Indian School Education System: Trends and Challenges
Dates: Pre-departure orientation: June 28-29, 2010
Program in India: July 1 - August 6, 2010
Program Description:
India is a growing force in the world of technology with much of its educational focus on mathematics, science, and technology. The purpose of the seminar is to provide an opportunity to US elementary school educators to observe the process of curriculum development, its implementation in the classroom, and the training of teachers in various fields, including the humanities and sciences. The seminar will provide them a broader understanding of India’s school education system with particular reference to elementary education. In addition, seminar will help participants to compare the elementary educational systems of India and the United States and will give participants an opportunity to analyze the challenges in two systems. The program will also provide the participants with a systematic inquiry into a range of Indian resource materials, and expanding the network of US educators familiar with India.
The seminar consists of two phases, namely, academic study and field visits. The six-day academic program in New Delhi, using a multi-disciplinary approach, will involve formal lectures, interviews, and discussions with prominent scholars and public personalities. The field visit phase of four weeks will take participants to Shimla, Ahmedabad, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Varanasi, Agra, Jaipur exposing them to educational systems at state level, geographical diversities and cultures.
The seminar is designed to enrich participants’ knowledge by combining academic and cultural experiences. Visits to different types of schools and teacher training institutions will be interspersed with demonstrations of Indian dance and music. Activities will be developed to allow the group to view the entire process of curriculum development - from creation to implementation. Visits will also be arranged to NGOs working on developmental issues in both rural and urban settings. The program will allow the participants to pursue their individual academic interests and work on their respective curriculum projects.
The following links have the information related to the program:
- Brief Itinerary
- Visit India Handbook
- List of Participants
- List of Hotels
- List of 2009 Participants
- US Embassy’s Information on Health Hazards
- Suggested Readings on India
- Tentative India Schedule
Previous Group Reports
