An awareness campaign to encourage “Open Schooling System"
15/05/2010
Centre for Social Initiative & Management, (CSIM), Bangalore, in association with TVS Lucas, organized “Learn, your way”, an awareness campaign to encourage “Open Schooling System" on 15th May 2010 at SBMJC – Center for Management Studies Bangalore from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm.
The objective was to create awareness about the existence of this alternate schooling system, so that children who are unable to cope with mainstream education system; children or adults who cannot afford it, know that there is hope. The event aimed at sensitizing parents, teachers, children, adolescents, school dropouts on the open schooling concept for a stress free education.
Ms. Meenakshi Sivaramakrishnan, Karnataka State Council for Child Welfare was the Chief Guest for the occasion. Ms. Meenakshi, a promoter of the Montessori method of education, expressed her support and encouragement to the success of the event, and conveyed her wish for the Open Schooling System to gain more importance and awareness. She emphasised on the importance of self learning by students. She expressed her honest opinion about education and its importance by stating, “Even at my age, I need education.” The Guest of Honour, Mrs. Kairali Nair, Principal of Spastic Society of Karnataka, and the current Coordinator of National Institute of Open School (NIOS), provided the people with important information and details related to NIOS admissions, fees and payments, examination and certificates.
A panel discussion was also held where in participants from Spastic Society of Karnataka shared their experiences with NIOS and their views on open schooling system; Mrs. Meetali Mukherjee, a parent whose child is presently studying through NIOS expressed her opinion; representative from Genie Kids also explained their field of work. The discussion centred on NIOS, its system, its status when compared with the mainstream education. An attempt was also made to further the scope of understanding as to which system, mainstream or open schooling, was better suited, to which kind of student.
This campaign on Open School System will take a further step towards awareness on Sunday, May 16th 2010 with a series of street theatre shows explaining the cause of NIOS at Cubbon Park at 10.30am, Double Road Bus Depot at 12.30 pm; Ejipura at 2.30 pm and will end at Cubbon Park at 4:00 pm
