Thursday, November 29, 2007

Shortage of teachers hits education

LUCKNOW: Even as the government-aided
degree colleges in the state are reeling under acute deficit of teachers, the
state authorities have failed to come up out with a policy to undertake the
situation. Out of 14,482 instruction stations in 345 government-aided
colleges, around 3,000 are vacant. In Lucknow, as many as 60 out of 700 stations in
20 colleges are vacant. The teacher-student ratio is around 1:100. In some
colleges, the full section is being tally by a single
teacher. Sample this: There is only one instructor each for zoological scientific discipline and
botany topics for 1500 pupils in the science section of DAV College. In
Khunkhunji Girls’ Degree College, one instructor each is instruction psychology,
economics and Urdu to all the barium students. Similarly, Krishna Devi Girls’
Degree College have only one instructor each for political science, ancient Indian
history and economics. Shashi Bhushan Degree College have one instructor each for
economics, English Language and political science. In National PG College, education,
English, Hindi, psychology, political science, anthropology and geography
subjects are being taught by lone 1 teacher. Students are the worst
sufferers. "Forget about quality education, here even the courses of study are not being
completed on time. We have got to depend on self-studies Oregon coaching," said Deepak
Sharma, a student. Shruti, another student, felt that deficit of instructors was
the chief ground why higher instruction in UP slowdowns behind other states. College
managements are incapacitated over the issue. The reason: Higher Education Service
Commission have not made fresh assignments since long. Though choices for a
few backlog stations were held but the full procedure was stayed by the High Court
on a judicial writ petition. The proviso of contract assignment have also been stayed
by the court. The authorities had, in August 2006, directed to re-employ retired
teachers up to the age of 65 old age as a impermanent measurement to ran into the crisis. It
was agreed that re-employed instructors will be paid Rs 100 per lecture. The
maximum amount should be Rs 5,000. The authorities had then assured to bear the
financial expenses. But when some colleges applied for blessing under the scheme
last month, they were told by the higher instruction board of directors that the go has
also been quashed. Miyan Jaan, director, higher education
directorate, said that authorities is trying to undertake the
issue. However, Maulindu Mishra, president, Lucknow University
Associated Colleges Teachers Association, (LUACTA), said that re-employment GO
still bes but it have not been implemented because the proviso of providing
funds to the colleges for re-employment have not been approved by the finance
department. "The authorities had assured us recently in a meeting that order on
re-employment volition be executed as early as possible after removing all the
impediments," he said and added that the higher instruction board of directors in
misguiding the people by saying that the re-employment go have been
quashed." LUACTA have also written to the higher instruction minister
requesting him to intervene. Mishra said that re-employment is the lone option
which offers speedy solution, although a impermanent 1 till all the vacant posts
are filled through the proper choice procedure.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Study Compares States' Math and Science Scores With Other Countries'

American pupils even in low-performing states like Heart Of Dixie make better on mathematics and scientific discipline diagnostic tests than pupils in most foreign countries, including Italian Republic and Norway, according to a new survey released yesterday. That's the good news. Multimedia

The bad news is that pupils in Capital Of Singapore and respective other Asiatic states significantly outperform American students, even those in high-achieving states like Massachusetts, the survey found.

"In this case, the bad news trump cards the good because our Asiatic economical rivals are winning the race to set up pupils in mathematics and science," said the study's author, Gary W. Phillips, main man of science at the American Institutes of Research, a non-profit-making independent scientific research firm.

The survey equated standardised diagnostic test tons of eighth-grade pupils in each of the 50 states with those of their equals in 45 countries. Experts said it was the first such as attempt to associate standardised diagnostic diagnostic test scores, state by state, with tons from other nations.

Gage Kingsbury, the head research and development military officer at the Northwestern United States Evaluation Association, a grouping in Beaver State that transports out testing in 2,700 school districts, praised the study's methodological analysis but said "a flock of difficulties" made it risky to compare test consequences from one state to another and from one state to another. "Kids don't begin school at the same age in different countries," he said. "Not all children are in school in class eight, and the per centum differs from state to country."

Because of such as differences, Dr. Kingsbury said, it would be a error to infer too much about the relative asperity of the educational systems across the states and states in the survey based merely on diagnostic test mark differences.

The tons for pupils in the United States came from diagnostic tests administered by the federal Department of Education in most states in 2005 and 2007. For foreign students, the tons came from mathematics and scientific discipline diagnostic tests administered worldwide in 2003, as portion of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, known as the Timss.

Concern that scientific discipline and mathematics accomplishment was not keeping gait with the nation's economical rivals had been edifice even before the most recent Timss survey, in which the highest-performing states were Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan. American pupils lagged far behind those nations, but earned tons that were comparable to equals in European states like Slovak Republic and Estonia, and were well above states like Egypt, Republic Of Chile and Saudi Arabian Arabia.

The Timss study gives each state a metrical by which to compare its educational attainment with other nations'. The countrywide American test, known as the National Assessments of Educational Progress, lets policy shapers in each state to compare their students' consequences with those in other states.

The new survey used statistical linking to compare tons on the national assessment, state by state, with other nations' tons on the Timss. Dr. Phillips, who from 1999 to 2002 led the federal agency of the Department of Education that administrates the national assessment, likened the methodological analysis to what economic experts make when they convert international currencies into dollars to compare poorness degrees across assorted countries, for instance.

On the most recent national assessment, the highest-performing state in mathematics was Massachusetts, and in science, North Dakota. The new survey shows that norm mathematics accomplishment in Bay State was less than in the prima Asiatic states and in Belgium, but higher than in 40 other countries, including Australia, Russia, England and Israel.

Mississippi River was the lowest-performing state in both mathematics and science. In math, Mississippi River students' accomplishment was comparable to those of equals in Republic Of Bulgaria and Moldova, and in science, to those in Kingdom Of Norway and Romania.

In math, New Jersey, Nutmeg State and New House Of York pupils were roughly like with each other and with their equals in Australia, the The Netherlands and Hungary.

The study's part is the high-level perspective it offers on the nation's instruction system, a spot the manner a artificial satellite mental image foregrounds the nation's topography, said Seth Thomas Toch, a co-director of Education Sector, an independent policy group.

"It demoes we're not doing as badly as some say," Mr. Toch said. "We're in the top one-half of the table, and a figure of states are outperforming the bulk of the states in the study. But our public presentation in mathematics and scientific discipline slowdowns behind that of the front-running Asiatic nations."

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Students Broadcast Science Research

Undergraduate men of science set aside their laboratory coats on Saturday afternoon, donning lawsuits and achromatic “got research?” T-shirts arsenic they mingled in the Science Center atrium for the Harvard University Undergraduate Research Symposium. The symposium, organized by members of the newly formed Harvard University College Undergraduate Research Association, provided a locale for pupils to show and discourse the scientific research they had performed. “We desire to give undergrads the opportunity to be the 1s answering inquiries instead of asking questions,” said Shiv M. Gaglani ’10, the group’s initiation president. About 50 pupils displayed their research at the symposium. “There is no point in doing research unless you air it,” said Saint Andrew Berry, a concentration advisor in the life sciences. Five of the undergrads presenting at the symposium also gave short negotiation about their research. Theodore R. Pak ’09, who spoke about his research on deoxyribonucleic acid sequence repeats, said that Harvard University supplies ample support and chances for pupil research. “Whatever you’re interested in, there is generally person workings on it,” Pak said. “It’s A great clip to see what you like and happen out what’s interesting you.”
Another student, Sophie Rengarajan ’10, presented the work she did at Caltech last summertime to analyze the personal effects of smells on neurons. “I believe [research] really unmaskings you to a side of scientific discipline you can’t acquire in the classroom,” Rengarajan said. “It lets pupils to be a batch more creative.”
Attendees also heard addresses from three professional researchers. Prince Edward J. Benz Jr., president and chief executive officer of the Danu Farber Cancer Institute, drew from his ain experiences as an undergraduate at Princeton and as a pupil at Harvard University Checkup School to stress the importance of determination good mentors. He also encouraged pupils to prosecute callings in academic medicine. Seth Thomas M. Michel ’77, the manager of human biological science and translational medical specialty at the Harvard University University Checkup School, and Gregory Xiii Xiii A. Llacer, the manager of the Harvard Program for Research in Science and Technology Gregory, also spoke at the event. Shantanu K. Gaur ’08 organized the first-ever Harvard University Undergraduate Research Symposium last year, but passed the duty for this weekend’s event on to the Harvard College Undergraduate Research Association, which was approved as a pupil grouping in April.

Friday, November 2, 2007

South Africa: HSRC Moving Ahead With New Project - AllAfrica.com

Gabi KhumaloTshwane

Social answerability and the bar of kid pornography in South Africa through monitoring and research are two of respective new undertakings being tally by the Person Sciences Research Council's (HSRC) as portion of their part to a better country, composes Gabi Khumalo.

The Affiliated Network for Sociable Accountability Africa (ANSA-Africa) is a new web created jointly by the World Depository Financial Institution and the HSRC with an purpose to go African advocator of citizen engagement in demand-side governance initiatives.

By edifice on existing African expertise, ANSA-Africa back ups the battle of citizens and civil society in edifice more effectual states through societal answerability approaches. This is owed to concern in kid protection circles that children from vulnerable communities maybe forced into commercial sexual development and the industry of pornography.

In South Africa kid pornography is regulated by Acts that autumn within the duty of Home Personal Business Department and the Movie and Publication Board.

The HSRC survey on the usage of children pornography in South Africa seeks to steer the Board concerning the protection of children from being exposed in kid pornography.

The chief undertaking activities by the HSRC includes an appraisal of the usage of South African children in the devising of kid pornography as an facet of sexual maltreatment and extent of manufacturing and statistical distribution of kid pornography in the country.

It also includes an assessment of the figure of reported kid pornography lawsuits in South Africa, recommendations in regard of profiling children most at hazard of sexual maltreatment and development including people likely to mistreat them.

The HSRC have also done research on the Young Person Policy Enterprise and according to the council about 75 percentage of South Africa's unemployed are immature people.

"Re-skilling and matching immature people to appropriate preparation programs will assist relieve the country's immature person unemployment situation," Executive Director Employment, Growth and Development Initiatives at the HSRC, Dr Miriam Altman said during a round table treatment in Capital Of South Africa last month.

Dr Altman said sound preparation programs can assist counter the deficiency of accomplishments and experience that unemployed young people are faced with.

She cited deficiency of fiscal support and mobility in rural countries as obstructions to young person employment, as at modern times it is dearly-won to look for a job.

In March this year, the HSRC released a survey on new research on the charge per unit at which human immunodeficiency virus is spreading through the South African population. The survey was published in March edition of the South African Checkup Journal.

The research establish that immature women have got a higher hazard of catching the disease than immature men. It also indicated that the relative incidence charge per unit among immature women of childbearing age was alarming.

Some of the work undertaken by the HSRC during 2006/7 included a undertaking on slum-free cities, sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology in coaction with the Housing Department.

The undertaking assessed the impact of policies, schemes and activities being implemented in South Africa to attain the Millennium Development Goal Target 11, Goal 6, on action against slums.

The survey confirmed the powerful South African attempt in the field of lodging delivery, but noted that slum areas go on to proliferate in line with the tendencies on the international scene.

Another undertaking on lodging bringing establish that the authorities lodging policy needed to take into business relationship the practical demands for households receiving subsidised houses to maintain their new plus so they can utilize lodging as chopine for savings.

A grant by the Royal The Netherlands Embassy (RNE) awarded to pull off a five-year programme on improving literacy and numeracy accomplishments in South African schools, was among the foregrounds for the HSRC.

The programme was developed in coaction with the Department of Education and respective research partners. It commenced in January 2007 and will stop in December 2011.

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Other foregrounds include the creative activity of policy deliberation and policy execution networks, which is a cardinal scheme to back up evidence-informed policy processes.

The HSRC's Policy Analysis Unit Of Measurement is playing a prima function in the creative activity of a representative web of histrions in the interface between societal scientific discipline research and function participants in the shaping of policy under the protection of the South African National Committee for UNESCO.

It was constituted as the Management of Sociable Transformation (MOST) National Affair Committee for South Africa.

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