schools

A Mathematics teacher at Corporation Malleswaram High School teaching a 9th standard class. Pic: Shamsheer Yousaf What can we do to improve public schooling, tangibly? Ever since the terrible PU results came out showing more children failing than passing, I've got a lot of letters asking what can be done about this. To my understanding, we need to do at least the following three things, to have any chance of intervening swiftly in the lives of millions of children. Increase the funding levels for education I know we are perfectly capable of wasting money, but even so, without proper investment…

A Mathematics teacher at Corporation Malleswaram High School teaching a 9th standard class. Pic: Shamsheer Yousaf What can we do to improve public schooling, tangibly? Ever since the terrible PU results came out showing more children failing than passing, I've got a lot of letters asking what can be done about this. To my understanding, we need to do at least the following three things, to have any chance of intervening swiftly in the lives of millions of children. Increase the funding levels for education I know we are perfectly capable of wasting money, but even so, without proper investment…

My friend Vandana Murthy writes: "My son has to go to school tomorrow 5th September, 2014)  from 12.30 noon to 6.30 pm. It is compulsory to attend...to hear the PM's speech!!! Even their test has been postponed. This is unprecedented political marrketing/brainwashing...Orwellian!"   How is it that schools are taking this kind of political mandate to the students? They have not given parents any time to protest, either. There should be a protest against such tactics by the schools, and the government that mandates it.

My friend Vandana Murthy writes: "My son has to go to school tomorrow 5th September, 2014)  from 12.30 noon to 6.30 pm. It is compulsory to attend...to hear the PM's speech!!! Even their test has been postponed. This is unprecedented political marrketing/brainwashing...Orwellian!"   How is it that schools are taking this kind of political mandate to the students? They have not given parents any time to protest, either. There should be a protest against such tactics by the schools, and the government that mandates it.

I grew up in a house by National Highway 17 in Kozhikode (Kerala) city. My days and nights were filled with sound--a maddening cacophony of cars, trucks, buses and auto rickshaws, people cursing, cussing, swerving. Noise, noise everywhere. Every day. Every hour. Except in our backyard, where there was (and still is) an old mango tree. This tree casts a benevolent shade over our red-tiled house. When I was a little girl, my father fixed a swing for me on one of its overhanging branches. The swing was just a little plank of wood with both ends strung up through…

I grew up in a house by National Highway 17 in Kozhikode (Kerala) city. My days and nights were filled with sound--a maddening cacophony of cars, trucks, buses and auto rickshaws, people cursing, cussing, swerving. Noise, noise everywhere. Every day. Every hour. Except in our backyard, where there was (and still is) an old mango tree. This tree casts a benevolent shade over our red-tiled house. When I was a little girl, my father fixed a swing for me on one of its overhanging branches. The swing was just a little plank of wood with both ends strung up through…

This write up was originally posted by Nitya Ramakrishnan on Whitefield Rising website, and has been re-posted here with permission. This article in  Times of India outlines what happenned. 16 individuals/groups are involved. And most of us are in this list! Interestingly, the choice each one makes determines the outcome of this case and potentially affects the next rape about to happen. So are we inadvertently supporting rape? The teacher that locked the little 6-year-old in a room, in the school (per the article in TOI) The Rapists The teacher that seems to have found out and brought the doctor The…

This write up was originally posted by Nitya Ramakrishnan on Whitefield Rising website, and has been re-posted here with permission. This article in  Times of India outlines what happenned. 16 individuals/groups are involved. And most of us are in this list! Interestingly, the choice each one makes determines the outcome of this case and potentially affects the next rape about to happen. So are we inadvertently supporting rape? The teacher that locked the little 6-year-old in a room, in the school (per the article in TOI) The Rapists The teacher that seems to have found out and brought the doctor The…

Facts as outlined by Police on Vibgyor High school case: "Alleged act on July 2nd. Complaint received on 14th. Full co-operation by School during investigation. Two people in custody as of 16th. Investigation at 80% completion and they are likely to conclude by 18th." It implied they were very close to conclusion. July 17th: On request from Vibgyor parents and in a gesture of solidarity for the victim, Whitefield Rising requested all on the group to support a protest meeting organised by the parents. Their objective was to get Mr Rustam to answer the many questions they had. They had…

Facts as outlined by Police on Vibgyor High school case: "Alleged act on July 2nd. Complaint received on 14th. Full co-operation by School during investigation. Two people in custody as of 16th. Investigation at 80% completion and they are likely to conclude by 18th." It implied they were very close to conclusion. July 17th: On request from Vibgyor parents and in a gesture of solidarity for the victim, Whitefield Rising requested all on the group to support a protest meeting organised by the parents. Their objective was to get Mr Rustam to answer the many questions they had. They had…