Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
Experts raise red flags as coding courses for kids pick up
Excerpts from article Ankita Bhatkhande, published in the Hindustan Times
With children cooped in their homes owing to the pandemic and the resultant shift to online learning since March 2020, many parents have been insisting that children learn coding.
However, experts are worried about the negative impact of the programmes offered by ed-tech companies on the minds of students. Over the past year, several engineers and technology enthusiasts have been publicly flagging concerns about coding programmes that are currently being offered in the market.
Ed-Tech companies are selling coding by telling that it would make children logical, but experts say it’s the other way round – first one needs to be logical and then learn coding.
According to them, without subjects like calculus & probability, which are taught in Class 11 and Class 12, no one can actually understand the mathematical models behind the codes.
Try free platforms first
Several companies offer ‘free trial classes’ and ‘easy EMI’ options to lure parents to take up these programmes. Parents are promised that coding would make their children eligible for the top paying tech jobs in the future.
If a child is genuinely interested in trying out coding, they can use open source websites like code.org, which are free to use and can teach them the concepts at their own pace.
Understand what coding is
Coding is a language with which we communicate with computers and, like with any language, you first need to teach a child the sounds, letters and speaking skills before he/she can start writing an essay.
Experts say that for coding, children should be taught the hands-on basics of sequencing, algorithms, debugging, conditionals, etc. with games and activities before they can use these to programme.
Focus on skills that matter
The obsession for coding might put pressure on children to take up yet another activity that is driven by fierce competition and an expectation to excel. Kids can instead be taught to build social skills by taking up hobbies and pursuing group activities instead of remaining glued to the screen. Parents should not obsess about something just because everybody seems to be doing it. This would put an additional burden on the kids.
More awareness needed
Parents need to be extra cautious before jumping on to the coding bandwagon. There is no harm in enrolling children who are genuinely interested in such courses, however, kids shouldn’t be pushed into developing websites or apps. Instead, parents should just let them learn what they enjoy.
Many experts also worry that the lack of awareness about the need and efficiency of such programmes, especially among the rural and less wealthy parents, may have disastrous consequences. Parents save a lot of money for the education of their children and when companies mislead them, it is really disturbing.
Career
Career as a strategist in a political consultancy
Excerpts from article by Smarica Pant, published in India Today
India is a democratic nation that is not run by the elected leaders but the people who bring them to power. Political consultants/strategists play a key role in helping the leaders win the heart of millions.
Owing to the nature and frequency of elections, political strategy and consultancy have started gaining legitimacy over the last decade not just in India but across the world. Near elections in any part of the country, political strategists are on the road, highly loaded with data driving campaigns, using extensive ICT tools to manage electoral politics.
Political strategists work as consultants specialised in activities like:
- Polling Research (Intelligence gathering)
- Digital Media Campaigns
- Public Relations
- Fundraising
- Speech-writing
The primary task is to share the right message that centres on a specific cause or objective that helps influence public opinions in the desired direction.
Qualifications required
To become a political strategist there is no such desired qualification, however a good understanding of the politics, political structure and current political scenario is a must.
Those who have a Political Science, Journalism, English, Public Policy, Public Administration, Data Science, Sociology, Psychology or Business Management background have an upper hand, as they have expertise in one or the other aspect of political analysis.
Your work as a political consultant can be an avenue to becoming an agent of change. Political consultants or strategists are the key players in electoral politics.
More about the role
- Being a political strategist is not a part-time job.
- The profession offers a lucrative pay scale and good working environment just like any other organisation.
- Political strategists get to provide alternative political solutions to the given problems in the system.
- As a strategist, the candidates have the scope to work on on-ground campaigns, virtual campaigns and beyond.
- Political consulting is a never-ending business that stays unaffected by famine, pandemic, drought, etc.
Expectations from a political strategist
- They are required to understand the political reality, bring in new ideas and astuteness in political campaigns. They also have to regularly monitor the success of political campaigns through analytics and real-time dashboards while also looking at the public relations aspects of the campaigns.
- As a crisis manager and risk-taker, one should be able to take primary responsibility for the planning, conceptualising, designing, executing and promoting campaigns.
- Deal with multiple stakeholders such as local media (print and digital), local people, different-different associations/organisations based on caste, class, gender, religion, pressure groups, etc.
What a political consultancy does
Here is a quick rundown of what a political consultancy does as an election consultant to a candidate or party:
- Helps in the registration of the given political party
- Helps in charting the election strategy for the party
- Helps in nomination, election campaign management, press release creation and dissemination, membership drive, volunteer registration, etc.
- Strategizing social media campaigns.
- Showcasing involvement through digital media for targeting audience.
- Drives campaign, exit poll, opinion poll, socio-political survey, etc.
- Audit and expenditure management
Career outlook
A political consultant/strategist can play a noteworthy role in changing the course of elections by influencing leaders, society and the people with well-researched, strategic and effective campaigns.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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