Full Coverage: Education

30.11.2006 Popular soap opera that portrays a mother in search of a school that will accept her daughter as just another student has sparked a public debate in Brazil on whether or not children with Down's syndrome should be enrolled in standard schools.

29.11.2006 Getachew and Ingida are seasoned farmers in the fertile area of Debre Zeit in rural Ethiopia who have shared their views on the hardship of feeding growing families.

29.11.2006 A group of ministers cleared a draft legislation that proposes to allow foreign educational institutions to open campuses in the country. Once the Bill is enacted, Oxford, Harvard and Stanford can set up shop and offer global degrees in India.

29.11.2006 The government will have to more than double its budget allocation for higher education during the 11th Five-Year Plan if it accepts the recommendations of academic bodies that are working out a "proper" budget allocation for higher education.

28.11.2006 Between November 22 and December 15, 2006, the Youth Information Agency and the Creative Development Foundation will organize a campaign to collect letters of support for the initiative to establish a special fund for introduction of information science technology in B&H education system.

28.11.2006 Opportunities to pursue education are dependent upon the availability of adequate access. In the nation as a whole, primary educational facility is available to only to about 70-80 % of the eligible age group ( unto 14 years) of the children. Some of the states are not fortunate to reach even this capacity.

28.11.2006 The Tehelka Summit of the Powerless session on Equal Education saw panelists attack the Central governmentÂ’s lackadaisical approach to education, especially primary education.

24.11.2006 An Approach Paper of the Planning Commission says that a set of national testing standards and a chain of institutions that test and evaluate children would help monitor and improve quality of learning.

24.11.2006 Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to launch a satellite education programme in schools across the country from next year.An initiative of the vocational education department, CBSE, specific lessons would be transmitted through satellite from various regional offices of the board under the programme.

23.11.2006 The South Asian region contains most of the children in the world who are denied sustained access to basic education. Most of the countries in the region share a common socio-cultural context albeit one which is itself very varied.

21.11.2006 There has been a growing realisation that a system-wide transformation is crucial for the attainment and sustainability of the goal of UEE and MDG with improved quality. The objectives of improved access and increased participation, reduced drop-out rates and enhanced learning achievements cannot be met and sustained without improving the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of teacher in the elementary education system.

20.11.2006 AID India, a non-governmental organisation working to improve education among rural children, was recently honoured in the United States. The NGO was presented with the `SF Bay Area chapter Achievement Award' for its pioneering work in improving the quality of learning in Tamil Nadu.

20.11.2006 Union Minister of State for Women & Child Development Renuka Chowdhury wants the ban on child labour eased to allow them to pick up traditional crafts and skills such as carpet-weaving within the family structure. She even says international laws banning purchase of the products of child labour are insensitive to regional issues and that India has signed on to them without thinking through the issues properly.

15.11.2006 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for concerted efforts to improve the welfare of children, particularly those with special needs and the girl child. He was addressing a special gathering of 700 destitute, orphaned, trafficked and mentally and physically challenged children after presenting the National Child Awards for Exceptional Achievements 2005 to mark Children's Day.

14.11.2006 On the eve of Children's Day, 80 children and representatives from schools
and NGOs met to deliberate on this question in New Delhi. The group comprised of activists of the "Nine Is Mine" campaign - an initiative of children, schools, communities and organizations across 15 states of Indiato ensure that the government commits 9% of the GDP to public expenditure on Health & education, as promised in the National Common Minimum Program.

14.11.2006 Another Children’s Day is here, but do the little ones care when they have the entire year to themselves! Life is a mad whirl, flitting from one object to another — toys, video games, TV, clothes, fast food, parties...there is so much to choose from. But the spontaneity of a child’s laughter is diminishing as growing up gets fast-tracked.

14.11.2006 The United Nations ChildrenÂ’s Fund (UNICEF) today called on governments and others committed to universal education and gender equality to remember that the earliest years are the most critical for childrenÂ’s development.

10.11.2006 The Autonomous Women Centre started the Start with Yourself series of workshops for university students, on the topics of violence in the family, partnership relationships and society.

10.11.2006 Sindh Governor, Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan, has stressed the need to make serious efforts for the promotion of education in the province and to bring it in line with the modern day demands.

09.11.2006 Calling attention to the need for good and quality education, ActionAid and the People's Campaign for Common School System (PCCSS) are organizing a Convention on Right to Education and Common School System at the ISF on November 12 from 9AM – 12.30PM.