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Rural India is witnessing a surge in the number of low-cost, poor-friendly private schools that seemingly offer quality alternatives to government schools. Untangling stakeholders' viewpoints, this research explains how outcome and performance-focused learning, broadly known as neoliberal performativity in education, is enacted in these institutions. It was discovered that parents' and students' distinct livelihood risks and worries encourage performativity in the teaching-learning process. Performativity was recognized as an instrumental tactic for avoiding the temporal uncertainties and worries that come with low-income status. School administration practices performativity because it aligns well with the objective of administering schools at a low cost. Teachers, on the other hand, argued that such enactment deprives children of the essential and enriching learning experiences needed for long-term success. The study advances understanding in the field of low-cost rural education and its long-term effects on quality education. It also explicates how such schooling practices enact performativity through some local learning practices.

Providing access to higher education for people in marginalized communities, in particular for refugees, requires to re-think the traditional ways of teaching and learning in higher education institutions. The challenges of these circumstances both in terms of access to learning materials and the opportunity to collaboratively learn with others require specific support via appropriate didactical settings. Blended learning arrangements, i.e., settings that bring together online learning activities with synchronous, co-located settings show potential for addressing these requirements. In the present study, we examine the success factors in the design of blended learning settings for supporting higher education in marginalized communities. Based on an established model of blended learning success, we explore the specific challenges of the target group via a survey which was distributed to students of different subject areas and of the higher education programs of Jesuit Worldwide Learning. The 80 survey participants analyzed in this paper live in refugee camps, or marginalized areas located in rural and remote areas in Afghanistan, Guyana, India, Iraq, Kenya, Malawi, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand. While we could confirm the success factors that also apply for blended learning scenarios in traditional settings, we also found evidence for the crucial role of facilitation in both, online and co-located learning phases, and challenges regarding the access to suitable infrastructure. Both need to be considered during design of blended learning programs for this target group.

Report (ASER), shows that even though the number of rural students attending schools is rising, but more than half of the students in fifth grade are unable to read a second-grade textbook and are not able to solve simple mathematical problems. Not only this, the level of Mathematics and reading is further declining. Though efforts are being made, they are not in the right direction. The reasons cited for this problem in surveys are discussed here.

Field of education is associated with herculean task and innate responsibility of escorting societies forward. Across space and time, it has been an unambiguous synthesis that education should precede any progress or change. It helps humans to understand themselves and better their interaction with rest of the society. Hence the field of education and dissemination of knowledge is very much a pivotal entity in the evolution of human civilisation. No country in the globe over centuries could afford to flourish on the paths of growth and development while ignoring the crucial role of education. Country like India where in there has been a perpetual struggle over the decades to overcome perils of colonisation and social stigmatisation reflective in terms of poverty, unemployment and illiteracy. In order to overcome these bottlenecks 'knowledge dissemination' must spearhead the change. Apart from other funding inadequacies, infrastructural lacunae, education sector in India has also been grappling with certain innate contradicting and counterproductive structures. Hence in this paper we have made an effort to address and assess the nature and impact of these dichotomies over the field of Education in India.

This article discusses the 'Indianisation', 'nationalisation', and 'ruralisation' of the Montessori method in India at the eve, and in the aftermath of the country's political independence (1947). From 1914 onwards, Indian nationalists received Montessori's ideas through publications, the networks of the new education movement, and the Theosophical Society. While innovative pre-schools for elite children worked closely with the 'original' method, the "Nutan Bal Shikshan Sangh" ('New Child Education Society', NBSS) adapted it to local conditions ('Indianisation'). The NBSS aimed to universalise Montessori-based child education, as a contribution to nation-building ('nationalisation'). With the establishment of the "Gram Bal Shiksha Kendra" (Rural Child Education Centre), in 1945, the NBSS brought the country's most marginalised into the modernising reach of the new state, furthering Gandhi's vision of 'rural reconstruction' ('ruralisation'). From these experiments, the institutional model of the Anganwadi emerged, through which today millions of Indian children receive integrated child development services.

Edward de Bono who invented the term "lateral thinking" in 1967 is the pioneer of lateral thinking. Lateral thinking is concerned with the generation of new ideas. Liberation from old ideas and the stimulation of new ones are twin aspects of lateral thinking. Lateral thinking is a creative skills from which all people can benefit enormously. The present study was probed to find the lateral thinking of prospective teachers with certain demographic variables. Data for the study were collected using self-made Lateral Thinking Questionnaire (LTQ). The investigator used stratified random sampling technique. The sample consists of 1345 prospective teachers who studied in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari Districts in Tamil Nadu. For analyzing the data percentile analysis, "t" test and ANOVA were used as the statistical techniques. Findings show that (1) the level of lateral thinking of prospective teachers are moderate (2) there is significant difference between male and female prospective teachers in their lateral thinking and its dimensions description, humour, insight and problem solving (3) there is no significant difference between rural and urban prospective teachers in lateral thinking and its dimensions description, humour, insight and problem solving (4) there is significant difference among the subject of language, arts and science prospective teachers in lateral thinking and its dimensions description, humour, insight and problem solving.

Higher education today is being viewed as a tool to achieve prosperity and high living standards. It is thus looked upon as a service to the society and a powerful weapon to change the society for its betterment. Motivation plays a crucial role in learning. Motivation energizes the behavior of the individual. It also directs the behavior towards specific goals. It helps in acquisition of knowledge, develops social qualities, increases initiation of persistence in activities, leads to improved performance and develops a sense of discipline in the individual. This paper aims to compare Open Education System and Traditional Education System with respect to Academic Motivation of students towards the two types of education systems. This paper also tries to compare the academic motivation of rural and urban based students. It has been found in this paper that there is significant different in Academic Motivation among students of the two types of education systems. The significant difference in academic motivation has also been found in urban and rural based students, compared between the two systems. The paper has also forwarded some suggestions which may be considered by the policy makers and administrators of OES to help increase the academic motivation of students of OES. (Contains 8 tables.)

Despite improvements in educational indicators, such as enrolment, significant challenges remain with regard to the delivery of quality education in developing countries, particularly in rural and remote regions. In the attempt to find viable solutions to these challenges, much hope has been placed in new information and communication technologies (ICTs), mobile phones being one example. This article reviews the evidence of the role of mobile phone-facilitated mLearning in contributing to improved educational outcomes in the developing countries of Asia by exploring the results of six mLearning pilot projects that took place in the Philippines, Mongolia, Thailand, India, and Bangladesh. In particular, this article examines the extent to which the use of mobile phones helped to improve educational outcomes in two specific ways: 1) in improving access to education, and 2) in promoting "new learning." Analysis of the projects indicates that while there is important evidence of mobile phones facilitating increased access, much less evidence exists as to how mobiles promote new learning. (Contains 7 tables and 3 endnotes.)

Educators who understand the benefits to children of expanding their exposure to arts often have to find innovative ways to bring arts education to children who otherwise would not be exposed to quality and inspiring arts experiences.

Akshar Forum, an experimental livelihood school in the semi-rural village of Pamohi, Assam, in Northeast India, tests cutting-edge methods in education in the context of underserved communities and rural development programs. Started in 2015, the school links 42 children and their parents to the vast knowledge resources of the Internet to teach them how to earn a living, start a business, initiate development work in their own communities, and act as stewards for their local environment. The school is developing a number of for-profit social enterprises: a shop for handcrafts, a soap-making business, a health clinic, a community bank, an office for legal and financial services, a laundromat business, and an environmental remediation company--all designed to provide vocational training to teenage students while simultaneously working toward the development of the community. The school functions on the belief that all of an individual's basic needs must be met in order to achieve self-actualization and escape cyclic, systemic poverty. Akshar Forum employs a student-centered model to help each individual student find the most fitting career path and maximize their earnings in a competitive labor market. Akshar Forum is an ongoing experiment that has implemented a series of innovative practices, supporting active participation from students and parents, and making modifications as they asses the efficacy of various strategies.

A study examined adaptations made prior to or during the adoption of the Training and Visit (T&V) extension system. This system was developed in Turkey, based on the Israeli experience of the developer, and was further refined in India. It was later adopted by many countries in Southeast Asia, Africa, and other parts of the world. Experience showed the necessity to adapt the system to the very different sociocultural and agroeconomic conditions of the adopting countries. Examination of the revisions of the T&V guidelines showed that T&V had clear basic principles, but these had to be adapted to each existing situation. Most adaptations were made in relation to five basic T&V guidelines and key features: (1) extension exclusively (professionalism); (2) linkages with research; (3) regular and continuous training; (4) time-bound work (systematic visits); and (5) imitable contact farmers (field and farmer orientation). The case studies showed that adaptations were not only possible, they were necessary. Development of an adaptation instrument was suggested to help less experienced, potential T&V adaptors to make the needed alterations. (Contains 61 references.) (YLB)

The National Curriculum Framework-2005 (NCF-2005) recommends that learning of children has to shift away from methods encouraging rote memory. This is possible only if children get an opportunity to explore the surroundings themselves. In this paper the researcher shares her experiences in the use of various innovative approaches in teaching--learning of science and their impact on rural students at middle school level. The use of these innovative approaches shows how science can be presented as a live and growing body of knowledge rather than a finished product. The paper highlights how different tasks performed in the science class by students with rural background helped them to internalise the subject when integrated with the teaching-learning process. Innovative ways of handling difficult words, collaborative approaches in doing different tasks, performing activities with minimal materials suggested in this paper, have been field tested which facilitated all round development of the children.

In this paper we examine the factors contributing to gender inequality in secondary schooling in India by critically reviewing the government's secondary education policy. Drawing on the findings of a study in rural Gujarat, we couple this analysis with an examination of the gendered dynamics that restrict girls' ability to fully benefit from the education infrastructure and initiatives that do exist, using Connell's Gender and Power framework. We propose that an extension of the government's current approach to educational reform, focused primarily on expanding infrastructure may aggravate the gender, class and caste asymmetries at secondary level. Fostering an environment that enables vulnerable adolescent girls to benefit from enhanced educational provisions is essential to realizing their rights and the achievement of an equitable system.

Despite considerable progress made, a significant proportion of children continue to drop out before reaching secondary school in India. This study investigates factors influencing parental decision-making with regard to children's secondary schooling in the context of a rural area of Uttar Pradesh. The study finds that cost, distance to the nearest secondary school, membership in traditionally marginalised social groups, and being a girl child have a significant effect on a child's chance of transition. It also finds that factors influencing participation at the primary level may influence the transition decision, having key implications for education policy formulation across education levels. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)

What and how much can children learn without subject teachers? In an attempt to find a limit to self organized learning, we explored the capacity of 10-14 year old Tamil-speaking children in a remote Indian village to learn basic molecular biology, initially on their own with a Hole-in-the-Wall public computer facility, and later with the help of a mediator without knowledge of this subject. We then compared these learning outcomes with those of similarly-aged children at a nearby average-below average performing state government school who were not fluent in English but were taught this subject and another group of children at a high-performing private school in New Delhi who were fluent in English and had been taught this subject by qualified teachers. We found that the village children who only had access to computers and Internet-based resources in the Hole-in-the-Wall learning stations achieved test scores comparable with those at the local state school and, with the support of the mediator, equal to their peers in the privileged private urban school. Further experiments were conducted with unsupervised groups of 8-12 year-olds in several English schools using the Internet to study for GCSE questions they normally would be examined on at the age of 16. We conclude that, in spite of some limitations, there are opportunities for self-organised and mediated learning by children in settings where they would otherwise be denied opportunities for good, or indeed any, schooling. We also show that this approach can be enhanced by the use of local or online mediators.

"Rural education": the phrase conjures up unflattering images of broken blackboards and slates, lackadaisical teachers and students, rote learning and of outdated teaching techniques and suppressed creativity. Yet, these images are completely out of consonance with modern India and a knowledge-based society. This article describes a new model for education constructed by the "Agastya International Foundation." "Agastya" eschews chalk-and-talk, textbook-bound methods of teaching. Using project-based methods, they try to make learning creative and engaging, useful and relevant to the child's current and future context, visible and attractive to parents and community members and accessible at the village doorstep by the vulnerable and disadvantaged children. An example of "Agastya's" innovative approach is its "Mobile Lab," which takes learning to doorsteps in the village, day and night. Trained instructors get children to think and question as they play with low-cost experiments. "Agastya's" emphasis on experiential learning is raising the motivation levels of rural children in India. Through the "Young Instructor" program, 14-16 year olds get opportunities to teach scientific concepts to a thousand or more children and adults every day. Through peer-to-peer learning, they develop self-belief and communication and leadership skills. Learning and retention happen at a speed not achievable through traditional chalk-and-talk methods. (Contains 1 note.)

The World Declaration on Education for All in 1990 and the World Education Forum in Dakar in 2000 reaffirmed the right to learn and a commitment to meet the basic learning needs of all people by expanding learning opportunities and working for a fully literate society. In the Indian context, especially in rural India, it is still a cherished dream. Two-thirds of the population of India live in rural villages (approximately 700,000,000 people in 634,321 villages), among whom 207,000,000 are adult illiterates. The rural population of India is around 12.2% of the world's population and development of the rural sector and people living in rural areas is essential in the transformation of "developing India into developed India." The author of this paper has developed three innovative strategies to attain the Millennium Development Goals in rural India. The proposed strategies use a flexible amalgam of formal, informal and non-formal approaches to provide E-support for the diverse educational needs of the rural population of India. (Contains 12 notes.)

This paper deals with decentralization of educational administration in West Bengal, India. It gives specific emphasis on studying education committees formed with the community members at village level for looking after the management of primary schools in the concerned localities. For the purpose of this study primary data have been collected from four village education committees. The data provides information on the formation, structure and functioning of village education committees. The findings contradict the ideology on the basis of which these committees are formed. The paper ends with an attempt to explore certain future paths of action.

This paper centres upon understanding processes involved in mainstreaming 'out-of-school' children from non-formal education programmes to formal schooling. Three 'private school outreach' initiatives in India provide the empirical base for the discussion, with the focal point being a key dilemma faced by their managements: between providing out-of-school children with an education that will give them equality of opportunity, and an education that is appropriate to their needs. The attempted resolutions of this dilemma and their corresponding practices and policies are examined and compared in the three cases and the findings are discussed in the light of literature on 'inclusive education'.

Notes that India has experienced conditions that have lead to significant illiteracy, but that commitment to education can be found in lesser-known parts of India today. Profiles three schools in Tamil Nadu and describes a typical school day for a student with special needs, a student in a tribal setting, and a student in a rural setting. (TJQ)

Interviews children and adults living in rural areas in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India regarding education, revealing individuals' hopes and dreams against a backdrop of severe class, caste, and gender stratification. Examines the promise of schooling and literacy in India, the relationship of schooling and literacy to work, and of education to economic development in India. (SR)

The Indian Children's Parliament (Rajastan, India) emerged from the Social Work and Research Centre (later known as the Barefoot College), which provides academic and vocational classes at night for rural working children. These children contribute to family incomes, but previously their opinions were not acknowledged. Students elect 17 Parliament members who monitor conditions in their night schools and villages. (CDS)

Focuses on common issues of program access, quality, relevance, and sustainability in providing education to rural women, particularly in India. Addresses familial, sociocultural, individual, and institutional factors that constrain female educational attainment. A study in Madhya Pradesh, India, provides insight on form, content, and operation of literacy programs for rural women. Contains 41 references and 7 data tables. (Author/SAS)

Highlights successful innovative practices in Indian teacher education, including microteaching, internships, programed learning material, models of teaching, and integrated teacher education; presents information on the teacher education curriculum, inservice teacher education, and teacher education for rural development. (SM)