Category Archives: Education

Diffabled achiever says no to scribe, bags it big

Amazing Feats, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features
B Bavyasri did not let her partial blindness be an impediment to score high in the board examination | Express Photo Service
B Bavyasri did not let her partial blindness be an impediment to score high in the board examination | Express Photo Service

Chennai :

She can barely read her textbooks because she is partially blind. But B Bavyasri did not let her visual impairment of – 17.9 diopters negatively impact her overall marks of 431.

Even though her disability allows her to use a scribe to write faster and exempts her from the language exam, this 15-year-old chose neither. “What if the scribe made a mistake and lost me a mark?” reasons the aspiring chartered accountant.

Her strength of will to do it ‘her’ way has certainly paid off. Has it been mentioned she scored just as much in Tamil as she did in Science: 96? And her proud mom, Vijayalakshmi, tells everyone from the school watchman to her neighbours during her short walk from Velammal Higher Secondary Matriculation School, Mogappair to her home where her daughter is.

Vijayalakshmi, who has been working as a lab assistant at the same school to help her daughter move around easily, and her father R Balaji, a cab driver have Bavyasri as their lives’ focal point. “She can’t take the bus or even a walk down the street because of her eyesight,” Vijayalakshmi explains. This is why they live only a few streets away from the school to which either her mother or grandmother walks her everyday.

So how does Bavyasri read the blackboard or take notes in class? Her class teacher Mini P V says, “I make her sit in the front row; and for notes, she usually gets a little help from her peers once classes are over.”  Bavyasri may be one of those  who literally has her nose in her textbooks, but she assures us before we leave that she uses her limited vision to enjoy herself as well.  “I play a lot of Candy Crush,” she admits with a laugh, “And oh, I love Mahesh Babu!”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Sonali Shenoy / Express News Service / May 26th, 2016

Nine ordinary tales of extraordinary children

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

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Chennai :

The stories are simple but the protagonists are extraordinary. They are children battling various disabilities like cerebral palsy, colour blindness and autism. Their tales of courage, grit and determination are recorded in `Evolving Angels -A collection of nine stories with a disability theme’ by V S Anjana, a former student of Vidya Sagar who has cerebral palsy.
Each tale in the book revolves around the experiences of Anjana and the people she came across in her life. “I graduated in BA Communicative English from a city college. But I found it difficult to find a job. That was when my mentor Shashank suggested the idea of coming out with a book that will connect to children with disabilities and also spark off an entrepreneurial journey for me,” said the 30-year-old.
“The nine tales are told in a playful manner to boost the confidence of children. The stories also have a moral – to create a more inclusive society,” said Anjana, who wrote the book using speech text software. “I was rejected many times when I tried to find a job. I hope the stories will serve as an eye-opener for those who do not give opportunities to people with disabilities,” she said.
In the book, a chapter titled `Football’ talks about how a group of children master sign language to help out a peer who is hearing and speech impaired and loves to play football.
‘Puzzle’ is a story about a teacher who finds fun activities for a disabled child so that he doesn’t feel left out.
‘Evolving Angels’ is available as an ebook and costs Rs 200. Due to financial constraints, a print edition has been put off on hold for the time being, said Anjana.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / by Shilpa Vasudevan / May 19th, 2016

Texas teacher ready to conduct workshops for educators

Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, World Opinion
Revathi Balakrishnan
Revathi Balakrishnan

Indian-American teacher Revathi Balakrishnan was recently honoured by U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House for her work in the education.

Indian-American teacher Revathi Balakrishnan, who was recently honoured by U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House for her work in the education space, said she was open to visiting India to conduct workshops or have dialogues with teachers here.

“I can teach them how to motivate students to learn, how to teach with rigor and relevance and how to build resilience,” Ms. Balakrishnan toldThe Hindu .

Native of Chennai

The Chennai-born teacher was named 2016 ‘Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year’ and will now represent Texas in the ‘National Teacher of the Year’ competition – a programme that identifies exceptional teachers in the U.S.

Ms. Balakrishnan, who works at Patsy Sommer Elementary School in Texas, did her B.A in economics from Ethiraj College in Chennai. She then did her M.A in economics from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

“My teaching degree is from Texas State University. I came to the U.S. in the eighties and was a systems analyst for 12 years with Liberty Mutual before becoming an educator. Teaching allows me to be creative in my ways of presenting curriculum to students,” she said. She has been teaching for 10 years now.

Her role is to teach math and English to students who are identified as Gifted and Talented (GT). That is, the top 5 per cent of students in the school.

“GT students have the ability to learn fast and they think in a different way, but too often, they are not understood. This leads to boredom, behaviour issues and under-achievement. In my classroom, they are challenged at their academic and creative level through project-based learning and Socratic questioning,” Ms. Balakrishnan explained.

Quality of teaching

On the education system in India and why it is so tough to get quality teachers here, she said, “I have never taught in India, so I don’t know much about it. Quality teachers just don’t appear magically, whether it is India or the U.S. In order to ‘grow’ successful students, we must ‘grow’ successful teachers. Higher teacher salaries also attract the best of the best to the profession. There has to be a fundamental shift in the way we view teacher support,” she emphasised.

Meeting

On her meeting the U.S. President, Ms. Balakrishnan said, it was a lifetime opportunity to visit the White House and meet the President.

“The ceremony was supposed to take place in the South Lawn. However, as it had rained, it was moved inside. So, I got to see the fantastic portraits of all the Presidents and the lavish decorations. Imagine all the historical conversations that have taken place in the Red Room and the Green Room,” she said.

‘GT students have the ability to learn fast and they think in a different way, but too often, they are not understood’

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Sangeetha Kandavel / Chennai – May 18th, 2016

Coimbatore topper in UPSC exam secures 651th rank

Education, Records, All

Coimbatore:

S Satish Kumar from the city emerged as a topper in the union public services examination, the results of which came out on Tuesday. He secured the 651th rank.

A graduate in electronics and instrumentation engineering from the Government College of Technology, Satish Kumar is a native of Perur. After his graduation, he worked with Wipro Technologies for eight years in destinations abroad like the United Kingdom, Brazil and Canada. “I was impressed with the kind of governance abroad, and wanted to do something similar in our country. So, I thought I will take up civil services,” said Satish Kumar.

He then cleared Group 1 in Tamil Nadu Public Services Commission (TNPSC), and served as the deputy collector in Madurai district for one-and-a-half years. “In 2014, I took the UPSC exam and got selected in the IRS category. I am undergoing training in Hyderabad,” said Satish.

Last year, the sixth rank holder in UPSC was from Coimbatore. Charusree T had secured the 749th rank and had got into IFS. In her second attempt, she bagged the sixth rank.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Coimbatore / TNN / May 11th, 2016

Class 12 Chennai Girl Top TT Player in the Country

Education, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Chennai :

Come summer, parents wonder how to keep children occupied. The studious types keep themselves engaged with computers, painting or music classes. Naughty ones prefer to play outdoors.

The boys keep themselves occupied by enrolling in numerous cricket academies, and many also join swimming clubs. Girls generally take up table tennis or chess and stay away from the heat.

HarshvardiniCF27apr2016

This is how CR Harshavardhini was initiated into table tennis at the tender age of seven. She has grown since, and is currently No 1 in the junior category in India. The 17-year old’s self-belief, dedication and hard work have helped her evolve as a table tennis player of repute. Moreover, her decision to train under one coach and one academy has paid rich dividends.

“At a time when players were shifting from one academy to another once in 2-3 years, I entrusted Harshavardhini to noted coach Ravi Venkatesh. Ravi took personal interest in her game, and has groomed her into a champion,” recalls CK Ravichandran, Harshavardhini’s father.

Harsha has forged a reputation as a ‘giant killer’ thanks to her attacking play. “She has developed into an attacking player, who is swift on her feet too. She is dedicated and sincere. Her self-belief is a big plus,” says coach Ravi, based at MVM Academy at Maharishi Vidya Mandir School, Chetpet. “Since the academy is in her school, it’s easy to train in the morning and evening. The school management too has been supportive by granting her leave to take part in tournaments,” adds Ravi.

Harsha says passion for the game is her driving force. “Love for the game has enabled me to climb up the ladder. My solid preparations at the academy have helped beat higher ranked players like Manika Batra, who is ranked No 1 in youth and women.”

The Class 12 student, who wants to do commerce, has represented India in the cadet category and won gold in the team event at the South Asian Games. Harsha has also won gold for India at Open events in Elsavder and Gautemala.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Ashok Venugopal / April 27th, 2016

From palace of rich to hub of learning

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All, Uncategorized

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Old-timers remember Chennai as Madras, a city of horse-drawn carriages, lonely streets and men in suits. A TOI series brings recollections from a mix of neighbourhoods

Tall white pillars, long ornate windows and spacious porticos – the exquisite Chettinad Palace which stands along the Adyar estuary with its sprawling lawns and vast terraces was amongst the earliest structures that adorned Raja Annamalaipuram (RA Puram) more than 70 years ago. The magnificent mansion stood solitary, overlooking the Adyar river, as its ivory coloured walls made from Italian marble and limestone bespoke the royalty it housed. Built by wealthy businessman Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar from Chettinad, the historic marvel is now part of an industrial and educational neighbourhood that buzzes with activity. “The palace was originally to be built opposite the Taj Connemara hotel on Binny road. But Lord Willingdon, the then governor of Madras requested my grandfather to give the land for constructing a club for women as there weren’t any then,” says MeenaMuthiah, Kumara Rani of Chettinad, and granddaughter of Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar. 

This led to the purchase of the expansive 104-acre estate in RA Puram where the palatial structure (the main house) and the smaller quarters, a few yards from the big one, were built.

“Our childhood memories revolve around The Theosophical Society, Kalakshetra campus, Rosary Matric school (then St Thomas Convent), where I studied and, of course, the Adyar river,” says Meena aunty, as she is fondly called.

ChettinadPalace02CF26apr2016

The locality had only a handful of buildings, including Andhra Mahila Sabha, earlier the residence of capitalist Rangachari. “Previously, this neighbourhood was called Adyar. Only in recent times, they renamed it after my grandfather,” says the 81-year-old educationist. Many eminent people have frequented the aristocratic home for high teas and dinners on the lawn.
“Politicians such as Kamaraj and VR Nedunchezhiyan came here often. Thatha used to call the governors by name,” says Muthiah. “But since we were not allowed into these gatherings, we used to peek through the railing on the balcony and see them.”

The scenic landscape and lavish interiors served as an ideal backdrop for many movies including M S Subbulakshmi’s Meera. “The stretch where the Image Auditorium stands was a dairy farm then. We used to do kalamkari printing in a small unit, near the farm,” says Muthiah, reminiscing how well-known social reformer Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay bought material from the unit to take to Bengal. The day-long holiday from the convent typically began with a visit to the library in The Theosophical Society and ended with a game of pandi. “We would often stopover at Rukmani Devi’s house too. And it was athai who encouraged me to start a school inspired by Kalakshetra’s cultural values and the discipline of the convent I went to,” says Muthiah, who founded Chettinad Vidyashram in 1986, on 7 acres of the property.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Chennai / Aditi Maithreya / TNN / April 22nd, 2016

The girl who writes

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education
Yamini Prashanth Photo: R. Ravindran. / The Hindu
Yamini Prashanth Photo: R. Ravindran.
/ The Hindu

Meet 14-year-old Yamini Prashanth, the author of two novellas and a collection of short stories

Yamini Prashanth speaks as though she’s given countless interviews. She breezes through, with no trace of self-consciousness. The 14-year-old author has two books to her credit, and speaks to us ahead of the launch of her third, Uma, Not-so-Perfect. “I just think I’m extremely lucky,” she says, seated amidst rows of plastic chairs that will seat the audience for her event.

Being a published author at a young age is an achievement, but Yamini takes it in her stride. “I’m not ecstatic or anything. I’m neutral,” she shrugs. “I don’t think I’m really that great.” But her third book found a publisher without much effort on her mother’s part, which speaks for her work.

Yamini started writing when she was seven. She wrote sequels to books she enjoyed, such asMalory Towers and St. Clare’s. Mishti, a novella she wrote during her class five summer holidays, went on to get published by Unicorn Books. The story is set in India of the Nineties, when children spent their evenings playing outside instead of staying indoors glued to gadgets. Yamini put together a world she heard of from conversations with her mother.

Her second book, Best of Granny’s Stories, is a collection of short stories. Uma, Not-so-Perfect, which is about a girl who moves to the U.K. from India, deals with finding one’s roots in a new place, “without compromising on who we are,” explains Yamini. Her love for writing comes from her love for reading, which was instilled in her by her father. “Reading is a very big part of who I am,” she says. “Even if I don’t carry water to a place, I don’t fail to take a book with me.”

Now that she’s in Class X, writing has taken a back seat; but she does write poems when she finds inspiration. Despite finding success with writing, Yamini is sure of one thing: that she’ll not take to writing full-time. For, “I want to write for the love of it. If I’m forced to do it, it’ll be under pressure,” she says.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Akila Kannadasan / Chennai – April 20th, 2016

Sitting High Court judge gets doctorate in law

Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Leaders

Sitting judge of the Madras High Court S. Vimala was awarded doctorate in law by Governor K. Rosaiah here on Monday.

Justice Vimala was one of the 5,397 candidates awarded their degrees at the 8th convocation of The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University. Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul was the chief guest and Mr. Rosaiah presided in his capacity as the Chancellor.

Senior Civil Judge R. Sathya and N. Ramapiran Ranjith Singh, member of the Syndicate – the highest decision-making body of the TNDALU – were among the 103 who received their degrees from the Governor.

Dr. Singh is an Assistant Professor at the Government Law College, Tirunelveli. For her Doctor of Philosophy degree, Justice Vimala worked on juvenile justice and how it conflicts with laws in Tamil Nadu.

“One positive feature that has emerged not only in legal education, but also in other forms of education, is the steady increase in the number of female students. We now see a significant percentage of female students in legal education and this, in turn, reflects in a larger number of women entering the subordinate judiciary, teaching and in legal profession,” said the Chief Justice.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – April 19th, 2016

NGO Sevalaya Provides Education to 2,000 Students in 40 Villages

Education, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

Chennai :

For P Valarmathi and other residents of Kasuva village in Thiruvallur district, whose lives revolve around brick kilns and agricultural fields, it took a while for them to realise the importance of educating their children.

Due to the dire situation these families were in, kids were often compelled to take up work at the cost of their education. But, today, what was once considered an unaffordable luxury is no longer out of reach for them, thanks to the free quality education provided by Sevalaya, an NGO.

The school run by the NGO began in 1988 and provides education to over 2,000 students catering to 40 villages around Kasuva. The school has grown from its initial days with just a handful of students under a single hut — a stage where Sevalaya has become synonymous with Kasuva village.

Says Valarmathi, who has four school children, “This is a boon for daily wage earners like us struggling to find our next meal. If not for this initiative, it would have been difficult for us to think of educating our kids.” Having scored 464 marks in Class 10 two years ago and awaiting the Class 12 board exam results, Valarmathi’s eldest daughter hopes to pursue nursing from CMC Vellore.

The school is dependent on funding received from various sources, including from corporate houses and individuals. It also benefits from services by volunteers, including from aboard, who offer to take classes or teach children life skills.

A standout feature that makes the school special is the strong bond it shares with its alumni. Every Sunday, a bunch of alumni visit the campus and can be seen cleaning the classes or volunteering to help children staying in hostels with their classes.

In fact, as many as 10 old students are currently on the staff roster. Says, S Muruganandham, a 2005 pass out, “During my days, Sevalaya was the only school in the area to offer Class 12. The only other option was to travel over 5 km to Thiruninravur. After graduating from college, I realised that I could set an example to Sevalaya students, as they could relate to someone from a similar background who came up the hard way.”

But for the man behind Sevalaya, the challenge is not so much as enrolling children into schools, but to prepare them for jobs. Says V Muralidharan, who founded Sevalaya back in 1988, “It’s not enrolment that should occupy our thoughts. We have to focus on tackling the dropout rates and the rising unemployment levels. The rural youth, in particular, are being misled and wasting their life as they don’t have the required skills to get employed.” As for the future, Muralidharan hopes to set up community colleges in and around the area to equip youngsters with skills that could fetch them regular incomes.

Alumnus Who Worked in the UK

The story of G Ilaiyaraja is a classic which continues to inspire students of Sevalaya. Back in 1993, when he was in Class 6 in a Thiruninravur government school, his father passed away. His brother had discontinued studies and joined a mechanic-shed to support the family.

His sister also dropped out after Class 10. Just when it seemed that the doors of education would close on him, he heard about Sevalaya. “I was the 34th hostel student, and after completing Class 10, I enrolled in a diploma course in computer technology. I then did BCA and MCA,” says Illaiyaraja, who works for Maverick Systems, after a brief stint in the UK. Illaiyaraja was appointed to Sevalaya’s board of trustees by his alma-mater.

As the president of the alumnus association, he is a regular visitor to school. “All the students are from poor families, if you ask them what they want to become, they won’t answer. But that’s when I share my life story, which is very similar to theirs.”

Painting a Great Picture

More often than not, schools are where young minds first exhibit talent. The same proved true in the case of 24-year old P Abhirami. Having been associated with Sevalaya for the last 16 years, Abhirami owes her interest in caricature and painting to the school’s encouragement.

On festive days like Deepavali, Pongal or Christmas, Abhirami would make hand-drawn cards for Muralidharan and the donors. “On one such occasion, I drew a portrait of Lord Krishna and Radha, which Murali sir liked so much that he hung it in Sevalaya’s guest room.

He would proudly tell all visitors about my handiwork and that motivated me.” Realising her gift, Sevalaya then bore all expenses as Abhirami studied in a fine arts college. Her determination to pay back the institution with gratitude saw Abhirami returning to Kasuva. “While I am unable to contribute monetarily, I am delighted to use my artistic talent to groom students here,” she smiles.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Venkatesan Parthasarathy / April 11th, 2016

Rare plant specimens are now just a click away

Education, Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Records, All

Coimbatore:

More than 6,000 specimens at the 105-year-old herbarium in the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB) can now be accessed by the click of a mouse, as the institute plans to digitise it.

The digitisation will help preserve the fragile specimens, prone to damage due to constant physical handling.

The Fischer Herbarium, which was started in the year 1911 on the Forest Campus in R S Puram, was created as a repository to house the many collections made by British forest officer Cecil Ernest Claude Fischer. He had an extensive collection of specimens from the Nilgiris, Palanis, Coimbatore forest divisions, Seshachalam Hills and Ganjam District of Andhra Pradesh. The herbarium also houses century old collections by forest officers,T F Bourdillon and M Rama Rao from the Travancore presidency. The herbarium was brought under IFGTB’s control in 1988.

The herbarium, considered a national repository by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), contains 2,954 species, 254 families of plants and 1,257 genera, some of them as rare as the one by forest officer J R Drummond in 1879.

“The herbarium is visited by a lot of taxonomists and botanists. So, when they discover a unique species but have heard of similar looking species being present in a herbarium in another part of the country or world, they often have to physically visit the herbarium to cross check the facts,” said IFGTB director R S Prashanth. “But now they can cross-check with the image and data available online,” he said.

The digital herbarium, which can be accessed through the website www.frcherbarium.org, currently contains 6,231 of the total 23,000 specimens available with the IFGTB. “This digitisation was done by former librarian at the Kerala Forest and Research Institute K H Hussain,” said the head of the biodiversity division at IFGTB C Kunhikannan about the project which cost Rs 6 lakh.

“The website has uploaded the herbarium’s sheets and allows people to zoom into the image to take a closer look at the specimen and the officer’s own writings,” said Hussain. “We will be shortly applying for more funds to digitize the rest of the herbarium’s data,” said the director. The institute, however, admitted that they were yet to review all the data on the website and eliminate spelling errors that might have occurred since the data entry personnel were not taxonomists.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Coimbatore / TNN / April 13th, 2016