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India has had a rich tradition of Libraries, schools and higher learning institutions from thousands of years. In the early years of Buddhism; about 5 centuries before Christ, E.I., 2500 years ago, there existed great institutions like Nalanda, Takshila and thousands of other known schools and universities in all parts.

From very early years of Christianity, India had very small Christian communities, especially in Kerala state, but their history records are not quite clear nor evident. Most Christian churches had a convent to cater to the locals.

(Probably one of the main reasons Kerala is one of the most educated state of India and almost at par with Cuba - as THE NO 1 state of most educated people)

But the REAL and notable convents came into existence when the English speaking Scotts, Welsh and Irish came to India in service of British Crown and to "administer" India; which they had started familiarizing through the public limited - East India Co. - which actually was nothing but a post to loot India - by manipulation which later became "COLONIAL imperialism" when British Royals joined the East India Co. as their patrons.

MOST convent schools were established in major Military cantonment areas of India by these new "administrators" for their families in 1850s.

After 1947, we should have closed all these institutions as legacy of foreign imperialism - BUT our "intellectuals" and earlier leaders of business and politics - used these convents to educate their kids - (they considered themselves as continuation of white "sahibs") - in English - and to get a BRITISH education in India.

Many of the brighter kids of these "exclusive" schools were to go to foreign for further studies to come back and "administer" India.
The truth is that this spirit of "elitism" still exists in our poorly and sickly infected "upper" class who are convinced that a "foreign" education is the best.

In 1950s and 60s, the seats to get into the convents became scarce as more and more bureaucrats "richer babus after milking bribes" and "members of elected bodies" in Delhi and our state capitals wanted to send their "bright" kids to these "exclusive" schools. So they invented a new system of PUBLIC schools. Doon school, Delhi's public schools are some examples.

In other words, these new public schools became "exclusive" educational institutions - the NEW Gurukuls for the rich and more-bribe-more-exclusive of Indian society.

My Personal Opinion: We notice that the most of the Ancient Culture is alive because Western People have kept it alive otherwise our modern education system would have put almost everything confined to the library and the Asharama.

For example, the Scouting is practiced worldwide and its an Indian concept of Gurukul, the Ashrama. Sir Baden Powell learned it from Haridwara and introduced to the modern civilization.

We may seem to blame the Convent Schools, but they do in India and abroad is nothing but Ashram System of Education in which Lord Rama and Krishna learned. Most of us may feel to be proud of being a student of a convent school, but laugh at the Ashrama that brought it as modern education. Why we Indians do not learn it is because we are highly influenced by Imperialistic Education System of British India Company.

However, as you are a learned person you can easily understand why we are having some problems as yet to be resolved in our education in general.

We can resolve these together not just as East Meeting West, but also Past Meeting Present. Thanks for sharing very frank and honest observation. Sri Aurovindo and Mother has been great and rest depends upon the future generations. Amen!

With thanks from the source: http://hindustan.net/discus/messages/64/126.html

If you were born after 1979, you may have never sent a handwritten letter to anyone. So accustomed to email and now IMing, actually picking up a pen and writing a personal message to someone - not on a sticky note, but on actual stationery - may seem foreign to you.

It's not that technology isn't important. It's a wonderful tool. However, to actually sit down and put a part of you into a handwritten letter, to tell a story and express an emotion to someone important to you, provides a glimpse into who you are. Plus, a handwritten letter can become a cherished possession that the recipient can keep for years to come as a reminder of important relationships, much the way that this woman remembers her grandmother.
Understanding the Importance of Handwriting

The handwritten word has been around for centuries. And, in fact, as recently as the 1700s there were special schools to teach penmanship because, at that time, master penmen were employed to copy official documents such as land deeds, birth and marriage certificates, and military commissions.

However, some people today feel it's a waste of time to teach and grade children on proper penmanship because of the extensive use of computers for our written communication. They suggest that, other than signing documents or the occasional scribbled note, handwriting is an unnecessary practice.

On the other hand, some say that handwriting can actually help develop certain psychomotor skills in children. They argue that the better the handwriting, the better the hand-brain-eye coordination. And handwriting is a still a skill necessary throughout school and college. Many courses require students to take class notes as well as respond to written essay questions during tests. Students who write legibly traditionally receive higher scores.

Please read more from the source with thanks: http://www.officearrow.com/organization-and-workfl...

While technology takes over some of the heavy lifting, handwriting remains an important part of who we are.

Handwriting has long been a skill that identifies us from each other. Like a fingerprint, our handwriting is unique from everyone else on the planet. Although teachers did their best to get all students to form each cursive letter exactly the same, students always showed their individual cursive style. There was the left-hander's back slant, the cursive-print combination style, the tiny letters, and some illegible examples that only the author himself could discern.

Today the idea of a handwritten composition is nothing more than a fable told to disbelieving students- "You wrote the words? With a pen?" However, according to a washingtonpost.com article, the loss of handwriting also may be a cognitive opportunity missed. The article explains, "Studies show that the neurological process that directs thought, through fingers, into written symbols is a highly sophisticated one. Several academic studies have found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express their thoughts better - a lifelong benefit."

While technology has given the gift of efficiency and accuracy to our writing, it cannot provide a truly personal touch. It is the handwritten messages that we remember most -the stack of love letters, the yearbooks filled with the wisdom of 18 year-old high school graduates, cherished letters of encouragement received during the uncertainty of college, notes of gratitude for kindness shown, and the offer of sympathy and hope to others in times of loss. These are the moments when e-mail just won't do.

The beauty of communication is that there is room for all kinds. As technology helps us communicate more quickly and easily with e-mail and text messaging, there will forever remain a place for the personal and intimate touch that only handwriting can give.

How do we encourage our children to write more? And ourselves!

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/the...
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Still a Necessary Skill, handwriting Fosters School Success
By Jan Z. Olsen

In today’s fast-paced computer age, handwriting seems like a forgotten art…but think again. Handwriting is coming into sharp focus—and for good reason. While overall student confidence and early academic success are often directly related to handwriting, the new handwritten essay section of the SAT and other state tests have revitalized the interest of many parents and educators in handwriting.

Good handwriting is a skill we learn in early elementary school, but the benefits of good handwriting extend our entire lives. The truth is that mastering handwriting sets children up for other learning successes.

Handwriting builds confidence, teaches children to have an organized approach and enhances their ability to communicate. Think about how exciting it is when a child writes his or her name for the first time. Think about how nice it is to be able to write easily and well.

Several studies show that children with good handwriting feel more confident and proud of their work, and other studies demonstrate that legible papers receive higher grades than do illegible ones. Students who don’t master neat letter formation are at a disadvantage, which can impact a child’s grade on spelling tests, math quizzes, and essays. A student’s poor handwriting can be particularly detrimental during the new SAT and the standardized tests in many states that now require a handwritten essay section. While these exams aim to measure a child or teen’s ability to clearly express oneself, it is imperative that the handwriting be legible and automatic in order to maximize thinking time and creative writing skills.

“If scorers can’t read it, how can they give students a proper grade?” said Leslie Thornton, the principal of Mill Valley Schools.

The focus of today’s handwriting lessons is on developing good habits that make students legible, fluent writers. Handwriting becomes an automatic skill that students don’t have to think about. Handwriting has been an integral part of communication for as long as there has been recorded history. And there is no evidence that anything will ever completely take its place.

Tips for parents

1. Do it correctly yourself: Remember that children learn by imitating you, so make sure that you are holding your pencil and forming your letters correctly.

2. Sit up straight: Make sure your child can sit with her feet on the floor and her arm can move freely wherever she writes, at home or school.

3. Read: Show your children the importance of communicating through words.

4. Sing: When you sing the alphabet song, show your children the letters as you sing. Sing songs that use their fingers, like the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “The Crayon Song” on the Get Set For School™ Sing-Along CD

5. Draw: Children who draw often write better. For young drawers, give them broken pieces of chalk or crayons to use. They will have no choice but to hold these small pieces correctly.

6. Move: Teach spatial words, like “under, over, top, middle, and bottom” by using visual representations. Put one hand under another, etc.

7. Go “Top Left”: Get children in the habit of going from top to bottom and left to right.

8. Give them little bites: Encourage children, even ones as young as 9 months old, to pick up small objects, like tiny pieces of food, with their fingers. It will help to develop writing muscles and good coordination.

9. Play: Encourage preschoolers to use finger paints and sponges to strengthen writing muscles and reinforce coordination.

10. Ask: Discuss with your child’s teacher what resources are available to help develop their skills.

Fun Activities You Can Do At Home With The Kids

1. Make cookie letters. Have your child form the letters by rolling the dough and putting the pieces together.

2. Put letters on a die and have your child roll the dice. They have to write a word that starts with the letter.

3. Use a flashlight and make letters on the wall. You or your child has to guess the letter that was made. You can also cut out letter templates to place in front of the flashlight.

4. While your child is in the bathtub have them draw letters on the wall of the tub in shaving cream or soap paint. Ceramic tiles work well as slates.

5. Form letters out of French Fries.

6. Trace letters in the snow or sand.

7. Forms letters out of Play-Doh or clay.

8. Make letters with pipe cleaners.

9. Have your children write your shopping lists.

Pediatric occupational therapist Jan Z. Olsen is the founder and creator of Handwriting Without Tears, a multi-sensory handwriting curriculum. Olsen has specialized in child development and its application to handwriting for nearly 30 years.

With thanks from the source: http://www.curiousparents.com/Main/xq/asp/article....