RURAL-BASED PROGRAMS IN SCIENCE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH FOR SSC AND HSC (JUNIOR COLLEGE STUDENTS)
 

A very large majority of students in all societies are mainly interested in finishing education within the prescribed syllabus and get settled in routine jobs. School and college teaching is therefore mainly geared to completing the syllabus in India. Further, today the school educational system has degraded to such a level that rote learning and cramming are considered key to success. Unfortunately, this is also the perception of teaching community. ‘Coaching class’ culture, which is often patronized by teachers, has further added to the woes of students killing all self-learning initiatives. In consequence teaching is very stereotyped, boring and non-exciting especially for bright students who are keen to acquire new knowledge beyond the syllabus. Although their number may be very small (around 5%), it may not be out of place to say, that progress in science depends ultimately on this small bright student population. These problems affect both the rural or urban students. But the latter can take help of city-based institutions of higher learning and research. Special program are needed for the bright rural students. The Academy has recently launched the following two educational and research-oriented educational programs for SSC and HSC students to supplement school teaching.