STUDENT  FIRST! News School Choice
Weekly Update on Education (Issue No 257) 12 Nov 2013
- Prashant Narang, Associate
iJustice
To be a teacher

Mandated by Right to Education Act, 2009, the National Council for Teacher Education requires school teachers to not only have certain minimum academic qualifications, but also to pass a test to be eligible for teaching. The criteria for Classes I-V is 50% marks in Senior Secondary, a Diploma in Elementary Education and passing the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and for Classes VI-VII is a Degree in Elementary Education and TET.

The question is: why TET? If the successful completion of the Diploma does not guarantee teaching ability, it raises questions of credibility on the certificate granted. Shouldn’t promulgation of an additional entry barrier be instead preceded by review and reform of the existing entry barrier? Secondly, does TET certification guarantee good learning achievements of pupil taught by the TET qualified teachers? The purpose of certification exams such as IELTS or TOEFL that assess one’s proficiency in English is precisely that–potential recruiters can rely on the exam outcome. However, a number of research studies show that there is no correlation between learning achievements and the mandated teacher qualification criteria in primary schools.

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Research

Regular Education and Special Education Teacher Attitudes Toward Inclusion
Authors: Eryn Hatchell
The Graduate School University of Wisconsin-Stout

Abstract: Inclusion of special education students in the regular education setting is a very complex and interesting topic in education. The purpose of this study was to examine and analyze middle school regular education and special education teacher attitudes and opinions on inclusion. The three part survey used for this study was developed by the researchers specifically for this study.

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Education News
 

Study: Malaysia has best English language speakers in Asia
- The Star Online, 07 Nov 2013
Malaysia apparently has the best English language speakers in Asia, beating out Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, China and Kazakhstan - according to a Singapore-based English Language school.

Coursera ‘Learning Hubs’ bring a social layer to online education
- Venture Beat, 31 Oct 2013
“We talked a lot about the idea of turning knowledge into something that is really impactful for people, [and] their friends, family and community,” said Yin.

Impact of the RTE Shutdown of Schools
- Forbes India, 07 Nov 2013
The government’s response (and Amartya Sen’s response too) is that the poor cannot make rational decisions about their children’s education — a throwback to the days of a controlled economy.

Michael Gove ‘refusing to back down over teachers’ strike
- The Telegraph, 06 Nov 2013
Speaking at the time, Christine Blower, NUT general secretary, said: “We are giving Government the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions with us to resolve our ongoing dispute on pay, pensions and workload."

Ten ways to fix schools
- Business Day Live, 04 Nov 2013
The National School Effectiveness Study is the culmination of six years of work by education researchers and economists who analysed the test results and school and home backgrounds of 16,000 children at 300 primary schools.

Poll
Will the rise of budget private schools threaten the existence of government schools?

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Video
Heart of Innocence- A film on the Primary Education of India Heart of Innocence- A film on the Primary Education of India
The film showcases a narrative by children talking about primary education in India giving a glimpse of the semi rural state of Kolkata India. It exhibits by example of Sister Cyril , Principal of Loreto Sealdah who through her various programs gives opportunities to children to be agents of social transformation. Watch the video.

Publications

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