Encouraging initiative

Congratulations to the young team at Mexus for developing innovative ICT-enabled education products and processes (‘New chargers in K-12 education, EW June). Its very encouraging to read that this start-up company has invested so heavily in R&D and product conceptualisation, and development.Indian education has its own peculiar problems and only companies which understand and address them with indigenously researched and developed solutions will succeed. Solutions imported from the West cannot work in Indian classroom environments. Sunil Khanna Mumbai Unwarranted apprehension The views of some of Indias top school principals on the controversial provisions of the Right to Education Act, 2009 were interesting to read (EW June). While most of them welcome the provision of free and compulsory educ-ation to children, they seem unhappy about s.12 which mandates 25 percent reservation for under-privileged children in class I of private schools. Almost all principals interviewed advanced the argument that it would be very difficult for children admitted under the quota to adjust academically, culturally and emotionally in elite schools. Its actually middle and upper middle class children who fill up private schools who will have problems adjusting to new egalitarian class-rooms. Most of them are ill-mannered, self-centred and have an over-blown sense of entitlement. They are completely oblivious to the sentiments and suffering of the other 99 percent who eke out miserable lives outside their 5-star schools. Apart from social justice and equity, in the interests of student body diversity and developing socially responsible and aware citizens, the 25 percent reservation proposal must be strongly supported by all, particularly principals who lead Indias most respected private schools. Sunaina Chatterjee Delhi Wasted advantage This is in reference to your guest column ‘Learning English the enjoyable way by Eoin Geraghty (EW June). As rightly said, although English is the lingua franca the world over, it has not yet been embraced whole-heartedly in a few countries including India. This is because teaching English in the school system has been reduced to merely teaching simple conversational English. Even at the collegiate level, rigorous standards of writing and communication are not demanded, even in English medium instituitions. In the rapidly globalising world where English is the primary language of trade and commerce, there is an urgent need for school and college managements to insist upon higher standards in the teaching and learning of English in education institutions. Malini Rangarajan Bangalore Questionable survey I was disappointed to read your survey of Indias most preferred pre-schools (EW May). In particular, I am astonished that Head Start Montessori House of Children, Koramangala, Bangalore, was ranked last under the parameter of ‘special needs education. I would like to set out a few facts that seem to have been overlooked by the author of the cover story, and to correct misinformed perceptions about our institution. Head Start was the pioneer in the field of ‘inclusive education in Bangalore. Since the school started in 1995, our programmes philosophy has always been no child left behind. Every child is given equal opportunity to learn…