Did Columbia game the U.S. News college rankings with sketchy data?
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Sunday, March 27, 2022
Friday, March 18, 2022
Monday, November 8, 2021
Saturday, September 18, 2021
Friday, June 4, 2021
Sunday, December 27, 2020
Monday, October 5, 2020
Byju's And Advanced Learning
An interesting fwd I received, worth a read👇🏻
Many years ago - there was a Gentleman called Arindam Chaudhari. He wore a pony tail, ranted a lot of nonsense, valued businesses worth Rs. 10 Lakhs for Rs. 100 Crore and mocked at India for being old fashioned.
He started an Institute - promising this and that and this and that. He charged exorbitant fees and in return gave a Laptop and some highly dubious course material and promised you - you would be in Wall Street in 3 years time.
Today - 22000 Students at least have filed over 1700 Petitions, Complaints against him in wild fury and anger - all over India especially in Bangalore. I am one of the 219 Lawyers who have filed petitions in both Karnataka (Through Associate Counsel) and Madras High Courts. He has been accused of a variety of charges from fraud to tax evasion.
Every generation has its own Arindam Chaudhari.
They target the Average and Below Average students - and promise them the sun and the moon. These poor kids - get baited hook line and sinker. Aware of their shortcomings and realizing that they will never get into IIMs or get a perfect GRE Score or an attractive engineering college - they are convinced that their life will change.
In my opinion:-
Byjus is the Arindam Chaudhari 2.0
The Same Arindam Chaudhari brand of baiting the Average and Below Average by promising them the sun, the moon and the stars.
First off are the exhorbitant charges. Like Chaudhari - they too give you a Laptop and charge you almost Rs. 1.5 Lakhs for Classes I - Class III. Thats 50,000/- for a year but like a Vegetable Market if you choose the three year package - you get it for Rs. 90,000/-.
Likewise as you go to a higher class- you pay a higher sum. For taking their package upto Class X - you pay Rs. 2 Lakhs flat. (From 4th to 10th).
And you have different combinations for 11th and 12th - beginning from Rs. 70,000/- to Rs. 1,80,000/- plus horrendous fees for English and Hindi alone (Around 80,000/-)
Plus Rs. 5000/- for a Test Series
Plus Rs. 45,000/- for Crash Courses.
So the charges are huge. Almost equivalent to school fees and in many cases higher than what schools charge - at least in Tamilnadu.
Now are there any serious benefits?
Unless Byjus has a direct line to the Goddess Kaali and can give divine blessings to the students - the answer is NO
Average Students will continue to be Average. Below Average students will continue to be below Average.
Most of the IIT Toppers are Toppers for two reasons - One reason of course if that they work hard but the other reason is THEY ARE INTELLIGENT.
You cannot bring an Average guy and make him an IIT Topper just by offering a glitzy course with glossy pamphlets.
I speak with examples of course.
A Neighbor of mine - enrolled her kid who scored 63% marks in Class X to the 11th and 12th plan of Byjus. Apparently the woman assured her that the Kid was intelligent and should go to the Science group and that their system would take care of any chinks. She spoke so well that this woman literally handed over her child to Byjus like you did in the old days - handing your child to a guru in a gurukul.
The Kids marks did not improve. He worked hard but to no avail. Supposedly there was a counsellor but he was a half baked fellow himself - who kept telling the kid to mutter this shloka and that.
The Woman shelled out Rs. 1.90 Lakhs to Byjus (Her SBI Credit or Debit Card was used every time) and each time she came to pay the money - there would be promises -
‘He just has to overcome his tension’ ; ‘He just has to concentrate’;’He is a very bright student but…’
Meanwhile the Kids Maths Teacher literally told the mother “Your son is very average. He simply cannot study in the Science Group. Please place him somewhere - where he can relax and do well”
Eventually the Kid secured 68% in Class XII with 59 marks in Mathematics. The Mother was distraught and requested my wife to ask me to come with her to Byjus. Apparently Byjus had promised the mother that if the Kid did not get less than 75% , they would give him 12th coaching again free of cost or would refund some money or a lot of money (Not sure how much).
So we went and immediately the woman got some other schmuck wearing a shirt and tie who gave a card to us - and began his slick lies. He brought up some report card and said the kid was this and that (Which the mother had never heard of before that day) and reluctantly refused to repeat the 12th Coaching again or give a refund.
The mother was in tears - and I realized there was nothing in writing. Just as we left - the Schmuck - came to us and told us “Sir! I can help you out. I can get the Kid a second chance at 40% discount and i can give you a one on one coaching”
Slowly more and more mothers - more and more of the same story.
They target the Average and Below Average Students
They charge exorbitant fees
Their teachers are selected from Schools and they get huge cuts and commissions for referrals. So a Teacher intentionally gives lower and lower marks to the student and “advises” the mother to send the child to a Tuition like Byjus
They promise the sun, the moon and the stars
Eventually unless you leak the paper - the Average Student and Below Average Student will continue to remain average and below average or if they do we'll, it would be their own hard work not Byjus
When you go back angry - they will make excuses and send you home
Then i heard they are now valued at 88000 Crores !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am Ashamed.
Why am i Ashamed?
Because our Country is a target for these so called “Educational Institutions” - to come and offer the world to the mediocre and suck their money and leave them dry and reeling.
In China - the Average is told he is average and is given an Average Job. He is happy.
In Singapore - the Average also gets an Average Job and is happy
In USA and India - the Average is promised that he is extraordinary and offered a course for huge fees promising the sun, the moon and the stars and after everything is finished - he gets ZILCH except a big loss of money or worse - a Loan from a private lender.
It is one of the Biggest Cons in the HIstory of Indian Education
You want to do well :-
Assess your Intelligence
Find out your Range
Do the best that you can for your Range
However work as hard as possible to achieve the best in your range
Remember the homily of Senathypathy in Indian “If you can get a job with your own talent and education - good - otherwise settle down and do any honorable job you can do your best at”
P.S:- The NEET and IIT courses of Byjus are not included. I dont have enough data to conclude if they are dubious or not.
So Byjus is not a slap on Indias Education System but a Slap on India and every Average Indian out there.
Saturday, September 19, 2020
Saturday, August 1, 2020
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Friday, February 14, 2020
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Chickpet, Bangalore is known as the business hub of Bangalore City with more than 1000 shops in the locality.This place is always crowed as people throng to buy clothes, furniture, toys etc. at a wholesale price.Yesterday, I had been there as part of my educational research to talk to a few shop keepers to understand how they do business and what education has to do to them, with regards to their business.During my interaction with many shop keepers in Chickpet, I found that, most of them were from Rajasthan.One more interesting thing that I found was that, most of them were in their teenage.Out of all, meeting a young 10th dropout who runs a clothes shop, was very interesting.His name is Bramhadev, from Rajasthan. I thought I should share a few our discussions here.I went into the crowded shop as a customer, he greeted me with a great smile saying, "Anna banni, en bekithu". (Meaning : Brother, what do you want) (The conversation was in Kannada. I have translated it below)Me : I wanted to check for some nice shirt and pant piece.Bramhadev : Tell me Sir, what is the range you are looking for ?Me : You first show me all the clothes, let me choose out of those.Bramhadev : Sure sir and started showing me all his collections. (Meanwhile during the selection time, I thought I should ask him a few questions, which was my only intention)Me : How did you learn Kannada ?Bramhadev : Sir, obviously by talking to people.Me : But, your Kannada is very fluent !Bramhadev : Sir, initially I found it difficult, but, when I continued to speak to customers, I learnt it on the fly. Now, I speak better than Bangalore Kanndigas.Me : Superb. When did you start this business ?Bramhadev : It’s almost 10 years now. I started it when I failed in my 10th. My uncle got me into this business.Me : How many languages can you speak ?Brahmadev : I can speak, Hindi, English, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu & Malayalam.Me : Oh my God ! How did you learn so many ?Brahmadev : I told you Sir, Customers taught me.Me : Sorry to ask you, but still out of curiosity, I just wanted to know what would be your monthly turnover ?Brahmadev : Ummmm, it depends on the festival season. Normally, the turnover would be around 8 - 9 lakhs per month, and during festivals it will shoot up to 15 lakhs. Profit upto Rs. 4 lakh per month.Me : What ? Oh my God ! That’s a super number ! Great, man !Brahmadev : What great Sir ? In Chickpet, this is very less. Others make double than what I do.Me : Didn't you feel like completing your education, by studying further ?Brahmadev : Sir, to be honest, none of our family members have completed their education. To complete my education it might take another 5 - 6 years which I feel is a big waste of time and money. I invested both of these, in my business. Today, I can challenge that not even n one of the educated persons with a work experience of 10 years experience will earn as much as I do. What do you say Sir ?Me : Hmmm....Yes. True. But still, education would have helped you grow more than what you are earning today.Brahmadev : Seriously No Sir. Education would give us fear and make us feel that, one has to work under someone to earn their livelihood. Education does not teach us to live independently. I also have many friends who studied along with me and completed graduation. None are into business. Almost all of them are working in some private firm.Me : Hmmmm....So you don't regret to have not completed Ur education ?Bramhadev : Definitely No Sir. I am very happy. (In between our conversation, another customer had purchased around 20 pairs of shirts and pants and few sarees. Without using a calculator Bramhadev calculated the total cost of the purchase and told the customer the total cost including 10% discount in just 15 - 20 seconds).Me : Boss, you don't even use a calculator ?Bramhadev : Sir, educated people need the calculator and mobile phones, to calculate. Not me !Me : Started smiling and put my head down (because I was using a calculator to calculate the cost of my purchase).Bramhadev : I continuously practiced calculating. I am doing this since 10 years and I have become perfect. I am sure, I will never err in my calculation.After this, I made a purchase and the whole of the next whole day, I was thinking about our conversation over and over. I would like to infer what I learnt....After thought or moral of the story :1. Without higher education, Bramhadev is not jobless. Whereas our today's graduates with distinction, are still in search of a job.2. Without higher education, Bramhadev has good communication skills. But, today's corporate world complains about our graduates for having no communication skills.3. Without higher education, Bramhadev earns in lakhs, where as our current generation graduates complains of not having enough salary to pay their EMIs.4. Without higher education, Bramhadev's mathematical mind works faster than today's graduates who has cleared different levels of mathematics papers with high scores. Today's graduates need Mobile Phones to perform simple calculations.5. Without higher education, Bramhadev has no fear of losing his job, but today's graduate employees are always in the fear of getting fired from the company they are working in.Now, thinking aloud………………How does higher education help one ?
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
College In California
Reminds me of a cousin's son and a friend with daughters.
The College Financial-Aid Guardianship Loophole and the Woman Who Thought It Up
The College Financial-Aid Guardianship Loophole and the Woman Who Thought It Up
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Saturday, March 24, 2018
Careers For Your Child
A friend of mine sent me this document. A good beginners document.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cyedV5smshCWeUDc4AY1f00Hc5-mhFiW/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cyedV5smshCWeUDc4AY1f00Hc5-mhFiW/view?usp=sharing
Friday, August 25, 2017
Friday, August 4, 2017
Why Kids Can't Write
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/02/education/edlife/writing-education-grammar-students-children.html
Quotes from the link:
“You get your intuition back when you make space for it, when you stop the chattering of the rational mind,” the memoirist writes.
“Rationality squeezes out much that is rich and juicy and fascinating.”
By requiring students to learn three types of essay writing — argumentative, informational and narrative — the Core staked a claim for writing as central to the American curriculum. It represented a sea change after the era of No Child Left Behind, the 2002 federal law that largely overlooked writing in favor of reading comprehension assessed by standardized multiple-choice tests.
The root of the problem, educators agree, is that teachers have little training in how to teach writing and are often weak or unconfident writers themselves. ... fewer than half had taken a college class that devoted significant time to the teaching of writing, while fewer than a third had taken a class solely devoted to how children learn to write. Unsurprisingly, given their lack of preparation, only 55 percent of respondents said they enjoyed teaching the subject.
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