India, the land of great leaders, cultures, values and virtues has glimpses of incredible India in every sphere. Education in India has flourished gradually yet phenomenally over the last seven decades. Let’s discover how the landscape of pedagogy has changed post republic period in India turning into its present form.

The present or the modern system of learning was introduced by the British in India in 1820 by Lord Thomas Babington. Although the curriculum was limited to studying subjects like science and maths, it introduced the English language in the syllabus. But the traction of education gained pace post independence when pedagogy which was only meant for the elite section of the society was made available to everyone.

Literacy Rate

When British rule ended in 1947, the literacy rate of India was just 12%. And the rate has increased to around 74% in the 2011 census. After the 2011 census, the literacy rate of India was 74.04% with 82.14 percent for males and 65.46 percent for females.

Establishment of educational institutions

A major factor that contributed to the increase in education accessibility is the establishment of educational institutions (both private and public). Post independence, there were only 21 universities, 496 colleges and 5000 secondary schools in India. Post independence, the first IIT was established in the 1950’s to encourage the technical learning space in India. And presently the number of educational institutions in India has increased with an exponential rate. There are more than 14 lach schools, 760 universities and 38 thousand colleges extending the education in both technical and non technical studies with the globally standardized facilities. 

Right to Education 

The Right to Education Act or the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act is mentioned in the Indian constitution that provides free and compulsory education to the children between the age of 6 and 14. RTE is an act of Indian parliament and was passed in 2009. 

Government initiatives

The Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Human Resource Development undertakes the responsibility of implementing educational policies in the country. It ensures the planned development of education including uplifting the quality of educational institutions of the country and expanding it across the regions where people don’t have easy access to education. It also implements the National Education Policy. 

The government of India keeps on introducing various policies, scholarships, and initiatives to ensure pedagogy is not just enriching but is equally accessible to everyone irrespective of caste or creed. 

The milestones of education are not a day’s growth, it takes years of progress. The educational institutions in the country ensure learning to be morally sound, socially committed, physically healthy, emotionally balanced, spiritually oriented, and culturally enriched that evolves students to be worthy citizens of our society. A lot has been done, a lot needs to be done, and we are proud of how much we have grown in terms of education.

Edustoke bridges the gap between schools and parents empowering Indian pedagogy infrastructure, connect with us and find the best boarding school in India for your child. 

The post 76th Republic Day – How Much We Have Grown In Terms Of Education? appeared first on edustoke.

We are at the dawn of 2021, ready to welcome the next year with open hands. The year was indeed filled with ups and downs, the second Covid wave, lockdown, everything was a lot to go through. Amidst the chaos, the education sector had to face a huge challenge given the circumstances, management, and resources. Here are a few milestones and changes the K12 Education sphere witnessed in 2021:

Implementation of New Education Policy

New Education Policy was finally approved in 2020 that replaced the 34-year-old education system with some needful reforms. The major change in the education policy is the replacement of the 10+2 curriculum with a 5+3+3+4 approach. This states that students should have 12 years of school education preceded by 3 years of preschool learning or Anganwadi. Besides this, there were several other statements regarding the regulation, vocational education, holistic development, etc mentioned in the policy changes to improve the present education system. 2021 saw some educational institutions implementing and adapting to the New Education Policy Changes. Karnataka was the first state to implement the policy from the academic year 2021-22. 

Online classes and the digital divide

Among the lockdowns and curfews, schools were shut down for a very long time. Online classes were the only medium to continue the learning process. But it had several challenges because of the economic gap. Most of the students in India cannot afford a mobile device and internet connection. Because of these reasons, a large population of students couldn’t attend online classes or their parents had to make huge efforts to do the same. However, many initiatives were taken to help students be able to arrange online classes, the digital divide affected the learning space. 

Changed pattern(CBSE and CISCE)

In the view of elevated covid cases, the closing of schools and online classes education boards changed their pattern to lessen the burden of study on students. Both CISCE and CBSE board divided the academic year into two semesters with board exams being held two times a year. The paper pattern for Term I was designed to have objective questions whereas Term II will be focused on subjective questions. The result of the whole year is supposed to be the combined performance of students in both Terms I and Term II examinations. 

Reopening of schools

After the covid upsurge, the schools were the first to be closed. After the second wave of recovery, circumstances started becoming better and shops, malls, and offices started coming back to their pace. Following the traction, schools were also given the green flag to start offline classes. So, students were finally able to attend school offline with all precautions. But the offline classes were not made compulsory but optional, and henceforth the classes are running in hybrid mode. 

2021 was a year where people saw hard times and yet supported each other to come out stronger and better. But this all made us realize how important human lives are and people can face any pandemic with combined efforts. The K12 Education indeed suffered in-between all the happenings, but the solutions ensured children got the right learning environment. 2022 is already here and we hope the year brings a sweet beginning for everyone. Find the Best CBSE Schools in Chandigarh at Edustoke.

The post Milestones Of K12 Education Sector In 2021 appeared first on edustoke.

The education system in India is prone to have a paradigm shift every now and then. From gurukuls to impart education to pre-British era and post-British era edification, it has travelled a long way from where it began. The real advancement of pedagogy started post-independence with the establishment of numerous public and private schools contributing to an excellent learning infrastructure. But now we need preparation for the unknown, unseen and unpredictable. The implementation of 21st century learning demands is the next milestone schools have to reach. 

The 21st century education system is similar to what the sphere has experienced so far and yet it is different. Let’s explore the why’s, how’s and where’s of the 21st century schools. 

The 20th-century system of learning

The 20th-century system of learning was primarily built on the pillars of compliance and conformity. The skills that help students to excel in the corporate and professional world. In short, the only focus here was to prepare students to hold down a job for decades. This results in a population with similar skills in a narrow spectrum of talents. Even today, these two skills have a prominent role in shaping the curriculum. 

Even after entering the 21st century, most of the students are educated in the same way, following a standard curriculum of learning at a one-size-fits-all pace. These methods rely heavily on the mugging part rather than emphasizing practicality and getting the true creativity, potential out of students. The sector now demands the Best Schools in Bangalore to be able to cope up with rapid changes and handle new information. 

What is different with 21st-century education?

The 21st-century institutions follow a different approach than what was encountered in the past. It is more about offering students the skills and practical knowledge they need to succeed in the inconceivably changing world and giving them the platform to practice and excel in these skills. The reason being, today’s children don’t have to be just job oriented, they also need to be able to approach and solve world problems. With the incorporation of technology and information, 21st-century skills focus more on making sense out of this info, sharing, and using it in better ways.

Goals of modern education

Pedagogy today does not need thinking limitations, nor bookish teaching methods, or the obligation to follow the same curriculum being followed through the years. It needs to:

• Bridge the gap between learning and doing
• Develop thinking and analytical skills
• Evolve the core interests of children on a personal level
• Cultivate skills to make students lifelong learners, contributors, and problem solvers
• Inspire creativity and encourage collaboration

Incorporating technology

Technology has been an amazing asset to enable improved interaction. It’s use in learning is the next best thing to move towards better learning and teaching. The amalgamation of cutting-edge technology like Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Virtual Reality, Robotics, etc. are already making their move to improve learning. This leads to learning beyond just the classroom walls and increasing student engagement. Here are the Best Schools in Delhi following best practices towards learning. 

Global education

Modern education needs to go through global learning inclusion as it follows an approach where students are not just prepared for present issues but rather focus on making them individuals who can effectively solve problems at a global level. It formulates students to be thinkers, open-minded and responsible people. It tries to develop the thinking process of children and ideas that go across social and cultural boundaries among societies. 

The 21st century schools need to emphasize helping students develop “how to learn” skills. They need to teach students the ability to communicate and the power of effective communication. In short, the skills that students require to thrive in the dynamic workplace of the modern world. Find the Best Schools in Hyderabad here. 

The post Walking Towards 21st Century Education? appeared first on edustoke.

India holds great value in terms of its pedagogy, diversity, social well-being, culture, and economy. From play level to post-graduation, it is a hub of education with premier institutes contributing to its rich didactic worth. The K-12 Education Ecosystem In India creates a compelling case for schooling creating harmony between institutions, population, and learning approaches. 

India boasts national and international level institutions in all disciplines of education. The K-12 education system here can be broadly divided into primary education, secondary and senior secondary education. Often before primary education, parents consider a pre-primary mode of learning through playgroups or pre-schools. This system goes from kindergarten to 12th and undergoes 14 years of education and exploration. 

Pre-Primary School Education

A play school is where kids between the ages of 2 to 5 years learn the basic learning blocks. There is no formal way of learning, nor any predefined course or syllabus. The focus here is more on developing the social, and mental being of a child so that he can adjust to the pace of learning when he enters school. 

Proceeding the playschool education, the pre-primary schooling has classes Nursery, LKG, and UKG where a child finally enters the K-12 education sphere and starts erudition. At this level of pedagogy, they are not exposed to complex learning, but rather experience basic learning like alphabets, poems, shapes, and basic calculation. The main focus at this stage is to create curiosity and a fundamental base of learning.

Primary Education

Primary education includes classes 1st standard to 5th or the Primary Years Program (International Board). It can be considered the first stage of formal education a child receives after stepping up from kindergarten. Here the child learns according to specific subjects, including Mathematics, Science, Social Science and language. One can find the Best Schools in Bangalore that help children develop and explore their creative, motor, community, oratory, and learning skills at the primary level. 

Secondary education

Secondary education comes up with the introduction of new concepts and subjects. The subjects that were earlier taught as basic get into detail, like Social Science gets divided into History, Civics, Geography and Economics, and Sciences gets fragmented into Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. The main aim of learning here is to make children explore what interests them in pursuing higher education. This lasts from classes 6th to 10th or the Middle Years Program (International Board).

Senior Secondary Education

The senior secondary level is the higher level of education where students select the stream they want to study. Broadly, the Science, Commerce, and Arts streams can be opted according to the academic interest of the child. This includes 11th to 12th standard, PU Diploma Courses, or the Diploma Program (International Board). 

These 14 years of education help a child to get the best of his potential, explore his interests, and build confidence, social skills, and moral values that stay with them throughout their lives. Besides, focusing on academic excellence, the K-12 Education Ecosystem In India gives equal attention to developing the sports interest, creative skills and moral building of students.

Educational Boards

Well, the K-12 system is diverse and consists of many educational boards from State Board to International Boards. Each of these follows a different curriculum, examinations, and learning approach, here are the boards of education in India:

State Board: This is the board of education that falls under the State Government, each state follows its curriculum and examination format for students. It gives preference to the regional language, culture, state-level topics, and concepts of local relevance.

CBSE Board: CBSE Board or the Central Board of Secondary Education envisions a robust, vibrant, and holistic education that engenders excellence in every sphere of human endeavor. It is a national board of education for public and private schools founded with the aim of inter-state integration and cooperation in the sphere of secondary education, managed by the Government of India. Parents can find the Best CBSE Schools in Nagpur to provide quality education and promote intellectual, social and cultural vivacity.

CISCE Board

CISCE or the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations board consists of ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) board for conducting class X examinations and ISC (Indian School Certificate) for class XII examinations. It is a privately-held national level board established to manage the examinations being conducted in India by the University of Cambridge. Best ICSE Schools in Indore offer students a holistic education with enough focus on practicality and understanding.

International Board

Besides the State and National Boards, the K-12 Education Ecosystem In India also houses the schools affiliated to the IB or the International Baccalaureate and IGCSE or the International General Certificate of Secondary Education, Cambridge University. The international board helps students gain a global perspective on education with a more practical and application-based curriculum. The International boards have a broader spectrum of subjects contributing to comprehensive development and helping students be global citizens. The Best International Schools in Ahmedabad emphasizes developing an international perspective in students. 

The landscape of the K-12 Education Ecosystem In India has undergone quite an overhaul in recent times and still, a lot needs to be done. With new formats of education emerging, including a progressive and practical way of learning, shows a promising future with improved learning experiences and outcomes. 

Read More – Best International Schools in Ahmedabad

The post The A to Z Of K-12 Education Ecosystem In India appeared first on edustoke.

The inclusion of technology in schools is not very new in Western countries where countries like the USA have incorporated the usage of tablets as an important part of schooling. Children in the US use the tablets more often at a very young age; say by around 10 years at a learning tool at school. This system is widely spread across the country which has paved the way for a smarter learning mode. The advantages that come with the technology are definitely to be considered as a positive whereas the negative points are not less either. Technology and education will go hand in hand only when it is executed well with proper guidance and supervision. Technology with its attractiveness as a prime quotient has attracted the kids making learning easy and effective.

In India on the contrary, traditional teaching practices are still not changed at many remote and underprivileged places where having a school itself is like a luxury. Classrooms with minimum facilities and premises with basic hygiene are like a challenge faced by the school authorities every year. At these circumstances, affording a technology friendly learning environment is like a mammoth task. E-Boards, smart classes and digital teaching equipment like AV screens or projectors look like a long lost dream for such children. The Indian government does provide grants every year for such schools. Yet getting technology into the scene will take a good amount of time.

The schools in the cities, on the other hand, are now emerging into better than the best institutions with the rise of techno-friendly learning platforms coming into existence. Blackboards are replaced by projectors and post-school tutoring has been replaced by learning apps that are extremely user-friendly and gives an in-depth knowledge about a topic via various perspectives and theories. Learning is no more a straight path. It is not a royal highway with many deviations leading to the success destination.

Let us discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of having technology as a helping hand for better knowledge sharing experience.

Pros:

• Multimedia is for sure an attraction when it comes to children. Using this as a learning medium will definitely prove to be more effective than the traditional method of using books and charts for illustrational purposes. The colourful visuals tend to stay in their minds for longer than the printed, stagnant material in the books. This is why kids pick up the jingles of the advertisements shown on TV better than those ads printed in the newspapers of the same product.

• Preparing themselves for a simpler tomorrow through today while using the technology. It is evident that in today’s world, there is hardly any job or a career that does not require any usage of technical jargon or technological stuff. A kid who can operate a PC easily today could perform better during his days of becoming a Software Engineer, or a child who grows up looking at better educational AV visuals turns out to be a great dreamer and shapes oneself to be an ace actor/performer or a cinematographer. Technology gives wings for their imagination and prepares them for an obvious tomorrow which includes the compulsion of using smart gadgets.

• Inclination towards technology could prove a cost-effective way of learning. Spending less over books and updating the technological application will for sure go lite over the parents’ pockets. Each year parents spend a good amount of money over the books which are perishable and difficult to carry. Instead of this burden over the children’s’ tender back, carrying lesser books and adapting eLearning can prove beneficial. This is an advantage of technology which is both cost-effective and environment-friendly. More the books more will be the production of paper which requires many trees to sacrifice their existence.

Cons:

• Affordability of this geeky stuff can pinch the pockets of those parents for whom affording quality education for their children itself is a challenge. The below poverty income group crowd, who can barely afford books admission, can only see technology aided learning as an impossible dream. Providing tablets is one cost and getting an internet connection for further learning adds on like a never-ending cost due to which compromising for a low key facilities school would be like an obvious option.
• Technology brings in a lot of health hazards with it. Each day paediatricians are recording many of their patients struggling with vision and concentration-related problems which come as an unpleasant gift for loving these gadgets more than required. Usage of tablets for studies or for fun can prove very dangerous if not used for a recommended duration. The young eyes and brains are under constant risk which is a serious concern for parents.

• Tools like auto-correct and spell-check are spoiling the skills of the children to a certain extent. The prominence given to handwritten scripts/assignments is gradually diminishing with the birth of the online submitting provision. Virtual classrooms and Smart-boards have given a back seat to a good parent-teacher relationship. Things are for sure becoming easy but at the same time it has decreased that zest for listening to a nice lecture from a scholarly teacher who explains a concept of germination the way it has to be and doesn’t just show videos at YouTube or any learning apps as a part of “Conceptual Learning”.

Thus, both technology and traditional schooling methods are equally important for our children to excel in both the virtual and the real world. Feeling and touching a pet cannot be replaced by just reading a blog about it. At the same time, it is also important to admit that an email saves time and energy compared to writing a long letter to a distant friend. Both technology and tradition must go hand in hand to lead a harmonious life in this racing pace world.

The post Technology in Indian Education – Advantages and Disadvantages appeared first on edustoke.