Sikkim Manipal University Distance Education Ranked Among Indias Top Distance Education

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Sikkim Manipal University “” Distance Education (SMU-DE) , a unique public-private initiative between the Government of Sikkim and Manipal Education, Ranked #1 in the student perception survey conducted by CAREERS360, a magazine for young professionals in collaboration with Yahoo.

With over 710+ SMU-DE Learning Centers covering 310 cities across India, Sikkim Manipal University – Distance Education emerged as the top distance education learning provider across parameters ranging from quality of study material, library support, quality of faculty, access to study centers, conduct of exams and publishing of results among others. SMU-DE was also found to have one of the largest presences on the web with over 500+ unique IP addresses, showing the substantial reach technology could achieve.

SMU-DE spokesperson Mr. V Sivaramakrishnan, President – Distributed Learning, Manipal Education says “We are thrilled to be ranked among India”s premier Distance Education providers in the country. In line with the vision of providing affordable & accessible education to aspirants across the country, our endeavor is to collaborate technology with high quality education, providing a learning experience that”s incomparable.”

In one of the most extensive exercises undertaken in the field of distance learning, the survey elicited over 7000 responses from current and past students of distance learning. For the analysis, over 5000 entries, which ranked over 81 Universities, were taken into consideration. After eliminating those with less than 50 responses and unique IP addresses, the research team finally zeroed in on 30 top distance learning providers which were subjected to detailed analysis.

In the objective ranking, Sikkim Manipal University – Distance Education was ranked 4th on various parameters including reach, course offerings, processes, pass ratio and transparency. Interestingly, only 11 out of the 32 top distance learning providers in the objective ranking list made it to the perception ranking which hailed SMU-DE as a top provider of distance learning education in India.

The Universe for Open and Distance Learning Institutes (ODLIs) in India comprises 249 institutes, out of which 188 institutes are currently offering Distance Learning Programmes.

Over the years, SMU-DE has consistently raised standards in Distance Learning space and earned its place of pride. Some of the recognitions & awards received include:

“Ranked 1st for Results and Efficiency and Ranked 2nd for Learning and Experience by CAREERS360 magazine for the year 2010. The CAREER360 survey is the first of its kind survey in distance learning space and ranks SMU-DE in the top 3 best distance learning institutions in India.
“Best B-School offering Management Education through Distance mode at 2nd Asia”s Best B-school awards
“Dewang Mehta Business School Awards- Best Distance Learning programme
“DNA-Best B-School for the use of Technology in providing Management Education in Distance Education
“Star News- Best Management Education in Distance Education
“Winner of e-India and e-Rajasthan Awards for Digital Learning ICT enabled University of the Year”

Increase your earning potential with Higher Education

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The business definition of earning potential, according to bnet.com, is the amount of money an individual will be able to earn in his professional capacity.

One of the biggest expectations that everyone has always had from education is to increase earning potential. However, this has taken a whole new meaning post recession. It wont be an exaggeration to say that for many, the only reason to invest time and money on college education is to increase their capacity to earn.

What lends credibility to the phrase “the more you learn, the more you earn” is the data for median annual earnings by educational attainment released by the U.S. Census Bureau. According to the bureau, the annual income of high school graduates or equivalent is $27,448. The earnings start rising as the level of education increases, with those who have some college or an Associates degree making $33,838 per year and those with a Bachelors degree earning $47,853. The income of graduate or Masters degree holders is the highest at $63,174.* If there was ever a doubt in your mind about the significance of college education in increasing your earning potential, then surely these numbers should clear it.

Yes, college is probably going to eat up a considerable chunk of your parents savings or you might have to fund it by taking a student loan, but its an investment that is likely to bear rich dividends through your life. And there are several options available to suit everyones goals.

If academics are not your forte, it doesnt mean you have to rule out college altogether. You can still increase your earning potential by pursuing a two-year Associates degree in fields like healthcare or computers where there is a huge demand for trained workers. For example, an Associates degree in respiratory therapy will qualify you for entry-level positions as a respiratory therapist, whose average annual income is $52,200.** Now thats a fair deal in return for two years of education, wouldnt you say?

A Bachelors degree can boost these earnings further, especially if you are smart about the major you pick. There are some rewarding careers like accounting, computer science, and healthcare administration for which a Bachelors degree is the minimum qualification. A Bachelors degree will not just increase your earning potential, but also provide you a wider base of quality jobs from which to choose.

Needless to say, with professional and graduate degree programs like MBA, law, or medicine, the sky is the limit as far as earning potential is concerned. However, you should go down that road only if you have the inclination and the resources for extensive schooling that these professions require.

Taking a cue from students who are in a rush to join the workforce, many universities and colleges have also introduced accelerated degree programs that allow students to complete their post-secondary education in a shorter span of time than that afforded through traditional colleges and universities. Such degrees are a brilliant idea because the sooner you finish school, the sooner you can start making a living.

Whichever field you choose to enter, college degree programs can help you reach the next level not just in terms of a paycheck, but also the quality of your life!

*U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2008 American Community Survey **Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Respiratory Therapists

Should Children Of Different Abilities Be Educated Together Or Separately

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Nowadays, there are two different opinions about the issue whether children with diverse abilities should be educated together or not. Some people think that they should be educated together because it benefits everyone. On the other hand, some hold the view that intelligent children should be taught separately and given special treatment. Both of the two sides are possessing their own arguments. In my opinion, I think children should be educated together, whose advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

To begin with, it’s of great value to teach children together. Only in this case, can the children grow up in a nature environment. If you separate the children into different groups and told the low-ability children why they are separated, it is unhealthy for those children to develop their character. After a long time, there must be psychological impediments to children growth.

Secondly, children of different abilities can share their experience with others and learn from one other when they are educated together. Children of various abilities and interests being educated together can create more opportunities to learn about themselves and other children. When they understand themselves and others, it’s better from them to be aware of their own defects and merits, they may try to eliminate the defects and strengthen the merits by learning from others. Undoubtedly, this helps children to grow.

In addition, learn together, children can become more cooperated and learn to get well with others. When children of different abilities work together to face a challenge, they learn to negotiate, to compromise and to reach agreement. There are all useful communicative skills for their future life.

Finally, mixed education can promote all-round development of children’s characters, while on the contrary, separate education may probably end up hindering their potential development in the future. Because one’s talent in different fields is not the same level, with mixed education, children’s talent can be developed in an integrated way.

To sum up, I think it is better to teach children of different abilities together. It helps the children to understand each other’s strengths and shortcomings, to develop their social skills, and to promote the development of their whole potential. Even though separate education may be more efficient in addressing each individual’s strength, its risk of possibly depriving the child of his potentials is so severe that it is just unacceptable.

Pros And Cons Of Overseas Education

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Today, studying abroad for various study program have become a trend among Indian students and. every year thousands of Indian students apply in various Universities abroad. Universities in US and UK receive high numbers of Indian applicants for their various regular and vocational courses. Overseas education is indeed a big breakthrough in someones career and promises him/her many wonderful career opportunities ahead. Today, overseas education is not limited among the people of higher status and elite class but many middle class families across India and other countries of the world are also sending their children for overseas education for a bright future and well paid job.

There are various advantages of studying abroad; the first one is concerned with academics. You would find wide spectrum of courses in a foreign university with excellent education system and infrastructure. They use modern technique of teaching applications with highly qualified and proficient faculty.

The safe and sound environment of the university makes you very feel comfortable to get adjusted in a foreign land. You also get incredible chance to meet students of different nationalities and religions. It gives you plenty of exposure and knowledge about various cultures and creed. The exposure you receive from studying abroad would be very helpful in your career building and life. Pursuing education from a prestigious foreign university opens the doors of countless job opportunities for you. You are being offered a high paid job, respectable position and many other perks

Studying in foreign land also makes you proficient in the language of the country. For instance, if you are seeking overseas education from UK, US or New-Zealand where official language is English, you would be able to learn the language and gradually become a Master in English. Studying abroad also gives you wonderful opportunities to travel to other neighboring countries which would give you plenty of exposure and knowledge. You have a global network of social contacts by studying abroad.

Overseas education also gives you opportunity to work at your spare time thus, you get work experience as well and for some companies work experience is also an important requirement before recruiting the candidate. Studying abroad helps students to become more mature, confident and resilient and all such qualities are counted at their workplace.

However, everything has a flipside as well and overseas education also comes with certain demerits. Though overseas education promises you great future and rewarding jobs but it is very expensive for a middle class family to send their children for a higher education in US, UK etc. Most of these families take loans or other financial aids to sponsor the education.

Drivers Education How Parents Can Teach Their Children To Drive

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Expectedly, it is not easy for parents to set their child freely on the road as we all know that driving is a quite scary especially that young drivers dont have enough driving experiences. However, parents should have a role in their kids drivers training as a support to a driving school instruction.

Teaching children how to drive should start with letting them know the importance of taking responsibility of their maneuver. It is through this learning that they are able to understand that they should be held responsible for their actions. They should know that driving is not a privilege but a right. While a driving school can inculcate basic driving knowledge and skills to students, parents can teach their kids in checking the oil, changing a tire and determining the right time the vehicle must be serviced. Parents should be more on the moral and emotional aspects of a drivers training which include letting them know that driving is not a hobby or a source of fun. They need to learn that responsible and safety driving is a survival means in todays times.

Parents who can have time to be with their children on the road will focus more on the applications of what they learned from a driving school. Proper parking, making turns and changing lanes with signals and obeying driving laws are among the most important techniques and learning that parents can teach their children.

When on a day for a driving practice, parents should let their child to know exactly where they are heading to. It is a smart idea to plan the driving practice with the intended route ahead of time so there will be no complications to come along the way. In the driving school, students will also have a behind the wheel training with their instructor and they can make more practices of this training with their parents.

For some people, driving can be learned easily but considering all the intricacies of the road, driving requires special skills. This is especially true when drivers have to drive through a bad weather condition such as in icy, foggy and stormy conditions. The basic driving concept in these conditions is taught in the driving school but it is possible that students are not practically exposed to all bad weather conditions during their training. Thus, as parents can be there in most of the driving periods of their kids, they can drive with them during a particular difficult road condition or at night.

Driving rules and laws vary from state to state and parents can have time to remind their kids about the restrictions of their driving rights. However, as parents spend time to teach their kids how to drive, they must make sure that they dont pass onto them their own bad driving habits. Parents should be the role models of their children so whatever their children can see from them they are likely to follow. Any driving school will also remind parents on this issue because the childrens learning will be nothing when they have to follow untoward driving practices from their parents.