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Revolution and Evolution in Educational System

REVOLUTION AND EVOLUTION IN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

BY PROF.M.S.RAO, ACADEMIC GUIDE, ICFAI UNIVERSITY, INDIA

“ Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it”, Martin Wright Edelman.

WHAT IS EDUCATION AND SOCIETY:

Education provides the man with information, imagination, knowledge, ideas, values, ethics, reasoning and over all makes the man complete man. Education brings refinement, adds to intelligence, and makes independent and confident man. It is only the human beings who can get armed and equipped with education, which is missing in animals. Education does not mean only reading and writing but also thinking, learning, reasoning, practical experiences and so on. Education is a learning process from cradle to grave. It is education that has brought out many changes in this world and transformed the entire civilization since time immemorial. Ariel and Will Durant quoted, “Education is the transmission of civilization”.

The growth of society solely depends on the type of educational system adopted. Education makes tremendous impact on the society. The quality of the society depends on the quality of educational system implemented. Some one correctly said, “Better institutions are essential if we are to lead better lives”. Right education makes the people build character, values, ethics, and prepares the society and country as a whole to catch up with the rest of the world. Right education is the legacy or the gift, which we pass on to our next generations. George Peabody said, “Education: a debt due from present to future generations”.

EFFECTS OF EDUCATION ON SOCIETY:

Kerala is the first state in India, which attained cent per cent literacy. It encouraged other states to contribute their best so as to attain total literacy. Rather Kerala has become a model state and ideal state to be emulated by the rest of the country in providing importance to education.

No nation can develop without proper education. And India too developed as a society and as a nation for the last 60 years. India has now vast human resources and it has the thirst highest technical manpower in the world. Although the effects of education in the society are tremendous, yet there are grey areas, which needs to be addressed. India as a nation has developed politically, culturally, economically and socially but yet much needs to be focussed in a right direction.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”, said Nelson Mandela. It is very obvious that no weapon is superior to education. Apart from education, the influence of technology has brought out significant changes in the society. If technology is used in the right direction and if it is coupled with education, we can expect miracles in the society as a whole.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

“Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don’t”, said Pete Seeger. All human beings make many mistakes resulting in bitter and, of course, experience. If an individual is educated, he knows the things because he reads the fine print. He tends to make a few mistakes in his life. Where as if an individual is not educated he tends to make more mistakes because he does not know the fine print. An uneducated individual believes in trial or error method. If he succeeds in his trial, he pursues or else he drops. The uneducated man mostly believes in observation and practical knowledge. The success rate is far higher in educated man rather in an uneducated man. Education brings down the complexities in one’s life thereby making life easier, simpler and comfortable. John Dewey rightly said, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself”.

PROBLEMS IN PRESENT EDUCATION:

India is the second largest populated country in the world and unfortunately it is nowhere near in number qualitatively. It may be again due to huge population and the type of administrative and political system we have. There is stress on cramming, memory and mugging up. One who mugs up and puts in examination paper is treated as a meritorious candidate. It does not encourage imagination, creativity and originality. There is no effective emphasis on practical aspects of life. It is mostly beset with theoretical aspects and concepts, which any one can read even without going to institutions.

School children are loaded with many books and they find it highly stressful. Education, in fact, should be filled with entertainment and fun so that student can discover the joy of learning, which is missing now. Children find it horrible to go to schools because of too much of study. Even at home children engage themselves so much on school homework. Such things do not promote the relations between parent and child at home. Inadequate infrastructure and inexperienced teaching staff are another bane. Unfortunately, in India, both the primary and secondary level education is still struggling to survive qualitatively. The views and opinions of the students are not being respected. Students are always imposed whatever is there in the textbooks resulting in lack of imagination and innovation. R W Emerson rightly said, “The secret in education lies in respecting the student”. Only when students are respected and valued, they will try to think creatively, innovatively and out of the box. Students should be provided with more freedom of thought.

It is very unfortunate that the teachers are not paid handsomely. Best brains are pursuing other careers for monetary benefits and for better prospectus. It is a pity that those who stick to teaching profession either due to their aptitude and taste and temperament towards teaching or because there is no other alternative (TINA factor) career.

Pandit Nehru’s policies and Kothari commission have brought some significant changes in the education but still there is no healthy and constructive impact. There is commercialization of education, and a few fly by night operators entered into this sacred field and spoiled the standards.

TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES TO OVERCOME:

Teaching faculty must undergo regular training to update and upgrade their skills and abilities. Encouraging regular workshops or seminars or courses related to teaching methodologies can enhance and sharpen their skills. Such seminars will encourage the teaching faculty to exchange and gather more information.

“He who opens a school door, closes a prison”, Victor Hugo. Children from the age of 6 to 14 are to be admitted in schools to provide education, as this is the best age to tune them for creating interest in education. Child labor has been abolished but unfortunately it is not enforced effectively. Children should be encouraged by various innovative ways and means to get into educational institutions.

Content and curriculum in the educational system needs to be addressed. Streamlining the educational system on national basis from Kashmir to Kanyakumari will raise the educational standards. There are disparities in the educational system in various states and efforts must be made to fill those gaps.

Govt. levies 2 per cent educational cess and authorities must ensure that the funds go in a right direction to create strong educational infrastructure. Nobody is against the levy of 2 per cent cess but the right application and mobilization of the resources will bring right results rapidly.

Focussing more on vocational education is the need of the hour. Presently there is a vast gap between industry and academics. Infosys has come out with ‘Campus Connect’ initiative to bridge the gap between the industry and academics and it is a step in right direction. The corporate leaders have a vital role in funding the educational system. They make money for themselves, pay handsome salaries to their employees and paying dividends to their shareholders and all the people who are involved in the business are earning one way or the other. But what are they contributing for the education and society? It is a well admitted fact that the helping hands are far better than praying lips. Corporate, whether big or small, can wholeheartedly come forward to contribute their best for bringing Indian educational system on par with global standards.

It is essential to bring reforms in education from time to time as the tools and techniques involved in teaching are changing rapidly due to the influence of technology.

For professional qualifications like engineering, management, medicine, computers etc., the students should be engaged in the practical education and project works from the first year itself. Such activities will build more confidence in the minds of the students as they grasp the needs of the industry and thereby fine-tuning as per the industry expectations. Fee structure needs to be rationalized and the deserving students should be provided with scholarships.

Providing interest free educational loans will help the deserving and poor students. Also, it is desirable to encourage non-professional degree holders to get vocationalized. “Education is not filling a pail, but the lighting of a fire”, said William Butler Yeats. Education must ignite the minds of the students and it must move the students from comfort zone to effective zone. The students in the comfort zone will not achieve as much as that of in effective zone.

CONCLUSION:

There is a strong need to streamline the present educational system. The problems in the educational system need to be addressed immediately. Education should focus on ethical, social, vocational and academic aspects. Education builds man and man in turn builds nation. A strong nation can be built only when there is a strong character education. Abraham Lincoln aptly said, “Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing”. Hence the essence of any education is the strong character. The evolutionary approaches and revolutionary changes in the present educational system are the need of the hour. We must build a nation where youngsters have a vision to think beyond their geographical boundaries. There should be scope for the students to expand intellect, reinforce mind and make them to stand on their own feet.

MESSAGE:

Education and character are two sides of the same coin and one without the other is meaningless. Money may come and go but it is the character that counts from beginning to the end of life. Any individual when equipped with character education can excel in any part of the world. To put it in the words of Martin Luther King Jr. “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically . . . . . intelligence plus character . . .. That is the goal of true education”.

T H E E N D

(The author, Prof.M.S.Rao, is working as an Academic Guide in ICFAI University, INDIA. He talks over radio on various topics. He is a professional trainer in soft skills, communication skills, personality development, motivation, equity investments etc., Number of articles has been published in various global websites, magazines, newspapers and journals. He can be reached at email: profmsr7@yahoo.com )

Source: UK Shopping

Friday, Oct. 2, 2009

Scientists know such things because it’s easy enough to find sharks where they’re feeding and record and observe their activity. What they don’t know much about is what variety of species they eat, where they reproduce and where they migrate, said Wade Smith, a doctoral student at Oregon State University who specializes in the study of sharks and will conduct much of today’s dissection. (See also KGW and Gazette-Time s)

Where It’s @ Beaver Community Fair takes place today. Annually, this event draws together 2000+ Beaver Community members to celebrate the start of another academic year.  Co-hosted by Student Events & Activities Center and the Corvallis-Benton Chamber Coalition, the MU quad will be filled with over 200 OSU and Corvallis community organizations, prepared to share wisdom and resources, provide opportunities for engagement and involvement and of course give away tons for free goodies.  Join us in the MU Quad from noon to 4 p.m. to take advantage.

Enjoy a First Friday lunch at the University Motor Pool. Come enjoy traditional picnic food and bring a friend for company. All the fixins’  for this casual event provided by the staff (and generous donors) so please drop by at your convenience between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Donations accepted at the door.

As a Commons member institution, the OSU Archives is hosting Common Ground, a community-curated meet-up of fans of the Flickr group “The Commons.” The event includes a slideshow on the side of Kidder Hall – which housed the library until 1963. It takes place from 5 to 9 p.m.

Registration is open for the Symposium on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics at LaSells Stewart Center today. The event is in honor of Max Deinzer’s 36-year Career in Mass Spectrometry at OSU. We invite Professor Max Deinzer’s friends, students, advisees, colleagues and mass spectrometry enthusiasts to join us in celebrating his distinguished career. Get more information and register at http://ehsc.oregonstate.edu/deinzersymposium

NEW! Open enrollment help sessions– First Open Enrollment Help Session is Monday, Oct. 5.  Help Sessions are drop-in sessions for employees to get individual assistance from the Employee Benefits staff.  Computers are available on site to help you make changes to your elections and complete the Mandatory medical enrollment.  For a complete listing of the dates and times, visit the OHR website at: http://oregonstate.edu/admin/hr/workshops.html

NEW! Employee Benefits Fair– Oc. 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. MU Ballroom. Meet with Health and Retirement providers and get all of your questions answered.  Representatives from PEBB, Providence, ODS, Willamette Dental, VSP, ASIFlex, Standard Insurance, UNUM, EAP-Cascades Centers, PERS, OSGP, Fidelity, TIAA-CREF, Social Security, Oregon Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance, Dixon Recreation, Faculty Fitness, and more will be there.  For more information visit the OHR website at: http://oregonstate.edu/admin/hr/workshops.html

NEW! Medicare workshop – Oct. 9, noon to 2 p.m., MU Room 208. Learn the in-and-outs of Medicare and Medicare Supplemental plans. Workshop provided by the Oregon Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance program (SHIBA).  More information visit OHR website at: http://oregonstate.edu/admin/hr/workshops.html

NEW! Senior staff from the offices of US Senator Jeff Merkley and US Congressman Kurt Schrader will discuss the appropriations process and recent federal funding trends including federal earmarks at a briefing hosted by the OSU Government Relations office on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. in the LaSells Agriculture Production room. Presenters include Suzanne Kunse, District Director for US Representative Kurt Schrader and Dan Whelan, Willamette Valley Field Representative for US Senator Jeff Merkley. The presentation will be moderated by OSU’s Kate Sinner and include time for a question and answer period.

It will be Oregon State University faculty and staff night when the Corvallis-OSU Symphony Orchestra opens its 104th concert season on Oct. 7, with “Classic Vienna I.” The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in Austin Auditorium at LaSells Stewart Center, 27th & Western Blvd., Corvallis, under the baton of music director Marlan Carlson, chair of the OSU music department. OSU staff and faculty may receive two free tickets at the box office with their OSU ID card for this first concert of the season.

A welcome reception for Gus Bedwell, Campus Veteran Service Officer, will be held Oct. 7 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the main lounge of the Memorial Union. Refreshments will be served.

The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology is celebrating “100 Years of Inquiry” with a symposium featuring four notable speakers, including James Carrington, recently elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and the Bonnie C. Templeton Lecture. Everyone is welcome. It takes place Oct. 8, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., ALS 4001. For more information see http://www.science.oregonstate.edu/bpp/100birthday_symposium.htm

The Corvallis Transit System (CTS) will hold its 17th annual “Try Transit Week” Monday through Saturday, Oct. 5-10. Rides will be free all week.  On Oct. 6, 7 to 9 a.m., come by the Downtown Transit Center at 5th & Monroe to enjoy morning refreshments. Albany Transit System, the Linn-Benton Loop, and the Philomath Connection will also participate by offering free rides October 5-10.

Oregon State University’s Music à la Carte concert series, now in its 40th year, continues on Oct. 8, with solo acoustic guitarist James Falkner. The free concert begins at noon in the Memorial Union Lounge on the OSU campus.

The office of Community and Diversity will be hosting the next in a series of Inclusive Corvallis forums Oct. 5 from noon – 1:30 p.m. at the Corvallis Benton County Public Library main conference room. Please extend this invitation to your friends and colleagues. This forum is open to all people. Forum notes and other details are available at http://oregonstate.edu/diversity/inclusive.html .  Please RSVP to Corrine Gerig at 541-737-4381 or corrine.gerig@oregonstate.edu

Oregon State University will launch its 2009–10 American Culture & Politics speaker series with a lecture about this country’s first anti-war movement. The talk, “1847: America’s First Antiwar Movement and Why It Mattered,” will be given by Amy S. Greenberg of Pennsylvania State University on Oct. 5, beginning at 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union Journey Room. It is free and open to the public.

The Austin Entrepreneurship Program presents The Enterprise Challenge Networking Night, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 in the Trysting Tree Conference Room, Weatherford Hall. The Enterprise Challenge Network Night is the kick-off event to The 2010 Enterprise Challenge, the OSU business plan competition, where prize money totals $17,500. Here is an opportunity to meet other students, hear ideas, get help with your idea, connect with fellow entrepreneurs and find out what The Enterprise Challenge is all about. All Students are Welcome For more information contact Mary McKillop at mary.mckillop@bus.oregonstate.edu

Three panelists who go by the title, “Interfaith Amigos,” will address the prospects for success of Pres. Obama’s new beginning initiative from Christian, Islamic, Jewish and interfaith perspectives. The “Interfaith Amigos,” Rabbi Ted Falcon, Pastor Don MacKenzie, and Shaikh Jamal Rahman, will hold a panel discussion on Oct. 8, beginning at 7 p.m. at Oregon State University. The free public event will be held at Gilfillan Auditorium, 2601 S.W. Orchard Ave. The event is part of the Hundere Endowment in Religion and Culture lecture series at Oregon State.

The Linn Benton Employers Partnership for Diversity is pleased to announce its 2009-10 workshop series, which kicks off Oct. 8 with a workshop on retaining a diverse workforce. The workshop will be held at the Corvallis Benton County Public Library’s public meeting room from 3 to 5 p.m. The Linn-Benton Employers Partnership for Diversity is a consortium of local employers who are dedicated to celebrating diversity in our communities and providing opportunities for employers to learn more about how they can support differences in the workplace. Because OSU is a partner, all faculty, staff and student employees may attend the workshops free of charge. To register or request accommodation: katrina.HOPKINS@Co.Benton.OR.US Information: diane.davis@oregonstate.edu

Oregon State University Theatre will be one of 100 theaters in the world to premiere “The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later,” an epilogue to the highly acclaimed play, “The Laramie Project,” which is one of the most performed plays in America of the last decade. The premiere will take place on Oct. 12, at OSU’s Withycombe Hall main stage beginning at 7:30 p.m. The reading is free and open to the public.

The Associated Students of Oregon State University is holding their seventh annual Fall Golf Classic, a tournament to benefit the Student Leadership Fund. The tournament is an 18-hole scramble tournament, with up to four person teams. Enter for the chance to win a Toyota FJ Cruiser. The tournament takes place Oct. 17 at 10 a.m. A barbecue and awards reception follows the event. Super Tickets are $75 general registration fee, $65 for students.  Super Ticket Registration includes all contest entries and 1 mulligan. Regular tickets are $60, $50 for students. Mulligans may be purchased for $5, teams are allowed up to four. For more information see http://asosu.oregonstate.edu/page/Fall_Golf_Classic

The nationally syndicated public radio show Philosophy Talk will be taped before a live participatory audience at Oregon State University on Oct. 22.  The event, which begins at 7 p.m. in LaSells Stewart Center’s Construction & Engineering Auditorium, is free and open to the public.

NEW! The Graduate School announces a call for nominations under the Delson Bridge to the Future Fund. This fund is designed to assist students in the final phase of their graduate education to pay research expenses, publication costs, and other incidentals that stand in the way of completing their studies. Deadline: Oct. 21. For complete details see: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/current/delsonbridge.html

NEW! The Graduate School is currently accepting applications under the Jesse M. Bell Memorial Graduate Student Loan Program. These non-need-based loans are available on a one-time basis to enrolled graduate students to assist with educational and/or research expenses associated with their advanced degree. Loans up to $5,000 may be requested. Deadline: Oct. 28. See Graduate School web for details: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/current/jessebell.html

The Corvallis Transit System and the Associated Students of Oregon State University have partnered again to offer the late night bus service.  Funding is provided through OSU student fees and the City of Corvallis. Beginning Oct. 1, the Beaver Bus will operate from 8:45 p.m. to 2:45 a.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday on weeks when OSU is in session. Three routes will serve the community and provide more frequent service to Downtown, OSU and Monroe Avenue.  All routes begin and end at the Downtown Transit Center (5th & Monroe), and serve the NE, NW, SE, and SW quadrants of Corvallis. For routes and other information, please visit the CTS web site at www.corvallistransit.com/bb or call 541-766-6998.

Did you know that as an OSU Faculty / Staff member you are eligible to purchase up to 2 discounted season tickets for both Men’s and Women’s Basketball?  For the 2009-10 season, the Faculty / Staff discounted rate is $ 273 for Men’s Basketball and $ 80 for Women’s Basketball.  For Men’s Basketball, depending upon where you would like your seats located, there may be an accompanying per seat donation to the BASF. Season Tickets for both sports are available at this time by visiting the Ticket Office in Legendary Gill Coliseum (Room 107), calling 737-4455 or 1-800-GO-BEAVS.  The Ticket Office is open weekdays from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.  Your OSU Staff ID number will be needed at the time you place your order.

Transit & Parking Services is now selling annual and term parking permits. The current Faculty/Staff permits which expire Sept. 30 have been extended through Oct 9. The office hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Adams Hall, 606 S.W. 15th St. The website for the permit forms is located at http://oregonstate.edu/facilities/transit_pkg/permit_pkg.html

The Research Office is accepting applications for the Undergraduate Research, Innovation, Scholarship and Creativity (URISC) for the academic year 2009-10 (Winter and/or Spring Terms). Applications are due in the Research Office by Nov. 2. The complete program description and application may be accessed on the Research Office web site at: http://oregonstate.edu/research/incentive/urisc.htm For more information contact Debbie Delmore at debbie.delmore@oregonstate.edu 541-737-8390.

Oak Creek Building: Due to necessary repairs on the building water system, all domestic hot water services to the Oak Creek Bldg. will be temporarily shutdown.  This will affect all sinks on all floors. The shutdown should end by 5 p.m. Oct. 9.

Radiation Center: Due to construction related to the Radiation Center Addition, the southern portion of the gravel parking lot (located at the northwest corner of the Radiation Center) will be temporarily closed. This shutdown will begin at 7 a.m. today and should end by Jan. 1, 2010.

Strand Ag : Due to fire alarm testing, fire alarms, horns and/or bells will sound during the testing session. This shutdown will begin at 8 a.m. today and should end by 9 a.m.

Feel like pulling the blankets back over your head this morning? Wait long enough and the sky will do it for you, as a quilt of clouds rolls in. There’s a chance of showers today with a high of 62, and more showers are due tonight and tomorrow, with the possibility of thunderstorms Saturday. Sunday will be rainy as well, but sunshine should return Monday.

Source: OSU Today