Not just in US, fewer schools teach science in India

The authorities may want more scientists but the opportunity for studying science at school level seems to be dismally limited. Less than a third of schools offer the subject at the higher-secondary (Classes XI and XII) level across the country. Only 30.07% high schools in India offer the science stream and only in 11 states/union territories-including Delhi-more than 50% schools teach science. Data collected through the Secondary Education Management Information System (SEMIS) and collated in the SEMIS Flash Statistics: 2012-13, also shows that boys outnumber girls in science classes in most states.

“Most of higher-secondary education is in private hands,” observes Professor R. Govinda, Vice-Chancellor of National University of Educational Planning and Management. “To offer science, you need laboratories, equipment and other facilities-it’s very resource-intensive. Many private schools choose to teach just arts and commerce due to this,” he says. In Delhi, most higher-secondary schools are under the Directorate of Education (52.24%) and 33.73% are private, unaided institutions. But nationally, the maximum number of high schools-41.04%-is private-unaided.

Govinda feels the shortage of teachers is also a factor. “For high school, you need a master’s degree and in some places, even a B.Ed,” he explains, “You may not get people with the right qualifications in some rural or remote areas. Also, you’ll need teachers who’ve specialized. We don’t have enough teachers.”

Only 51.71% Delhi high schools offer science whereas 86.56% offer arts and 78.39% commerce. The only state/UT where all high schools have science is Lakshadweep. In Tamil Nadu 86.51% and in Puducherry 82.58% schools have it.

The gender imbalance in science classes in north India is startling. In Delhi, where many girls schools don’t offer science-60,837 boys study them as opposed to 33,768 girls; in UP it’s 495,574 boys and 164,882 girls. In Gujarat, 95,836 boys study high school science as opposed to 47,520 girls. But, on a positive note, the gap is not so wide is several states. In Andhra Pradesh, the number of girls (75,434) is practically equal to the number of boys (75,471). And in states/UTs like Lakshadweep, Meghalaya, Puducherry, Sikkim and Tamil Nadu (south and northeast), girls outnumber boys in science classes.

Source: The Times of India, January 2, 2014

Now UK schools woo Indian students

Till now it has been universities and colleges from overseas sending delegations to woo Indian students for higher education. In a new trend, a delegation of headmasters of UK independent boarding schools are on a visit to India to explore the growing need of parents with means, willing to provide quality education to their children even though it comes at a cost.

A significant increase in the number of enquiries from parents in India about school and secondary education in the UK in the recent past was what prompted the visit. For education that costs a premium, between 20,000 and 55,000 a year, it came as a surprise to the visiting delegation that more than two-thirds of the parents they met in Mumbai and other parts of the country were not worried about affordability.

What they want is, like a parent aptly mentioned, to enable our children to be able to create a better future for themselves than leave them an inheritance, says Julie Dowling, headmistress, Abbots Bromley School. Caitriona Redding, head of international admissions, Oundle School, says that besides proficiency in English and in science and mathematics, what schools look for is also talent in a child which might not be fully formed and also not necessarily academic like dance or arts.

Mark Heywood, headmaster, The Royal Wolverhampton School, says that his school already has six students from India, four hailing from Punjab and two from rural Rajasthan. Parents in India understand that children will get a global perspective and build future contacts when they study in schools that house children from as many as 23 nationalities, he says. He adds that similarities in education between India and UK, from similar curriculum and high aspirations of parents, to teachers wanting to give their best for each child, are many. State-of-the-art facilities and advanced technology, besides multiculturalism that a student is exposed to in these schools, help him/her in making the transition to the new environment smoother.

What the members of the consortium are also looking at are partnerships and collaborations for pupil and teacher exchanges with premier Indian schools to provide a first-hand exposure and enable knowledge exchange.

Source: The Times of India (Education Times), January 30, 2012