About SAT

The SAT is an aptitude test. Like all aptitude tests, it must choose a medium in which to measure intellectual ability. The SAT has chosen Math and English. Most of the aspirants for undergraduate studies to US need to take it. NEW SAT takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes. It contains Critical Reading, Math and Writing Section. The NEW SAT is about 2400 marks, English section is for 1600 marks while Math section is 800 marks. The writing section is measured on a scale of (0 to 6 points). SAT is offered 6 times a year in India you can register for the exam online on www.collegeboard.com. The present fees for SAT is around $ 85 USD, You will select a test day, pay with an international credit card and complete the transaction entirely online. SAT scores are valid for a period of 5 years.

About SAT SUBJECT TEST

SAT subject test where formerly known as SAT II, subject tests are given to access your skills in specific areas subjects include Math, History, Physical Science, Literature and SAT Subject Tests are given to assess your skills in specific areas. Subjects include math, history, physical sciences, literature, and foreign languages. SAT Subject Tests are an hour long and consist entirely of multiple-choice questions.

The score is from 800 marks. It is taken as per direction of universities for the choice of programs mentioned.

About Graduate Record Exam

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is taken by students interested in pursuing their Masters program in US but renowned universities across the globe accept GRE scores. GRE is essentially a computer adaptive test which is about 2 hours and 30 minutes. It consists of Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing. The scoring pattern of GRE is on Verbal (800), Math (800) and Analytical Writing section is graded on a scale of (0 to 6 points). GRE is offered all year around you can register for GRE on www.gre.org. You need to pay $160 USD for registration. GRE scores are valid for a period of 5 years.

About GRE subject test:

The GRE Subject Tests are intended to measure your knowledge of specific subject matter. Subject Tests are available in eight disciplines: Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology; Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Literature in English; Mathematics; Physics; and Psychology. These tests are given in paper-and-pencil format. These tests are given separately from the GRE General Test and require additional fees. Check with the universities to which you are applying to determine whether any of these extra tests are required.

About GMAT:

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is taken by students interested in pursuing MBA program in the US. It is also accepted by major business schools world wide. It consists of 3 sections (Quantitative, Verbal, and Writing). It is a 4 hour computer-adaptive test (CAT). Scoring pattern is on a scale of 800. GMAT is offered all year around you can register for GMAT on www.mba.org . You need to pay $250 USD for registration. GMAT scores are valid for a period of 5 years.

Importance of SAT, GRE, GMAT:

As the admission process gets tougher every year. It is mandatory for

the students to prepare sincerely for the above exams. The preparation

time for these exams extends from three months to six months. On a

broad spectrum the ETS board the governing body for the exam evaluates

students on their knowledge in Math and English from grade eight to

degree level, but individual stress is given on basic writing skills

as far as Analytical writing is concerned.

Do’s and Don’t for Exam preparation.

The do’s

1. Be realistic in your expectations.

2. Do take the writing Analytical section seriously.

3. Take practice test with the sole aim of improving your endurance and timing.

4. Take mock test as far as possible it acts as a dress rehearsal.

5. Practice alone makes you perfect.

The Don’t

1. Don’t be too confident about your test taking abilities.

2. Don’t focus only on particular testing areas at the cost of other sections.

3. Don’t be obsessed about scores during practice.

4. Don’t burn the mid night oil without a proper back up plan.

The Master of Education Online is among the best possible educational paths for those aspiring to be education administrators like Principals, Assistant Principals, School Administrators, College Provosts, Vice Presidents of Student Affairs, Directors of Admissions, Registrars, etc.

For individuals being considered for the post of an education administrator, both professional experience as an educator or school administrative assistant, and graduate level qualification in education are equally important.

Distance learning provides the perfect simultaneous solution for both, without affecting the other. No wonder that Master of Education Online courses are offered by more and more American Universities and Colleges, and are in high demand across the nation.

What It Involves:

Master of Education Online involves distance learning or online courses that culminate in graduate degrees like M.Ed., M.A.E., or Ed.M. Though these are just naming conventions followed by different Universities, other significant differences exist between different Master of Education programs.

Mainly, these differences are about program specializations. Common branches for Master of Education are Educational Administration, Guidance Counseling, Academic Enrichment, Preparation for Ed.D or Ph.D, and Higher Education / Student Affairs. These specializations correspond to the specific field in which an aspiring education administrator is planning to enter.

Apart from these, several subject-wise courses are available, like, Master of Science (M.S.) in Education, M.A. English Language Learning, M.A. Mathematics Education, etc, as well as specialized Master of Education courses in subjects like Learning and Technology, Measurement and Evaluation, Educational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, e-Learning etc.

Why Education Administration?

Considering the immense responsibilities expected of a present-day education administrator, the field is clearly not for everyone. The demands from students, parents, governments, and the community, are indeed high.

Still, the competition to be a recognized education administrator is great even today. The reason is simple - education administrators get to work in such socially fulfilling and influential positions like Principals, School Administrators, Directors of Admissions, Registrars, etc.

Why Master of Education?

A Master of Education degree is an absolute prerequisite to enter the career of an Education Administrator. This is especially so in the public schools of most states. Today, whether a school is public or private, education administrators with only a bachelor’s degree, are generally only found in preschools.

On the other end of the spectrum, in Universities and Colleges, even a Master of Education degree is not considered enough, except for posts like College Provosts, Vice Presidents of Student Affairs, Directors of Admissions etc. More academically responsible posts in colleges, like Dean, Director, and Chairperson, definitely call for a doctoral degree in education, after a Master of Education program.

Lastly, Master of Education graduates also earn at least $10,000 per year more than their counterparts with only a bachelor’s degree.

Why Master of Education Online?

Today, almost everyone who succeeds at getting a start in education administration, are already employed in schools or colleges. They are predominantly teachers, but also include those working as school counselors, curriculum specialists, subject matter advisors, recruiters, librarians, residence hall directors, financial aid specialists, admissions counselors, etc.

The reason is rational enough - a good education administrator should first be a good educator. For example, only a proven teacher can hope to be an accepted Assistant Principal or Principal. In fact, this proven track-record is as much a prerequisite as a Master of Education degree.

On the other hand, most accredited Master of Education programs are tougher to complete than other graduate degrees, and it takes a longer time frame too. Clearly, this presents a problem for aspirants who can’t dream of losing their current position for further education’s sake. Master of Education Online becomes popular, as it addresses this problem elegantly.

What to Expect From Master of Education Online, in the Future?

New education administrators are expected to be in great demand for the next ten years, as a significant percentage of older professionals will retire within this period. This will result in greater demand for Master of Education Online courses, and more and more Universities and Colleges providing it.

While demand for primary and secondary school administrators will remain steady, demand for preschool and post-secondary administrators are expected to gather momentum, reflecting the greater student enrollments in these segments.

Conclusion

Motivated by the social fulfillment and better pay prospects possible for an education administrator, more and more teachers and other education professionals are opting to be an education administrator. Since this role calls for continuing professional experience and a Master of Education degree, there is great demand for Master of Education Online courses.

The growth prospects for roles in education administration, like, Principals, Assistant Principals etc, are excellent.

Anamika Gupta asked:


Online search to access to a fast and free college recruiting scholarship

The myriad applications on online transactions extend to the colleges’ and universities’ expansion of services. Both connections are working for the benefit of the student population. Since the use of the web has been a rudimentary tool for learning - as used by students for research or for online education - it is a smart evolution to link college recruiting scholarship agencies to the net.visit now http://e-student-loan.blogspot.com

After a long period of internet marketing, online recruitment has alleviated the processes of searching for college scholarships, dropping the conventional falling in a long line and standing the heat, sweat and slow processes. Thus, switching from one recruitment company to another is just some clicks away. Not to mention that this is all for free - free from transportation expenses and quotation fees.

This makes it possible that at one time, you are studying the system in a particular scholarship grant of a university and all at once move to another. Then, you can easily compare the benefits, tuition and miscellaneous fees and the governing regulations of the different institutions.

The internet had provided free recruiting companies with credible information. All you had to do is find the directory of those with intellectual property rights and trademarks among the queue of names. Although certain procedures had been taken into account to filter the yellow pages of scams, the student must also be meticulous in choosing where to submit the scholarship grant application. Surely, no one would want his efforts to be wasted.

The online college scholarship recruiting companies offers many advantages. University visits are facilitated while they have the convenience of their privacy. In addition, instant answers are posted even before a query could be made because of FAQ links provided. Navigating the web also introduces other students to other places who are benefited of the scholarship, faculties and sponsoring individuals or companies.

When you have done enough surfing, you are ready to fill up an application form. This is of course after meeting the requirements of the scholarship grant that you intend to apply. The requirements are usually posted together with the ads of the scholarship recruitment company. Certain eligibility factors are considered in online college recruitment just like in the typical process. If you know that you are qualified in the standards set by the board, then there’s no reason to delay the application.

When submitting an application, make sure that you have attached with it the necessary documents. Incompletion of the requirements can lead to disqualification or voidance. In any way, you will receive a notice of acceptance or of denial of your application. If your application had been approved, well, congratulations then. It’s an achievement credited to you. But if your application has been denied, better try the next one. It’s all about persevering to achieve your goals, after all that is one principal quality of a scholar.

Because the college scholarship recruiting company aims to establish a connection between the student and the university, it also has the responsibility to present the admission process. Necessary information such as dates of enrolment, start of classes and orientation should be laid at the bulletin boards. 

All these advantages are laid bare in the net. All you have to do is extend a little effort and scrutinize the validity of the recruiting company. All these sum up to the campaign of education for all.visit now http://e-student-loan.blogspot.com

 

Anamika Gupta asked:


Online search to access to a fast and free college recruiting scholarship

The myriad applications on online transactions extend to the colleges’ and universities’ expansion of services. Both connections are working for the benefit of the student population. Since the use of the web has been a rudimentary tool for learning - as used by students for research or for online education - it is a smart evolution to link college recruiting scholarship agencies to the net.visit now http://available-grant-money.blogspot.com

After a long period of internet marketing, online recruitment has alleviated the processes of searching for college scholarships, dropping the conventional falling in a long line and standing the heat, sweat and slow processes. Thus, switching from one recruitment company to another is just some clicks away. Not to mention that this is all for free - free from transportation expenses and quotation fees.

This makes it possible that at one time, you are studying the system in a particular scholarship grant of a university and all at once move to another. Then, you can easily compare the benefits, tuition and miscellaneous fees and the governing regulations of the different institutions.

The internet had provided free recruiting companies with credible information. All you had to do is find the directory of those with intellectual property rights and trademarks among the queue of names. Although certain procedures had been taken into account to filter the yellow pages of scams, the student must also be meticulous in choosing where to submit the scholarship grant application. Surely, no one would want his efforts to be wasted.

The online college scholarship recruiting companies offers many advantages. University visits are facilitated while they have the convenience of their privacy. In addition, instant answers are posted even before a query could be made because of FAQ links provided. Navigating the web also introduces other students to other places who are benefited of the scholarship, faculties and sponsoring individuals or companies.

When you have done enough surfing, you are ready to fill up an application form. This is of course after meeting the requirements of the scholarship grant that you intend to apply. The requirements are usually posted together with the ads of the scholarship recruitment company. Certain eligibility factors are considered in online college recruitment just like in the typical process. If you know that you are qualified in the standards set by the board, then there’s no reason to delay the application.

When submitting an application, make sure that you have attached with it the necessary documents. Incompletion of the requirements can lead to disqualification or voidance. In any way, you will receive a notice of acceptance or of denial of your application. If your application had been approved, well, congratulations then. It’s an achievement credited to you. But if your application has been denied, better try the next one. It’s all about persevering to achieve your goals, after all that is one principal quality of a scholar.

Because the college scholarship recruiting company aims to establish a connection between the student and the university, it also has the responsibility to present the admission process. Necessary information such as dates of enrolment, start of classes and orientation should be laid at the bulletin boards. 

All these advantages are laid bare in the net. All you have to do is extend a little effort and scrutinize the validity of the recruiting company. All these sum up to the campaign of education for all.visit now http://available-grant-money.blogspot.com

 

The future of radio is at stake. As we quickly move into the 21st Century, our consumers are changing their listening mediums and we must stay abreast of those listening needs and modes.

Traditional college radio broadcasts may be lost in translation if they cannot keep up with technological changes. Some radio broadcast owners are ignoring these trends, which may hurt their ratings if listeners increasingly move away from traditional college radio to college radio on the Internet. Still others perceive college radio on the Internet as a dead medium, however it can be revived if colleges continue to research listener audiences and trends.

Benefits of Having College Radio on the Internet

1. More formats are available than traditional FM college radio stations. Hundreds are available from jazz and blues to Broadway and opera, to Indie rock and adult alternative and many more.

2. Ability to listen while in multiple places such as home, work, college, library or wherever you have available broadband access.

3. With college radio on the Internet, there is no “dead air”. Some college and traditional radio stations have their last broadcast ending at midnight, and the next one starts between five and seven in the morning. However, utilizing college radio on the Internet and the growing demand from students and consumers, this has the potential to increase funding and the listening audience base.

4. Set and leave it on one station without having to remember station call letters or numbers. No longer do listeners have to remember where they heard their favorite tunes on the dial. Having a college radio on the Internet can be easily bookmarked in your Favorites’ list or even set as your homepage.

5. Colleges are able to increase their fan base among alumni and exchange students because with having college radio on the Internet, it can be accessed worldwide.

6. Many college radio stations on the Internet tout commercial-free listening or at least minimal interruptions. This is an important advantage for listeners who do not like all the interruptions between songs or song sets with station breaks and commercials which can last two minutes or longer.

7. Allows more opportunities for unsigned bands and musical talent to be heard on the radio. With additional opportunities for more format types, bands of all styles will have a medium in which to play their music for a specific audience. As with MySpace, unsigned or lesser known musicians and bands are trying to gain an audience base and frequently release a couple of their songs so members can upload them to their homepages. College radio on the Internet can increase that audience base by featuring the group or musician on its station and have listeners send their comments via email, blog, online poll or phone call.

8. Unlike a traditional radio station, college radio on the Internet enables listeners to skip a song. If the listener does not care for the song, he or she can merely select “skip” and move onto the next song. Only college radio on the Internet and satellite stations have this advantage.

There are many benefits to keeping college radio on the Internet. Although some college stations have abandoned this medium because it did not reap the rewards as quickly as was expected, now it has listeners’ ears and they have more invested interest with this medium.

The top online radio networks include Shoutcast, Radio@AOL, and MSN Music as reported by MeasureCast, a company which provides next day audience size and demographic reports for online media networks. Only the top college radio stations online have made the top 10 list, which include a few Ohio college radio station programs too.

The top college radio broadcasts include KALX, Berkeley, CA; WNYU, New York, NY; and KTRU, Houston, TX, which was reported by Radio-Locator.com. Furthermore, a notable Ohio college radio station has a list of eight college radio on the Internet stations that are broadcasted from various locations across the U.S., especially where a broadcasting school is located. Colleges and universities who have the ability and interest to support college radio on the Internet stations are able to employ its own students to undertake all tasks and responsibilities of running the online radio station. Student listeners create an instant audience base because their music interests vary and they are attracted by a variety of formats.

Because Internet based college radio stations can literally reach listeners from all corners of the world, we would think radio station owners would want to continue college radio on the Internet. Futhermore, college radio stations on the Internet, as well as traditional AM/FM formats, can run in tandem with one another without radio tower interference. However, many smaller universities and community colleges are not able to afford to keep such options on the Internet due to failing sponsorship, decreased student population, or fees required to both license music and the radio station.

Check with your local broadcasting school to find out if they continually accept students to become professional radio DJs. If you are interested in learning to become a radio DJ, video or audio producer, or in other radio and TV broadcast careers, then you will want a broadcasting school that is both credible and credentialed. Technology continues to grow and expand, so to keep up with the industry they should have the latest equipment for those wanting to learn how to become a radio DJ on a college radio station on the Internet and other radio broadcast careers.

Education for All: Trend and out reach at Tamilnadu in India

The world convention on to Meet fundamental Learning requirements was adopted by the World Conference on Education for All at Jomtien, Thailand, in March 1990. The meeting design comprehensive review of policies concerning basic education. The Education for All (EFA) 2000 appraisal is a major global attempt that aims to enable the participating countries to

(i) Construct a comprehensive picture of their progress towards their own Education for All goals since the 1990 Jomtien Conference,

(ii) Identify priorities and promising strategies for overcoming obstacles and accelerating progress, and

(iii) Revise national plans of action accordingly.

EFA indicators which are grouped according to the following six ‘Intention Magnitude’:-

1. Expansion of early childhood care and development;

2. Universal access to and completion of primary education;

3. Improvement in learning achievement;

4. Reduction of adult illiteracy rate;

5. Expansion of provision of basic education and training in essential skills required by

Youth and adults; and

6. Increased acquisition by individuals and families of the knowledge, skills and values

organized for better living.

For this purpose a National Assessment Group was constituted in the Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development consisting of senior officials of the Department concerned with EFA and representatives of specialized national institutions, like NCERT, NIEPA and NCTE. During its deliberations, the Group felt that the Indian exercise should be carried out in a larger perspective which takes into account the following important developments:

 The wide range of programmes initiated for achieving Universalisation of Elementary Education after formulation of National Policy of Education, 1986;

 The massive effort made in the form of literacy campaigns to reach education to the masses; and

 Enormous amount of activities in the field of primary education witnessed in the country on an unprecedented scale in the 1990s through projects and programmes specifically focused on EFA.

The EFA 2000 exercise is, therefore, seen not merely as a stock taking exercise but also as an effort to review and fine-tune strategies and programmes of basic education.

It is with this dual perspective in view that it has been planned

(1) to make the exercise quite comprehensive covering every dimension of basic education;

(2) to get the various component areas reviewed by independent experts from across the country; and

(3) to evolve a plan of action for the next phase, probably the final phase, of the national effort to reach the goal of EFA.

India’s EFA Assessment 2000 Country Report draws upon the following three documents:

i. Report of progress made with respect to the 18 EFA Indicators as identified in the General and Technical Guidelines given by the EFA Forum Secretariat;

ii. The State of the Art Review (Synthesis) on Learning Achievements; and

iii. The State of the Art Review on Learning Conditions.

The Department of Education in the Ministry of Human Resource Development has taken the initiative to commission twenty-four sub-sectoral studies on various aspects of EFA in India which seek to capture the varied experiences that have emerged from the projects, programmes and schemes undertaken during the last decade. The findings of these studies are proposed to be disseminated widely in India and abroad with a view to enrich the EFA 2000 Assessment exercise and provide useful inputs for policy makers, planners and administrators who are working towards achieving the goals of EFA.

Education for All – frame work

The goal of EFA in India are to be viewed in relation to the stage of education development that obtained on 1990 ¾ the year of world declaration on EFA. By then, fairly large expansion of in all parts of the country. Other sectors of education like adult education Non – formal education had also developed fairly well. Therefore, the main challenges in education in 1990s related to EFA have been the following: Access to basic education for the unreached segments and uncovered habitations

Qualitative improvement in content and processes of education; to make them more responsive to learning needs of individuals-children, youth and adults, families, community and development in different sectors of social and economic life. Consolidation and newer orientation wherever required in different areas of education through innovative programmes and changed role of educational personnel. Community participation in education; making education a people’s movement. Evolving effective and efficient management structures in education.

All goals and targets of EFA to be fulfilled in 1990’s have to be assessed in terms of the nature of the programmes, the degree to which they have led to achievement of the goals of EFA, and the promise they hold for making the processes and supportive structure sustainable. Thus, when EFA programmes were implemented in 1990’s,a new framework for development of basic education in the country was emerging which had the following broad features.

Holistic Approach

The holistic approach adopted for planning and implementation of EFA programmes is characterized by:

- A holistic view of basic education with grater linkages and integration between pre – school, primary education, non – formal education and adult education;

- Relating programmes of education with national concerns such as nutrition and health care, environment, small family norm and life skills education.

- Collaboration of different departments and sectors of development with primary education.

Education Grantee Scheme

The EGS centers in Tamil Nadu deserves special mention as an important new initiative in the 1990s.the remarkable success of EGS drawn the attention of planners and policy maker. The EGS centers covered 6-11 age groups who did not battened school. The key factors on which EGS hinges are community demand and government guarantee. By projecting community demand as a start-up point, EGS addresses the issue of enrollment and retention. The EGS is seen as successful mode of reaching the unreached or ‘Hard to reach’.

Education Grantee Scheme in Tamil Nadu (2004-2005)

ACTIVITIES

Administration arrangement: The coordinator have appointed.

Capacity building All the staff/ teachers have completed the strategy planning work shop.

Equivalence strategy The special effort is being taken to enroll the school drop out children.

Duration The short duration of the programme is 60-75 days.

School hours Two to three hours

Number of children per class 25 – 40 is high and low is 10-20

Teacher qualifications, Training and honorarium As per the government norm

Academic support and supervision The separate supervisors for every eight to ten schools

Teaching – Learning Materials The material prepared separately

Collaboration with NGOs Many EGS centers running by NGOs

A PROGRAMME FOR UNIVERSAL ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN INDIA

In accordance with the constitutional commitment to ensure free and compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14 years, provision of universal elementary education has been a salient feature of national policy since independence. This resolve has been spelt out emphatically in the National Policy since independence (NPE), 1986 and the Programme of Action (POA) 1992. A number of schemes and programmes were launched in pursuance of the emphasis embodied in the NPE and the POA. These included the scheme of Operation Blackboard (OB); Non Formal Education (NFE); Teacher Education (TE); Mahila Samakhya (MS); State specific Basic Education Projects like the Andhra Pradesh Primary Education Project (APPEP); Bihar Education Project (BEP), Lok Jumbish (LJP) in Rajasthan; National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (MDM); District Primary Education Programme (DPEP).

Why Elementary Education

Social justice and equity are by themselves a strong argument for providing basic education for all. It is an established fact that basic education improves the level of human well – being especially with regard to life expectancy, infant mortality, nutritional status of children, etc. Studies have shown that universal basic education significantly contributes to economic growth.

Constitutional, Legal and National Statements for UEE

The Constitutional, legal, and national policies and statements have time and again upheld the cause of universal elementary education.

Constitutional mandate 1950 – “The state shall Endeavour to provide, within a period of ten years from the commencement of this Constitution, for free and compulsory education to all children until they complete the age of 14 years.”

National Policy of Education 1986 – “It shall be ensured that free and compulsory education of satisfactory quality is provided to all children up to 14 years of age before we enter the twenty first century.”

Unnikrishnan judgment 1993 – “Every child/citizen of this country has a right to free

education till he completes the age of fourteen years.”

Education Ministers” resolve 1998 – “Universal elementary education should be pursued in the mission mode. It emphasized the need to pursue a holistic and convergent

approach towards UEE.”

National Committee’s Report on UEE in the mission mode 1999 – UEE should be pursued in a mission mode with a holistic and convergent approach with emphasis on preparation of District Elementary Education Plans for UEE. It supported the fundamental right to education and desired quick action towards operationalization of the mission mode towards UEE.

The Scenario so Far

Consequent to several efforts, India has made enormous progress in terms of increase in institution, teachers, and students in elementary education. The number of schools in the country increased four fold – from 2, 31, 000 in 1950-51 to 9, 30,000 in 1988-99, while enrolment in the primary cycle jumped by about six times from 19.2 million to 110 million. At the upper Primary stage, the increase of enrolment during the period was 13 times, while enrolment of girls recorded a huge rise of 32 times. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) at the Primary stage has exceeded 100 percent. Access to schools is no longer a major problem. At the primary stage, 94 percent of the country’s rural population has schooling facilities within one kilometer and at the upper primary stage it is 84 percent.

The country has made impressive achievement in the elementary education sector. But the flip side is that out of the 200 million children in the age group of 6 -14 years, 59million children are not attending school. Of this, 35 million are girls and 24 million are boys. There are problems relations to drop – out rate, low levels of learning achievement and low participation of girls, tribal and other disadvantaged groups. There are still at least one lakh habitations in the country without schooling facility within a kilometer. Coupled with it are various systemic issues like inadequate school infrastructure, poorly functioning schools, high teacher absenteeism, large number of teacher vacancies, poor quality of education and inadequate funds.

In short, the country is yet to achieve the elusive goal of Universalisation of Elementary education (UEE), which means 100 percent enrolment and retention of children with schooling facilities in all habitations. It is to fill this gap that the government has launched the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is a historic stride towards achieving the long cherished goal

of Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE) through a time bound integrated approach, in partnership with States. SSA, which promises to change the face of the elementary education sector of the country, aims to provide useful and quality elementary

Education to all children in the 6-14 age groups by 2010.

The SSA is an effort to recognize the need for improving the performance of the school system and to provide community owned quality elementary education in the mission mode. It also envisages bridging of gender and social gaps.

OBJECTIVES OF SARVA SHIKSHA ABHIYAN

 All children in school, Education Guarantee Centre, Alternative School, ‘Back to School’ camp by 2003;

 All children complete five years of primary schooling by 2007;

 All children complete eight years of schooling by 2010;

 Focus on elementary education of satisfactory quality with emphasis on education for life;

 Bridge all gender and social category gaps at primary stage by 2007 and at

Elementary education level by 2010;

 Universal retention by 2010.

Structure for Implementation

The Central and State governments will together implement the SA in partnership with the local governments and the community. To signify the national priority for elementary education, a National Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Mission is being established with the Prime Minister as the Chairperson and the Union Minister of Human Resource Development as the Vice Chairperson. States have been requested to establish State level Implementation Society for UEE under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Education Minister. This has already been done in many States.

The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan will not disturb existing structures in States and districts but would only try to bring convergence in all these efforts. Efforts will be made to ensure that there is functional decentralization down to the school level in order to improve community participation. Besides recognizing PRIs / Tribal Councils in Scheduled Areas, including the Gram Sabha, the States would be encouraged to enlarge the accountability framework by involving NGOs, teacher, activists, women’s organizations etc.

Coverage and Period

The SSA will cover the entire expanse of the country before March 2002 and the duration of the Programme in every district will depend upon the District Elementary Education Plan (DPEP) Prepared by it as per its specific needs. However, the upper limit for the programme period has been fixed as ten years, i.e., up to 2010.

Strategies central to SSA programme

 Institutional reforms – As part of the SSA, institutional reforms in the States will be carried out. The state will have to make an objective assessment of their prevalent education system including educational administration, achievement levels in schools, financial issues, decentralization and community ownership, review of state Education Act, rationalization of teacher deployment and recruitment of teachers, monitoring and evaluation, education of girls, SC/ST and disadvantaged groups, policy regarding private schools and ECCE. Many States have already affected institutional reforms to improve the delivery system for elementary education.

 Sustainable Financing – The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is based on the premise that financing of elementary education interventions has to sustainable. This calls for a long – term perspective on financial partnership between the Central and the State governments.

 Community ownership – The programme calls for community ownership of school based interventions through effective decentralisation. This will be augmented by involvement of women’s groups, VEC members and members of Panchayati Raj institutions.

 Institutional capacity building – The SSA conceives a major capacity building role for national and state level institution like NIEPA/NCERT/NCTE/SCERT/SIEMAT. Improvement in quality requires a sustainable support system of resource persons.

 Improving mainstream educational administration – The Programme will have a community based monitoring system. The Educational Management Information System (EMSI) will correlate school level data with community based information from micro planning and surveys. Besides this, every school will have a notice board showing all the grants received by the school and other details.

 Habitation as a unit of planning – The SSA works on a community based approach to planning with habitation as a unit of planning. Habitation plans will be the basis for formulating district plans.

 Accountability to community – SSA envisages cooperation between teachers, parents and PRIs, as well as accountability and transparency.

 Education of girls – Education of girls, especially those belonging to the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, will be one of the principal concerns in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

 Focus on special groups – There will be a focus on the education participation of children form SC/ST, religious and linguistic minorities, disadvantaged groups and the disabled children.

 Pre Project phase – SSA will commence throughout the country with a well planned pre project phase that provides for a large number of interventions for capacity development to improve the delivery and monitoring system.

 Thrust on quality – SSA lays a special thrust on making education at elementary level useful and relevant for children by improving the curriculum, child centered activities and effective teaching methods.

 Role of teachers – SSA recognizes the critical role of teachers and advocates a focus on their development needs. Setting up of BRC/CRC, recruitment of qualified teachers, opportunities for teacher development through participation in curriculum related material development, focus on classroom process and exposure visits for teachers are all designed to develop the human resource among teachers.

 District Elementary Education Plans – As per the SSA framework, each district will prepare a District Elementary Education Plan reflection all the investments being made in the education sector, with a holistic and convergent approach.

Components of SSA

The components of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan includes appointment of teachers, teacher training, qualitative improvement of elementary education, provision of teaching learning materials, establishment of Block and Cluster Resource Centers for academic support, construction of Classrooms and school buildings, establishment of education guarantee centers, integrated education of the disabled and distance education.

Conclusion

Non-government Organization

Non – government organizations, commonly referred to as voluntary agencies in India, also participate in EFA programmes. For instance, a large number of voluntary agencies are implementing non – formal education programmes to meet the educational needs of out of school children. Many of them focus on socially and economically back ward areas and marginalized sections of the society and on education of girls. The current decade has seen the emergence of a number of EFA programmes supported by international agencies. These include support multi – lateral agencies including UN bodies, the World Bank and the ADB. Five UN agencies have supported the development of a joint initiative with the government of India and state governments on community based primary education. Assistance from UN agencies and bilateral dononars is in the form of grants, while the World Bank provides concessional loan assistance through IDA. Matching contributions in cash and kind are provided by central and state governments for such projects. The last three five year plans have witnessed significant shift in the expenditure of the department of education in the central government towards primary and adult education and away from tertiary education. That the central government is paying serious attention towards achievement of the goal of EFA is brought out by these actions of government.

Determining which college to go to after high school graduation is a decision that takes a lot of consideration and thought to make. The success of getting a degree, especially a business management degree, sometimes hinges on choosing the right college, Babson College. Gaining entrance to this esteemed institution would surely ensure success in the graduate’s career later on.

The earliest step in this process would be to know just exactly what kind of profession a high school student would like to get into. For those who want to establish a business enterprise someday or gain success in the financial industry, choosing the right college, Babson College would be an excellent option. One sure benefit to reap would be the excellent reputation the college has among business colleges as well as in the business community in general.

Another advantage of choosing the right college, Babson College would be the hands-on approach of the institution, in which students would get to experience the actual processes and practices of the workplace long before they process and submit a job application.

And if the student has made up his or her mind in choosing the right college, Babson College, time and effort should be invested in knowing all there is to know about this educational establishment. Consider visiting its website as well as getting in touch with its admissions staff in order to know the qualifications and criteria for gaining enrollment.

Distance should be another factor in choosing the right college, Babson College. For those living within the Massachusetts state, selecting this particular college would probably be an easy thing to do. However, know that there are also a lot of students from all over the world who had also made the decision of choosing the right college, Babson College. In fact, students of different nationalities have long been a major popuation group within the institution, taking advantage of the college’s international renown.

In choosing the right college, Babson College, students also stand to gain benefits from the academic programs offered, especially in the field of entrepreneurship. The college has a number of research centers that ensure that students get to practice all the theories and lessons they learned in classroom setting. They also get to develop a lot of communication and business management skills that will surely prove to be helpful later on.

As an added advantage in choosing the right college, Babson College, Newsweek magazine recognizes the school as the ‘Hottest for Business’ in its list of ’25 Hottest Schools in America’ for 2008. Furthermore, it lauds Babson College as the best school to enroll in for those who wish to start their own business and gain success from it. The school is also known for its liberal arts program, another incentive for choosing the right college, Babson College.

Though this private institution is quite small in size and student number, it can still work toward the students’ advantage. Choosing the right college, Babson College would mean that no student shall ever suffer from inattention and would get to participate in all activities and projects assigned. Ultimately, the result would be a gain in experience and expertise other business colleges provide inadequately.

We might think that for a regular college student the main concern is to attend classes, study for exams and turn in the papers before the deadlines. However, this is not the case in North America. The students in the United States and Canada have to deal with quite complicated financial decisions throughout their years of higher education. The reason is that higher education in these countries is provided by private institutions, which offer quality education but at quite spicy costs. In these conditions, students and their families have to face tough financial decisions when they choose a college to attend. For most of them, the fees are too expensive so the first step is to try obtaining a full scholarship or partial financial aid. For the rest of the expenses, there is the widespread option of contracting a college loan.

Students can contract more than one college loan during their four years of college. If they also pursue graduate studies, it is likely that they will end up with a collection of college loans that they end up paying back for many years after graduation. It thus turns out that a college loan is not something you leave behind at graduation, along with all the other college stories, but it is a life-long commitment. The practice of contracting a college loan is so common that an entire business has developed around it covering financial and legal services for the loan contractors.

A college loan can be offered by either a governmental agency or by a private company that takes care of such financial services. If the student contracts all his student loans from the government, than he can use the option of college loan consolidation. College loan consolidation is extremely advantageous because it actually means replacing a whole set of different loans with various interest rates with just one loan having a unique rate. The main benefit of college loan consolidation is that it gives the chance to lock in the interest rate at its current value (the value at the time when the consolidation is made) thus offsetting changes in interest rates taking place over the next years, when the loan is being repaid. Nowadays, all recent graduates are advised to pursue college loan consolidation as soon as they can because rates for college loans are at an all time low and they will not remain so for too lone. Doing college loan consolidation now means that the student makes sure he or she will pay the same low rate for the following ten or more years, although interest rates for college loans may increase by 10% or more in this period.

College loan consolidation is most commonly done by recent graduates, who are starting to face the difficulties of starting to pay back the loans. Usually, during the college years, the government will subsidize the payment of the rates for students. During the first six months after graduation, young people can still be saved the trouble of having to think about college loan consolidation because they are given a grace period during which no payments should be made. The wisest of them start thinking about college loan consolidation in this time though. They consider alternative options and decide which scheme for college loan consolidation is most beneficial for them. College loan consolidation may be a tough decision to make, the financial packages offered include details that may be tedious to follow and understand. That is why recent graduates may end up postponing thinking about it. However, they are being pressured more and more to become responsible and do college loan consolidation now because of the low interest rates they should be taking advantage of.

While it is most common for recent graduates to worry about loan consolidation, for better informed students there is also the option of in-school consolidation loan. School consolidation loan means exactly that students can put their loans together during the college years. School consolidation loan has become more of an issue nowadays precisely because of the current low interest rates. Current college students also wanted to have the option of locking in these low rates (by graduation time, the rates will already have increased). That is how the option of school consolidation loan became more and more widespread. It is interesting to see how many of the present college students will be able to collect enough information and dedicate their time to get into a school consolidation loan program. Many colleges have started coming up with the option of offering counseling for school consolidation loans because they are aware of the difficulty of the task and of the tendency of college students to procrastinate on such issues. In many cases, it is the parents who take over the task of dealing with the school consolidation loan, which makes sense too especially because in many cases it is still the parents who help college students deal with their financial burdens.

The intricacies of school consolidation loan force college students to face the financial and legal difficulties of adult life in the US earlier on. Perhaps the colleges should start thinking about offering an introductory class on these issues… It is very important that teenagers of all ages, including college students, receive an education regarding the financial reality and how a college loan consolidation could help them. After all, it is not fair to take advantage of the young and inexperienced.

Adi Arifin asked:

Many universities try to help their student with make a scholarship, to help them to pay the tuition fee.  This kind of program was really helpful for them who rally need some help from some institution, because in this kind situation right now many people cannot continue their education level. The university makes some competition for a student who has ability in education, and also has trace which is different with other student.

Usually they make a college scholarship program for them who want continue their educational level, without paying the tuition. The selection of a student who will get this opportunity it was hard, because we can found many students who are great in their study and have different kind of trace. Usually university and other institution use essay as the test, because they can see the uniqueness of every student. Even though to select one student was hard because, they must eliminate many students who come from different kind of back ground.

To finding scholarship information is not hard anymore because many private institution work together with some university to help many students to continuing their education level. The institution usually looks for a student who is unique and has ability in education. The reason of this program is to help student who are smart but they do not have an opportunity to continue their study.

Usually they make a college scholarship to helping them continuing their education level, and he institution will pay all tuition including book. And some of them they will pay the living cost for a student who comes from other country or state. With helping those student they can change the education value for many people. Actually this kind of program can help government to get more human resources who have a great capability. The government feels happy with this program because, it will decrease the number of uneducated citizen in their country or state.

The institution usually already work together with many local government all over country to help them looking for the student. This program has appreciated from the government and also from the student, because it can motivate the student to study harder it for to compete with other student to win this scholarship.

Geetika Jain asked:


In India, the rate of people opting for higher education and research studies is not very high. This cannot be attributed to lack of talent or willingness in Indian students. The main reason behind this is the lack of funds and such monetary hindrances resist students from entering higher studies and research fields. To overcome this hindrance, many public and private institutes in India are now offering scholarships for studying in USA to bright students so that they can take up research work in the field of their choice. Research in various fields is very important for the development of a country’s academics as it leads to generation of new knowledge and opens up avenues for others. Research scholars are paid stipend to carry out this their work and are encouraged by scholarships. Some companies also issue scholarships to budding researchers to make new learning’s in the field of environment or the sector in which the company is functioning. Many researches lead to path-breaking discoveries and insights.

Scholarships encourage bright and intelligent students to take up higher studies. However, the scholarships are not offered to all and sundry but to those students who are eligible on a certain pre-set criteria and who have a remarkable academic record to back their claim for the scholarship. In foreign universities also, scholarships are given to Indian students that enables them to pursue higher education and research in the institute and colleges of their choice. Also, some institutes in India also provide scholarships to foreign scholars. Sometimes, students are offered scholarships to just visit and interact with students of a different country and culture.

The scholarship eligibility and application procedure is different in Indian universities and different in foreign universities. The amount offered by the scholarship also depends on the field in which the scholarship is offered and the institute offering that fellowship. It also depends on the grade of study. Sometimes there are certain terms and conditions attached with a scholarship. A student must ensure that he/she is fully aware of any such conditions before accepting a scholarship. So, one must go through in detail about all the formalities associated with any scholarship available in India or abroad. Fellowships in India and abroad may be offered at various levels such as graduate level, post graduate level and doctorate level. The duration of study on the scholarship also varies. Sometimes, half the course fee is funded by the scholarship and eh rest has to be paid by the student only.

Thus, scholarships come in handy to those bright students who want to fulfill their dreams. These are not just monetary aids but a ticket that help a student unleash his potential and explore a world of education opportunities to fulfill his ambitions irrespective of his financial status. So, if you are a good student and want to study in the US but are worried about how to fund your education there, it might be a good idea to get a know how of the types of scholarships offered by US educational institutes. US scholarships are open to students in both the developed and the developing nations and are a huge support to students who want to study in the premier institutes of the US.

There are various types of fellowships available in the US mirroring the heterogeneous culture of the American society. Students from diverse cultures and backgrounds find US an ideal destination to pursue their higher studies. If you also aspire to become a part of its multi-cultural education environment and find a fulfillment of your educational ambitions in the US, you may want to know the criteria on which various US scholarships are offered.

Firstly, there are the usual merit-based to those students who show remarkable prowess in the fields of academics, sports, arts etc. Institutes offer scholarship-based admission to students on the basis of their intelligence and skills. Then, there is the need-based scholarship which is offered to help students from the underprivileged background who are unable to bear the expenses of their education.  It mostly covers both the tuition fee and the living costs of a student in the US.

Ethnicity-based scholarships are offered to student son the basis of their national origin and race and are reserved for some specific nationalities. Apart from this there are general scholarships offered by student groups or business firms. These and other such scholarships are a student’s best aid to get to study in a reputed US educational institute.