IL&FS Focus

Frameworks for raising learning standardsLionel CranenburghIf a revolution to raise learning standards is to occur in India it won‚t be because of commissions, new governments or politicians but due to the efforts of visionary teachers and principals. Unfortunately no single group has had more opportunity to raise education standards across the board than teachers and principals, and no group is more guilty of doing less to change the face of national education than school and college teachers in India. Unlike Bernard Shaw, who had a poor opinion of teachers in general, I have high regard for the latent talent of the teachers‚ community in India. When Shaw wrote of teachers that “those who can, do and those who can‚t, teach,” I believe he got it wrong. Despite his legendary intellect and sharp wit, he missed the irony that writers too are teachers who communicate ideas, concepts, vision and values. The time has come for teachers and principals in India to get their act together to deliver the newly elected United Progressive Alliance government‚s commitment to provide “quality basic education” to all children. Somewhat belatedly there is a general awareness that nothing can be more important than rapidly improving standards of basic education.I have first hand experience of being a student and teacher in the multi-tiered system of schools in India, having studied and taught in super private, private, government-aided and village schools in north and south India. And at all levels I found dedicated, but ignorant teachers who paraded before their students like Dickensian caricatures of humanity. Dr. Rakesh Popli, professor of physics at Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra writing in this column in EducationWorld (April 2003) rightly condemns the pernicious ritual of dictating notes, the upshot of which is that “little knowledge enters students‚ heads and none into their lives”. In fact, teachers‚ efforts to raise standards in classrooms can be inexpensive, achievable and highly effective if they use tried and tested frameworks or scaffolding to develop children‚s skill-sets. Encouraging students to write a daily journal is one way by which teachers can provide them opportunities for predicting, exploring, recording, re-shaping and analysing and evaluating ideas. Journal writing allows children to approach tasks at a personal level, gives them the opportunity to apply their understanding while developing writing skills. I have used this methodology to develop my own short story writing skills and encouraged my students to do likewise. ‚ËœStructured overviews‚ are also a useful methodology for assisting students to improve their comprehension, while providing a framework for developing themes and ideas. The teacher inserts graphic sub-headings into dense text matter and students work in pairs to select key words and phrases under each sub-heading. Over time students are able to construct their own overviews. A third idea I recommend is to encourage the use of note-making frameworks. Early induction into note-jotting is useful for developing the skills necessary for writing short stories, essays, poems, journals and magazine articles, technical descriptions, examination questions and so on. Moreover working in small groups provides students with opportunities for learning through language usage, peer teaching and cooperative learning which are valuable life skills.Likewise the use of technology for making ‚Ëœtalking books‚ is excellent for motivating children to read, especially among students experiencing difficulty with literacy. Pre-recorded stories by professional and competent readers containing sound effects are heard by children using headphones thus enabling them to follow printed texts and appreciate the imaginative use of language. Discussions based on the text can follow to develop verbal communication skills.All this prompts me to suggest the type of professional development most likely to be effective for teachers in India and how it is possible to get the biggest bang per rupee invested in teacher training. While professional development programmes can be provided by any number of service providers, research by national associations of teachers in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia indicates that teachers learn best from peers. Therefore the appointment or selection of one or more outstanding teachers in each school to lead discussions on professional development with colleagues can be achieved relatively inexpensively by constituting teams of dedicated teachers and principals. Making professional development an on-going exercise with teachers‚ remuneration linked to completion of professional development courses should ensure that teachers continue to upgrade their skill-sets as is expected of committed professionals. Principals and exemplary teachers with special responsibility salary allowances can monitor teachers‚ progress through a variety of formal, standardised and informal methodologies including appraising their students‚ academic performance. There is no need to inflict literacy learning like an emetic on long-suffering students. By linking learning to students‚ interests, or through clubs and special interest groups, learning can be made fun for teachers and pupils. Indeed that‚s what learning is all about.(Lionel Cranenburgh is the India-born chief executive of Shannon Quest, a West Australian education company)