NGO to reach underpriviledged children to teach English

Times Foundation has partnered NGO Yuva Unstoppable to reach English to every child across weaker sections of society.

English Unstoppable — an ambitious, three-month-long project to make underprivileged children read and write English — will be launched in Ahmedabad and Mumbai simultaneously on November 16, with a huge support from the corporate world. India Inc has agreed to send its employees to teach English at municipal schools in the two cities for two hours every week. Details here.

Kids to bridge urban-rural divide

(source timesofindia) In a kind of exchange programme, students at St. Xavier's School, Dhobi Talao, will be going to schools in villages so that they can experience the environment there. While the kids from villages will come St. Xavier's and experience the urban life.

The aim - "Any kind of exchange broadens the horizons for both parties. Kids from the city will learn to open their minds and hearts to those less fortunate than themselves. And children from rural areas will strive for more in their lives,'' said Fr Errol Fernandes SJ, the rector of St Xavier's School.

Lets hope we see more such exchange programmes.

When should formal learning start for kids?

Is it four, five or six? An elaborate article on BBC news discusses the age for starting formal education in primary schools in England.

"There is no evidence that an early introduction to formal learning has any benefit, the review says, but there are suggestions it can do some harm."

The situation in India is not much different, where kids start going to schools (nursery) at age of three. And it is not just the play component that is introduced to the kids at this age. Proponents of early education claim that the learning power of people deteriorate as they grow old so its better to catch them young.

Nothing has been proven for sure, in absence of which, the best strategy is to take a path midway.

School Students to design Google Doodle for Children’s Day

(Source) Institute of Design (NID) and search engine Google have teamed up for the Doodle4Google” competition (the special logos are called “doodles”) — open for any child in India studying between classes I and X. Google has conducted such competitions in the West, but this year it will reach out to the Indian students with the theme — “My India”. The search engine has sent brochures to at least 10,000 schools and spread advertisements online. Faculty from the NID have volunteered to do the judging.

So all the best to all the students who are participating!

I, Pencil

"I, Pencil" is an essay by Leonard Read. It was first published in the December, 1958 issue of The Freeman.

"I, Pencil" is written in the first person from the point of view of an Eberhard Faber pencil. The pencil details the complexity of its own creation, listing its components (cedar, lacquer, graphite, ferrule, factice, pumice, wax, glue) and the numerous people involved, down to the sweeper in the factory and the lighthouse keeper guiding the shipment into port.

Interesting read: I, Pencil