The Open University
1. The new boy
It’s June and the start of a new school year at Kalmadi High School. For 14 year-old Ashutosh this is the eighth new school he has attended in almost as many years - following his father’s engineering job as it has taken him around India and the world. We experience the familiar agonies of trying to fit in, make new friends and pick up the power politics of the playground. In contrast, some self-assured 16 year olds are running for election as prefects.
2. Transcendental education
Bavajee, the IT teacher at Bhojwani, has a special teaching style. He is the school guru, apparently able to calm even the most aggressive pupil with meditation. But this week he has a tough challenge. Rahul is a disruptive pupil who is stirring things up in the classroom and at home. Will he respond to Bavajee’s reflective methods or continue to wind up everyone around him?
3. Cyber genius
Pune is one of the Information Technology Centres of India and the world. This is making the city of four million people grow exponentially. We follow Delap, the father of one of our pupils, as he spends his nights working in a call centre, using the pseudonym “Derek” and helping Americans with their travel plans. It brings in money but means he hardly sees his beloved son. Meanwhile, Mrs Kapur, headteacher of Bhojwani, sees all this growth damaging her beloved city, clogging up the streets and creating a rift between the haves and have-nots of Pune. And, as she says, it’s all being achieved “on the backs of poorly-paid teachers”.
4. Hinglish
It’s August and monsoon rains pour on Pune. This is the time for the annual English debating competition. In a world of IT booms and globalisation, English is increasingly becoming vital for success. We follow two of Kalmadi’s brightest pupils, Prem and Sahil, as they battle it out to be the top English language debater in town. The judges have set an appropriate topic to debate in upwardly mobile Pune: “Is India Losing its Identity in a Globalised World?” On the one hand it’s a story of youthful ambition and rivalry; on the other it’s about acquiring the skills to get on in this brave new world.
5. Girl talk
Komal is one of the most popular students in Kalmadi senior college. She doesn’t study particularly hard and loves to socialise - to the annoyance of her authoritarian older brother, Nickil. After a recent argument she’s been grounded, so she’s going to have to celebrate her seventeenth birthday at home with her family rather than out on the town with her friends.
Meanwhile, as the only unmarried staff member at Kalmadi High School, school counsellor Sonal is beginning to feel the pressure to opt for an arranged marriage. She’s been trying to find a husband for what seems like ages. Now she resorts to marriage websites in a bid to track down “a suitable boy”. However, it’s less embarrassing, perhaps, than the new sex education classes she has to run at school.
6. A spiritual journey
This year, for the first time in years, the Hindu festival of Divali and the Muslim festival of Eid fall in the same week in September. This film follows children and teachers from the two communities as they prepare for one of the most joyous times of year.
For older children at Bhojwani Academy, there is another journey to be made. The school is determined that they should see the other side of life and send them to the countryside to stay in a poor village. For 15 year-old Diva it’s an awakening in many ways. Made to give up her beloved mobile phone and live on a rural diet alongside country children, she starts to reassess her material life and comforts in Pune.
7. Caste and class
Caste is a tricky subject in Pune. This year has seen caste riots sweeping the city. Mrs Kapur doesn’t want her privileged pupils at Bhojwani Academy to live in a "caste bubble" and decides to tackle the issues head on in the classroom. As part of her policy, she’s waived the fees for the children of Munda, the school cleaner, to be educated alongside the predominantly high-caste Bhojwani students.
Munda’s life has been dominated by caste issues, ever since she married a lower caste man. We follow her as she travels back to her home village for the first time in 15 years, to seek reconciliation with the family who rejected her when she chose love over caste.
8. East meets West
“Everyone likes western dance because it’s just so easy," bemoans Jenny, an expert traditional Indian style dancer at Bhojwani Academy. Jenny puts in hour after hour perfecting the complex gestures needed. And she’s quite prepared to argue the merits of eastern and western styles with her classmates, who seem more interested in westernised Bollywood moves than ancient techniques. But Viraj, the school heart-throb, has his eyes set firmly on Bollywood fame - he’s practising too, for a showcase that he hopes will get him a movie role in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Kalmadi High school is hosting a traditional music and dance competition. This year there’s a new category, - “fusion dance” - reflecting changing influences. It combines western and Indian styles. As ever, Kalmadi head Mrs Saxena hopes for nothing less than first prize for her school.
9. Howzat!
November and December are great months for cricket. Clear blue skies and rock hard wickets make for some serious competition in all corners of Pune. Poor children play “gulley cricket” in the slums and hope that, one day, they might get a place at the Pune Club, one of the city’s top training grounds for young talent.
We follow Rohit, who has grown up in the shadow of the great Pune Club and always dreamed of captaining their team. He’s the son of a groundsman, living in servants’ quarters, but once through the club’s gates he plays alongside the city’s elite and the sons of millionaires. His cricketing dreams are all the more important as they represent his family’s best chance of escaping poverty.
10. Exam fever
March, the end of the school year and, for some pupils, the toughest time of all. We follow some of the children we have seen earlier in the series as they take on some extremely high-pressured exams. Their parents haven’t been forking out school fees for them to fail now, so they’ve been having extra tuition and staying up late to get the best possible marks that could decide their futures.
First broadcast: Wednesday 16 May 2007 on BBC FOUR
Indian School in more depth:
OU on the BBC: Indian School - About the Series
The Open University
Indian Schoolis a fast-paced, observational documentary series that follows a remarkable year in one of the world’s fastest growing cities - Pune near Mumbai. Read more : OU on the BBC: Indian School - About the Series
OU on the BBC: Indian School - Episode guides
The Open University
What's it like to grow up in a country with the largest child labour force in the world, an ancient caste system and a film... Read more : OU on the BBC: Indian School - Episode guides
OU on the BBC: Indian School - Elsewhere on OpenLearn
The Open University
If you are interested in schools, education and India, check out some related links elsewhere on OpenLearn. Read more : OU on the BBC: Indian School - Elsewhere on OpenLearn
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Indian School
Indian School starts tonight at 20:30
What do you think about the Indian education system? Should British schools be more like their Indian counterparts?
Re: Indian School
How do you get the benefits of male ideology in a female dominated society?
Neutered males are ineffective.
Re: Indian School
Definitely, this is the best way of 'learning'. However, extreme pressures can cause a problem - so its striking a balance. Certainly, education in Britain is getting worse by the year, I have seen many changes as a teacher, and SOME improvements.
Re: Indian School
hey all in here.. well m kinda new to the forum.. juss watched the first eposide ov this series on bbc 2 today..
well first of all, its really great of bbc to go all the way back home to india and get feeds from there..
well, really enjoyed seeing pune.. been ages since i last visited pune and was reminded of my days in pune.. i have studied in a school in pune (ENNS) for about 3 and half yrs!
i have always been living abroad since i was a kid, but then i had to go back to india for like 4 years.. and i spent a nice time down there..
Anurag feels that in pune people just live for themselves, but it is not so.. its true that people do have a busy life in pune, but they are not behind in socializin as well.. pune is really a great place to be in..
cheerz
Re: Indian School
Hi
Just watched the Indian School - I was really inspired by the philosophy of the school and really felt that this is the kind of educational environment I want my son to be educated in. I as a parent am dealing with discipline in his school and it is quite demoralising that the school depends on a system which consistently produces negative results in children. Teachers tend to use it as a means of controlling behaviour but I would question their ability and skill in motivating pupils, after all they spend enough time with my child to get to know him for who he is and not what he is. I would like to see these methods employed in our schools. What a difference this would make to the learning experience of children.
A Loving Mum
Re: Indian School
i wish my school had corporal punishment because nobody in my class is QUIET
the teacher can't shut them up and occasionally breaks down
they frequently choose someone and pick on them
fights break out in the class
nobody works ever
and you cannot make them behave by "encouraging them" because nobody wants to be educated
that is why i think it should be brought back don't blame the teacher for being "lazy"because she has tried everything seriously. these nutters are bringing down the few who do want to work but they must suffer for them
kids will hardly "respect" teachers other than those who truely earn it and those are in very short supply the only way to make some people learn is to make them learn
Re: Indian School
i think that the indian school has a very good educational system than overseas educational system.. i have been overseas and can proudly say that i like the way are school system works.
we not only learn about the world but also about ones character, moral values and general ettiquete.
i think overseas schools lack teaching the students about behavior... rather than focusing on experience factor they should focus on general moral values and to set the individuals character to cope with the outside world and the challenges it brings.
Re: Indian School
A BIG hug to Ms. Madhavi Kapur, her Staff and the Children of Bhojwani's.
I wish all involved schools well and good luck.
Kudos to O. Filler, B. Nandi, Aneela. Z, and Aerin for you opinions.
I am not all praises for the West but the "west" is not only McDonald's and Cadbury's.
And, to all future Indians, sombody, somewhere, some time ago, said, "Patriotism is the last resort of scoundrels"
Positiv "National Pride" is for others to observe and not for citizens gloat over.
Much prefer the idea, that the young man in today's episode brandished, World Citizens.
To the BBC and Open University, thankyou for trying to air and place ideas on the world arena.
/John.
Sweden.
Re: Indian School
It is absolutely a delightful programme to watch.
Indian schools are striving to provide the best education within the available resources. However, there is a wide disparity between schools. There are schools in India where every student is provided with a personal laptop and there are schools where there are not even proper classrooms available. Having said that; there is one thing common among all Indian Schools, a will to provide for a secure future through education and that is what really matters.
Hurrah! For Indian Schools....An Appeal.
Hi. I belong to the school featured in the current series Indian Schools, episodes of which have already been aired in the UK and the relay of which has just begun here in India. I'm very happy to read the reviews it has got and the goodwill it has created amongst so many! It was heart warming to read the messages which talked so highly about the education that the school imparts, the focused and attentive students, the dedicated teachers, the value system that the school imparts and the excellent human beings that the school is churning out! It speaks volumes about the hard work and sincere efforts that have gone into the making, building, formulating, upholding and balancing of this school. It has taken 12 years of complete dedication to get the school to where it stands today! The credit for this goes solely to our head teacher Madhavi Kapoor and her team.
But.. our school stands at the point of extinction!!
Lack of space, lack of funds, are bogging us down.
Dedication of whole staff, enthusiasm in classrooms, the gusto of activities, the laughter of children still continues and will, hopefully, last forever!!!
Cummon, lets make it happen!
Re: Hurrah! For Indian Schools....An Appeal.
how long will this last ????? i wonder!!!!! recently our head teacher Madhavi Kapur announced her desire to quit/expand....but sadly due to lack of funds being the main hurdle, she has not been able to widen her vision, beliefs and ideas. Our staff and parents are devastated and if somebody does not get up and do something about it, we will soon be history ... or an old programme on BBC
Re: Indian School
I got a chance to see the last episode of your program (exam fever) through the new BBC-iPlayer as I don't have access to BBC 3 or BBC 4.
I must thank the entire team at BBC for such an excellent program. It’s shame that I missed the earlier episodes.
In the last episode I was touched by the story of this little girl named "Devika". She is an orphan and hence she does not have anyone at home to push her to study. She faced her first exam at the age of eight. Still she studied and succeeded. She was asked what she would like to be in life and she replied "I want to be a teacher". That was such an emotional story. A big thanks again.
I would also like to praise the efforts of Shreevatsa Orphanage and Bhojwani Academy for the excellent work they are doing.
Re: Indian School
We are a very small private school, which means that we do not get any government funding. We do so want to include many more children like devika, which would make our school more representative and would also reach out to more and more. It is essential to run a replicable model and not be seen as an exotic hot house plant only for a few.
Inclusiveness means including all socio-economic strata in one school. To build a bridge between people . that is what we are struggling with........ being affordable and yet providing the individualised attention and care that is needed.
Madhavi
Re: Indian School
I love this show. I grew up in India and left in my early twenties to pursue higher educaion in the US. My school experiences were not exactly like the children and I was disrespected and taunted by teachers and fellow students. it was not a pleasant time at all.
The thing that struck me te most was the constant refrain about the need to get over 86% in exams lest their lives would be wasted. I remember that pressure well. I was not one of the stellar pupils and was not great at rote memorization. My academic record only improved after I grew older and yet it has not hurt me much. I am a Global VP in a large multinational company and I don't have much to thank for my early schooling for that.
Indian system rewards conformist behavior and discourages critical thinking. It does very little to prepare the pupils for future challenges and most succeed in spite of it rather than because of it. While your accent and manners (and to some degree, attitudes) are influenced by early schooling, the rest of the learning process is more fluid. it is not so catastrophic and deterministic that if you don't get it right in school, all is lost. There is still hope for those who don't get 86% of the marks.
Re: Indian School
As a high school student myself, from one of India's major urban hubs, Calcutta, I am grateful to BBC for broadcasting the series. I wish I could have studied in a 'different' kind of school like Bhojwani Academy. I can't speak for all the parts of the country, but it is far from the typical schools here. So I do not think it shows how the majority of Indians study. 99% of the schools here follow the 'traditional' methods of teaching...
The discipline found in schools is not a show of respect, but it comes from fear of punishment - corporal punishment in most cases. Most schools 'enforce discipline' by beating students with a cane or a wooden scale for the slightest reason - starting from not doing homework, to not polishing their shoes to whispering in class. And students are punished by having to kneel down on the floor holding their ears, sticking out their tongue (or some variant). Students live in a perpetual fear of punishment and of school itself.
To add to this is the authoritarian role of teachers. As B. Nandi said, the system rewards conformist behaviour and discourages (even forbids) critical thinking. Our classes consist of the teacher, or one of the students, reading the textbook to the class. The teacher does not welcome questions, and neither do the students ask any, since they have learned not to. They are supposed to learn the textbook by heart, and students who memorise the whole textbook gets the maximum marks. Also, there is nothing practical, and excursions never happen. Nor is there any interactive discussion. Every other day, we are told in the assembly that we have to score 90% marks in the board exams if we do not want to ruin our future, we are told to work hard (which consists of learning by rote).
Another disturbing issue is that the student cannot change his school if he wants to, mainly becuase of the high admission fees and the high result requirements since a lot of students want to get into it, and all the schools are like each other anyway. Somehow because of the culture, parents seem to think that the stricter the school, and the better the results in the board exams (the two seem to coincide most of the time), the better the school. And children do not really have a say on whether he wants to go to that school or not.
Not all the schools are like this though, there are varying 'degrees' of strictness, and it is hard to get feedback from outside, as the society and the media ignore the issue altogether. Many children somehow 'accept' that all schools are supposed to be like this and somehow have a monotonous and non-individualistic and robot-like attitudes and actions. Only recently due to the internet and visiting faculties from abroad, few have begun to realize the deplorable condition of the system, and that the grass is truly greener on the other side, and are experimenting with better methods of education.
Re: Indian School
Dear Aerin,
If you have any idea about the changed rules in the Indian education system, then u wud probably know that corporal punishment has been legally banned. Being a student of Kalmadi School myself, i wud like 2 tell u that the only means of punishing children is making them run abt 6 rounds on the ground (nonstop) if not in proper uniform... a serious chat with the principal and the student if he/she really behaves atrocious.... these are the present punishing techniques. So it wud not be alright to say that students respect elders fearing corporal punishment. I mean , c'mon is running 6 rounds on a fairly small ground kill u? on the contrary, it will keep u in check the next time you wear a wrong uniform or misbehave in class.
I hope you get my point.
Varsha
Re: Indian School
In Australia we have just seen the Cricket episode on the satellite channel BBC World. I am very pleased to see this series as it reminds me of my schooling in India in Bombay in the 1960s. My school was St Xavier's Boys' Academy at Churchgate and our monthly fees were Rs20! A sister school - St Xavier's High School was subsidised ("Grant-in-Aid") and cost only Rs 6 per month.
I am very impressed by the Kalmadi and Bhojwani schools, both by the faculty and the students. I don't think I have had such a prolonged, detailed look at any school until this series was aired.
This question is not aimed at the schools:
The name of the series as shown in the Devanagari script in the opening credits on TV is reverse transliterated as "Indiyan School", but similarly, I see "Air Indiya" and "Indiyan Airlines" on aircraft. I don't hear any "y" sound in "India", so what is the reason for this happening in India, given there is a perfectly good "a" letter at the beginning of that script?
Ash Nallawalla
Melbourne
Re: Indian School
Oh I am so glad someone took on the issue of conformist behavior (that is emphasis on)...Ive just watched the first episode..and though I didnt go to an Indian school...there is much that is familiar for anyone who grew up middle class in South Asia and was 'sent' to school.
The three 'dissentors' to the election results redeemed the programme...bless their rebellious souls..there is hope yet that one can challenge the "establishment" project in place at the school!! ... all the emphasis on ritual and mock-drills and the investiture ceremony were very very disturbing.
Re: Indian School
I have loved every minute of Indian school, Im going to be very sorry when it ends. The children are a total delight, their parents and the teachers must be very proud of them. I just want to send lots of love to everyone at both schools and wish them well for the future.
Thanks again all concerned
xxx
Re: Indian School
I love watching it every week.. and cant wait till Wednesday to watch the cricket one!!!
I think it would be really cool if maybe
10 students from the UK went to visit a school in India and 10 students from India came here and see what schools are like down here. Also Teachers from the UK and India should swap
I think the UK students actually start respecting school more then they use to.. But the Indians kids . . I'm not to sure what they would get out of it. . to see what schools are like which have interactive whiteboards in every classroom and the swearing and disrespectfulness that they give to the teachers ..
i think they should make a documentary about that ...
Re: Indian School
Honestly, Pooja, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
Here we keep telling ourselves that its ok not to have white boards (interactive? what's that?), a playground, an LCD projector.....and so on. In fact necessity is the mother of invention and we make do with what w have and put it all to very good use I dare say!!!
But sometimes it can be quite frustrating to learn in a leaking classroom!!!!
Madhavi
Re: Indian School
I recorded the cricket episode, but just missed the ending. Would anyone be able to tell me what happened to the two boys trying out for the Senior cricket team.
Re: Indian School
Here in UK Children are very lucky parents Do not have to pay school fees. So its a great big advantage to have a FREE Education. People living in 3rd world countries are dying for an Education and here in UK its Free.
I'm not to sure but i think UK is the only country which gives children uptown the age of 18 i think free education all other up to you have to pay. and because its free Children aren't to bothered about school and care much. Parents aren't pushing their children to do well in School because it doesn't really effect them in any way. . . and because parents aren't pushing their children to do well. Young adults of UK are becoming less .. Intelligent..
Parents in India have to Pay for Education. Children know for them to go to school and have an education is very expensive for their parents it really is.. So they must do well in School to get good jobs when they leave.. cuz they know their parents are paying alot for them.
More council houses are being built in the u.k cuz people arent educated enough and do not want to work or go to college which means they cant afford to pay for a house so they move into a council house which cost less and its own by the goverment. More and more electric gadgets are being made : Microwave, Calculater, machines tht do the daily jobs which people now day do not need to do so they just sit and rest on the sofa watching t.v as they slowly get fat not relising it!
People Need to respect Their Teachers! and RESPECT what they already have and to stop moaning about ooooh i dont have the new Game boy blah blah . . .
INDIAN SCHOOL
Yes, oh how I wish that some British schools would take a leafe out of this programme. I have been very impressed.
Episode links
Hey there, I've just started watching this series and I can say its opened my eyes. I've been to india twice before but only to the northern parts so I was given the impression this is what all of India was like. After seeing the programme I'm tempted to pick up my language which yes im ashamed to admit I dont know (various reasons i wont go into for that) but is a frequent occurence.
Anyway enough babbling heres 2 episodes I managed to find on the internet at a good community site.
Enjoy!
I hope the BBC do a similar programme showing the social life of younger people in India as im really interested in this. I would love to see how life compared in the uk is to life in India. It cant be all that different as I have even seen / played with people in popular modern pastimes online for example World of Warcraft :) You really cannot tell the person is from india when speaking to them online!
[Edited by: admin on 05-Jul-2007 07:54]
Link removed for technical reasons.
Re: Indian School
Is it possible for me to obtain the addresses of the two schools, as i would wish to visit them on my next trip to India.
[Edited by: admin on 03-Jul-2007 15:55]
You can contact the programme directly using this web form - http://www.bbcworld.com/Pages/ContactProgramme.aspx?id=87
Re: Indian School
I studied in Bishops too. Bhojwani is just next to Bishops. I think the address should be General Bhagat Marg, Pune-411001. It's in the Cantonment area of Pune popularly known as Pune camp. Kalmadi Shamrao School (earlier known as Karnatak School) is Off Karve Road, Paud Phata, Pune. It shouldnt be tough to find the exact postal address on the internet. Try google. Many schools in Pune have websites, you could check them on the Internet. You could possibly also find some infomation on www.wikipedia.org. The website for Bishop's is http://www.thebishopsschool.org.
Re: Indian School
Our address is :
website:www.rbacademy.org
[Edited by: admin on 14-Jul-2007 10:12]
This has been edited slghtly to remove personal contact details.
[Edited by: admin]
Re: Indian School
Rajesh, if you do manage to go to Pune, you should also visit the many other schools over there- if you have time. I was a student at Bishops High, a very British high brow school in the cantonment, many years ago. I always loved the fact that Pune had such a vast variety of schools at all levels, from budget government schools to strict religious ones, giving everyone an opportunity to learn.
I would like to add, that I have thoroughly enjoyed this series, especially as it's free of stereotyping fertiliser.
Re: Indian School
The school shown is not the standard elementary school in India.
Indian must give education to all its citizens.
I ask people with some education to educate the poor child of slums and living in the street of India.If you do that then these people will also have a bright future.
Knowledge is something to be shared with evreyone and not something to be kept secret.
if people share their knowledge freely in every domain then All the world will be a beautiful place to live.
Hope you will listen to me.
learning about indian schools
I am learning about Indian schools and i have learnt lots of exciting facts.
Re: Indian School
Hi Sam,
In case you are interested there's a nice old boys unofficial website of Bishops at www.geocities.com/bishopbobs/index.htm. The official school website is http://www.thebishopsschool.org.
regards,
adeen
Indian School Theme Tune
Can anyone find out what is the Indian School Theme Tune and where i can get it from. Thanks
Re: Indian School Theme Tune
The Theme tune is I believe a special jingle for the BBC Programme . Is it the Hamara Bharat tune you are after ?
Thanks
Re: Indian School
Is there a possibility you could post this 10-part series on web (youtube, google video etc.) in video format?
Thanks.
Nagarick
Re: Indian School
can you please post it on you tube. I missed all the episodes because of my exams. Today is my first of the series that i have watched and i really enjoyed it.
I do agree that Indian schools have more respect and better attitudes and have the determination of wanting to learn. Some children in India can not afford to go to school and dream about going to school.
However every child in the UK must attend school though some care and will regret it when there older about not going to school.
I'm in yr 10 and in my school most boys tell teachers to SHUT UP to me this just shows that their parents have not raised them properly and haven't taught them how to respects other . .. and i'm guessing that there parents do not how to respect because you are your parents.. . .Every thing you do and say is what your parents say and you learn it of them.
Re: Indian School
well.. 1st of all, i hope nobody finds it too pompous when i write here (because i'm one of the kids in the series)
but i've just finished reading this LONG thread..[:)]
and i was happy to see so many people actually liking the series...
i wanted to say, though, that all those people saying that our schools are not *typical*- are right..
as a student in India, i actually feel very sad that in reality, our education system is, well, rotten!
To tell the truth, i used to think, or rather most Indians have this general idea, that the education system in the west was successful.. but after reading the posts written by English teachers, well, i was surprised to say the least!!
I will be honest, of course, the kids here make fun of teachers too.. but we never overdo it, so to speak.
It was quite disturbing to read the way kids behave in england!
On a lighter note, to Pooja 'finally, a kid of my age !!!'
OH, and another thing, its a REALLY long wait we have back in India, to see these episodes... does the moderator have any idea about WHEN this series will be telecast on BBC WORLD?
[Edited by: admin on 03-Jul-2007 15:58]
You can contact the programme/BBC World, using this webform - http://www.bbcworld.com/Pages/ContactProgramme.aspx?id=87
Re: Indian School
How do you mean that 'education is rotten' in India Prem?
I have found the series fascinating to watch & have been planning to come to India & teach for a year in the south (before the series started!), so this has been encouraging to watch.
Madhvi - kudos to you and your team! A wonderful approach to education which I would love to hear more about. Being a teacher trainer myself, where do you suggest I can direct trainees to gather more information?
Thanks.
Re: Indian School
and hey, rupert.. i did not say 'education is rotten'
who on earth wud say that?
Re: Indian School
Well Rupert, i know 'rotte' sounds extreme, but one has to be IN the system, to be aware of its fallacies., rh?
I remeber this debate where i had to defend the INdian education system (which is sumthin against my beliefs) but ironically, it turned out to be my best speech !!
The point is, our system is run by politicians, who themselves are, quite often, uneducated.
The education board which sets the text is, quite often, influenced by ploitical ideologies..
The textbooks are FILLED with mistakes, (like lat year when the Gujarat state board sanctioned textbooks for civis (i think) mentioned India having upto 144 nuclear power plants!! huh?!?
Take for example this year's plight in Maharashtra
state: the school year has started for STD 10 (3 months bak, actually).. but they still havent got correction for mistakes in their marathi taxts, and still have to get Geography text books.. that too in 10th (an important year)
I could go on an on, but i'd rather not, but i hope u get the picture..
Re: Indian School
Ok Prem, I stand corrected.
What are your views on the caste system from the programme I watched this week?
Re: Indian School
well.. abt the episode focussing on caste system.. ill have to watch it b4 i can say anything! You see, the series is being telecast only in England as of now, not in India till the 3rd of August..
however, if u could tell me something specific, then I would love to reply, because the 'caste system' debate is something close to my heart.
So, please tell me what is it that you want to know about!
Re: Indian School
as an A level student in england i truely think that we can learn a lot from indian schools. it undoubtedly does have certain shortcomings - but this is inevitable in all countries. the best aspects of teaching from all over should be integrated into one system in order to encourage the best teaching practises for students worldwide.
Re: Indian School
I'm really enjoying this series. I realise that the schools shown may not be *typical* of all Indian schools, never the less from what I have seen we here in the UK could learn an awful lot from the Indian system.
The children seem very respectful and actually come across as being more mature in their outlook on life than their British counterparts.
Re: Indian School
The series is very good to watch as it gives an insight in to the education system in india. I missed yesterdays program i was wondering doesn anyone know when a repeat is shown?
Re: Indian School
if you trawl through the programme planner you will find the repeat listed in the early morning/or late night. if you record it you can watch it later.hope this helps you
Re: Indian School
> Indian School starts tonight at 20:30
> What do you think about the Indian education system?
> Should British schools be more like their Indian
> counterparts?
having attended a school in pune it was interesting to see the similarities as enforced by Kalmadi . Perhaps the head was a pupil many years ago when there were nuns at St Mary's School I remember the train journeys from Mumbai to Pune with stops at Khandala and Lonavla. There was the Army base at Kirkee and we all went in a crocodile to shop in pune. The present scenes certainly brought back some memories but it has certainly grown over the years. really enjoying the series
Re: Indian School
Hi ,
i don't know whether the head teacher o Kalmadi is ex St. Mary's school, but I am...
I passed out of SMS in 1974. I am now the head of the other school on the series, and you will be interested to know that we are located on the other side of Bishops school from SMS.
Madhavi Kapur
Re: Indian School
I grew up opposite St Marys School on Staveley Rd/Gen Bhagat Marg... I've been glued to Indian School, although I didn't go to school in Pune but went to boarding school in South India instead, and I've been trying to work out where everything is as I haven't been to Pune in about 15 years. I hadn't worked out that your school is next to Bishops!
I have been very impressed with the way both schools operate, and particularly the ethos of your school. Congratulations on the work you do. I am so glad that I have been able to watch this programme - I think it should be mandatory viewing for trainee teachers!
Re: Indian School
In some aspects. i have been taught in india for the majority of my life. i wouldn't suggest anyone to join an indian school. the quality of education is low. you can easily pass the examination if you by heart all the text in that book. it's that simple. and that's the meaning of hardworking there. by heart the stuff you are bound to get full marks. you dont have to understand the topic or subject to get good marks. everything in india is to do with theory. come out of school and apply for a job, you'll find out that whatever you learnt was a waste. the syllabus you were taught in school doesn't even match with the practical aspects of life. in india you learn how a motor works by either drawing pictures of them and annotating them or by by hearting them. in UK they will actually show you a motor. and yes it is true that india only focuses on academic things. Ask a person to give a speech, they will find it difficult. All the soft skills you need to be success in life is NOT taught in india. In some parts of the country the teachers take their anger on the students by beating. that's a form of punishment in india. the students are mostly afraid of their teachers. in most cases the teachers ask for respect. they dont earn them. Yes they are disciplined, but that's because indians do have strong relationships in their home. the disciple comes from the culture and traditions. In UK it's something we miss. they don't respect each other.
And of course school is more like a business in most part of the country. I once heard about my friend's son who wanted to get an admission into a good school for reception. the child had to be interviewed for 20 minutes without parents near by him. When he got into the school there was a huge admission fee charged for the year. Unfortunately before he started the school he had to go to a new place, but the authority refused to give back the admission fee. Not all the teachers in india are interested in teaching, they go because the other doors have been closed for them. Health and safety issues are appalling! there was an incident where this school was in fire and the teacher allowed the children go inside the classrooms to get their pen, pencils and books because they said they parents will be angry at them if they don't bring all the equipments back.
And PE lessons. What are they? it's when other teachers come into that lesson and teach their subject to finish their course off. In 1 year i only remember going to the playground thrice.
I have studied in well recognised institutes in many parts of India, like Kerala, Hyderabad, Chennai and Maharashtra. these are the conditions. But i know it's not true for all the schools. I have heard that internationals school are there. i dont know what's happening there.
My conclusion is if you want the best for your child, India is not the place in terms of education.