Posts Tagged education course
Womens Higher Education in India
Posted by in Uncategorized on January 7, 2010
WOMENS EDUCATION
A STUDY OF FACTORS INFLUENCING WOMEN’S ENTRY INTO HIGHER EDUCATION.
INTRODUCTION
Inducement of social change as one of the fundamental functions of education has been spelt out in the report of the Indian Education Commission (1964-66) thus:
“The realization of the country’s aspirations involves changes in the knowledge, skills and values of the people as a whole. If this ‘change in a grand scale’ is to be achieved without a violent revolution there is one and only instrument that can be used – Education”.
EDUCATION :-
Education is the nourishment of the mind with knowledge this is practiced purposefully and productively.
Education disciplines the mind, sharpens the intellect and refines the spirit. It shapes and polishes a rough unknown diamond into a multifaceted kohinoor sparkling with scintillating brilliance. Its the development of integrated personality that unfolds itself to the highest wisdom. Its a continuous process.
The philosopher President Dr.Radhakrishnan (1948) said, “There cannot be educated people without educated women. If general education has to be limited to men or women, that opportunity should be given to women from them it would most surely be passed on to the next generation”.
HIGHER EDUCATION OF WOMEN :-
Higher education is defined as the education attained after the completion of 12 years of schooling. Higher education for women has gained a wider role and responsibility all over the world. Today, in the 21st century, we cannot afford to ignore the importance of higher education for women any longer. The reason for its need and urgency is that there is no biological difference in the systems of males and females. Unfortunately, this important task of higher education of women has remain neglected for centuries. Need for higher education among women assumes all the more importance or the 3rd world countries, where colonialism has remained a great force hindering education for the general masses and for the women in particular.
OBJECTIVES OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR WOMEN:-
To provide society with competent men and women trained in agriculture, arts, medicine, science and technology and various other professions, who will also be cultivated individuals in built with a sense of social purpose.
To strive to promote equality an social justice and to reduce social and cultural differences through diffusion of education.
NEED FOR HIGHER EDUCATION FOR WOMEN : MALE AND FEMALE :-
Higher Education may also be viewed in terms of the needs of its consumers. The term consumer is very wide and heterogeneous. It includes young and old of both sexes. Theoretically the need for Higher Education for both males and females is the same. But its sometime argued that males and females are different in their social and cultural needs.
The basic argument which is given for women Higher Education is not that Higher Education for women is different from that of men. Our main thrust is that in the field of Higher Education, women should also be equal partners. Our past experience shows that so far Higher Education has remained restricted only to men. It should now widen its horizon and include women also. The commission on the Higher Education for women, University of Madras in 1979 rightly observed: “for Women and men college education is necessary for character formation, ability to earn, creative self expression and personal development”.
MAIN FACTORS INFLUENCING WOMEN’S SUCCESS / FAILURE IN COMPLETING HIGHER EDUCATION :-
Success :
a) Women are strongly motivated to succeed in the education stream.
b) The merit basis of the education system permits females to excel.
c) Prejudice against women’s education has been reduced. Higher Education has come to be considered equivalent to a bride’s “dowry”.
d) Women’s universities promote women’s Higher Education.
e) Women’s expectations for education based employment are high.
f) Some Higher Education courses provide scholarship facilities for women.
g) Female students have been provided with residential facilities in some areas.
Failure :
a) Female students have difficulties in access to transport facilities in general.
b) Sexual harassment as well as occasional student violence hinder female students completion of higher education.
c) Marriage in many cases leads to early withdraw.
d) Gender stereotyping inhibits completion of studies.
e) Financial constraints can cause withdrawal from the education stream.
f) Part-time work to earn living interferes with studies.
SIGNIFICANCE OF PRESENT STUDY :-
The objective of the Indian Society as has been laid down in the constitution is to achieve a democratic, socialistic and egalitarian society. In such a society women are supposed to perform their roles at par with men. Their status structurally needs to be equal with men.
Broadly speaking, knowledge which is imparted through Higher Education provides skills to its practitioners. Our understanding is that by acquiring skills the women raise their status in comparison with men and also the status of the group to which they belong.
In order to understand the status of women, or for that matter to understand any social issues, it is necessary to combine at least 3 perspectives viz. the perspective from policy, the perspective from statistics and the perspective from culture.
· The present study is aimed at finding the various reasons for women seeking entry into higher education.
· It aims at looking at the reasons for seeking entry into higher education by women from the perspective of men, teachers, parents and the women themselves.
· It bring about an awareness among women as to the various avenues open to them in Higher Education and thus mark the beginning of a major process of empowering women.
· To find out the problems hindering the pursuit of Higher Education by women.
· Make suggestions for finding solutions to the above problems in a rational and free manner.
· To suggest ways of enhancing women’s entry into colleges, including professional course.
· To explore areas of Higher Education where women have not yet stepped in or are a monopoly of men.
· To suggest suitable measures to make higher education for women universal i.e. free of cost, time and distance effective.
PROMOTING HIGHER EDUCATION FOR WOMEN
The social context of educational policy has to be improved.
Family and personal counseling at the secondary education stage can be provided.
Higher education can be made skill oriented.
Nontraditional curricula for women can be established.
Recent declines in state support for non-traditional higher education has to be reversed.
Institutions can be made physically accessible i.e. Locate them near the potential clientele, improve transport system etc.
Higher Education Institutions have to be made more women-friendly i.e. Physical Changes, curricula changes, social changes.
Women’s representation on institutions decision-making bodies can be increased.
Equal opportunity commissions for higher education institutions should be established.
The number of women teachers in co-educational institutions of higher education should be increased.
Stipends, Scholarships and fellowships can be linked to affirmative action programmes.
Women need to be recruited into administrative training programmes for institutions of higher education.
A large role for women’s study centres can be provided.
Institutions of higher education should provide placement services.
Barriers to women’s career entry should be removed, example: employers should be sensitized to the value of flexitime, day-care centres etc.
Sexual harassment in the educational environment should be addressed.
A large number of female secondary education graduates usually are not able to enter university. To accommodate that population it would be benefited to strengthen the role of vocational training institutions. Post secondary vocational training institutions should take action to promote entry of women into vocational training lines traditionally considered male preserves.
Affirmative action quotas has to be provided to promote women’s admission into higher institutions, where such quotas exist, should be reviewed periodically to ensure their continuing relevance.
Where quotas are provides for specific disadvantaged groups like disabled persons, people from remote or rural areas, members of indigenous minorities, a minimum share should be reserved for female members of those groups.
Distance education and open learning institutions and techniques should be promoted, particularly to extend higher education opportunities to women in rural and remote areas, which will take into account their needs.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH :-
The present study is limited only to women students seeking higher education up to undergraduate level in a few professional and non-professional colleges of Chennai city. The following suggestions are given for further investigation.
1. A similar study may be conducted among the postgraduate level or research level students.
2. A similar study may be undertaken throughout Tamil Nadu State.
3. A comparative study of factors influencing entry of women in higher education can be made between a developing and developed country.
4. A similar study may be attempted for various issues relating higher education of women.
Related posts
Curricular Changes in Teacher Education
Posted by in Uncategorized on January 3, 2010
Curricular Changes in Teacher Education
India is a developing country. We have thousand years of Tradition and Culture. Different types of people are living in India. In olden days the educational institutions were called as ‘Ashramam’ and teacher was called as ‘Guru’. Guru is a respectable person in the society after mother and father. According to our Vedas Guru is a third God. In olden days they were given importance for shravana, Dhyana and Asana. All types of information are there in Vedas. Yoga is a greatest gift of India to the world. Yoga has its origin in the Vedas, texts that were heard by ancient sages in their state of meditation, and hence are known as srutis. The great sage Vyasa organized the Vedas in a systematic manner. Hence he is known as Veda Vyasa.
Now we are living in the technological world. Vast changes are occurring in day to day life of human being. The effect of Television, Telephone, Radio, Computer, Internet and Mobile is very much in our daily life. Even today also teacher is a role model for the students in the society. Teaching profession is a respectable job in the society. But there are enormous changes were occurred in the system of education.
Western culture is increased. Because of globalization we see everything in the form of commercial. But it is not good. Teacher is a nation builder. The development of any country depends upon its educational system. Any type of development is possible through education.
The concept of curriculum can be perceived as a connective link between teacher and student, organized in such a way to achieve goals previously set by the teacher, the learning organization or by the curriculum specialists.
Curriculum is a means to the education. While education is learning, curriculum signifies situations for learning. While education deals with ‘how’ and ‘when’, Curriculum deals with ‘what’ education is a product, curriculum is the plan.
Teacher Education
Teacher education is an integral component of the educational system. It is intimately connected with society and is conditioned by the ethos, culture and character of a nation. The constitutional goals, the directive principles of the state policy, the socio-economic problems and the growth of knowledge, the emerging expectations and the changes operating in education, etc. call for an appropriate response from a futuristic education system and provide the perspective within which teacher education programmes need to be viewed.
When India attained freedom, the then existing educational system was accepted as such because it was thought that an abrupt departure from the same would be disturbing and destabilizing. Thus a predisposition to retain the system acquired preponderance and all that was envisaged by way of changes was its rearrangement. Consequently, education including teacher education largely remained isolated from the needs and aspirations of the people. During the last five decades certain efforts have been made to indigenize the system. The gaps, however, are still wide and visible. The imperatives for building the bridges may be as follows:
- To build a national system of teacher education based on India’s cultural ethos, its unity and diversity synchronizing with change and continuity.
- To facilitate the realization of the constitutional goals and emergence of the new social order.
- To prepare professionally competent teachers to perform their roles effectively as per needs of the society.
- To upgrade the standard of teacher education, enhance the professional and social status of teachers and develop amongst them a sense of commitment.
Scenario of Teacher Education
The need for improved levels of educational participation for overall progress is well recognised. The key role of educational institutions in realising it is reflected in a variety of initiatives taken to transform the nature and function of education — both formal as well as non-formal. Universal accessibility to quality education is considered essential for development. This has necessitated improvement in the system of teacher education so as to prepare quality teachers.
Various Commissions and Committees, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Commission (1948), Secondary Education Commission (1953), Kothari Commission (1964-66) etc., are appointed by the Central and the State Governments in recent decades have invariably emphasised the need for quality teacher education suited to the needs of the educational system. The Secondary Education Commission (1953) observed that a major factor responsible for the educational reconstruction at the secondary stage is teachers’ professional training. The Education Commission (1964-66) stressed that ‘in a world based on science and technology it is education that determines the level of prosperity, welfare and security of the people’ and that ‘a sound programme of professional education of teachers is essential for the qualitative improvement of education.’
India has a large system of education. There are nearly 5.98 lakh Primary Schools, 1.76 lakh Elementary Schools and 98 thousand High / Higher Secondary Schools in the country, about 1300 teacher education institutions for elementary teachers and nearly 700 colleges of education / university departments preparing teachers for secondary and higher secondary schools. Out of about 4.52 million teachers in the country nearly 3 million are teaching at the primary/ elementary level. A sizeable number of them are untrained or under-trained. In certain regions, like the North-East, there are even under- qualified teachers. As far as in-service education is concerned the situation is not very encouraging. It is estimated that on an average 40% of the teachers are provided in-service teacher education once over a period of five years. Regarding non-formal education, though a number of models are in vogue in various states in the country, much more needs to be done to prepare teachers and other functionaries for the system.
The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) as a non-statutory body (1973-1993) took several steps as regards quality improvement in teacher education. Its major contribution was to prepare Teacher Education Curriculum Framework in 1978. Consequently, teacher education curricula witnessed changes in teacher preparation programmes in various universities and boards in the country. A similar effort was made in 1988.
During the last decade, new thrusts have been posed due to rapid changes in the educational, political, social and economic contexts at the national and international levels. Curriculum reconstruction has also become imperative in the light of some perceptible gaps in teacher education. Teacher education by and large, is conventional in its nature and purpose. The integration of theory and practice and consequent curricular response to the requirements of the school system still remains inadequate. Teachers are prepared in competencies and skills which do not necessarily equip them for becoming professionally effective. Their familiarity with latest educational developments remains insufficient. Organised and stipulatory learning experiences whenever available, rarely contribute to enhancing teachers’ capacities for self-directed life long learning. The system still prepares teachers who do not necessarily become professionally competent and committed at the completion of initial teacher preparation programmes. A large number of teacher training institutions do not practice what they preach. Several of the skills acquired and methodologies learnt are seldom.
Definitions of curriculum, from Oliva (1997).
Curriculum is:
That which is taught in schools
A set of subjects.
Content
A program of studies.
A set of materials
A sequence of courses.
A set of performance objectives
A course of study
Is everything that goes on within the school, including extra-class activities, guidance, and interpersonal relationships.
Everything that is planned by school personnel.
A series of experiences undergone by learners in a school.
That which an individual learner experiences as a result of schooling.
Flexibility of the Curriculum
In India there are large number of communities living in the hilly area, the plateau area, the dessert area, plain area and costal area all having their own peculiar individuality, environment customs and needs. There fore, the same curriculum can’t be forced upon all, irrespective of their needs and environment. It must differ from locality to locality and from society to society.
“The destiny of India now being shaped in her class rooms”. In the world based on science and technology it is education that determines the level of prosperity, security and welfare of the people (Education Commission 1964-66).
Different types of Curricula
There are eleven types of curricula
1. Overt, explicit, or written curriculum
2. Societal curriculum
3. The hidden or covert curriculum
4. The null curriculum
5. Phantom curriculum
6. Concomitant curriculum
7. Rhetorical curriculum
8. Curriculum-in-use
9. Received curriculum
10. The internal curriculum
11. The electronic curriculum
Teacher Education Curriculum at Different Stages – NCTE
Teacher Education at the Pre-Primary Stage
Objectives
· Enabling student teachers to inculcate among children a desire to know their immediate natural environment, to love and respect it;
· Preparing student teachers to use local resources and local contexts.
Curriculum Content and Transaction
Teacher education curriculum at this stage need to develop awareness about literacy programmes, community dynamics, national and local customs, fairs and festivals and community mode of social living. It may also develop awareness of forces affecting environment including pollution, appreciation of places of historical and cultural significance and special educational features and developmental tasks contained in policies and programmes.
Teacher Education at the Primary Stage
Objectives
· Developing among student teachers skills for teaching integrated environmental studies, integrated social sciences and integrated science and technology;
· Enabling student teachers to inculcate among children a desire to know their immediate natural environment, to love and respect it;
Implications for Pre-service Teacher Education
Curriculum Content and Transaction
It is necessary that student teachers be sensitised to the need for reducing curriculum load, organise appropriate learning experiences which are joyful in nature and related to immediate environment of the learner and help them develop and imbibe desirable values.
Teacher education programmes at this stage shall have to provide subject based orientation. Teaching and learning of mathematics would be woven around the environment of the learners so that environmental concerns are properly integrated. The activities would focus on local culture and environment using the local specific contexts and resources. Student teachers shall have to be provided with experiences to help children develop socio-emotional and cultural aspects. A realistic awareness and perspective of the phenomena occurring in the environment will have to be linked with social or scientific events. This may be accomplished by emphasizing observation, classification, comparison and drawing of inferences, conducted within and outside the classroom.
Teacher Education at the Secondary Stage& Higher Secondary Stage
Objectives
· Developing among student teachers awareness and sensitivity towards environment concern and promoting skills for meeting environmental challenges;
Implications for Pre-service Teacher Education
Academic Stream
In addition, concerns like ecological imbalances, environmental degradation also have to be studied in their socio-cultural-economic context.
Addressing Special Educational Needs of Learners
Education of the Gifted and Talented: Major Thrusts
Objectives
· Enabling student teachers to develop among the gifted and talented students social responsibility and commitment to the society and the environment;
In-Service Education of Teachers
Objectives
· Enabling teachers to be sensitive to gender and environment-related issues.
Need of Curriculum Changes in Teacher Education
India has thousand years of tradition and culture. Educational institutions were called as Ashramam and teacher was called as Guru. A tremendous change was occurred in our daily life. Due to globalization now the educational system is affected totally. Now the educational institutions give importance for technical education. Teacher is a national builder. He has a capacity to change the society. By knowing the importance of technology, communication skills, National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) introduced a separate subject on technology known as ‘Educational Technology’ at both B.Ed and M.Ed levels. Computer Education, Communicative English, Personality Development are also introduced at B.Ed. level. Now we are facing so many problems like terrorism, poverty and high-population. We want such type of curriculum which improves peace, non-violence, positive attitude and values in the society. By inculcating these things in teacher education curriculum, we will get positive change in the society. Our National Education Policy (1986) and other Education Committees and Commissions were also given importance for quality teacher education. But it is our duty that to follow such type of curriculum. By conducting national seminars, workshops and conferences it is important to collect eminent scholars attitude towards importance of curricular change in the present scenario. There are many recommendations about curriculum change, but they are not in practice.
Guidelines/Suggestions
Ø The present curriculum format of teacher education at different levels, pre-primary, elementary and secondary education is generally based, apart from others on Foundation Courses, which includes philosophical, sociological and psychological perspectives of education. The intention is that the teacher must have a conceptual understanding of the field of education, its significant concerns which are relevant for political, social and cultural development of the nation so that the teacher is just not responsible only for performing “knick knacks” of the task of teaching but is also imbued with the perspectives of creating individuals who can apply their minds to the diverse situations that obtain in the field of education. It is the Foundation Courses which provide a lot of scope for being recast to lay focus on discussion on the issues listed in the preceding chapters. Apart from others, it can re-look at the existing curriculum and divide it into appropriate cluster of topics which include the core elements of the NPE and the Constitutional concerns related to non-discrimination. Other areas of equal relevance for development of the ideas are the internship in teaching and working with the community.
Ø The type of exercises for developing the values related to non-discrimination as given in the chapters on sex/gender, caste/tribe, disability, etc. could become the central themes of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities of the teacher education institutions. It is not the intention to repeat the listing of those activities here in this chapter; a reference can be made to these activities in the appropriate chapters in which they have been listed.
Ø It could also be helpful to plan orientation programme on teacher education on this theme. The seminars could familiarize the teacher educators with strategies for operationalizing the teaching-learning dimensions relevant to the theme. An effective way to institutionalize the concept is to incorporate it in the elementary and secondary pre-service teacher education curriculum. This could be supplemented by a suitable co-curricular programme which should aim at offsetting some of the shortcomings in the curricular approach especially in terms of attitude and value development.
Ø What is needed is a vigorous advocacy with state educational agencies, teacher education institutions and university departments of education for conscious inclusion of such components in the curricula.
Ø In order to overcome the disadvantage of fragmented treatment of the theme, it is suggested that an independent comprehensive unit comprising familiarization with the Constitution of India and its concerns as impinge on education should be incorporated in the elementary and secondary teacher education courses.
Ø In India, evaluation system influences the educational process especially the quality of classroom teaching significantly, and as such a separate unit of educational imperatives of Constitution will ensure due importance and weightage to the theme in the classroom teaching.
Ø A great deal depends on the ingenuity and dedication of teachers and teacher educators in achieving anything substantial through education. If the concerns are handled with sincerity and purpose, they could definitely bring about the desired transformation in the educational system through teacher education.
Conclusion
Today we are in a technological world where things are happening fast. Parents and teachers would like to be getting results fast. India has kept pace in science and technology with forward nations but we have shown slower pace in our value system even when we have a strong heritage of human values.
An overview of the context and concerns as discussed earlier, teacher’s profile and general and specific objectives would define the boundaries of a curriculum framework. The perceived characteristics of the envisaged curriculum framework would include the following:
- Reflects the Indian heritage, acts as an instrument in the realization of national goals and fulfills aspirations of people.
- Responds to the latest developments in the field of education.
- Establishes integration of theory and practice of education.
- Provides multiple educational experiences to teachers.
- Enables teachers to experiment with new ideas.
- Ensures inseparability of pre-service and in-service education of teachers.
- Sets achievable goals for various stages of teacher education.
According to Swami Vivekananda Teacher gives knowledge and bright future to his students. He always trying to help students and encourages good habits not only in the students but also in the society. Teacher is a backbone for country’s development. The influence of teacher is more in the student life. Any type of social development depends upon its educational system. So it is very important to give prime priority for Teacher Education Curriculum. It is very important to give place to science and technology in Teacher Education Curriculum. Then surely India will become powerful and rich country in the world.
References
1. Saxena N.R., Mishra B.K., Mohanthy R.K. ‘Teacher Education’, Surya Publications, Near Govt. Inter College, Meerut, First Edition, 1998.
2. http://www.ncte-in.org/
3. http://www.aponline.gov.in/
4. http://www.ncert.nic.in/
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