Education & Pedagogy

Mahatma Gandhi is famously known as the "Father of the Indian Nation." People closely associated with him also lovingly call him "Bapu," which means father. His contribution to the Indian freedom movement has been immense and noteworthy. His educational views were transformative and provided the first blueprint on which modern India's national education system was based. Gandhi's educational endeavors were preserved with the values of truth and nonviolence. The aim of this paper is to shed light on Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), one of the significant adult education figures in India, who should be honored not only for his contributions to the adult education field but also for his educational philosophy. It also examines Gandhi's reflections on teachers' training, vocational, and women's education, with a separate section devoted to the timeless nature of Gandhian thoughts and principles that are still applicable in the contemporary era, as demonstrated by the inclusion of varying Gandhian measures in the current national educational policy. Gandhi's thoughts on adult education, which he called education for all, are inseparable from his thoughts on education as a whole. In addition, Gandhian education focuses on personality development, making learners self-financing and ready for employment. He acknowledged that since Indian villagers come to school with previously acquired knowledge and ideas, they should be taught relevant fundamental basic craft skills to be economically independent by enhancing their critical and creative thinking abilities, which he labeled as a "learning to know" concept, which recommends that knowledge must be correlated with activity and practical experience. In addition, Gandhi introduced the "Nai Talim" educational program, which has been described as "education for life." The first phase of this educational program is adult education, in which Gandhi wanted to teach adult learners the laws of health, hygiene, happiness, and self-reliant life. Moreover, Gandhi wanted teachers to act as role models for the students, represent their society, and set an example of simple living (free from any addiction) and high thinking. Hence, in his new scheme of education, he highlighted teaching learners the pride of labor and handicrafts, which will help them to pay for their training and accordingly pay the cost of the teacher and the production materials expenses. Lastly, Gandhi was keen on women's education. He was against early marriages, dowry, and purdah systems; he encouraged women and other marginalized sections to improve their living conditions by fighting for their self-development.

The "Disability Standards for Education 2005" (the Standards) are subordinate legislation to the "Disability Discrimination Act 1992" (the DDA). They do not create new obligations, but seek to clarify education providers' responsibilities under the DDA and ensure that students with disability can access and participate in education on the same basis as students without disability. It is a requirement that the Standards be reviewed every 5 years. The Department of Education, Skills and Employment (the department) undertook the Review throughout 2020. Consultation with national peak disability and education bodies informed the approach taken for the Review, which put the lived experiences of people with disability and their families at the centre. The intersectional factors that can affect students with disability were acknowledged. The Review had a focus on the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their families. It was also undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants in the Review engaged via a dedicated online Consultation Hub in various formats, with activities such as webinars, focus groups, and questionnaires. All consultation activities were designed to be user-friendly and accessible. In addition to the public consultations, the Review met with key national agencies, regulators, and sector representatives, and was guided by a reference group of state and territory officials across all education sectors. A Young People's Advisory Group was formed to hear directly from young people with disability. The Review identified 2 areas within the Standards that require amendment to support "the effectiveness of the Standards in achieving their objects"; first, clarification of expectations for consultation, issues resolution and complaints handing processes, and, second, inclusion of early childhood education and care (ECEC) within the Standards. However, most findings relate to awareness, understanding and implementation of the Standards. Recommendations reflect the 3 reform directions emerging from consultations which apply across all education sectors (preschool/kindergarten, school, vocational education and training, and higher education), and one specific to the ECEC sector: (1) empowering and supporting students with disability and their families; (2) strengthening the knowledge and capability of educators and providers; (3) embedding accountability for the Standards throughout the education system; and (4) building awareness and capability in the ECEC sector. [For the summary, see ED617746.]

This is a report on distance education in the California Community College. This is the seventh report to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors (BOG) per BOG Standing Order 409 (b) "that evaluates the effectiveness of distance education and education technology system wide and provides analysis of data demographically (by age, disability, ethnicity, and gender) of student accessibility to instruction, and enrollment and completion rates." The first distance education report by the Chancellor's Office was issued in January 2002. It recognized the extent to which DE was offered in the community colleges and covered 1995-2000. Starting in 2003 and every two years since, this report is updated to include data from the prior two fiscal years. The last report was done in April 2011 and covered the five year period of 2004-05 to 2009-10. This report adds distance education data for fiscal years 2010/11 and 2011/12 and covers the five year period from 2006/07 to 2011/12. This report looks at multiple forms of distance education that is using all types of technology both low and high tech. Regardless of the method of delivery there are two types of time based delivery modes for distance education: synchronous and asynchronous. Online instruction using asynchronous delivery is by far the most widely used method of conducting distance education because it offers students the greatest flexibility in taking courses. Currently over 90 percent of all distance education courses are internet asynchronous courses. Nearly 27 percent of all students take at least one distance education course per term and over 12 percent of all courses are distance education courses. This report uses data from four primary sources: Chancellor's Office Management Information System (COMIS) and three Chancellor Office generated surveys. The following are appended: (1) Summary of Methods of How DE Faculty Interact With DE Students; (2) Success Rates for Credit Distance Education and Traditional Education Course Sessions; (3) Student services available via the Internet, telephone, or on-campus; (4) Student Enrollment and Completion Rate by Age in Distance Education Credit Course Sessions; (5) Student Enrollment and Completion Rate by Ethnicity in Credit Course Sessions; (6) Student Enrollment and Completion Rate by Gender in Credit Course Sessions; (7) Student Enrollment and Completion Rate by Type of Disability in Distance Education Credit Course Sessions; (8) Number of Distance Education Course Sessions by Delivery Method 2005-12; and (9) Best Practice Strategies to Promote Academic Integrity in Online Education.

This bulletin on education in parts of the British Empire is presented in seven sections. The first section (by Walter A. Montgomery) describes educational developments in the Dominion of Canada and contains the following: (1) General educational activities; (2) The language issue; (3) Agricultural instruction; (4) Vocational work for returned soldiers; (5) The Dominion Educational Association; (6) The Maritime Provinces--Legislation; (7) Nova Scotia; (8) Prince Edward Island; (9) Quebec--Two-fold organization of public-school system; public interest; need of rural teachers; (10) Ontario--Superannuation act; school-attendance bill; effects of the war; continuation schools; industrial, technical, and agricultural education; (11) Manitoba--Democratic methods; advisory board; consolidation; attendance; teachers; high schools; the university; (12) Saskatchewan--Centralization of administration; survey of 1917; school-attendance act; short-term schools; agricultural instruction; teachers; health promotion; (13) Alberta--Graded and ungraded schools; school-attendance act; and (14) British Columbia--Rural high schools; school districts. The second section (by Charles E. Asbury) provides information on Jamaica: (1) Organization of the system; (2) Government grants; (3) Teachers; (4) Administration; (5) Curricula; (6) Industrial and technical training; and (7) Secondary education. Section three (by Theresa Bach) presents details of educational developments in Australia and New Zealand: (1) General features; (2) New South Wales; (3) Victoria; (4) Queensland; (5) Western Australia; (6) South Australia; and (7) New Zealand. The fourth section (by Theresa Bach) covers the Union of South Africa: (1) General features; (2) Language problem; (3) Secondary education; (4) Agricultural education; (5) Colleges and universities; (6) Education of non-Europeans. Section five (by Walter A. Montgomery) gives details on educational development in India, and covers the following topics: (1) Administration of the schools; (2) Secondary education; (3) Colleges and universities; (4) Technical, industrial, and agricultural education; (5) Education of girls; (6) Mohammedans; (7) Europeans; and (8) Training of teachers. Section six, on Egypt, is based upon the notes of the Ministry of Education on educational organization and policy, and provides information on: (1) Budget; (2) Primary schools; (3) Secondary schools; and (4) Higher colleges. The final section (by Theresa Bach) presents information on the educational developments of Jews in Palestine, as follows: (1) General development; (2) Secondary education; (3) Agricultural training; and (4) Establishment of a university. (Contains 4 footnotes.) [Best copy available has been provided.]