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Devi Kar

Devi Kar | Educational activism of a different kind is needed

Educators have observed to their satisfaction that many examination reforms were necessitated by the current Covid-19 pandemic

13 Jan 2021 11:22 AM

Children wave from a tram during a joy ride in Kolkata, Nov. 14, 2020. (PTI)

Devi Kar | Prepare kids for future as worries rise amidst COVID

It is such a difficult time for school-leavers that the past seems unnaturally alluring while the future looks pretty grim

20 Nov 2020 11:06 AM

We have observed that teachers and students have moved away from drab textbooks and learned to explore the World Wide Web for resources. AP Photo

Devi Kar | Surprising outcomes as schooling goes ‘virtual’ in COVID times

Online schooling was generally vilified, and it was felt that the already poor state of school education in India was now in shambles

03 Oct 2020 6:46 PM

Children attend a tele-learning class at their home displayed on Kalvi TV channel, an education tele-learning initiative set up by the Department of School Education to allow students from class 2 to 10 to continue with their curriculums as schools remain closed as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in Chennai. AFP Photo

Devi Kar | Learning virtually: Key is to keep kids engaged

The pursuit of higher studies involving admission procedures of colleges and entry into various professional courses will be very different

22 Jul 2020 5:52 PM

Students wearing face masks arrive at the Huayu Middle School in Shanghai. AFP Photo

Devi Kar: The shape of schooling in a post-corona world

The free reading material, courses and resources that are on offer will probably habituate many students and teachers to learning online

01 May 2020 7:35 PM

Title: The Most Beautiful Night of the Soul.Author: Sandor Jazberenyi (translated by Paul Olchváry). Pubisher: Speaking Tiger. Pages: 192. Price: Rs. 450

‘No feeling is final’ in this string of 12 gripping war stories

In these stories you come face to face with post-traumatic disorders: disorientation, hallucination and relentless insomnia

22 Mar 2020 8:47 PM

We did not allow them to enact any kind of political skit or have any kind of political debate on Republic Day.

Kids, parents, teachers & politics: It’s vital to understand our young

No wonder, parents heave a sigh of relief when the long summer vacation finally comes to an end.

13 Feb 2020 5:46 AM

Indeed, in today’s technology-driven world, we are all required to be adept at handling different tasks on the screen, while outside of the screen most of us are habituated to dealing with multiple things in our day-to-day lives.

Multi-tasking vs single-tasking: Why we need both

First, experts have pointed out that it is impossible for the human mind to attend to several things at the same time.

06 Jan 2020 2:28 AM

Amma, by Perumal Murugan Translated by Nandini Murali and Kavitha Muralidharan Eka, Rs 399.

Tender, funny memories of a mighty Amma

Murugan has mastered the art of making the ordinary extraordinary.

05 Jan 2020 2:17 AM

What we need in all walks of life: Competence, and a fine balance

Curiously, all these three words can be used to describe parenting and teaching today.

13 Dec 2019 2:06 AM

Not Just Another Story by Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey Aleph, Rs 399

The power and pathos of Sonagachi’s mysterious world

Golapi’s husband and in-laws sold her off to an agent so that he could marry a woman who would bring in a hefty dowry.

24 Nov 2019 8:14 AM

It is high time that we looked beyond these narrow goals and mechanical routines and instil in our children a sense of purpose — a much bigger one than the “run-of-the-mill” successful career. (Representational image)

It’s time to remind children they have duties too!

Many of the “privileged” children that I come across have a well-entrenched sense of entitlement.

30 Oct 2019 1:39 AM

Grey Sunshine: Stories From Teach For India, by Sandeep Rai Aleph pp 296; Rs 399.

Grim, moving stories alter your worldview

The trouble is that India has never really known how to address poverty by delivering quality education to the poor.

20 Sep 2019 2:12 AM

The intention is to guide teachers as well as students through the entire syllabus without leaving any gaps in the teaching-learning process. (Photo: Representational image)

A ‘vacuum’ in education: We need to teach kids, not just hold exams

Many resourceful young people feel the need to enhance and enrich the education that is being dished out in schools.

13 Aug 2019 12:05 AM

To understand why schools fail to tap the full potential of every student, we need to think about what we actually end up doing in our schools.

Our schools really need to nurture the individual abilities of children

In order to understand the problem, let us first visit the need for standardisation.

20 Jul 2019 12:15 AM

A Kanhaiya Kumar or a Mamata Banerjee couldn’t be bothered about their diction when they speak in English (and the latter, when she speaks in Hindi as well) — they are spontaneous and uninhibited. (Photo: Asian Age)

The lessons our schoolkids may draw from India’s elections, but shouldn’t

However, one aspect of today’s public speaking brings home the fact that Indians are no longer self-conscious about the way they speak English.

10 May 2019 12:41 AM

Bullying has always taken place among schoolchildren but in the last few years it has taken dangerous proportions. (Representational image)

Make schools safer for kids: Stop the bullying right now!

Teachers must have their antennae up at all times and they must remember that punishing the bully is not the solution.

18 Apr 2019 5:38 AM

Exceptional skills, important personality traits and specialised knowledge are required if people wish to teach young children. (Representational image)

Invest in primary teachers, kids’ future at stake

By paying a pittance to our primary level teachers, we are succeeding in driving away much needed talent from this section.

07 Mar 2019 12:08 AM

If we consider the factors contributing to the well-being of children, resilience would definitely be one of the most significant.

Let’s focus on the well-being of our young people

In order to make our country a happier place, we must focus on the well-being of children first as this would have a long-term impact on their lives.

23 Jan 2019 1:24 AM

In a school it is usually the teacher’s or the textbook’s interpretation that is accepted. (Photo: Pixabay)

Disagreement, dissent, disobedience are vital

I don’t know why I didn’t get into serious trouble but I used to teach my pupils the value of disobedience.

30 Nov 2018 12:35 AM

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Patralekha Chatterjee