NEIEA ROADMAP FOR MASSIVE EDUCATIONAL GROWTH FOR 2022-23
October 17, 2022
?Dear members and supporters
?Introduction
? NEI (New Education Initiative) was formally registered as NEIEA (New Equitable and Innovative Educational Association) on April 18, 2022. NEI has been actively engaged in educational discussion and planning for 2 years. The total failure of Education during the Pandemic, disrupting the education of hundreds of millions of children and youth, brought into sharp focus the need to build a Transformative model of Education that would not only overcome the shortcomings but build an educational system that was sustainable and was also Equitable and Inclusive. There was the need to prioritize the education of vast segments of marginalized folks that had hitherto been neglected. Education of Girls, that of Out of School and dropout children, of those who need special education, of Madrasa youth, of privately attending low quality functioning schools, public schools that lacked quality etc. were all areas that demanded a new kind of Transformative education.
? Traditional Education has been carried out by Schools and Colleges in a classroom setting wherein the Teacher adopted a textbook incorporating a given syllabus and gave a lesson/lecture on the subject. This was information inscribed in the book and was deemed necessary. The student was not allowed or encouraged to question the given information but was expected to dutifully write the notes down and memorize them.?The student was then evaluated based on how well he/she memorized and reproduced the given information. What was lacking was the wherewithal for learning… The Teacher was brought up with the notion that he/she was the fountainhead of learning, and it was their duty to hand out a set of information to their students. The teacher was not expected to probe the subject but to deliver it. There was no collaborative learning between Students and Teacher and between students. The student was not expected to question the subject information but was expected to accept and abide by the given information. The best student was the one who best memorized and best wrote the answers. No opportunity nor merit was given to the student’s ability to perceptually draw answers through reasoning.?The student was given limited resources and provided poor infrastructure to study, as Education was not accorded a priority since it did not generate revenue. This educational setup reflected the colonial heritage wherein the colonial authority needed clerks (including glorified clerks like the Indian Administrative services) to serve its interests effectively and such service providers were rewarded generously. The colonial construct demanded that the learners never question the authority, and this policy of non-questioning and meek submission was incorporated in the educational policy. The colonial policy limited the scope of education to the middle class and frowned on the Poor child’s need and ability for the intake of Education.
? Post-colonial society has given scope to a new kind of educational policy wherein societal needs demand that students think through a subject and not accept information blindly. Merit is given to those that provide the best answers/solutions. Collaborative learning is one such approach. Research, cross-disciplinary learning, empirical study, global varied learning of the subject, are ingredients that add to the depth of learning making it interesting and adding value.
? Modern Education has brought precepts like Equity and Inclusiveness to the front. This adds a moral component to education as the precepts recognize Education to be a Human Right applicable to all of mankind. It advocates higher allocation of financial and material resources to make education universal and beneficial. Modern science and Economics have shown the direct correlation between Education and economic growth/prosperity. Education holds high place in the factors that lead to better living, happiness, and Peace.
? The global world is still handicapped by factors that favor the privileged and castigate the marginalized, even though the marginalized make up a preponderant share of the global population. This skewing of relationship inhibits educational growth as the privileged are driven by interests that prioritize the aggrandization of self and wealth at the cost of the poor. The trajectory of human growth has been progressive, and this structural impediment needs to be overcome to enable the full bloom of education. Peace and happiness are only possible as a byproduct of constructive global education that values the commonality and innate goodness of all human beings and their symbiotic relationship to surroundings.
?SALIENT ASPECTS OF NEI
? Adoption of Technology
?It is seen that massive growth and Scaling of Education is achievable through the adoption of Technology platforms like Google classroom or MS Teams or Zoom. The MIT launched application of MOOC (Massive Openware Online courses) technology had paved the way for the scaling of education by providing education simultaneously for hundreds of thousands of students in many countries around the world. This technology has become widespread and is being used by many global Educational and business institutions to provide Education and Training.??
Applying Discourse Oriented Pedagogy (DOP)
Besides using Technology to scale it was necessary to change the format of Teaching. The hitherto followed Rote-Learning was seen to be obsolete and backward as it did not make students seek answers and develop their thinking skills. It merely asked the student to memorize the given answers and rehash them. We at NEI advocate Discourse Oriented Pedagogy (DOP). This pedagogy has been developed over a period of three decades by Dr K. N. Anandan, a founding member of NEI.?It uses the Chomskyan notion of Innate Learning. It is seen to foster critical thinking in students.
? Supporting values of Inclusion and Equity
An essential component of the Transformative Education is to nurture humane values, instill Ethical practices, and strive for the harmonious living of all people irrespective of Caste, Religion, Ethnicity, Location or Gender.
? Build evidence-based learning
The Education being imparted needs to be constantly assessed and monitored to ensure its quality is not lost and it meets its objectives. The first step in this is to build Lessons that incorporate assessment as an essential component of the Teaching paradigm. Evidence in the form of assessment data is collected at every stage of learning. In our case, assessment is done at the end of each module of learning.?A final assessment is done at the end of the course. It is analyzed and measures taken to correct the shortcomings. The best means of measuring Impact is through the gathering of evidence based on assessment.
NEI PARADIGM
? To integrate these concepts an NEI paradigm?was developed. This was a hybrid model of Education which combined Online learning with learning in a classroom setting. The starting point was the inception of a Lead center wherein experts in Subject area (Math, Science or Languages) would work with DOP experts, Value instilling leaders, Technologists, and Mentor Teachers and together craft lesson plans that could be taught online. Mentor Teachers would deliver the lesson using the Internet and technology tools like Google classroom or MOOC. These lessons would be broadcast to institutions (Recipient?centers) that are in dire need of good quality learning. In the Recipient?center, the Teacher and his/her students would receive the lesson conveyed from the Lead center. An LED screen in the classroom would enable the students and classroom Teacher to watch the Mentor teacher deliver the lesson. Quality learning is obtained. The teachers in the classroom are exposed to the preparation?and the construct of the lesson as well as its?delivery, thereby providing the Teachers an intensive training. The training is ongoing and on a daily basis. The teacher is also provided with supplementary Teaching material by the Lead center that enables him/her to enhance class learning.
? Putting the perspective in a different way, NEI WILL NOT
?·????????Focus on building elite "schools of excellence" catering to?a tiny group of the smart and the well-to-do. It will focus on nurturing the education?of the Poor and the segments of society that have been deprived of good quality education
·????????Work on preparing the students for competitive exams. It will work on laying the foundation of education from the elementary school onwards.
·????????Will not be a commercial enterprise charging high fees but will endeavor to provide education at NO COST or with the LEAST COST.
·????????Spend on huge infrastructure like buildings and Laboratories but will invest in Teacher Training and teaching Online availing existing Online infrastructure and installing it where it does not exist
·????????Be nurtured as a competitive educational institution but as a Transformative educational institution. It will establish good relations with educational institutions that share its objectives and seek to work with them.
·????????Discriminate on the basis of caste, religion, race, ethnicity, gender, locale etc.
·????????Propagate anything that goes against the values enshrined in the Indian constitution. It will nurture Inclusive values and build global connectivity and bonding
·????????Adopt exclusionary policy in its hiring practices and will uphold Fair practices
·????????Be confined to one place. It will reach out to all places where it can serve to foster education
·????????Be limited in its scope of work. It will extend its working to all fields that are linked to education.
·????????Be tradition bound. It will be disruptive in its working and encourage innovative approaches.
·????????Work as an isolated Ivory tower. It will constantly engage itself with practices on the ground level
·????????Follow narrow social and national constructs. It will encourage global perspective and embrace those that support humane values and considerations
?NEI WORKING HISTORY
An effort to nurture good quality education for the Poor youth, that included the Madrasa students, was initiated with the launching of Mass Education Initiative (MEI) in 2011 in Hyderabad and the registering of this with the state of Andhra Pradesh as a non-profit educational society. MEI focused on providing English language and Computer skills to the Poor youth living in the neighborhood slums and to Madrasa students. Towards making education pragmatic, English and Computer teachers were hired and sent to the Madrasas that were willing to spare the time and permit the MEI Teachers to teach their students. Two years of this effort was a runaway success as both male and female students wholeheartedly embraced the learning and soon became adept at it. MEI was inaugurated by Ms Katherine Dhanani, the USA Consul general of Hyderabad.?The Teaching stopped as the funds ran out. It served to be a great pilot experience.
Following my visit to the WISE conference in Doha, Qatar, in 2019, an initiative was taken to build a consortium of educational institutions that would jointly apply for the Out-of- School project that was launched by EAA (Education Above All), the Qatar educational agency responsible for propagating global education.?Meetings were held at various educational centers and a project proposal was made to the EAA. Even though the proposal was not approved, the discussion and gathering permitted a networking of educational institutions and educationists. This was further nurtured in mid May 2020 when the severe pandemic had brought a virtual halt to regular education and discussions were held on Zoom. After much deliberation the NEI paradigm was constructed in late 2020 and propagated?via Zoom meetings. In early 2021 the NEI leaders applied for the Chen Yidan Educational award indulging in intensive discussion that brought conceptual clarity and common grounds for educational advancement. Discussions were held each week, covering varied topics and different aspects of education. Specialists gave talks on different subjects. A group of likeminded educational leaders emerged.
·????????A cohesive plan was launched to introduce DOP to members. It was taught online using MS Teams in September '21. FREE sessions on DOP were conducted by Dr K.N.Anandan. This helped many members grasp the concept.
·????????A pilot project was launched in collaboration with Shaheen from October to December 2021. Dr Anandan conducted English learning using DOP wherein Teachers were taught how to use DOP to Teach English and this was implemented in a class setting where the students were unexposed/least exposed to English language.
·????????In March 2022, NEI gave FREE workshops on the usage of Zoom for Teaching. Around 400 Teachers availed the Training. ?
·????????In late May 2022, a FREE Teachers training workshop was launched at Hyderabad in collaboration with TMRIES (Telangana Minority Residential schools educational society), a Telangana State govt. institution. Dr Anandan conducted workshops for around 30 Teachers which included TMRIES and NEI members.
·????????Following the workshop, it was decided that lessons crafted for ONSITE learning needed to be transitioned to ONLINE mode. Online was the only means that would permit the rapid spread of Education. Google Classroom was selected as the most viable means for doing the Transition as it offered maximum scope to cover the complexity of DOP.
·????????Google Classroom Training classes were conducted. Many Teachers availed the FREE training
·????????Teachers were recruited.?Training to adapt DOP based lessons for English level 1 and use Google Classroom to teach online was initiated in Hyderabad in June 2022. This turned out to be a huge challenge as the recruited teachers were non-technical and mastering Google classroom was found to be very tough. Dr. Anandan had prepared 7 main modules and submodules (totaling 30) for English level 1. Intensified Google classroom training and mock sessions were held to do the transitioning to online Teaching.
·????????After a one-month unsuccessful effort, the training took a break and resumed after July 17, 2022. It got a first breakthrough when the new team leader Mr. Jameel Shah was able to present the first module to a live audience online using Google classroom. All the modules have now been converted Online using Google classroom. Discussion and working on developing English level 2 have started. New teachers are being hired so there can effectively be 2 Teams for teaching Level 1 and two for Teaching level 2.
?SUMMARY
NEI has been making a sincere effort towards achieving its goal of building a Transformative Educational system. However, this work, like all innovative and creative works, will have many challenges. All members are requested to contribute to its growth, morally, materially, and financially. Without the active involvement of its members and supporters, NEI work will be halted. Members’ contribution can make the difference between success and failure. This is a plan that has evolved after lots of deliberation. It is visionary and will have a huge effect on the growth of Education. It will contribute to a leap in thinking and a qualitative leap in living, offering great opportunities for millions of youths and citizens to reap the benefit of education and make their lives happy and prosperous. It will contribute to the development of Peace and betterment of mankind. Kindly support and help us serve the most needy. Let us create a better society.
?Thank you
Javeed Mirza, President NEIEA (New Equitable and Innovative Educational association)
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领英推荐
PROJECTS for 2022-2023
?TEACHING OF ENGLISH TO TEACHERS
The learning of English is identified as a prime need for all Teachers as well as students who are unexposed to it. The English language plays a critical role in educational growth and employment. Comprehensive English is sought that makes the learner Speak, Read, and Write. Our immediate focus is on Teaching Teachers. Towards this we have demarcated 4 levels of learning. Level 1 corresponds to the learning of English required at the Elementary school level and Level 2 and 3 corresponds to that required at lower and upper Middle School level and level 4 corresponds to that required at the high school level. All learning is constructed using DOP (Discourse Oriented learning) and taught using Google Classroom.
Each course has a 90-day learning period. It is taught one hour each day. Students choose the time that is convenient for them. They can opt for any timing between 5am to 9pm except during the hours of 10 to 12pm and 6pm to 8pm. These timings are set aside for the Staff to discuss and do lesson planning. The evening time is when the Staff are trained by Dr K.N. Anandan on an almost daily basis.?After due assessment on the completion of the course, the students are given a Certificate of completion of course. The students who pass are encouraged to join level 2 and subsequently level 3 and 4 as we build them.
?1)?????COST ESTIMATION FOR ENGLISH COURSE LEVEL 1?FOR TEACHERS
Objective: To build foundational English course level 1 using Discourse Oriented Pedagogy (DOP) that can be taught online using Google Classroom
The course will have multiple modules and submodules. It will be a 90-day course and?will be delivered ONLINE using Google classroom platform.
COST: This entails the hiring of experts in DOP and Google Classroom and the hiring of competent Mentor Teaching staff and training them on DOP and on Google classroom. A team of six full time faculty is preferred. 4 Teams are sought to be trained to teach English course level 1.
a)?????Total of 6*4= 24 Mentor teachers. Teacher Salaries will be 24* Rs 25,000/monthly salary*12 months = Rs 72,00,000
b)?????DOP expert salary 1*Rs 100,000*12 months= Rs 12,00,000
c)?????4 Outreach coordinators @ Rs 25,000/month 4*25,000*12 months= Rs 12,00,000. The Outreach coordinator job will be to reach out to all educational institutions teaching in regional languages and enroll Teachers to learn English
d)?????Google classroom Trainer salary 2*Rs 35,000 *12 months = Rs 8,40,000
e)?????Supervisor 1* Rs 40,000 *12= Rs 4, 80,000
f)??????Office Infrastructure expenses Building Rent and Internet Rs 50,000*12= Rs 6,00,000
g)?????Miscellaneous: Rs 10,00,000. This includes materials, travel, taxes, Bonus and HR
h)?????Total?=?Rs 1,25,20,000 (One crore twenty-five lakhs and twenty thousand) = $160,000.00?
IMPACT:?Each mentor teacher working 40 hours a week is expected to teach 4 hours each day for a class of 250 or more learners. Teachers will spend 1.5 hours daily discussing and preparing materials for the classes.
i)???????24 (Teachers)*4 (hours each day) *250 (students) *4 cycles in a year = 96,000 Teachers will benefit in one year.
j)????????Secondary impact: All students who are being taught by the Teachers will be positively impacted. If one teacher teaches 200 students on an average, the number of students who will benefit each year will be 19,200,000 (around 2 million children will have a secondary impact) on an annual basis.
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2)?????COST ESTIMATION FOR ENGLISH COURSE LEVEL 2 FOR TEACHERS
The cost for 4 Teams of Teachers with each Team having 6 members will likewise cost the same amount of Rs 1,25,20,000 (One crore twenty-five lakhs and twenty thousand) = $160,000.00?
IMPACT: 96,000 Teachers will directly benefit in one year. Secondary Impact will benefit 2 million children each year
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3)?????COST ESTIMATION FOR ENGLISH COURSEs LEVEL 3 & 4 FOR TEACHERS
This is similar to the cost of level 1 and 2
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DR K. N. ANANDAN, NEIEA co-founder and protagonist of DOP wrote a note “THE WAY?FORWARD” outlining an ambitious track to pursue in our mission to bring Transformative Education. This is a logical progression and indicates our working plan for the future.
Develop modules for various courses that cater to the needs of different cohorts of learners. These include
1.???????Fine-tuning the Language proficiency module (Level 1) for?teachers
2.???????Conceptualizing Level 2 and Level 3 modules for?teachers.
3.?English Language proficiency Module for teachers –Level?2
4.???????English Language proficiency Module for teachers –Level?3
5.???????English Language proficiency Module for teachers –Level?4
6???????Discourse Oriented Pedagogy for teachers of the Foundational?stage
7.???????Discourse Oriented Pedagogy for teachers of the preparatory?stage
8???????Discourse Oriented Pedagogy for teachers of the Middle?stage
9.???????Discourse Oriented Pedagogy for teachers of the secondary?level
10.???????Discourse Oriented Pedagogy for Mathematics teachers of the preparatory?stage
11???????Discourse Oriented Pedagogy for Mathematics teachers of the Middle?stage
12.???Discourse Oriented Pedagogy for Mathematics teachers of the secondary?level
13.???Discourse Oriented Pedagogy for Science teachers of the preparatory?stage
14???Discourse Oriented Pedagogy for Science teachers of the Middle?stage
15.???Discourse Oriented Pedagogy for Science teachers of the secondary?level
16.???Discourse Oriented Pedagogy for Social Science teachers of the Middle?stage
17.???Discourse Oriented Pedagogy for Social Science teachers of the secondary?level
18.???English Language proficiency Module for non- teachers –Level?2
19.???English Language proficiency Module for non-teachers –Level?3
20.???English Language proficiency Module for non-teachers –Level?4
Apart from these we have to develop lesson plans for students from KG to PG in all?subjects.
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