Parents complain about school to CoP

Parents complain about school to CoP - The Hindu var _comscore = _comscore || [];_comscore.push({ c1: "2", c2: "11398210" });(function() {var s = document.createElement("script"), el = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.async = true;s.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js";el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);})(); Follow Today's Paper Archive Subscriptions RSS Feeds Site Map ePaperMobileApps Social SEARCHHome News Opinion Business Sport S & T Features Books In-depth Jobs Classifieds Shopping Bus tickets Cities Chennai Columns Arts Cinema Food Sports My Chennai My Right Chennai Social Blog Cities» ChennaiCHENNAI,October 25, 2013 Updated: October 25, 2013 08:14 IST
Parents complain about school to CoP Asha SridharShare  ·   Comment  ·  print  ·   TweetAsha SridharAsha writes about school education and also loves discovering traces of the fast-vanishing old city.»E-mail: asha.s@thehindu.co.inTOPICS Tamil Nadu Chennai
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They protested the discontinuation of primary classes from 2014 in A School, Anna Nagar West. School says decision was taken after implementation of RTE ActParents of the Anna Nagar West branch of A School submitted a written petition to the city police commissioner on Thursday, against the school’s decision to discontinue class I upwards from the next academic year.

A School is a chain of neighbourhood institutions across the city, which currently offers primary education in most of its branches.

Parents who protested on Thursday said they were promised their children could migrate to one of the main schools that would come up in Mogappair, Pallikaranai, Porur and Madhavaram. These schools were expected to offer CBSE education up to class XII.

However, some parents whose children study in classes I, II, and III at the branch alleged they were called earlier this month, and were individually asked to look for another school from the next academic year, as the branch would only cater to pre-primary students from 2014.

“I shifted my daughter from a matriculation school to this school for class I and even made her repeat class I on the school’s insistence. She is in class III now and it will be very difficult to get admission in a CBSE school as schools take in students in pre-K.G. or class I,” said a parent who did not want to be named. Another parent, whose two children study in the school, said they even shifted their residence.

Parents said the problem was not exclusive to their branch and demanded that the management make arrangements for admission for their children in another school for the next academic year, as securing admission in an intermediate class is difficult.

According to a representative of the education chain, there are 21 A schools, now re-branded ‘A School Pre-School’ where over 2,000 students study. While six branches are run by the Foundation, the rest are franchisees.

In a written explanation, a representative from the group of schools wrote that in 2009, they established pre-schools across Chennai with the intention of providing initial education to children in smaller schools that were closer to their residences before providing for higher education in a main school.

However, it further stated that “Subsequent to the Fee Act (Tamil Nadu Schools (Regulation of Collection of Fee) Act 2009) the RTE Act was implemented in 2011. RTE mandated that 25 per cent of all seats in private schools be reserved, for which no fee can be collected. Under the changed circumstances, the construction and operation of a main school is not possible.”

The statement said they had spoken to several schools to accommodate their primary students and were awaiting confirmation. The representative said parents must also start looking out. When asked about the website which still mentions four main schools, and classes up to class XII in the near future, the representative said it would be updated soon.

They protested the discontinuation of primary classes from 2014 in A School, Anna Nagar West

Keywords: A School, A School Anna Nagar West, CBSE schools

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Lessons for Parents of International Grad Students

Parents of prospective international students should involve their children in the graduate school selection process.

During my years serving in graduate enrollment and student services, I held office hours for students. There, I met with countless international students. Many were stressed, frightened and upset – a few to the point that they needed professional or medical assistance.

Academic struggles were the primary cause of their angst. Further questioning revealed that if word of their situation reached their parents, they would be in a great deal of trouble.

I've met with thousands of parents of prospective graduate students around the world during my career. What always amazed me was the consistently strong desire these parents had to see their children succeed. In many cases parents were making huge sacrifices so that their children could study abroad.

[Learn what to consider when applying to U.S. graduate schools.]

It was heartwarming to observe this, and to witness the strong ties between family members. But sometimes I found myself communicating with parents of applicants rather than the applicants themselves.

Parents often asked about the curriculum, admission requirements, career placement information and scholarship opportunities – questions typically asked by applicants. In some cases, they would even ask for an application fee waiver or reduced tuition for their son or daughter.

It is quite an adjustment for parents to have a son or daughter travel not only far away for graduate study, but also to another country – in some cases, without returning home for two years. This cannot be easy, yet many parents support and encourage their children to pursue their educational and career goals.

[Learn how graduate schools evaluate international applicants.]

But many international students have told me that their parents do not respond well to any sort of failure. Remember that any successful person has some detours along the way, and does not do everything perfectly.

Yet at times, some parents place overwhelming pressure on their children. While you want your child to succeed, placing too much pressure on him or her to do so could actually make things worse. Focus on success, not on perfection. Let your child be human.

Remember that sometimes the greatest learning opportunities come from mistakes and errors. If we are afraid of or forbid failure, we actually create a culture where it is more likely that failure will occur.

[Allay some common international grad school applicant concerns.]

Parents can help their students by encouraging them to find the best institution or program for them.

As a dean of admissions, it was frequently evident to me that students' parents had selected the institutions to which an international student was applying. The student had no input whatsoever.

When we would inquire, either through an essay or during an interview about why the applicant had chosen our program, students would often say that their parents had chosen their list of schools.

Some of these same students came to my office hours, indicating that they did not want to be enrolled at my institution in the first place.

In some of those situations where parents had selected the programs for their children, they almost always chose the highest ranking institutions in a particular field. Long-term success in life is rarely dependent on where one attended college or graduate school.

Work with your children, not apart from them. Give them the opportunity to be involved in the selection of the graduate program they believe would be the best match and where they would like to apply. Do not encourage an unhealthy and obsessive emphasis on rankings and prestige.

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3 Tips for Expectant Parents Considering an Online Degree

Parents-to-be should investigate drop-out policies before enrolling in online courses, experts say.

Jacque Goleeke is going to have a very busy fall.

The 29-year-old Indiana native and mother of three is expecting another child in September. For the next nine months, she'll also be completing an online bachelor's degree.

"I am very nervous about it," says Goleeke, who hopes her online business degree will help advance her career. "Some courses are more challenging than others. Depending on what comes up next, it might not be something I can tackle."

To some expectant and recent parents, the idea of signing up for an online program seems like a wise move during a break from work. For others, such as Goleeke, balancing diaper duty with homework is a nerve-racking prospect.

Adults considering online course work while parenting should consider the following tips from experts and parents.

[Learn how to tell a good online course from a bad one.]

1. Test the water by signing up for a course or a certificate. One misconception is that online courses are easier than their counterparts at brick-and-mortar institutions. But that's not the case, experts say. Online courses often involve an extensive amount of reading and writing as well as time management skills.

Meeting course deadlines and the stress of caring for an infant or young child can be taxing. Before making a long-term commitment, experts suggest first trying one class.

"Take one course before enrolling in a program and see how it works," says David L. Stoloff, a professor at Eastern Connecticut State University who has been teaching online courses since 1998. "You might not like it; it might not work with your lifestyle."

[Discover time management tips for online students.]

Kimberly Hawkins, an office manager at a public health company, jumped in to her online master's in public health with both feet – at about the same time she decided to get pregnant.

She took a few months off after she had her newborn and found the transition back to school almost too much to handle at times.

Looking back, she's not sure she would do the program again.

"I can't wait for it to be done," she says. "I kind of wish I would have done it before I had kids because it's constantly in the back of my mind."

Students intent on taking more than one course but unsure if they have the time or preparation for an entire degree might consider a compromise between the two, says professor Dani Babb, an online education consultant who teaches anywhere from 12 to 30 online courses at a given time.

"If you only have about six months to go to school, consider getting a certificate instead of a degree," she says.

[Explore child-friendly college programs.]

2. Learn about the policies for dropping out of a course. Even students with the best intentions of finishing an online course may want to drop out of the class after they've had a baby. As a result, experts suggest students take their time to investigate how flexible their programs are when it comes to a leave of absence.

Babb says it's common for her pregnant students to ask for time off after they've given birth.

"A lot of my students will do it for like three months or so," she says.

More often than not, Babb and Stoloff say, professors will approve a leave of absence. The length of the leave depends on the institution, they say.

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How to Save for College After a Parent's Death

Contributions from family and friends can make saving for college easier for a parent who has lost a spouse.

Jackie Livaudais knows what it's like to want to provide for a child's future when one's own is uncertain. She was pregnant with her third son when her husband, an Army ranger, was killed in Iraq.

Applying for assistance as a veteran's widow was difficult because her husband, Nino Livaudais, was killed early in the Iraq War. "At the time, a lot of programs were out of date," she says, using her experience with Utah's Division of Motor Vehicles as an example. "The DMV didn't know what to do with us or how to handle our paperwork."

While government programs have improved those processes, the challenge of making complicated decisions after a partner's death hasn't changed. As a volunteer, Livaudais helps other military spouses and their children get through those first months.

When it comes to saving for a child's future, her advice for anyone who has lost a spouse is to start a tax-advantaged college savings plan known as a 529 plan. But she suggests not contributing a lot of money before making other major life decisions, such as where to live.

Parents who have lost a spouse – as a result of military service or otherwise – should take the following steps to manage college savings.

[Take these steps before opening a 529 plan.]

1. Hold off on big 529 plan decisions: Surviving spouses may not be comfortable over the long term with investment choices made in the immediate aftermath of their partner's death. "Any time someone's dealing with loss, way too many people are trying to take advantage," says Tim Heaslet, a chaplain and chairman of the nonprofit Children of Fallen Soldiers.

It takes time to get comfortable with making financial decisions on one's own, especially if the couple made decisions as a team. "I never handled major financial decisions by myself," Livaudais says.

She says to start with "small, reasonable contributions to 529 plans and increase when grief isn't so heavy."

[Get tips on evaluating 529 plan performance.]

2. Encourage family and friends to open accounts for the child: Family, friends or coworkers could set up a plan for minors who have lost a parent, but the living parent or a family member needs to be named as the account's owner, says Paul Paeglis, executive director of the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority. This is so the family controls the plan's funds.

Contributions can be made by anyone. For the plan managed by the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority, individuals may write checks with the beneficiary's name on the check memo line, he says. "This is no different than third-party giving like families do for a child's birthday or holidays."

It's easy to contribute to a child's account by giving money to the parent, directly to a 529 plan or through a gift-giving program like Ugift or GradSave.

[Learn how to ask for contributions to a child's 529 plan.]

3. Start a memorial page for contributions: While GradSave offers all parents the option of setting up a website to crowd fund their child's education, families can also set up memorial pages. The funds raised can be sent to a 529 plan of the family's choice.

GradSave also recently started a special landing page featuring children who have lost a parent in the U.S. armed forces, where individuals who'd like to help a military family may do so. Landing pages are being planned for surviving children of police officers and emergency workers.

Livaudais' family has set up a memorial page. Her children are now 15, 12 and nine years old and each aspires to attend college.

Destre, 15, wants to be an artist or a musician. Carson, 12, wants to be a surgeon. Grant wants to be an Army ranger like his dad.

"A lot of businesses and kind Americans want to reach out and help kids," Livaudais says. Some reach out through donations and others through thoughtful messages and videos. She says those gestures show her children how much their father's sacrifice is appreciated.

Trying to fund your education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for College center.

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