Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Education
Parents stepped in to counter children’s learning deficit during lockdown
Excerpts from article by Prashant K. Nanda, published in livemint.com
Vikas Pandey, a Delhi resident, spends almost four hours a day to teach his son as schools closed and face-to-face learning suffered a setback. Seven months later, he vouches that if he and his wife had not stepped in, his 11-year old ward would have fallen behind the learning curve.
“Yes, schools tried to step in, but it’s the family which is putting in a lot of efforts to narrow the learning deficit. Education is not just text books but a lot of activities and involvement,” said Pandey, 44, a private sector executive.
And Pandey’s view resonates in a fresh nationwide survey to gauge the status of education in India. As schools closed post the COVID-19 outbreak, three out of every four students got learning support from their families, data analysis from the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER 2020) showed.
In government and private schools together, 75% enrolled children received family support for learning and in private schools alone, this was 80%.
And it’s the fathers who stepped in more to fill the learning gap across most part of the school verticals, and mothers’ role in children’s education at home increased in proportion to their education level.
While 33% of children enrolled in class I and II received learning support from mothers, mothers’ contribution started falling among higher-grade students. This may be because of the socio-economic reasons, including the education level of mothers.
From class III to XII, between 28% to 24% of the enrolled school students received support from fathers, slightly higher than mothers. The report also suggests that along with parents, in higher grades, it’s the siblings who played a key role in their education. For example, in class IX and above, while 24% children received education support from fathers, 21% got support from siblings and 15% from mothers.
But if the mothers have studied in class IX or above, then their participation is huge. ASER data showed that these categories of mothers played an active role and over 45% children got education support at home from mothers as against 30% from fathers.
The ASER report by educational non-profit Pratham is based on a survey conducted in 26 states and 4 Union territories in September among a total of 52,227 households and 59,251 children in the age group of 5-16 years.
Career
5 daily habits to remain highly motivated
Excerpts from article by Bachir Bastien, published in addicted2success.com
While some of us can naturally maintain a relatively high constant level of motivation, others find it more difficult. Here are a few simple things you can use to motivate yourself on a daily basis:
1. The habit of accomplishing one single task once you get out of bed
This may sound trivial but it can have tremendous impact on your energy level. Right when you wake up, one simple task such as making your bed, exercising or cooking breakfast can get you energised for the rest of the day.
Getting something done first thing in the morning will give you a sense of achievement which will, in turn impact the rest of your day.
2. Connect your small tasks to your values
In the first step, you may get something done, but if it is not in alignment with your values or beliefs you are less likely to feel empowered. Whatever the task you get done, frame it in relation to something that is important to you. You can apply this in your personal life, professional or spiritual life.
People who engage in routine jobs may find it very hard to remain motivated. Frame your job into something greater than yourself. For instance, a bus driver may say: “I am glad I can contribute to the future of our society by bringing children to school.”
3. The habit of crossing out tasks on your to-do list
You will feel more energised if you put your tasks on a sheet of paper because nothing is more motivating than crossing tasks off your to-do lists. This is a clear signal to your brain that you have been able to accomplish a particular task.
4. The habit of being self-compassionate
We tend to be nice to other people. It is amazing to see how someone can be so empathetic and motivate another even when they are feeling down themselves. Paradoxically, instead of giving themselves a positive pep talk, they will go on a guilt trip. We are not trying to achieve perfection here, we are simply trying to do what we were born to do grow!
It is okay if you did not finish a specific task today. Instead of complaining or blaming, make the decision right now, that you will complete this task tomorrow. Talk to yourself as you would to a good friend.
5. The habit of taking responsibility
It is amazing how much taking responsibility for our results can change our perspective. I have had the chance to work with small teams, and in my experience, I’ve learned that people get more motivated when they know they are responsible for the outcome of their tasks.
As humans, we have unlimited psychic power. You need to harness your natural source of motivation rather than expecting outside factors to motivate you.
(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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