Students stand to lose out with CBSE scrapping reforms: Experts

REGRESSIVE Doing away with steps like continuous assessments will hurt children’s progress, say schools

Students passing out of schools affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Examination(CBSE)exams willnolonger have an edge over others, fear experts.

Schools in Mumbai complained that in the last few months, the CBSE has done away with all the new academic reforms that set it apart from other boards. They said they will, however, continue to implement reforms upto Class 8.

The board recently scrapped the open text-based assessment (OTBA) for Classes 9 and 11. This came close on heels of discontinuing the international curriculum, erasing the continuous comprehensive evaluation that focused on all-round assessments, and making Class 10 board exams compulsory again.
Many of the academicians in Mumbai fear that these changes have turned back the clock on the progress made by students.

“These are regressive steps, undoing all the innovative assessments and evaluations brought in over the last decade,” said Avnita Bir, principal, RN Podar School, Santacruz. “These assessments were on par with foreign universities and higher education institutes.”

The OTBA, for instance, which was scrapped earlier this month for classes 9 and 11, was aimed at developing thinking and analytical skills of students. It involved pouring over casestudies and answering openended questions, instead of merely copying down mugged up answers. “We were so impressed with OTBAs that we had introduced them for our lower classes as well and we don’t want to change that,” said Bir.

Refusing to do away with the reforms completely, many schools have decided to continue with them for primary and middle school.

“The CBSE policies are politically driven but we cannot keep changing the assessment pattern. It will affect our students,” said Deepshikha Srivastava, principal, Rajhans Vidyalaya, Andheri.
Srivastava added, “We will take the good practices from all the assessments and stick to it for classes 1 to 8.”

Schools said they were not consulted before any of these changes were done, leaving them anxious about what the future holds. “It was unfair for the board to just scrap it without even giving us any reason. We are now worried whether they will do away with the new subjects,” added Bir.

Some of the principals said that while the assessments were good, they were not implemented properly by the board. “They were hastily introduced, without proper planning. None of the actual stakeholders were involved in the discussions while implementing them,” said Ganesh Parmeswaran, Bal Bharti Public School, Navi Mumbai.

 Source: Hindustan Times | 16 Feb 2017 | Mumbai | Puja Pednekar puja.pednekar@hindustantimes.com

CBSE 2017 queries? 

Here are the contact details

The CBSE class 10 and 12 board exams will start from March 9. Check the contact details here.

The CBSE class 10 and 12 board exams will start from March 9. In case of any queries, the students can speak to the concerned authorities.
The board also conducts examinations like AIPMT, JEE, CTET besides others.

Listed below are the contact details for the same:

CBSE Helpline Number:

1800-11-8002

Enquiry:

Tel. 91-11-22509256, 22509257, 22509258, 22509259

Examination Unit:

K K Chaudhary, Controller of ExaminationsTel.   91-11-22515828Fax: 011-22057089Email: ce.cbse2014@gmail.com

AIPMT:

Dr Sanyam Bhardwaj, OSD (AIPMT)Tel. 91-11-22059683Fax:  011-22509251Email: osd.cbse@gmail.com

U.C. Bodh, Dy. SecretaryTel: 91-11-22054966
Email: osd.cbse@gmail.com

Raj Rani Sharma, Assistant Secretary and Karnail Singh, Assistant SecretaryTel:91-11-22019683Email: aipmt.cbse@nic.in

CTET

P.I.Sabu,Director (CTET, Special Exams & Affiliation)Tel.  91-11-22248885Fax: 91-11-22248990Email: rodelhi.cbse@gmail.com

Regional Offices

DELHI:

Regional Officer
Tel.  91-11-22248885Fax: 91-11-22248990Email: rodelhi.cbse@gmail.com

CHENNAI:

Srinivasan (Regional Officer)
Tel. 91- 44-26162214,26162213, 26161100 Fax:91-44-26162212Email: rochennai.cbse@nic.in

--------------
Source: New Delhi, February 13, 2017 | UPDATED 15:29 IST 
Link : http://indiatoday.intoday.in/education/story/cbse-2017/1/881465.html

No writers for slow learners this SSC, HSC exam





Vinamrata Borwankar  | Mumbai:

Exception: If They Get Recommendation From KEM, Nair Or Sion Hospitals

Slow learners, with the exception of those who have secured a special recommendation from doctors, will not be able to avail of writers for the upcoming SSC and HSC exams.

 

While parents and activists have been campaigning before the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education that slow learners be allowed to use writers, the change is not expected to come through before the exams begin later this month.

In a January 2016 government resolution, the state board had revised the concessions offered to students with special needs. Under the new rules, two categories of students can avail of writers during an exam: Those with an IQ below 70 and those with learning disabilities. However, students with an IQ between 70 and 90, usually referred to as slow learners, do not fall in either of these categories and therefore cannot be given writers.Several parents and activists had approached the state board to add slow learners to the list.

A member of the committee, which addresses issues related to exam-related concessions, said, “We have once again written to the state board in this regard. While board officials, too, are of the opinion that these students must be included in the list, they need to communicate this proposed change to the government.“

Board officials said that slow learners will be allowed writers only if a certification centre makes a specific recommendation. The city has three certification centres--at KEM, Sion and Nair hospitals.

“Slow learners do not fit into any of the categories described in the Central Act concerning persons with disabilities.Hence, we cannot provide them with writers. However, in case a certifying doctor specifies that astudent needs a writer, we will consider the request and give the concession. Otherwise, students will only get 20 minutes of additional time per hour to write a paper,“ said Siddeshwar Chandekar, secretary of the board's Mumbai division.

Parents want slow learners to benefit, though. “Sion Hospital recommended that our child needs a writer and we are therefore being allowed to use one.Several other students might not have got such a recommendation. The rules should be changed so that parents don't have to run around till the last minute trying to prove that their case is an exception,“ said a mother.

Mental health experts, too, had written to school education minister Vinod Tawde requesting a change. “If a child with mild mental retardation can get an adult writer and those with normal and above normal intelligence with learning disabilities can get the same provision, then this facility should be extended to slow learners who are in the middle of these two groups. This would mean abiding by the principles of na tural justice,“ read a letter by psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty .Activists say there could be a way out if parents joined forces. “Autism was included as a category in the Act only in 2016.But parent groups pushed enough with the education boards and managed to get concessions the same year,“ said Merry Barua, founder director, Action for Autism.
TIMES VIEW:

Although `slow learning' is not recognized as a disability under the central legislation, it is important for groups working in various areas of education to study the problem and lobby with the government to bring about necessary changes in law. Given the scholastic and competitive standards of school education and the sheer percentage of dropouts at higher levels, it may be necessary to support sections of students who have a lower-than-average IQ; institutions and educationists must adopt an all-inclusive approach so that no child is left behind.

Source : Feb 14 2017 : The Times of India (NaviMumbai)

Link : http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31840&articlexml=No-writers-for-slow-learners-this-SSC-HSC-14022017005009





Tall order to keep kids away from junk food

While many private schools have been able to introduce healthy snacks in their cafeteria menu, govt schools are still struggling to do the same

Parents can monitor what their children eat at home, but once they step out, healthy options dry up. Instead, children’s palate is assaulted with unhealthy food high in fat, salt and sugar and low on essential nutrients they need to grow mentally and physically.
IMAGES BAZAAR  

When schools ban sale of unhealthy food on campus, vendors make their own makeshift shops and start selling meals­on­bicycles outside the institute. (Picture for representational purpose only) Chips, sweetened beverages, instant noodles, fries, samosas, bread pakoras and patties are the standard fare in most school cafeterias. When schools ban them, enterprising vendors set up makeshift kiosks and sell meals-on-bicycles outside schools. With no running water or quality control for cooking and storing, most children end up with empty calories and very often, gut-destroying germs.

“All refined, fried and processed foods are just empty calories because most of the essential sugar and fat the body needs are present naturally in food, such as sugar in fruits and fat in dairy, seeds, nuts, meats and cooking oil,” says Rahul Verma, founder of the Delhi-based non-profit Uday Foundation, which filed a PIL in the Delhi high court in December 2010 asking for a ban on the sale of junk food in schools. “Though traditional snacks are freshly made and do not have additives such as colour and preservatives added to them, they are usually high in low quality oils, salts and sugars,” Verma underlines.

In March 2015, the Delhi high court asked the administrator of Delhi to issue healthy eating guidelines under Rule 43 of the Delhi School Education Rules, 1973, and directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to formulate guidelines, which have since been circulated but are not binding.

While many private schools in Delhi and Mumbai have not waited for government guidelines and moved towards healthier snacks years ago, Punjab, where the state’s child rights commission banned junk food in schools in January 2016, unhealthy foods are still widely available.

Delhi’s Springdales School on Pusa Road removed fried snacks and aerated drinks from their canteen menu a decade ago. The shift in the attitude occurred after a survey showed 70% of the students were overweight and were either suffering from associated conditions or would grow up to be unhealthy adults.

“Children eat only one meal in school. To make the child healthy, we have to involve their parents. Many kids were eating two-minute noodles, fried potato taters or food high on sugar and fats,” says Ameeta Wattal, principal, Springdales, where poha, idli sambar and wholewheat sandwiches are sold along with lassi, chaach and lime juice.

These foods are also part of the cafeteria menu at Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, where the menu is changed periodically to include seasonal vegetables. The school also has a committee consisting of teachers, students and some parents. They monitor the nutrition value of the food, the taste and the oil it is cooked in. “Our canteen is outsourced, but we strictly monitor it to make sure that the quality of the food is maintained,” says Manohar Lal, principal of the school.

In Lucknow’s La Martiniere Girls’ College, children are encouraged to eat more fruits and vegetables from kindergarten. “The practice was introduced by our former principal Late Farida Abraham and it is still continuing,” vice-principal Aashrita Dass told HT.

In Mumbai, parents associations are sore at the lack of guidelines in Maharashtra. “Schools receive cutbacks from vendors, and canteen contractors also prefer such items because it boosts their sales,” says Jayant Jain, president, Forum for Fairness in Education, a parent-teacher body. Even education officials admit they do not check whether schools serve junk food as there is no regulation against it so far. “We cannot stop a school from serving junk food, as there is no official ban in place. We can at best advise them to opt for healthier choices,” says BB Chavan, deputy director of education, Mumbai division.

While many schools said it is difficult to restrict junk food in its vicinity, some have come up with innovative ways to restrict fast food on the campus: Rajhans Vidyalaya in Andheri serves fresh, hot and hygienic food in breakfast and lunch on campus and doesn’t allow home food to ensure parents don’t send unhealthy food. Aerated drinks are also banned.

At Ryan International, Kandivali, teachers patrol the streets after school to ensure children walking out don’t stop at the nearby McDonalds or other junk food joints.

In government-run schools, the hot meals provided under the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (Mid Day Meal Scheme) are nutritive and safe. The scheme was launched to increase enrolment, retention and attendance while improving the nutrition levels of children by giving them 300 calories of energy, 8-12 gms of protein and adequate micronutrients. However, it was not good enough to keep children in school. A 2015 audit of the action taken on the Comptroller and Auditor General’s 2008 Report on Mid Day Meal Scheme showed that the enrolment in the midday meals-covered schools dropped from 14.69 crore in 2009-10 to 13.87 crore in 2013-14, while enrolment in private schools shot up by 38% in the same period.

The audit also found children were given less than the prescribed quantity of foodgrains. Moreover, inspections were not carried out to ensure quality. Most schools checked in the audit lacked facilities like kitchen sheds, proper utensils, availability of drinking water etc. There were several instances of food being cooked in the open in unhygienic conditions, the report found.

Few lessons seem to have been learnt from the shocking case of negligence that left 23 children dead and dozens others seriously ill after they ate a pesticidelaced midday-meal at a primary school at Dharmashati Gandaman village in Bihar in July 2013. A month later, 30 kids fell ill in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh; and in November 2014, 25 kids fell ill after eating their mid-day meal at a government school at Gaya in Bihar.

In July 2016,40 students fell ill at Chincholi village in Adilabad district of Telangana after eating food prepared in the school kitchen at a farewell party for seniors. In September that year, 25 students were hospitalised in Kolar district in Karnataka. In September 2015, about 150 students in Chandoor town and Ilapuram village in Telangana started vomiting after having mid-day meal.

“Such cases of food poisoning are very rare and take place in remote areas due to lack of proper supervision and maintenance of kitchen. Otherwise, there is a periodical check on the quality of food. Even we eat the same food regularly to ensure the quality,” said L Ravinder Rao, headmaster at a government school in Ranga Reddy district of Telangana.

Source: 8 Feb 2017 | Mumbai | Anonna Dutt and Puja Pednekar letters@hindustantimes.com 

Source Link:  http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

Single entrance test for engg, architecture seats from 2018

Entrance test to be held in multiple languages





But Nat'l Test Won't Include IIT Admissions 

The Centre has approved a proposal for a single entrance exam for engineering and architecture at the undergraduate level from 2018. It will be on the lines of the national eligibility and entrance test (NEET) for medical colleges.

The human resource development ministry has asked the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to issue a “suitable regulation“ for the implementation of the proposal from the academic year 2018-19. The test will be conducted multiple times a year, as is the case with college admission tests like SAT in the US, and is intended to bring uniformity in academic standards and reduce the influence of donations.

The test will, however, not include admission to IITs, wh ich will continue to hold their own entrance exams. IITs, unlike private and state colleges, are not seen to be affected by fluctuating standards and admission processes.

According to a senior HRD official, “Admission for IITs will continue as per the present scheme. IITs will con duct the joint entrance examination (advanced). Students who qualify after JEE (mains) can appear for the JEE (advanced) exam. Approximately, 2 lakh students qualify to appear for JEE (advanced) exam.“ The proposal on holding only one entrance exam for engineering admissions is seen to be in “accordance with the policy of the government to improve standards and the quality of engineering education“. At present, many states conduct their own engineering exams or admissions are done on the basis of Class XII marks.

Engineering colleges in five states use the score obtained in JEE (mains) as the basis for admission. There are 3,288 engineering colleges across 27 states, with most of them in Tamil Nadu (527), followed by Maharashtra (372), Andhra Pradesh (328), Uttar Pradesh (295) and Madhya Pradesh (211). The HRD ministry has asked AICTE to ensure that the testing process is standardized, keeping “in view the linguistic diversity of the country“. According to AICTE sources, the exam is to be conducted in multiple languages like NEET, which will be conducted in 10 languages this year.

The ministry has requested all state governmentsdeemed universities “to communicate their constructive suggestions for the smooth implementation of the regulation“.It has also said it would help if as many institutions as possible come under a joint seat-allocation system for a more efficient seat-allocation process.

Source: Feb 11 2017 : The Times of India (Navi Mumbai)





Link: http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31840&articlexml=Entrance-test-to-be-held-in-multiple-languages-11022017020034

CBSE's diabetic students to get mid-board exam snack break

Can Eat 60-90 Minutes Into Tests, Schools May Be Asked To Follow Suit

Manash Gohain New Delhi:





Here is news that should cheer students with Type-1 diabetes and put a smile on the faces of their anxious parents. The Central Board of Secondary Education has decided, in principle, to allow students appearing for Class X and XII board exams in March and April this year to take a break for a mid-exam snack.

 

Type-1 diabetic patients, who depend on two to four insulin injections every day to keep their sugar levels balanced, are advised not to have too long a break between snacks. Else, the low sugar level will lead to them having a headache and suffering from irritability , restlessness and confusion.

CBSE will soon notify that diabetic students will be allowed a snack break during exams, an hour or 90 minutes from the commencement of the test.

It is also likely to advise school principals to start a similar practice in their institutions, as is done in the United States.

“We are working out the details,“ announced RK Chaturvedi, chairman, CBSE, on Friday . “We will probably is sue a detailed circular on the matter in the coming week.“

The relief to the diabetic students was considered by the education board after Dr Ashok Jhingan, chairperson of the Delhi Diabetes Research Centre, approached it to consider the problem. He buttressed his request with the results from a study in four Kendriya Vidyalayas that had allowed its students with Type-1 diabetes to have a mid-exam snack. According to Jhingan, there are four lakh children with Type-1 diabetes in the country , around 14,000 of them in Delhi-NCR. “These children need insulin half an hour before eating, which means between 6.30 am and 7.30 am,“ the doctor said. “In schools, the students generally are allowed a light snack after two hours to prevent their sugar level falling.This is because the regular class breaks usually take pla ce at 11 am, around three hours after school starts. Without the snack between 9am and 10am, their sugar level could drop, leaving them irritable and unable to concentrate on their studies.“

Even students who otherwise do well academically through the year face problems at exam time, said Jhingan. They normally leave for the exam hall at least an hour before the scheduled time for the test. “If the exam starts at 10 am,“ explained Jhingan, “then it means the children have their insulin shots at around 8.30am. They start developing low sugar levels by 11 am. If the exam is of three hours' duration, it will go on till 1 pm. In such a situation, there is a decline in the performance levels of the diabetic students.“

Source :Feb 11 2017 : The Times of India (NaviMumbai)

Link: http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31840&articlexml=CBSEs-diabetic-students-to-get-mid-board-exam-11022017018005#

Kids have a huge impact on their peers, finds study

ANI





When preschoolers spend time around one another, they tend to take on each other's personalities, indicates a new study by Michigan State University psychology researchers. The study suggests personality is shaped by environment and not just genes. “Our findings, which states that personality traits are contagious among children, flies in the face of common assumptions that personality is ingrained and can't be changed. This is important because some personality traits can help children succeed in life, while others can hold them back,“ said Jennifer Watling Neal, co-investigator on the study .

 

The researchers studied two preschool classes for an entire school year, analysing personality traits and social networks for one class of three-year-olds and another class of four-year-olds.Children whose play partners were extroverted or hard-working became similar to these peers over time. However, kids whose play partners were overanxious and easily frustrated did not take on these particular traits.

The study is the first to examine these personality traits in young children over time. The researchers deduced that kids are having a bigger effect on each other than people may realise.While parents spend a lot of their time trying to tell their child to be patient, be a good listener, among other things, it wasn't them who have an influence but their friends.





Source: Feb 05 2017 : The Times of India (NaviMumbai)

Link: http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31840&articlexml=Kids-have-a-huge-impact-on-their-peers-05022017105037#

NEET: Confusion persists on admissions, Syllabus

Medical aspirants unsure if Class 12 marks will be considered

MUMBAI : The Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) statement on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) has clarified many doubts for medical aspirants and their parents, but there is still ambiguity about admission rules for deemed universities in state, and the syllabus for NEET 2017.

A group of parents from Maharashtra are planning to meet officials from the Directorate of Medical Education & Research (DMER) this week for better clarity.

“In the last many years medical admissions had never given any weightage to class 12 marks, but recently the Supreme Court requested all higher education courses to consider that score as well as entrance exam scores. We are not sure if the rule is applicable this year,” said one of the parents.

Earlier this month, the DMER had also released a statement saying that admission to all medical seats (except for 15% all-India quota) in government-run and private institutes will be conducted by DMER. However, there is no clarification about seats in deemed institutes. “We don’t want to wait till the last minute for clarity. So hopefully the state government will release another statement soon,” said a parent.

When HT contacted the DMER director, he said the matter of admissions to deemed institutes is still sub-judice, as the matter is still pending in Supreme Court. “Once we get a go ahead from SC, we will release a statement on that as well. As for weightage to class 12 marks, medical admission have given no weightage to class 12 marks since 1999, and we will continue the same rule in 2017. As for 2018, we can decide later,” said Dr Pravin Shingare, director, DMER.

Parents have complained about other problems, including an unclear stand by CBSE on the portion applicable for NEET 2017.

“The website says that the question paper will include questions from CBSE as well as a common state board syllabus, but there is no common state board syllabus. Each state has a different syllabus,” said Sudha Shenoy, another parent. Many are hoping to hear form the CBSE soon.

Source: Hindustan Times | 7 Feb 2017 | Mumbai | Shreya Bhandary ■ shreya.bhandary@hindustantimes.com

Link: http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

================================