The EDI is developed keeping in mind four broad parameters of access, infrastructure, teacher and outcomes related indicators. The index takes into account 23 variables for calculating EDI. These variables are for Access (Percentage of habitations not Served, Availability of Schools per 1000 Population and Ratio of Primary to Upper Primary Schools/Sections), Infrastructure (Average Student-Classroom Ratio, School with Student-Classroom Ratio greater > 60, School without Drinking Water Facilities, School with Boy’s Toilet, School with Girl’s Toilet), Teachers( (Percentage of Female Teachers, Pupil-Teacher Ratio, School with Pupil Teacher Ratio > 60, Single- Teacher Schools (in schools with more than 15 students), Percentage of Schools with 3 or less Teachers, Teachers without Professional Qualification), Outcomes (Gross Enrolment Ratio – Overall, Scheduled Castes : Gross Enrolment Ratio, Scheduled Tribes: Gross Enrolment Ratio, Gender Parity Index in Enrolment, Repetition Rate, Drop-out Rate, Ratio of Exit class over Class 1 Enrolment (Primary stage only), Percentage of Passed Children to Total Enrolment, Percentage of Appeared Children passing with 60 per cent and above Marks).
The following is an excerpt from an article in Hindu. I hope some schools in Orissa will take similar steps.
… IIT Chennai, one of India’s foremost engineering college has now tied up with number of schools to enhance high school science education in the country.
"The way science is taught in our schools leaves much to be desired. Our children get programmed to answer questions in examinations without being able to relate the concepts to the real world around us. There is too much focus on scoring marks than on understanding, " Dr. T S Natrajan of IIT-Chennai told PTI.
Though IIT has introduced a number of initiatives like the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) to enhance the quality of engineering education in the country by developing curriculum based video and web courses, Natrajan points out that new ‘Science Enrichment Program’ is first direct initiative of the institute for betterment of school education.
"This is my personal initiative and the institution is backing me completely for this. I wonder what kind of science is taught in the schools when students have to go for coaching classes in preparation for specialised entrances exams," he says.
Under the new programme, IIT Chennai will provide consultancy and develop Science Enrichment Program for classes Five to Twelve in Physics and Chemistry. This will include planning and developing problem based worksheets and activities which will make science fun and easy for children.
It also includes training the science teachers to improve their skills as well as understanding using some of the best materials and getting advice from eminent professors from IIT.
The program aims to develop Science Enrichment Materials which would include designing hands-on and computer based activities in Physics and Chemistry based on the CBSE syllabus from class 5 to 12 for implementation in the classrooms.
During my visit to Bhubaneswar, I met various people involved with NISER. Following is a quick update.
Apparently the cabinet approval of NISER had a condition that said "subject to finance ministry clearance." Apparently that clearance has not come yet and its delay is guessed to be due to the difference between the IISER and NISER budget amounts. Its expected any day. But that clearance has some role in NISER not being able to hire a director and hire regular faculty. On the other hand DAE has its plate full with the atomic energy agreement and negotiation between India and US, so perhaps it is not moving at the speed as it should. I think Orissa government and people of Orissa should push DAE on this.
The first batch just finished their first semester. I was given the impression that the professors are teaching very diligently, have made the syllabus quite tough and are driving the students quite hard.
The land has not yet been handed over to NISER by the Orissa government. I am told there is no big problem but it is just moving slow. The NISER folks are a bit unhappy at this tardy pace because they would like the full campus to be built as soon as possible. I hope the ad means that there has been some movement, since I met them.
Several new buildings have been made and are being made in IOP campus to accommodate NISER classes until its own campus is done. The construction of these buildings have been quite fast.
Currently, in the absence of a director of NISER, the director of IOP is in charge. The main persons helping him are Prof. Jnana Maharana, Prof. D. P. Mohapatra and Prof. P. C. Das. Prof. Das is in charge of the M.Sc integrated program. Prof. Mohapatra is making sure that the buildings are made in time, the labs are equipped in time, etc. so that the classes can go on in time.
Following are some of the temporary teachers who are teaching the stduents.
Biology: Prof Rabi Nayak of IISc Bangalore is on leave from Bangalore and is the leading person. He has a new laboratory for his research and teaching at IOP. Other names that were mentioned to me were Prof. Anita Roy , Prof. K. M. Das and Prof. Chaini. I am told Prof. Santosh Kar will be teaching for a month in 2008 and some faculty from Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar will also teach.
Chemistry: Prof. Anadi Das (retired, Utkal) is in charge and is helped by Prof. Chandrasekhar Panda (retired Berhampur U, Ph.D IIT Kanpur) and Prof. M. Mohanty
Physics: Prof. N. Barik (formerly from Utkal University), Prof. Ansari (retired from IOP), Prof. Minaketan Panda (formerly at NEHU) and Professor Pathak (from IOP)
Mathematics: Prof. Padhee (formerly from Berhampur University, PhD IIT Kanpur) and Prof. P. C. Das.