Education Policy and Sociology

Directions: Read the following passage/information and answer the question that follows. Public education suffers from what can be diagnosed as the sickness of an over governed society. This sickness denies many parents control over the kind of education their children receive. The power once held by parents has gravitated to professional educators. The sickness has been aggravated by increasing centralization and bureaucratization of schools.

Which of the following, if true, would weaken the claim that there is continuing erosion of parents' control over their children's education?

Directions: The following passage is followed by a question with five options. Choose the best option.

A study published by the Department of Education shows that children in the central parts of cities lag far behind students in the suburbs and the rural areas, in reading skills. The report blamed this differential on the overcrowding in the classrooms of city schools. I maintain, however, that the real reason that city children are poorer readers than non-city children is that they do not get enough fresh air and sunshine.

Which of the following would LEAST strengthen the author's point in the argument above?

More and more people are now sending their daughters to schools. This shows that

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:
Men and women are the two wheels of society. If one of the two falls defective, the society cannot make progress. Hence, we need education for the females same as we need it for the males. Female education is highly necessary for the society. Females are the first teachers of the future citizens of the country. If the mothers be ignorant, they cannot take proper care of the children. They cannot infuse good qualities in them. Hence, the very foundation of our people will remain weak. If the females are ignorant, we will lose the services of a powerful part of our society.

The proper background of early education is a/the

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

When we talk of education in our present age, we think largely in terms of schools and colleges. The man who is well - to - do spends money in sending his son to foreign lands, in the belief that some wonderful process will take place there transforming a dull fellow into a genius. Yet the products of expensive schools and universities often fail to make good. On the other hand, the poor man who has struggled against adversity often earns the highest honour. The fact is that the true background of early education is the home. The home, the influence of the mother, the inspiring examples that are held before the child at an age while he is impressionable, are the true groundwork of character.

Which of the following is essential to improve the quality of education?

1. Focus on encouraging educational systems like International Baccalaureate
2. Reducing the number of examinations students have to take
3. Lowering the cut offs for expensive colleges so that all students have access

   Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question given below it.

   The main idea conveyed by the report is that our children do not get a chance to enjoy learning at school because the syllabi are irrationally organised, teaching is text book centered and the system of examinations instills fear and encourages mechanical repetition. Text books developed along the lines of reconceptualised syllabi can attempt to integrate positive values, life skills, aesthetic sensibility and concern for the environment. They are interactive and make a conscious effort to point both children and the teachers towards other sources of learning such as neighbourhood, nature etc. In addition two parallel challenges deserve attention. The first is examination reforms. Rigid indifference to individual differences is the major flaw of the present system. From the quality of questions to the manner of evaluation, it favours drilled preparedness and ignores independent thought while the unrealistically high cut offs in coveted colleges are a further sign of systemic inefficiency. It is hardly surprising that the very thought of examinations makes the young depressed. Moreover practices of splitting unified topics into arbitrary bits carrying small marks value encourage teachers to concentrate on scoring topics overlooking the importance of perspective and overall understanding. Little surprise that many elite high-fee schools are opting for International Baccalaureate not because it offers status with its global certification but for its flexibility and respect for individual differences in learning.
   The second area is teacher training which suffers from obsolete notions. Most teachers are trained mainly to cover the syllabus in a mechanical exam-oriented manner. By insisting that every child move at the same pace in all subjects teachers encourage rote learning and ridicule for those who fall behind. Teacher training whether for nursery or secondary school teachers should be embedded in courses, which have the capacity to develop both the teacher's personality and perspective on society by linking subject learning with reflective and creative project work. The ultimate responsibility lies with universities and institutes of higher learning to ensure the quality of all teachers. Initiatives to improve the content of teacher training courses will ensure utilisation of desolate university campuses during summer vacations which conceal an enormous waste of infrastructure and expertise. The quality of education is a reflection of the quality of teachers and major improvements in their training and working conditions will motivate the young to pursue a teaching career and determine how India fares in the pursuit of economic and social development in the years to come.

Why is the International Baccalaureate gaining popularity?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the question given below it.

The main idea conveyed by the report is that our children do not get a chance to enjoy learning at school because the syllabi are irrationally organised, teaching is text book centered and the system of examinations instills fear and encourages mechanical repetition. Text books developed along the lines of reconceptualised syllabi can attempt to integrate positive values, life skills, aesthetic sensibility and concern for the environment. They are interactive and make a conscious effort to point both children and the teachers towards other sources of learning such as neighbourhood, nature etc. In addition two parallel challenges deserve attention. The first is examination reforms. Rigid indifference to individual differences is the major flaw of the present system. From the quality of questions to the manner of evaluation, it favours drilled preparedness and ignores independent thought while the unrealistically high cut offs in coveted colleges are a further sign of systemic inefficiency. It is hardly surprising that the very thought of examinations makes the young depressed. Moreover practices of splitting unified topics into arbitrary bits carrying small marks value encourage teachers to concentrate on scoring topics overlooking the importance of perspective and overall understanding. Little surprise that many elite high-fee schools are opting for International Baccalaureate not because it offers status with its global certification but for its flexibility and respect for individual differences in learning.
The second area is teacher training which suffers from obsolete notions. Most teachers are trained mainly to cover the syllabus in a mechanical exam-oriented manner. By insisting that every child move at the same pace in all subjects teachers encourage rote learning and ridicule for those who fall behind. Teacher training whether for nursery or secondary school teachers should be embedded in courses, which have the capacity to develop both the teacher's personality and perspective on society by linking subject learning with reflective and creative project work. The ultimate responsibility lies with universities and institutes of higher learning to ensure the quality of all teachers. Initiatives to improve the content of teacher training courses will ensure utilisation of desolate university campuses during summer vacations which conceal an enormous waste of infrastructure and expertise. The quality of education is a reflection of the quality of teachers and major improvements in their training and working conditions will motivate the young to pursue a teaching career and determine how India fares in the pursuit of economic and social development in the years to come.