Ways to Improve Hygiene and Sanitation in the Rural Schools

Hygiene and sanitation are the two most important requirements in any school, along with other things.  These two basic requirements are not only required in the urban schools instead they are equally required in rural schools as well.

Let's look into some important facts related to the schools in rural India. It might be an eye opener for us or might act as an alarm for us.

v  There are 6.3 Lakh primary and upper primary schools in rural India.

v  Out of these, only 44% have the proper water supply, 19% have urinals and 8% have lavatory facilities.

v  Among above only 19% have separate washrooms for girls and boys and 4% have separate lavatory facilities.

v  These figures lead to consequences that from the above percentage around 0.6-0.8 million children suffer from diseases such as Typhoid, diarrhea, and etc.

This small list of facts and figures is also one of the reasons behind the gradual decrease in the number of girl students. Therefore, here it becomes important to highlight the significance of the water supply, along with hygiene and sanitation. The schools like the American Montessori Public School should take up responsibilities of these rural schools. These factors promote health and hygiene behavior at an early age; improves the health of the students and decreases the drop-out rate drastically, including girl students, once these factors are observed with great importance then a generational change can be observed as children can lay a foundation for the next generation.

The Government can provide support in the schools through:

•Promotion of the provision of water supply and sanitation facilities.

•Objectives and standards can be designed for construction of facilities.

•To create an environment for productive result through hygiene education activities to ensure that facilities are properly used.

• Monitoring and regulating the implementing agencies.

• To regulate and ensure teacher training.

• To ensure appropriate legislation.

A variety of activities related to school sanitation and hygiene (SSH) include providing facilities that require approval and finance for hygiene education, which may require a change in curriculum, curriculum development for informal education and much more.  The involvement of various schools likes the A.P.L. Global School and possibly NGOs are required to accomplish the respective requirements in a comprehensive way on the implementation of  the SSH. Many organizations can be involved like the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Public Works Department, international organizations, NGOs and the Teachers Organizations.

At last, it would not be wrong to quote an example of various NGO’s and the works being done by them. There are NGO’S such as Centre for Health Education, Training and Nutrition Awareness (CHETNA), a non-governmental support organization based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, which are involved in the promotional activities of health of women and children for more than a decade. Presently, CHETNA works as a support organization which works through its other two centers, that  one of which is the Child Resource (CRC), and Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). Both the sister companies work in coordination for the women and children’s health and sanitary issues. The conduct programs which provide food supplements and gives health education to children below three years of age.

Ways to Promote Leadership Amongst Students in College

The development of leadership qualities amongst the student in the colleges and the universities is a very difficult task, but is not impossible. Most of the renowned thinkers and philosophers have suggested that increased participation of the students in extracurricular activities such as leadership training and internships, thereby designed to promote the development of leadership qualities. These activities further help to strengthen self-confidence, self- perceptions of the ability of leadership qualities, and the skills related to public speaking and addressing a large mass.

IHM Mumbai

Leadership is supposed to be focused upon on the fulfillment of the mission and achievement of the set goals of a specific organization. The years spent in Institute of Hotel Management Mumbai are crucial for students' with respect to their personal, social, and professional development. The more there is involvement in the college activities more positive will be the outcomes related to development. The learning of a student and its development at a personal level is directly proportional to the active participation of the students in the activities conducted in the schools and the colleges resulting in the individual experiences of leadership qualities.

The student development accounts for the influence through three sources that are the backgrounds of the students; the characteristics of the organization belonging to some of the best management colleges in India, which the student has attended; integration at both the levels that are social and academic. The colleges can offer students leadership opportunities through organizing activities for students such as program mentoring, leadership courses, sports, and volunteer activities.

The Organizational hierarchies were designed, and to stress and categorize the decision making to centralize both authority and information, and to distinguish between the talents and their functions. This effectiveness of hierarchies is facing a threat by the overloaded information available on the Internet. This affected hierarchy is further affecting the dominance of the leader in any organization and thereby it has become difficult for the students to realize the necessity or the importance of the leadership qualities.

Today, the great demand for student community is not only to cope, to thrive in the pool of the knowledge available on the internet. New skills and expertise are required to be attained by the students so as to be at par with others of the same age group which automatically will be an added advantage for the students, the future regarding the acquirement of the leadership qualities.

In the end, this discussion leads to the conclusion that there is the need for an Effective Leadership Development with a new approach. An approach considering the re-evaluation of hierarchy, emphasizing diversity, complexity, and interdependence is important for the students. Further, the implementation of an effective student leadership development program will lead to a sustainable practice of leadership. Amongst many other factors, this factor is most important that the students should be taught about how to sharpen their skills leading to the identification of their own beliefs, values, emotion, and practices. Students who already have experienced an effective leadership as part of their education are expected to make changes in society as this commitment was inculcated in them from their universities and colleges.  

If this subject is offered to a student of our country, he or she may write pages on it due to its popularity and awareness amongst them. On one side, our country is supposed to be revolutionized by campaigns such as Digital India, but the actual story, regarding the present persisting education system in our country, is very sad. Education at any level in India is still suffering because of those conventional methods of teaching which are still being followed in the schools and universities of our country.

IIM Indore

There are a few major challenges which our higher education system is facing which has been acknowledged successfully, but, unfortunately, the speed of rectifying these challenges is very slow. The problems, which the higher education system is facing includes poor infrastructure along with facilities, large vacant seats in the colleges are due to the less faculty available results in low student enrollment rate, poor research standards, and overcrowded classrooms. It's a great effort to ensure same quality higher education for students belonging to the families below the poverty line.

Students with poor backgrounds get exposed to another major drawback of costly private tuitions and coaching thereby becomes very difficult for them to crack any competitive exams. For instance, IIM Indore is one of the costliest institutes to study in. Due to lack of funds from the Government, the quality of research in the institutes of repute has also declined.

In most of the cases, the colleges which are established in the rural areas have extremely poor infrastructure and facilities with less faculty in number. The government is making new reforms, but the problem, then lies in the delay in its implementation. Due to limited workforce, the efforts put in are also not visible.

IIM Bangalore

Few of the important challenges accounts for the consistent up gradation of the curriculum so as to remain updated with the recent advancement of science and its globalization. The requirement of systematic funding in colleges like IIM Bangalore to meet the demands of the various novels, innovative programs is very essential so that a meaningful and purposeful research work can be performed.

After discussing the major cons of the education system lets put some light upon the suggestions, which can implement for the progress of the system. The few points include revised package of the faculty, innovative practices which covers all shades of life, mobilization of resources, providing student interest education focusing on the areas of research based subjects, enhancing the other life skills rather than academics which can help to lead their life purposefully, public-private partnership which will introduce students to new industries and their demanding profiles, to introduce cross-culture programmes to enhance better understanding of the people belonging to different cultures, to stress upon the individual development in all walks of life, and last but not the least to focus and to cautiously focus on the major issues i.e. how to improve more and more in providing quality education.

Through this above discussion, we can draw a major conclusion that for the achievement and for sustaining quality in national, regional or international levels, there is a single most important points, i.e. suitable selection of staff with their consistent development, which can improve the condition of our education system at the grass root level.

Imortance of sports in life

In our fast-paced lives, the importance of playing games cannot be denied. But unfortunately, we live in an age where technology has overpowered everything. The cell phones, I-pad, and video games have totally shunned the interest and time among children for the outdoor sports. But sports are something that must be an integral part of a student’s life because not just of the physical benefits it has, but a lot more reasons. Read on to them.

I Play I Learn

Energy and building – The good old saying that, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” holds true for all the children. More so because of the pressure that the academics have created for the children in schools. Their hectic schedule, though, leaves children with less time, so do make a point to use that time for the outdoor sports rather than the addictive games on the cell phones. Hence, games and sports are an integral part of the curriculum at the I Play I Learn preschool. Sports will not only improve the immune system, but also will help channelize the mental and physical energy and will help children rejuvenate their bodies.

Mental Strength- As your child is in the growing stage, scoring grades will not help him much as teaching certain lessons for life will. These lessons are best taught by sports. It teaches an individual how winning and losing is a part of the game and the same goes in life. Thus, it makes him/her mentally stronger to take on the challenges in life ahead.

Competition Factor- Sports also help in teaching the value of a healthy competition in life. As your child indulges in academics and is bound to be in the race for grades, sports introduces to the fair, healthy and a positive kind of competition. It will eventually help in teaching them to what extent the competition is healthy and how not to be negatively influenced by it.

Patience- It is one of the toughest skills for any child to ingrain in life. Sports teach you how to be patient and the importance of persistence. Apart from this, it also makes the child more disciplined, which will also help him/her in academics.

Value of time- “Time is money”, no one knows this better than a sports person who lose their medal by half of a second. As most of the games are time-bound, it is all about the timing. So, while playing his/her favorite sport, your child will automatically learn what the real value of time is.

Psychological High- Apart from the physical effect, the game has a greater effect in shaping up the psyche of a child. Be it putting his excellent shot, the excitement running of it or losing, both have an equal effect. The bad mood of an individual cheer up in a moment when he/she gets applauded for his best performance. That smile is long-lasting.

Other qualities- various other qualities like decision-making, confidence building, team spirit, constructive use of time, tackling pressure, dealing with hardships and many others are best taught by playing sports.

Icon International School

The school plays the major role in encouraging the students to play. Hence, the sports form an integral part of the Icon International School education for every child. It is rightly said that the education is incomplete without the games. After all, it keeps up the excitement and fresh element in the lives of students. Apart from the responsibility of the schools, it is also the responsibility of parents to keep their child engaged in outdoor sports and make them utilize their time in the best way.

The physical, emotional and mental strength provided by sports is what makes an individual stronger in the walk of life. 

Five novels - A must read for children

The habit of reading among the children needs to be inculcated right from the very beginning as it has a huge impact on their academic as well as real life. It facilitates the recognition of words, vocabulary development, pronunciation, and imagination. So, these are the five novels that every child must read to begin with.

Toddlers Junction School

Books play an enormous role in the development of the cognitive functions of a child. Apart from building good reading habits, books also help an individual in developing language skills and a strong vocabulary. No wonder, why schools like Toddlers Junction School have incorporated reading habits in their curriculum. Such activities, if carried by all preschools can go a long way towards shaping a child’s optimum growth.

v  THE HOBBIT - It is a children’s book by an English author J.R. Tolkein. In this fantasy novel, the main character is Bilbo Baggins. He is a hobbit who is half of the size of humans. He is reserved by nature and prefers to live in the comfort zone of his home enjoying his great love for good food and drink. His comfortable life gets shattered when an itinerant wizard Gandalf meets him and persuades him for an adventure. On this adventure, he is accompanied by thirteen dwarves who embark on a journey which is full of mysteries and action. This novel is a great way to introduce your child to the world of reading.

v  THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE - It is a high fantasy novel by C.S. Lewis, who has written seven novels, which formed the cluster ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’. This is the first one and it is set in Narnia, a land full of mythical creatures and was once ruled by the white witch. The story of the novel revolves around the four siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, among whom Lucy encounters a mysterious wardrobe which takes her to the world of Narnia. On coming back, she tells her siblings who do not believe her. As the story progresses, all the siblings enter Narnia and it is then an ordeal with the white witch.

v  THE LITTLE PRINCE - Authored by Saint- Exupery, it is a novel which deals with the travels of the little prince, goes on with the occurrences of people whom he meets on the way. In this exciting story, the author is an aviator whose plane crashes in the middle of the Sahara desert and while repairing it, he encounters the little prince who came from an asteroid. He then the author about all kinds of people he met on the way before reaching the Earth like a king, geographer, etc.. The novel culminates with the prince being able to succeed to go back to his place.

Fun Valley School

v  WINNIE THE POOH - It is first of the volumes of stories written by A.A. Milne. The protagonist in the novel is a cute teddy bear called Winnie- the -pooh who has many friends. Also, this novel has been incorporated in the curriculum of the Fun Valley school. The novel narrates the adventures of him and his friends like Piglet, a small toy pig, Owl, Rabbit, a donkey; among others. It deals with all sorts of learning like shifting the houses, surviving the floods, and many other such incidences.

v   A LITTLE PRINCESS - It was one of the earliest novels written in the 20^th century. Writing in 1905, Frances Hodgson Burnett penned the story which went on win accolades and is still regarded as one of the best novels for children by teachers worldwide. The story is about Sara, whose father was a wealthy man giving her a luxurious life. But, after his unfortunate demise, the story takes a turn on how her life changes as she is forced to live as a maid for many years and undergoes abuse and exploitation.

These are the best novels, which are easily understood by a child and are enough to spark the habit of reading in them. So, you can begin with any of them. This birthday gift your child a book and see the magic.

Ways to develop social skills of your child

When your little one starts getting out of the ‘protective’ home environment for the first time, it is also the moment when they first step into the society. So, the social skills are an utter necessity that every parent must teach about their child. So, here are some ways to develop social skills of your child.

Firstly, always make a point that you express your emotions verbally to the child right from the beginning. As the little ones do not start to understand our emotions through body language much, you need to express and assure them of your affection towards them through verbal communication as well as physical gestures. This will make them fully confident of their personality as an individual and thus they will not hesitate to go in front of other children, neighbors and anyone who they are not well known to.

Top Pre school in Gurgaon

Secondly, teach them the basic etiquettes before they start their school. For instance, washing their hands before and after any meal, touching the feet of their elders, and greeting their peers. Even saying simple things like thank you and please is of great importance. Then the next task is to compliment and encourage the child whenever he/she uses the words and etiquettes you taught. This way they will always try using it to gain appreciation and eventually it will become a part of his/her habit. This has enabled top pre schools in Gurgaon to foster the right kind of behavior in them and hence make them more socially acceptable.

Thirdly, teach the child to put up the questions appropriately. He/she should be able to express his concern or doubt over anything in a way that is understandable by others easily. Besides it, the child also needs to learn to accept a ‘no’ as an answer. We know you love your child the most and try to fulfil his/her every small and big wish, but pampering the child by fulfilling every wrong wish is not done. By doing so, you will make him/her live in a world of fantasy and away from the biggest reality of life- you do not get everything you want. So, they must learn to accept and control themselves on hearing a no for anything. And as a parent, you can best teach this to your child.

Fourthly, allow them to spend time with their friends and be around so that you observe how he/she behaves among peers and can teach him/her how the behavior should be. It is not necessary that they would be sharing each and every toy of their friends, so allow your child to choose what he/she wants to share and how much. Let your children learn the quality of ‘sharing and caring’ at their own pace. Do not make unrealistic expectations of the child.

Finally, never keep your child totally dependent upon you. Go to certain places without him and let him spend that time with their grandparents, cousins or anyone.  You will be surprised to see how quickly your child learns the art of socializing and will develop the required manners. Let them learn on their own too, and also very importantly, listen to your child as well. You really need to be aware of their concerns as well. For instance, if he/she is not comfortable with a certain relative of yours, listen to him. Social skills are not just about mingling with others, but also about developing the awareness of society your child is living in. So, eventually you should also teach him to know of the things which are not right.

With these simple, everyday lessons you can easily make your child learn social skills and prepare him for the future.

Difference between Montessori Education and the conventional teaching methods

The conventional methods of teaching and the Montessori education have their own pros and cons. The Montessori education was discovered by the Italian Physician Dr. Maria Montessori and is based upon the Child’s physical and mental development along with the scientific observation of their learning processes. This teaching methodology is one of the cornerstone of growth and development methodology adopted at the Nest Preparatory School Gurgaon.

Nest Preparatory School

The teachers in the traditional classes play the active role in comparison to the Montessori classes. In Montessori classes, the children or the students play the active role instead of the teachers who play the passive role. Many differences can be identified among the Montessori students and traditional classes. The students of Montessori school are more independent, highly motivated and self independent. That is the main reason why some of the top Preschool in Gurgaon or for that matter in the rest of India has adopted this teaching methodology. The students of traditional classes are more governable as compared to Montessori classes where the students have the superior qualities of social skills and have a deeper understanding of the society.

The conventional education prepares the students for the competitive world. The curriculum of conventional education is much more different than the curriculum followed in the Montessori classes. The curriculum of the latter is well designed and allows each student to work and learn with their own speed. The curriculum of the Montessori classes covers the four individual features that are sensorial, Practical life, Language, and Mathematics.

The Montessori classes give the opportunity to a student to learn in a compatible environment as they have students of different age groups. The age gap between students gives them the opportunity to grab and understand new things and activities more easily. These classes, given in the best preschool in Gurgaon, give the ability to a student to learn to identify their own mistakes and to do self-correction.

The assessment of the students made by the teachers during testing periods in the Montessori style of education is based upon the individual performance. The students are individually assessed and grades are not given. The Montessori classrooms are also different from the traditional classrooms. The classrooms have a different décor and the artwork of the classrooms is also remarkable. The furniture layout in the classrooms is perfect according to the students. The classrooms have the perfect environment for the students to easily relate to the topics taught in the classrooms and to learn them.

Special time is set by the teachers to teach the children the manners and problem solving. This helps the children to learn appropriate social skills. Most schools leave few teaching courtesies to the parents, and there are many teachers who teach with care about the helpful behavior and to learn to express sympathy so as to recognize any difficulties of others.

After studying in the Montessori classrooms, the children develop a love towards the learning which further ensures their active involvement in the classroom. The changes can be observed in a child who is exposed to the environment of the Montessori schools. These changes can be in the various features and activities of the child, which includes its social interactions, cognitive and literary skills and much more.