Women participation in higher education of India: the enrolment scenario
The role of education in development of the economy is well established. Since independence, the contribution of investments made by the government in higher education has been substantial however post 1980s there has been a decline in the same. Access, equity, women participation and empowerment have been an issue of deliberations all around the world. Higher education provided to women would mean independence in decision making and economic independence. It would develop capabilities to discharge duties and responsibilities in the fields of social, economic, political and cultural arenas. The objective of the study is to highlight the trend of women enrolment in different faculties of higher education and understand its contribution towards women empowerment. This study is based on secondary data available from Census of India, Selected Educational Statistics, UGC annual reports and research articles. The limitations to the study are inadequacy of the data and variance in the data available from different sources. At the end, conclusions and suggestions are presented.
Women Engineers in India
This paper discusses the findings of two extensive studies on women engineers in India using data on enrolment in engineering colleges, out-turn job opportunities, career status and other factors. Responses of women engineers and employers on perceptions and barriers have also been analysed. Although there has been a significant increase in out-turn of women engineers, their prospects of employment and career advancement profiles remain matters of concern.
Science fairs as learning tool for teaching excellence
Science fairs are usually considered to be a pedagogical and cultural activity that involves the students actively. Gifted students need challenges to further develop their skills while maintaining the motivation level. Science fairs may provide the informal environment that will request and allow these students of excellence to challenge themselves by developing a scientific research project. Despite being well known in different countries, in Portugal first steps are being made on the use and implementation of science fairs as effective pedagogical tool. In this work, we will present a 4 years study that was developed on a Portuguese school with the main goal of evaluating the advantages of this informal way of teaching. The study includes an analysis of the evolution of the students’ knowledge that have participated, or visited, the different science fairs. Some advices for the implementation of these projects will be given. The motivation of the students was monitored as well as the knowledge and skills effectively improved by this activity.