|
Greetings
from
news.desk
Wish
you a very
happy new year
2012.
While
meeting people
on the eve of
the New Year,
I could not
miss being
repetitively
subjected to a
common remark
'how this
year went by
so fast, time
has flown'.
My submission
on this is --
on the
clock-seconds-minutes-
hours have
been the same
since the
beginning of
time. It is
just that this
year we were
blessed with
so much more
and have
packed in so
many more
things that we
did not have
time to stop
and realise
time moving.
Even
we at Develop
Schools have
moved miles
ahead:
I
hope and pray
that this year
we receive
more than what
we wished for;
let there be
peace and
happiness all
around.
While
browsing
through a
national
newspaper I
see page 2
dedicated to
children -
their needs -
education -
development.
The country's
focus on
growth in
literacy and
education is
at its peak
and to all the
people in this
sector the
time to be in
the lime light
has come. It
is Time to
make a change,
Time to
Develop
Schools.
In
this edition
we have
- Our
Guest
editor,
Dr. H.
Shepherd,
Director,
Ingraham
Institute,
Ghaziabad
(U.P.)
writes 'Fostering
creativity
through
education'.
- Our
Chief
Editor,
Mrs. Rita
Wilson
with her
views on 'Inclusion
or
discrimination
in
education'.
- I
share my
views on 'Brand
building
in K12
education'.
- Web
links on
the
happenings
in the
education
industry.
- You
could know
more about
Develop
Schools'
services,
the
itinerary
of our
associates
for you to
benefit
from
during
their
visit to
your
locations.
- We
conclude
with
unfurling
the topic
of our
next
issue.
Send us
your
articles.
If your
entry is
selected
we will
cover your
article in
our
forthcoming
newsletters.
I
now invite you
to read on and
send us your
feedback /
suggestions.
After all we
improve when
you assist us.
Feel
free to FORWARD
this
newsletter to
your Trustees
/ Managing
committees /
References.
Sincerely,
Melwin
Braggs
Business
Editor
|
|
Fostering
creativity
through
education
|
Our
Guest
Editor -
Dr. Hepesh
Shepherd
Director,
Ingraham
Institute,
Ghaziabad
(U.P.)
Creativity
refers to
the
phenomenon
whereby a
person
creates
something
new (a
product, a
solution,
a
work
of art, a
novel, a
joke etc)
that has
some kind
of value.
[Wikipedia]
Creative
thinking
is vital
to student
success in
all
subjects.
Besides,
as
technology
is
advancing
and
transforming
our
societies
at an
unprecedented
rate,
creative
problem
solving is
needed to
cope with
the
challenges
we face.
What
can
schools
do?
-
Provide
a
creativity
friendly,
varied
and
imagination
fostering
environment
for
young
students.
-
Encourage
confidence,
willingness
to
take
risks
and
build
motivation.
-
Teach
students
to
solve
problems
that
do not
have
well
defined
answers.
-
Provide
balance.
Students
who are
encouraged
to think
creatively: 
-
Become
more
effective
learners
-
Have
greater
ownership
over
their
learning
-
Become
more
interested
in
discovering
things
for
themselves
-
Are
more
open
to new
ideas
and
challenges
-
Can
work
well
with
others
Creativity
programmes
should
have:
-
Role
of
leaders
(read:
managing
committee)
in
developing
a
creative
school
-
A
school
improvement
plan
linking
programme
development
with
the
mission
statement
and
objectives
identified
by the
school
-
Processes
where
pupils,
teachers
and
practioners
can
work
together
as
co-constructors
of
learning.
-
Reforming
and
restructuring
of
curriculum
-
Use
of
spaces
and
resources
that
encourage
creativity
-
External
partners
from
creative
and
cultural
sector
-
Regular
opportunities
for
hands
on
experimentation,
problem
solving
and
reflection
leading
to
sustainable
and
embedded
practice
for
continual
growth
-
Assessment
procedures
that
reflect
and
reward
creativity,
enterprise
and
innovation
-
Creative
teachers
CREATIVITY
AND HUMAN
BEINGS
THRIVE
WHEN THE
ENVIRONMENT
SUPPORTS
GROWTH.
|
|
Inclusion
or
discrimination
in education
|
|
-
Rita
Wilson, Chief
Editor
(Ex
Chief
Executive and
Secretary,
ICSE)
As
per the Right
to Education
Act, 2010, 25
per cent of
the seats in
all schools
are reserved
for poor
students
and are to be
provided free.
But this
provision is
dodged in
numerous
ways; schools
claim
ignorance of
the law; that
they can't
find poor
students; that
poor students
have to be
educated
separately
even if
admitted, and
so on.
"Not one
school is
admitting poor
students of
their own
volition,"
said a social
activist,
bitterly.
"It's
only when
there is
pressure from
parents and
activists that
they admit
students."
Clearly, there
is no place
for lessons in
social
responsibility
in the
classroom,
despite the
Act of
Parliament.
 If
the Act is
implemented in
totality, the
figures of
poor students
who will stand
to gain will
be very high.
Hypothetically
speaking, if
there are five
hundred
private
schools in
every city,
and if each
school has
around two
thousand
students, and
25% students
are admitted
from the
weaker section
of society;
then number of
students from
poor families
who will get
the benefit of
a good
education, is
staggering.
An
unfortunate
fall-out of
the RTE Act
has been that
schools are
blatantly
discriminating
against
students
admitted
against this
quota. Some
schools take
classes for
students
admitted under
the quota
after two in
the afternoon,
when classes
for the others
are over.
Teachers are
asked to stay
back to teach
the 'quota'
students. This
is an attitude
that can have
dangerous
ramifications,
say
educationists
and parents,
as it could
create an
inferiority
complex among
students.
While the law
that provides
for
reservation of
seats for
students from
weak
backgrounds is
laudable, the
problem is
that it can
lead to
discrimination
after the
students are
admitted.
There is the
question of
uniform and
books, and
that those
from
economically
poor
backgrounds
will be with
students who
will be
flaunting the
latest
electronic
equipment. The
children can
feel out of
place, they
may lose their
identity.
In
fact, couched
in soft terms,
this
'discrimination'
is something
that many
schools prefer
to adopt. The
principal of a
private school
said, "We
had
represented to
the Government
that we should
be allowed to
take evening
classes for
children
admitted under
the quota. We
have seen that
there is a
problem with
emotional
integration,
and with their
standards of
learning.
Hence, we want
to start
bridge courses
so that they
can catch up
with the other
students. This
is for the
benefit of the
children as
they otherwise
feel excluded.
Once their
educational
standards are
up to the
mark, they can
join the
morning class
with the
others."
By
adopting this
view, schools
are
systematically
keeping poor
students away
from the
mainstream.
|
|
Brand
building in
K12 education
|
-
Melwin Braggs
Business Editor
Is
Brand Important? We
all know the
importance businesses
place on
"branding."
McDonalds is a classic
example.
They build their brand
by making sure
everything they do,
say, sell and build
reinforces the
company's values and
goals. By brand, I
don't mean a
trademark, a logo, or
a particular style of
design.
Even
if you have never set
foot in a McDonald's
restaurant, which is
unlikely because of
the prevalence and
strength of their
brand, you still
recognize their brand
and its meaning.
Schools
also need to build and
protect their brand,
especially in times of
stress.
Here
are some ideas to help
a school build its
brand while planning
its infrastructure
facilities:
1.
A vision for the
future is the basis
for a recognizable
brand
Develop
a long term vision for
the future of
education in your
community; then work
to ensure that
everything built
supports that vision.
Installation
of solar energy
panels, rainwater
collection and
distribution systems,
wind generators, green
roofs are all
sustainable design
elements that not only
improve the
environment and save
on operating costs,
they also speak to the
community about core
values and the fact
that students are
learning valuable
lessons about being
responsible members of
society. Celebrate
these elements in your
designs and let them
be seen.
2.
Create "Curb
Appeal"
When
adding to or
renovating an existing
school, think about
how construction
budget can be used to
satisfy priority needs
while improving the
appearance of the
school. A school has
to work on important
aspects but the
'visible' improvements
need to be worked on.
We recommend putting a
percentage of the
budget to work in a
way that is visible to
the public. We
frequently suggest
locating new or
renovated construction
elements on the public
side of a project so
that the
transformation is
visible from the
street. This
communicates
transformation and
progress to the public
in a way that
maximizes the value of
every Rupee spent.
3.
Use Landscape
Creatively
Construction
projects at schools
typically trigger a
need for handicapped
access upgrades.
Rather than
approaching these from
a utilitarian
standpoint, think
about combining them
with landscape,
lighting and paving
upgrades that renew
the image of the
school from the
street. Landscape
improvements are an
economical way of
improving the
appearance of a
school. They invite
people into the
school. They say the
School cares about the
quality of the
learning environment,
and create a sense
that the school is
part of the fabric of
the overall community.
4.
Commit to an inclusive
planning and design
process.
A
truly inclusive
process that makes the
whole community an
active participant in
establishing the
direction of
facilities,
improvements can be an
effective way of
communicating and
building broad support
for the School's
vision. Communicate
early regarding
upcoming School
initiatives. If there
is community
opposition, take it
seriously and try to
address root concerns.
Invite the
stakeholders to offer
their own solutions
and then evaluate and
discuss them
collectively. By
putting community
members in a position
where they have to
work constructively
towards finding
solutions, complaints
can be defused. A long
term pattern of
collaboration can
build trust. That
reputation will become
part of the overall
School Brand.
Let
us consciously build a
brand which will go a
long way to Develop
Schools.
