The Indian government’s recent attempt to introduce sex education for school children has provoked a vigorous debate. In the second of two articles, the BBC’s Jyotsna Singh considers the case against a more open discussion of sex in schools. The decision to introduce sex education in India’s schools, aimed primarily at creating awareness about HIV-Aids, has generated howls of protests from many quarters. Many women’s organisations and religious groups as well as several politicians say exposing children to an open debate on the subject, specially in classrooms, will make them “more permissive”. More than 30% of Indian states have rejected the federal government-supported sex education programme.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Education informed court that Visakha Vidyalaya had organised a raffle at Rs. 200 a ticket and issued ticket books to the current students to be sold at Rs. 4000 each failing which they had to pay Rs. 4000 on their own. Court observed that the past pupils could donate what they wanted to the school but the school could not force the current students to make such donations.
The Supreme Court yesterday having approved the draft Policy framework for school admissions for the year 2008 directed the Education Ministry Secretary’s speedy action to present it to the Cabinet of Ministers for their sanction.The Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Ariyaratne Hewage tendered the draft Policy Framework to the court. The Court directed the Secretary to submit to the court any reservations by the Cabinet of Ministers in order to consider whether such reservations could be incorporated in the Policy framework. If there would be none the Secretary should take steps to have it published as a circular to be applicable for 2008. However, the Court observed that the authorities are at liberty to refer the matter to the National Education Committee to formulate a policy framework for the school admissions for the succeeding years.
CIMA (The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) and ICTA (the Information and Communications Technology Agency of Sri Lanka) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding designed to help foster the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry in Sri Lanka. The future wealth creation for most of the developing world is slated to be through knowledge based industries. Business process outsourcing brings with it not only foreign direct investment but also provides significant opportunities for the creation of a large number of skilled jobs. CIMA Sri Lanka is a leading membership body that offers an internationally recognised professional qualification in management accountancy. CIMA currently supplies the BPO industry of Sri Lanka with a pool of qualified professionals, all of whom have the expertise and business acumen to help drive the industry forward.
The reformulated draft of the National Policy on Grade 1 admissions based on the guidelines recommended by the Supreme Court will be presented to the Court for a final order tomorrow with minor revisions. The reformulated draft was presented to courts yesterday. The Bench comprised Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, Justices N.G.
An education system that provides for different mediums in schools should not be allowed to split students, Malaysian Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said. “We have the national schools, Chinese and Tamil schools, religious schools, private and international schools. Like it or not, this is the reality of our education system today. “But we cannot allow our education system of various mediums to divide our children,†he said at the national-level Student Leaders Unity and Integration Programme. Hishammuddin pointed out that because of the country’s history, rural and urban areas and the divide-and-rule policy of the colonialists, the nation had established schools of different mediums.
Amending (and re-amending) the criteria for Grade One admissions has now become such a recurrent activity for the education authorities of this country that now it is a ritual like taking the daily bath. Education Secretary will be modifying his criteria again today, we have been told, but please do not take bets that would be final. The process might be repeated tomorrow, the day after…well, it is like a perpetual machine now.  To make the job of the Education Authorities let us present some FACTS (NOT opinions, but concrete facts) they have to take into account of they want to stipulate a criteria which will not be as uncertain as, say, the prices of essential items in a country facing hyperinflation.  q      The ‘quota’ system has already being ruled out.
The Indian IT Training and Education market, which is currently $656 million, is growing at a rate of 64 per cent. However, the Indian IT e-learning market, which is currently $122 million, is growing at a CAGR (Compound annual growth rate) of 73 per cent, said Navug Mohnot, CEO of India QAI, while announcing education ventures in this space under the name – Edista. QAI, the leading process consulting organisation, has decided to foray into this space in order to meet the growing need for IT training and education in the country. Quoting interesting trends in IT education, he said 29 per cent of all IT training is on demand: e-learning, as it meets just-in-time training requirements, has maximum reach and no geographical boundaries, offers homogeneity and consistency in content which can be easily upgraded. Forseeing a huge potential in this space, QAI has launched The Edista learning, an on-demand, web enabled curriculum that offers learner centric online curriculum with real time collaboration, Singh said.
The Education Review Office in New Zealand says one in five schools are doing a poor job teaching sex education and a third don’t tell parents what their children are learning about the subject. A report has looked at the effectiveness of sexuality education, which is compulsory in state schools. The report was commissioned by the Ministries of Women’s Affairs, Health and Education as part of a plan to reduce the number of young people with sexually transmitted infections as well as the high level of teenage pregnancy. The Education Review Office says although some schools teach the subject well, most sex education is not as effective as it could be, including the assessment of what students are learning. ERO chief reviewer Graham Stoop says the lack of communication with parents about sex education is simply not good enough.
It is very surprising how different political parties react to the issue of Grade one admissions. JHU, the so called ‘saviours’ of the Sinhalese Buddhists have so far taken absolutely no interest in supporting the old boys/girls from Buddhist schools like Ananda/Nalanda/Vishaka. Their silence is deafening, given the fact that if the current circular is to be used the ethnic ratios of the student populations of these schools would change drastically in favour of non-Sinhalese Buddhists. JVP, a political party that normally ultra sensitive to all issues related to education, too is keeping mum. Nobody knows which party they support.