A second chance at life

Q: In my town, several adolescents who work in shops have never been to school or have dropped out of primary school. Is there any way to educate them in an organised fashion, perhaps at night or in the early morning, so that they gain some skills that they can use in the future?
Kokila Nath

A: To provide elementary education under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to school dropouts and other out-of-school children and adults, the National Institute of Open Learning (NIOS) — the largest ope n school in the world — runs the Open Basic Education (OBE) programme.
NIOS has about 250 accredited agencies (AAs) all over India, that serve as facilitation centres, exam centres and training centres to provide practical and theoretical training.
Some of these AAs may be located in your city. Otherwise, any non-governmental organisation interested in educating these children can apply to become an AA.
Under OBE, students are taught at three levels corresponding to three different classes of formal schooling — classes III, V and VIII.
While students at the lower levels are taught four subjects, those at the higher levels are taught five subjects.
Those older than 14 years are taught a vocational subject.
At least 100 hours must be devoted to every subject. While the scheme is called open education, half or more of these hours must consist of classroom study. The rest may be self-study.
On completion of all the requirements of a level, the student is awarded a certificate from NIOS.
For more information, you may contact the joint director and head, regional centre- Calcutta, 10 / 1 / H, Diamond Harbour Road, Calcutta-700027. You may also reach him by telephone at 24797714 or by e-mail at rckolkata@nos.org.

Not the right medicine

Q: I am a Class XII student and want to study medicine. Will a degree from a foreign medical college, that conducts a part of its programme in the country, be recognised in India?
Diwakar Pandit

A: No, the Medical Council of India (MCI), the main authority in India for medical education programmes, does not recognise the programmes you have mentioned. It has come out with a public notice cautioning prospective applicants.

You can read the notice on the website www.mciindia.org/tools/prelease/ notice.htm.
If you want to get a foreign medical degree and work in India, you need to clear two hurdles. First, get an eligibility certificate from MCI. Second, after you get the degree, you must qualify in the MCI screening test.

You can get all the relevant information from the rules and regulations section of the MCI website www.mciin dia.org.

Of foreign tongues and distance learning

Q: I am studying in Class XII. I want to learn a foreign language. Is it alright to enrol in a correspondence course?
Rajni Gopal

A: It is one thing to learn through correspondence because you want to know a little more about something. It is another thing to learn a subject through correspondence because you want to make a career out of what you learn. With a few exceptions, try to avoid the latter. A correspondence course lacks the quality and depth of a regular course, especially in the case of foreign languages.
To earn a livelihood that requires the use of a foreign language, you have to be constantly in touch with that language by reading newspapers, magazines and books. In addition, you have to be in touch with other people who can speak that language to improve your speaking skills.
Understanding and appreciating the finer aspects of a language in the context of the cultural and social nuances of the country whose language you are learning only comes through speaking and conversation. That is why foreign language courses should never be pursued through correspondence.
You could consider applying for admission to the institutes offering courses in foreign languages that are listed below:
Goethe-Institut offers German language courses at Max Mueller Bhavan, 8 Ballygunge Circular Road, Calcutta-700019 (Telephone: 24866398).
French language courses are offered by Alliance Francaise at Khaleel Munzil, 217 A.J.C. Bose Road, Calcutta-700017 (22815198).
You could also consider applying for admission to the BA courses in French and German offered by Fergusson College (affiliated to University of Pune), F.C. Road, Pune-411004 (Telephone: 020-25654212).
The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Gol Park, Calcutta-700029 (Telephone: 24641303) offers courses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
The Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages, which has campuses in Hyderabad, Lucknow and Shillong, offers courses in Russian, Japanese, French and German. You may visit the institute’s website (www.ciefl.ac.in) for more information.