more thing. After coming back home, after listening to them I still had a guilty feeling in me but after a few months I started enjoying my studies and I also top my class every time is it not enough for me and my parents.

A Note to the Parents

Dear parents, please kindly remember that when a child enjoys his studies he tries to learn more. “Marks are not important, but knowledge is important and when knowledge is gained then it automatically reflects in your marks. “And I also can give you an example when a boy or girl plays a game they try to play more efficiently in the next game as they enjoyed it and want to learn more of it. And when a student doesn’t like or is not interested in studies but still is forced to study, then he tries to opt for important points and mugs them up and vomits in the answer sheet. So let them enjoy their studies. Then they try to learn more of the subject. Even the scientists proved that a person in 24 hours of a day gets only 4 hours of concentration and in the remaining hours whatever he studies can’t be remembered, and none can tell when a person really obtains this concentration. 

Mmy name is V.PAVAN TANAY NAG;
INTER FIRST YEAR STUDENT, C.E.C, ALPHORES JUNIOR COLLEGE, KARIMNAGAR.
YOURS SINCERELY,
V.PAVAN TANAY NAG

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Dheya.Com's Blog. A complete career guidance, planning and development portal. Visit www.dheya.com for details. Dheya also offers aptitude testing and career counselling services.

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Need of the Hour: Career Guidance & Career Planning in India

Indian Education has many issues to deal with. Since the year 1835 the British started tinkering with the India’s traditional education system of ‘Guru shyshya’ which was value based and focussed on outcome and application of learning.

The new age education came into being with schools and colleges being set up across India.

In 1948 when the Radhakrishnan Commission was set up with an intention of designing a new National University Education Policy of free India, the commission stressed on the outcome of education into social, economic and cultural goals of the nation.

Dr S Radhakrishnan in his words said:

“The most important and urgent reform needed in education is to transform it, to endeavor to relate it to the life, needs and aspirations of the people and thereby make it the powerful instrument of social, economic and cultural transformation necessary for the realization of the national goals. For this purpose, education should be developed so as to increase productivity, achieve social and national integration, accelerate the process of modernization and cultivate social, moral and spiritual values.” ⁵

Since 1956 Commissions and committees were set up to deal with non-implementation of earlier recommendations and identifying gaps in the Education system.

On the ground, apart from introducing little new regulatory compliance there were no major changes that could be effected towards building outcome of education to the social, economic and cultural goals of the country.

In reality the focus of higher education always has been away from the outcome and application to just input based education. Outcome here means the education resulting in either economic growth or increased capability of the learner.

Unfortunately today education has minimal relevance to occupation, passion, interest of the individual learner. The age old beliefs have created havoc in making a choice of education. The aspirational needs, abilities and interest of the individual have been ignored. This has led to non-compatibility, career failures, drop outs and unemployables.

Today the youth do not value higher education. They acquire degrees with no connection to their occupations they would like to pursue. This is visible with higher un-employability and unemployment in the country. Hence, the gross enrolment ratios and dropout rates are far from desired.

The government is doing all it can to improve access of education. It’s a known fact that 73% of the population lives in rural India, however 90% of the educational institutes are in urban India ⁶. I believe that it’s a superficial measure of increasing enrolments.

 

Towards Valuing Higher Education

The youth of India will value education only when they see benefits that result in their social, economic and personal growth. There needs to be sustained effort on helping the youth realize their potential and guide them into the right education which will lead them into a career that satisfying yet economically fulfilling.

Today 98% of young boys and 96% of young girls are confused while making a career decision⁷. The confusion is due to the lack of information and skill for making career decisions. This confusion drives them into making unfocussed investments of time, effort and money into education that may or may not deliver returns.

A scientific career guidance process with a reliable information base on education and career would transform the current scenario.

Guiding the student into taking up education that would lead to a career that’s compatible to his or her personal abilities, passion, interests, values and personality, would never let the interest levels in education diminish. Moreover, research tells us that students who are able to understand and internalize the connections between school and work will be more actively engaged in their academic tasks and will be more likely to succeed in high school ⁸

 

^{Excerpts from the paper ‘Relooking at the Indian Education System” Published by Anand Desai, Founder Dheya (www.dheya.com ), A complete Career Guidance and Planning Company.}

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GOOD INTENT , ZERO PASSION , DOUBTFUL EXECUTION … The Right of EDUCATION ACT

Technorati Tags: Passion,Education,Law,Government of India,Education Ministry,Access

Right of education is just about giving access to schools. Its important to build education around economic and social goals of the future. Heart of education is in its outcome into economic &cultural growth, access doesn't matter.When people see value in education enrolment will improve.


One April 1st 2010 the historic right to education bill 2009 came into being. The bill will supposedly ensure each and every child from the age of 6 to 14 get primary /elementary compulsory education.. I must admit, there are great intentions behind the bill. I also would like to admit that its a “GOOD Intent, zero passion & doubtful execution

program.

I have been studying this bill since it was tabled in the parliament till it finally got a nod last August 2009. Its a big challenge to the government to actually implement this bill. It may take several years to actually see results from this bill or it could be just another scheme like the NREGA or the mid day meal with either minimal or no social impact.

This bill would ensure accessibility, for sure, but doesn't answer what quality, and what content or the outcome of education. Here when i read the goals of this act i really doubt if it could achieve any level of impact on the learner. I still believe that its more important to analyse the content in this bill. There seems to be no mention of how academics and academicians will actually let these people learn the basics.

In my visits to villages and remote places I found that the teachers are nothing but a figure who represents the schools. With no passion for education he is more interested in signing the muster and earning the wage. I wonder how do we actually train these teachers to enhance quality. What about passion for education??? I am not sure if passion can be built or enhanced, it should come from within.

About the 25% reservation in private schools, I believe its another way of a quota or a rout to get some class of people admitted in the school. May be it would work or it would be a back end entry fro few.

One point i must appreciate and firmly believe is about not  FAILING students. I hope this gets implemented across widely and firmly.

Whatever it is its a good beginning. The country knows that something is better that nothing at all. The only problem is execution. If a clean and swift execution could be managed, this act could do wonders for the future apart from enhancing the quality of education.

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Education in India: Is learning happening in Schools???

Penning down my thoughts on the way our kids learn in the current schooling system.

 

Does the school matter  anyhow ??

Schools irrespective of what medium,brand, funded or unfunded, the fact is learning has taken a back seat. Parents are expecting that their kids would turn into scholars once they get them admitted in the right school but its a big illusion. Age old beliefs like convent education being the best or English medium is better than the vernacular has played havoc. It doesn't matter which school the kid goes, learning matters the most.  

Lets understand what's happening in schools. May be I am generalizing and there could be exceptions. My thoughts are based on experiences and our findings after interacting with several schools.

From day one its the marks that the kid is thought to gain. I have seen parents pestering the kid on marks,I have also seen parents building personal relations, networking and flattering the class teacher to help their kid gain good marks. While its a fashion for the parents to tell others that their kid has gained more marks. What  they fail to understand that marks is just  a result of a that One or Two hour question paper that the kid answer after recitation. The strongest ability is  memory and recall and not the attainment of knowledge.

  

 

Hence there is no learning happening, its only the race for marks irrespective of the schools.

 

Does the Teacher Matter??

Till date the teaching profession was for those who don't get into the mainstream jobs or for house wives who need to spend some time outside. May be my statement would irk several people but its a fact.

In private schools its about ladies who have taken up this profession by some compulsion or just an occupation that keeps them occupied. Lack of passion towards the kids and teaching  is clearly visible. I have seen one of the renowned public school telling the requirement of the teacher that the lady should be good looking and well groomed. Teaching skills are not that important as the impression on the parents who spend a fortune is made by the looks of the teacher.

The salaries in private schools are bad. Since its not the main income in the family the level of perks and salaries are acceptable to ladies who take up teaching as a part time occupation. Even after 6th pay commission some school managements tell the aspiring candidates explicitly that the sixth pay commission salaries will not be applicable.

 

In such conditions passion for imparting knowledge or getting the student to learn is lost. Those parents who have the need engage their students to private tuitions at times to the same school teacher who give special attention to their  kid.

The big names in private tutorials are a joke. I don't understand why parents trust them. There are 40-50 students in a class in school, the private tutorials have more numbers sitting in a cramped place. The kids who have the guts to raise their doubts do it in schools as well as private tutorials and clarify their doubts. The rest of the kids keep mum with a fear of being laughed at for asking a question. What learning and understanding of concepts would happen any how??

The government/state/ municipal  schools even worst leaving some exceptions. Each state run school hires teachers who pass through a competitive exam. Unlike private schools the teachers come from needy background who consider teaching as the main occupation and source of income.  The competitive exam churns out the best in the lot who opt teaching as a profession. They may not be  well equipped with teaching aids plush classrooms but certainly have the knowledge of teaching. This lot of teachers take teaching for a secured job and not as a passion for imparting knowledge.  Ultimately the monotony and slow growth in their profession makes it an unattractive profession.

Irrespective of the schools the teachers are not driven towards results. Lack of passion, Lack of result orientation and performance measurement has destroyed the education culture in India.  

A serious  question comes in my mind.  What was bad in adopting the traditional education system and scaling it to masses?? It was the Gurukul system that has churned out the best students in the past. The Guru not only imparts knowledge but also drives in the Indian value system and ethos. The guru also mentors the pupil with learning avenues making the pupil capable and competent.  Our educationist blindly just adopted the westernized education system which has left the Indian population literate/qualified but not  educated.

Are exams effective ??

Exams is a game of TWO hours. Kids mug up for writing papers. I have seen kids singing and reciting  mathematical sums. The kids also know which are the probable questions. There are keys available in the market.

Exams today do not focus on practicality or the application of knowledge. Ultimately the marks gained is the measure of the  memory of the student that his knowledge.

Knowledge if not put to practical use is sheer waste. Today unfortunately ,there is NO education process in India that links to the practical usage of knowledge. There is lack of purposeful education that leads to economic and personal growth.

 

The toppers in exams are not necessarily the most successful in life. Do do exams matter after all. Can we get rid of exams and try to put a process that assesses the practical usage of knowledge the student has gained??

Are Teaching Techniques Effective??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teachers are trained in Education degrees like B.Ed, D.Ed and M.Ed that

text book is just the reference point. you need to teach the students more that just the text books. Invariably the teaching is just limited to text books.

Today in the kids are tech savvy, they have seen computer games, they have seen cartoons on television, they love to see and then learn. They would like to experience and learn.

Here is a suggestion, can we integrate cartoons, national geographic, the history channel , games and checklist base education that engages the kid in learning, understanding , experiencing and playing with the topics to gain knowledge??

With the current system in education its the a dooms day in waiting, The so called educationists need to wakeup fast or just step aside to let the private players take over. Its the issue of nation building and is critical. Its absolutely important for to student to understand the purpose of his learning and what career/occupation he/she plans to pursue post his education.

 

Research has proven that students who internalize the relation between what they are doing today in academics, why are they studying what they are studying and how it will help in their career, do well in their academics.   

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Great Job Mr. Sibal, you kept your promises !!!

Class X board exams optional

The government on Monday announced that it will introduce grading system in all Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools and make Class X board exams optional from coming academic year (2010-11). Union Human Resource Development minister Kapil Sibal during a press conference in New Delhi ,said: "Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) supports making Class X examination optional in CBSE system." . "There is a pan-India consensus over the issue. So we have decided to go ahead with this," Sibal said.The Class X board exams will become optional in all CBSE schools from the coming academic year (2010-11).The CBSE has prepared the format of an aptitude exam, which schools can use to test Class X students on their level of understanding in each subject. The emphasis, however, will be on continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) through the year instead of a single public exam at the end of Class X.

This is a REAL GOOD move by the education minister. What ever so called educationist may argue, this is a right move in the long term. The crazy race from marks-marks-marks, has been killing the true potential of the individual. the worst is MARKS in class X have no correlation to career success.

Are parents making vegetables out of their kids for the craze of marks-marks-marks???

I met the Chatterjee family in Kolkata, they were concerned with their sons low marks, what more concerning is they were subscribing to psychiatric medication for their son who was restless and full of energy for past three years. When asked why are you doing so, they said, he is too restless and cannot sit at one place, he is good at sports but get bad marks so the psychiatrist suggested some medicines due to which their son at least is sitting at one place without any activity… i said .. very soon you will create a vegetable out our your son. Advised them to stop medication at once and nature his natural energy and talent.. hope they listened. (by the way many psychiatrists have got a business boost, the school ties up with a psychiatrist who gives commissions to the person who refers a case)

But there are many such parents doing many things and killing the energy and talent of their kids in the race for marks. I want to challenge the so called educationist who oppose this move to track down the merit list holders and their careers, i really doubt whether they have done something substantial in their careers.

Are Coaching classes really effective???

Even worst is the coaching classes have their business due to the race of marks. Its a lobby that is enjoying huge political support. I want to share these thoughts which may not be liked by the coaching class owners..

Every year the well known highly publicised coaching classes release adverts about their students who earned 95% of the marks and above. Many times the same student appears in adverts of three or four different classes. does that mean the student never goes to school and only attends coaching classes??

More over lets do a straight comparison.. the school / college have on an average 50 students. Only 5% raise their hand in the class to clarify doubts. Also there are 50 students in a coaching class which is cramped for space and over there only 5% students raise doubts to clarify concepts. In a school, which as the law of normal distribution says there would be 5% toppers and rest below them, the same goes with the coaching classes too right..

In the craze of marks parents invest in the coaching class fees and expect that their kid will turn out to be brilliant.. stop cheating yourself parents, if each parent takes keen interest in the students school activity and demand good learning .. we would yield good results..

Thank you Mr. Sibal

I want to thank Mr. Sibal for a good move… keep going Mr. Sibal.. let us see some more good reforms and get a OUTPUT oriented education than just an input oriented education.

Anand Desai, Founder -Dheya

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