UNTITLED

Voila!!!Nivya, my friend has written a poem which is yet to be titled but already stolen..its on Independence Day..please leave your valuable comments, me and nivya will surely appreciate that..

UNTITLED

It’s the same night once again
With the same bondage
Not of the aliens this time
But of the minds cage

Think of everytime you have stood back
Due to indifference and fear in your heart
How may lives you could have changed
But how upon them you dart

Tonight resolve to break this change
which hold u tight
for your blood must run through yout heart
to give happiness and light

Be deaf to what the world says
And expects you to repeat like a parrot
Listen to your free mind
And let you be the country’s tarrot

In the morning when the sun rises
Let your heart say
That I will make a difference
As its our independence day!!

Mon amie, Nia!!!!!

SCHOOL FOR SUCCESS

Hi there!
Since i am not much free kinds nowadays so cant post an entry(wanted to write about how college is going and how i was thinking i am getting messed up but everything sorted out automatically) as of now. But here is a very interesting report on a school build by Anna Hazare, great social worker and presently part of the protest against the proposed deletion of file notings from RTI.


SCHOOL FOR SUCCESS
SUNANDA MEHTA

AHMEDNAGAR:WHEN the Shri Sanstha Nilobray Vidyalaya in Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmadnagar district turned 25 last year, the authorities’ wish-list was short. They just wanted the walls of the school to be plastered.

For funds, the school decided to approach its former students. The alumni took less than a week to pool together the necessary Rs 2.5 lakh. It was payback time and not one former student wanted to miss the opportunity. Because, were it not for Nilobray Vidyalaya, each of them would have had to bear the stigma of ‘failure’ all their lives.
LOCATED in the back of beyond in Maharashtra, Nilobray has a focus few other schools can aspire to match. It specialises in taking failures and repeaters from all over the state and ensuring that they clear their board examinations with flying colours. Not only does the school have a near-80 per cent passing average, but it has also produced national level sportspersons over the years.
“This year again, we are planning a celebration of sorts to commemorate our silver jubilee. Again we will ask our former students to be on the committee and take charge,’’ says Annasaheb Kale, the school’s principal, confident of his former students’ response.
The confidence is not unfounded. Ask Sandeep Tarde and Vaibhav Wagh, who joined Nilobray after failing repeatedly in their earlier schools. Today both boys, who passed out of the school four years ago, compete in rifle shooting and football at the national level.
Then there’s Nilesh Khambe, a Std X student who was asked to leave by his Pune school after he failed in Std VII. The boy scored 68 per cent in his last exam and is also a national-level kabaddi player.
“Every school in the state wants only brilliant students on their rolls. Where will the low-scoring students go? Most would end up as criminals. It is to prevent this from happening that we decided to dedicate this school to failures,’’ explains crusader Anna Hazare, the man behind the institution.
LITTLE wonder then that when Amol Shivaji Ravre applied for admission at the three years ago, his application received top priority at the school office. The boy had failed twice in the previous class and had never performed well in studies.
Today Ravre’s ninth standard report card shows a proud 60 per cent and as the 15-year old talks of his dreams of joining the army after passing out of school, there is a newfound conviction in his voice.
At any given time there are at least 800 such students at the Vidyalaya. “Most of these so-called failures are actually just misguided youngsters. Students who fail elsewhere do well here because we give them focused attention in an encouraging atmosphere,’’ says Hazare, who now wants to introduce vocational training.
To minimise distractions, students lead a structured life. The day begins early, at 5.30 am, and ends at 11 pm after being divided up among academics, sports, studies, yoga, general knowledge and practical training in crafts.
“We can watch television once a week, but because we are so busy all the time, we don’t really miss seeing it,’’ says Khambe who wants to pursue kabaddi even after passing out. Excellent food, a deep student-teacher bond and a conducive learning atmosphere are the other factors contributing to the success of the experiment, feels Kale.
Subhash Pathare, the school’s geography teacher cites examples of freshers addicted to tobacco and liquor who turned over a new leaf within three months of being in the school. “Thanks to Anna none of this is available in our village, which is half the battle won,’’ says Pathare.
Then there are those newcomers who, despite being in the sixth standard, do not even know how to write their names. “For such students we have a special class every morning, where we start with the barakhadi (alphabet) and go on till they can catch up with the rest of the class in terms of reading and writing,’’ adds Pathare.
BECAUSE of its success, the school now gets students from all over the state for its 800 seats. Occupied strictly on a first-come-first-served basis, the coeducational school has a hostel only for 250 boys. Day scholars don’t pay any fees, while the hostellers pay Rs 40 per day.
The teachers’ salaries are paid by the government, which also gives the school an annual grant.
With 60 of its 85 candidates for the tenth standard board examination passing with flying colours, the school has reason to be proud. “But what pleases me the most today is not just the fact that we made them into individuals who can contribute to society, but also that they are good human beings,’’ signs off Hazare.

GUIDE FOR INTERACTING WITH JAPANESE

Here are some of the tips which were given to the Indian teachers going to japan for teaching English. Found them interesting so posting here.


1. The Japanese often find the Indians somewhat arrogant. Perhaps this is because an Indian, with his superior English language, has a tendency to talk down to the Japanese. Even in India those of us who have been educated at English-medium schools tend to speak down to those who have been through vernacular schools. Actually, apart from having 100% literacy, most of the Japanese acquire a reasonable knowledge of English at the high school stage – it is just that they lack the practice of speaking it. They are generally shy vis-à-vis foreigners; the language problem makes them more so.
2. They appreciate our democracy in the context of free elections and a free and highly vocal press but are shocked at the wide economic disparities.
3. When speaking to them, our language should be simple and sentences short.
4. Precise facts and figures are appreciated.
5. Exaggerations must be avoided. They respect cautious and conservative individuals who can be credible.
6. We have a habit of saying "no problem" in an over-confident manner. The Japanese have had many sad experiences, facing problems at every juncture in India. Hence, avoid saying "no problem".
7. Punctuality is extremely important in Japan. Apart from anything else, it shows that you have respect for the other person’s time
8. The Japanese respect the Indians as highly intelligent people but they also feel that often we are a bit too "clever". In dealing or negotiating with them, it is advisable to overcome their fear of our cleverness at an early stage. This is best done by putting one’s cards on the table honestly and conveying transparency.
9. They find many Indians boastful, domineering and tending to monopolize a conversation or discussion. They like people who are prepared to listen. A degree of humility is appreciated.
10. They appreciate the Indians’ debating capacity but find many Indians excessively argumentative (i.e. arguing for the sake of arguing) and not pragmatic enough. They, on the other hand, are a highly practical people, more proficient with their hands.
11. By Indian standards, their systems sometimes appear inflexible. This is because they plan things in the minutest detail; having done so, any sudden change becomes difficult. We on the other hand are always improvising and can, therefore, be flexible.
12. It may take longer than elsewhere to arrive at an agreement in Japan but, once an agreement is reached, they are entirely dependable and trustworthy.
13. They are extremely neat and hygiene-conscious.
14. And finally, friendships, once made, are long lasting.
by Arjun Asrani(Former Ambassador of Japan)