BACK TO SCHOOL
Meaningful restart of education is critical

Inequalities in education, which were already very large, have been considerably worsened by the long closure of schools. But this crisis is also an opportunity for renewal of the education system.

#Adivasis #Caste #Curricula #Urban Poor
LEARNING ONLINE
Dual lesson plans can bridge the divide

A pilot program shows how learning can continue despite the lockdown, and also how the gap in technology-assisted learning available to children in government schools can be closed.

#Curricula #KARNATAKA #ODISHA
BAL SANSADS
Children lead the change
BAL SANSADS : Children lead the change

Success in one initiative to strengthen public schooling can help reach some goals of other initiatives too. The Bal Sansad program in Uttar Pradesh shows how focusing on hygiene is improving attendance too.

#Child Health #Public Health #Children
NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY
History lesson in mother tongue instruction
NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY : History lesson in mother tongue instruction

Tarun Jain and Revathy Suryanarayana point to the link between vernacular language use in schools and educational achievement using data from large-scale historical events in South India.

#Education Law and Policy #History
KERALA'S CHILDREN
Schooling the children of migrant labourers

As more poor migrant children face exploitation in Kerala, some schools are coming up with ways to enrol and retain them. A few schools now have more migrant than local students.

#Child labour #Children
CHILD MARRIAGE
Girls get the power to refuse child marriage

In West Bengal, girls are being empowered to refuse early marriage thanks to a state government initiative that enables them to stay longer in school. The Kanyashree Prakalpa scheme has been remarkably successful in curbing child marriage and promoting girl child education, says Saadia Azim.

#Girls' Education #WEST BENGAL
SKILL DEVELOPMENT – II
The skills journey: A long history but no destination in sight

In the second and concluding part of his exposition on India’s skill development efforts, Shambhu Ghatak traces the journey under the UPA and NDA governments, only to find that while the thrust remains the same, the end is far from sight.

#Livelihoods #Skills Development #Economy
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Where we are and where we want to be

The Skill India Mission aims to provide skills training to around 402 million people by the year 2022. In the first of a two-part series, Shambhu Ghatak upholds estimates of skilled workforce from various reports to highlight the yawning gap that needs to be bridged.

#Livelihoods #Skills Development #Economy
RTE IN TN
Non-compliance and violations of RTE Act in TN schools

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India’s report on Tamil Nadu (General and Social Sector) for the year ending on March 31, 2014 got tabled in the state assembly last month. Himanshu Upadhyaya analyses the report and asks question on the non-responsiveness of the state government to CAG’s performance review.

#Education Law and Policy
SCHOOL EDUCATION
When schools and parents clash
SCHOOL EDUCATION : When schools and parents clash

Lack of open communication between parents and school authorities is diminishing trust and respect between them. This in turn has caused many unfortunate incidents that could have been avoided, reports Puja Awasthi.

#Children #UTTAR PRADESH
EDUCATION
Where is teaching headed in the Modi regime?

Despite the simplistic articulation of teachers' roles and teaching, including that by PM Modi, and the alignment of education to a broader nationalistic agenda, could there be potential ‘teachable moments’ under the new regime? Shivali Tukdeo and Savitha Suresh Babu explain.

#Government #OP-ED
YOUTH & UNEMPLOYMENT
The false promise of a demographic dividend

Much is made out of the proportion of youth in India’s population and what it could mean for its economy and progress. However, statistics and trends in education and employment within this group do not paint a promising picture, points out Kannan Kasturi.

#Livelihoods #Economy
OP-ED: PREPARING GEN-NEXT
Why ‘skilling’ India must focus on schooling

The thrust on vocational skills and values among the youth has more often looked at solutions based on extraneous skill-development modules. E S Ramamurthy explains why a more skilled future workforce must entail fundamental reforms in schooling.

#Curricula #Education Opinions #Livelihoods #Skills Development #Children #OP-ED
MEDICAL CORRUPTION
Who will lead the anti-corruption agenda in the health sector?

The conduct of election of members to the Medical Council of India in 2013 and its subsequent actions over the past year have underlined the brazen corruption in the regulatory body. Developments in the health ministry raise doubts over whether these issues will be tackled at all.  A round up

#Health Laws #Law and Order #Government #Health #Laws
WOMEN’S EDUCATION
A better life through literacy
WOMEN’S EDUCATION : A better life through literacy

The broad-based Community Based Functional Literacy Campaign launched by the State Resource Centre of Rayagada, Orissa aims to educate women and drop-out girls in three of the most backward districts of the state. Abhijit Mohanty summarises the key take-aways so far.

#Adivasis #Girls' Education #Government #ODISHA
TEACHERS' DAY
Who will broaden their horizons?

On the eve of Teachers’ Day, PM Narendra Modi called upon teachers across the country to inculcate broader perspectives and greater social responsibility among students. But given the shortage of teachers and crippling social malpractices, how realistic is that vision?

#Livelihoods #Government
MAN ON A MISSION
Building a library a day
MAN ON A MISSION : Building a library a day

Entrepreneur and social activist Pradeep Lokhande’s project of setting up a library every day across rural schools in Maharashtra is helping many poor students see the light of a new day. Ramesh Menon reports on this unique initiative.

#Profiles #Children #Society
DEVELOPMENT
Should Modi now steer India towards Gujarat?

The Gujarat development model has been widely credited with the potential to change India’s future. As the new government completes a month in power, Ramesh Menon stresses the need to seriously question if it is really one that should be replicated in every Indian state.

#Economy #Health #States #GUJARAT
ELECTION RESULTS 2014
A dream come true, but can it seed another?

The overwhelming mandate won by the BJP under Narendra Modi has led to continuing upward rally in the markets, but can it also inspire similar cheer in the social space? Shankar Jaganathan remains optimistic.

#Elections #Government Opinions #Health #OP-ED
POLL PROMISES
How parties are wooing the young voter

The huge number of voters among the youth could well emerge to be the real game-changers in the parliamentary elections of 2014. Tanvi Bhatikar looks at the manifestos of the three main parties to see what they have to lure young voters.

#Elections #Economy #Government
ICDS SCHEME
Why Bihar’s child is different from Himachal’s

The Integrated Child Development Services scheme was launched to address the nutrition, health and learning needs of all children below six years of age. Ankita Aggarwal shares findings from a survey that point to the huge variations in implementation and effectiveness. 

#Child Health #Children #Government
GAPS IN EDUCATION
The real and present threat to our future

India is at a turning point and needs a holistic education system to meet the requirements and expectations of various existing and emerging sectors. Unless there is a revamp, our youngsters have a bleak future, says Ramesh Menon

#Curricula #Labour Issues
INCLUSION IN EDUCATION
A school for me too
INCLUSION IN EDUCATION : A school for me too

The Nanagu Shaale programme shows why the provision of home-based education for children with special needs may in practice defeat the ideological objective of inclusion. 

#Disability #Education Law and Policy #KARNATAKA

Podcasts from Takshashila Institution.
  • Improving learning outcomes in schools
  • Will the internet FLoC to Google’s standards?
  • Getting children back to schooling
  • When should India reopen its schools?
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India Together has partnered with The Takshashila Institution to bring our readers all episodes of the policy chat podcast series, All Things Policy. The podcasts are tagged based on the taxonomy IT uses to archive its own content, so readers can find the various episodes in the respective Section and Topic pages.