Meeting the Educational Needs of Minority Communities

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Meeting the Educational Needs of Minority
Communities In Context of Open Schooling

• M.C.Pant
• Chairman
• National Institute of Open Schooling Noida

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National Institute of Open Schooling

• Millions of out of school population have to be
  catered to through alternative channels
• NIOS set up to develop and offer a variety of
  courses in General, Vocational and Continuing
  Education for out of school population and other
  marginalised groups the unreached

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Mission of NIOS

• Universalisation of Education Reaching the
  unreached
• Bring about greater equity and justice in society
  
• To evolve a Learning Society

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Steps taken by NIOS for promotion of Education
amongst Minority Communities
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Administrative Initiatives for Promotion of
Education for Minorities

• Setting up of a Minority Cell in June 2006
• Meeting the educational needs of
  Minorities through ODL format.
• Proactive Advocacy Programme for increasing
  mass awareness regarding utility of NIOS
  Programmes in the field of school education for
  Minorities.
• Fast track channels for accreditation of
  Minority Educational Institutions for
  establishing linkages with NIOS.

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Administrative Initiatives Contd..Increasing
Financial Outlays on Promotion of Minority
Education
2004-05 (Rs. in lakhs) 2005-06 (Rs. in lakhs) 2006-07 (Rs. in lakhs)
For upgradation of work related to Minority languages, amount incurred for lessons development, translation, holding of meetings, engagement of Project Coordinators, Printing of Prospectus Books etc. 10.51 10.99 13.19
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Academic Initiatives for Promotion of Education
for Minorities

• Development of Self learning Material

• Development of Urdu post-literacy course for Open
  Basic Education programme for neo-literates
• All courses at Secondary and Sr. Secondary level
  translated in Urdu Medium.
• Introduction of Punjabi as language from 1998-99
  at Secondary level.

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Academic Initiatives Contd.

• Development of New Language Courses for
  Minorities.
• Introduction of Arabic Language for
  Secondary level in 2006-07.
• Persian language course at Secondary
  level is under development.

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Academic Initiatives Contd.

• Introducing Urdu as Medium of Instruction

• Urdu as a medium of instruction has already been
  introduced at Secondary level in 1995-96 and at
  Senior Secondary level in 2001-02.

Contd.
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Initiatives for Promotion of Vocational Education
for Minorities

• Upgradation of skill through Vocational Education.

• Vocational courses in Stenography (Urdu) and
  Typing (Urdu) introduced in 2000.
• Other Courses like Early Child Care Education,
  Secretarial Practice, Library Science and
  Computer Science have been translated in Urdu
  medium.

Contd.
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Initiatives for Reforms in Evaluation and
Examination

• Widening access through examination reforms

• Facility of answering examination paper in
  Urdu/Punjabi/ any Modern Indian Language even
  when question paper is in Hindi/English.
• Freedom to choose Urdu/Arabic as a language
  subject for the purpose of certification
• A freedom not available elsewhere.

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• Advocacy of Educational Programmes of NIOS for
  Minorities

• Engagement of Project Coordinators
• For establishing linkages with the Minority
  Community by engaging local eminent
  persons/educationists as Project Coordinators.
• For conducting Advocacy Programmes, Meetings,
  Seminars etc., highlighting the utility of
  educational Programmes of NIOS for enhancing
  educational opportunities at school level for
  Minority Communities.

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Advocacy Contd.

• To establish linkages with the Community
  through prominent religious leaders/eminent
  educationist for spreading awareness about the
  utility of NIOS programmes.
• Assessment of educational requirements of
  Minority Community on area specific basis.
• Identification of Minority Educational
  Institutions and other NGOs for
  accreditation with NIOS as its AIs/AVIs/AAs
  for strengthening
• linkages.

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Steps taken by NIOS for Advocacy at Grass Root
Level

• Conduct of several Seminars, Surveys,
  Mass Sensitization Awareness
  Programmes and Meetings.
• Interaction with prominent leaders
  and scholars of minority community at
  Jamia Hamdard University (June 2004).
• Meeting related to minority issues with
  officials of MHRD at Vigyan Bhawan (July 2004)
• Visit to different Institutes/Madaris
  at Lucknow,U.P (2005).

Contd.
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Advocacy Contd.

• Interaction with Maulanas,Maulvies and
  Mufties of Jama Masjid,Darul Uloom Delhi,
  Jharkhand,M.P. and Bihar for creating
  awareness about NIOS programmes (2006).
• Mass sensitization programme organised
• in the mosque premises of Jama Masjid to
  popularise the NIOS programme among Muslim
  community (2006).

Contd.
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Advocacy Contd.

• NIOS project co-ordinators meeting held NIOS
  HQ to promote Minorty education (2006).
• Exhibition cum awareness compaign of NIOS
  programmes organised at Dilli Haat, New Delhi
  (2006)

Contd.
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Advocacy Contd.

• Organisation of Mass awareness programme and
  seminars in different districts of U.P.(Faizabad,
  Barabanki Moradabad etc.), Bihar Orissa
  with the help of Co-ordinators of NIOS and
  Rahamani foundation (2007).
• Survey conducted at district Sultanpur, Amethi,
  Rai Bareily and Azamgarh (2007).
• Regional conference (Eastern Region) of the NIOS
  co-ordinators and Leaders of Minorty
  Institutions/Madarsas of Orissa, organised for
  promotion of minorty education(2007).
• Seminars organised at Rahmani Foundation, Munger,
  Bihar and participated by NIOS officials,
  commissioner, D.M., S.P, local Politicians
  (2007).

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Initiatives for improving Access of Minority
Communities to NIOS

• Prospectus in Urdu language for Academic and
  Vocational Courses

• Admission notices in Urdu being given in leading
  Urdu Newspapers

Contd.
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Special Provisions for Fast Track Accreditation
of Minority Educational Institutions

• Depositing processing fee after
• Accreditation and not before.
• Granting accreditation to Institutions
  affiliated/recognised by various Madarsa
  Boards.
• Relaxation in conditions regarding
  infrastructural requirements on need basis.

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Status position in increasing NIOS Linkages
with Minority Educational Institutions
Study Centres May.2006 Dec. 07
AIs 181 207
AVIs 117 146
AAs 09 24
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ICT based initiatives for widening Access
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NIOS OnlineltNi-Ongt project A Means to expand
access beyond the existing network of
AIs/AVIs/AAs

• Facility for registration of Admission and
  Examination available on-line.
• Facility for independence of place and time
  Anywhere Anytime
• Direct on-line interaction of NIOS with Learners.
• Freedom to learners in choice of study centres
• Facility of On-line monitoring of their
  educational status by Learners
• Quality data error-free student records
• Online payment option through credit card is
  available besides payment through Bank Draft.

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• Academic Support through Audio Video programmes

• 17 video programmes developed in Urdu Medium.
• 28 audio programmes in Urdu medium.
• Programmes broadcast on Gyan Vani (8.30 a.m. to 9
  a.m 4.30 to 5 p.m) on Friday, Saturday
  Sunday.
• Gyan Darshan (DDI at 6.30 to 7 p.m) on every
  Friday.
• EDUSAT facilities to be extended for the benefit
  of minority groups by increasing the content and
  coverage of broadcast

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On-Demand Examination for providing flexibility
in Admission Examination System to improve
Access.

• Operationalisation of On-Demand Examination
  System (ODES) for Secondary and Senior Secondary
  thereby enabling learners to take examinations on
  any day and in any subject.
• Learner centric Examination System available
  round the year.
• From Oct-2007 ODES for Sr.Secondary in 3 subjects
  (Physics, Maths and Business Studies).
• Results declared in 1st week of every month.
• Conducted at NOIDA, Pune and Patna.
• Round the Year Online Admission for On-Demand
  Examination

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National Institute of Open Schooling A-24/25,
Institutional Area, Sector-62, Noida, Gautam Budh
Nagar (U.P)
Thank You