The Kuruvila Jacob Initiative for promoting excellence in School education was inaugurated on the birth centenary of late Kuruvila Jacob on 3rd August 2004. This initiative is being managed by the Kuruvila Jacob Memorial Educational Trust comprising the following old students of Mr. Jacob, all of them students of Madras Christian College High School as trustees.
One of the objectives of the Kuruvila Jacob Initiative is to act as a catalyst, aiding schools to adopt innovative methods and techniques in the learning process. To promote critical thinking and problem solving skills of students from Class VI to Class IX, especially in Physics and Chemistry, the Kuruvila Jacob Initiative commenced the pilot project on “Multi Media Enhanced Elementary Science – Web Based Learning” in partnership with and under the guidance of IIT Madras in February ’07.
Now a few set of modules in Physics and Chemistry is being launched today in the form of DVD in the participating schools and would be available in the public domain shortly. The site address for web access to these modules would be published in the dailies when it is ready. It is intended to make it accessible free of cost to all the schools. The twenty-two participating schools and the eighty resource persons have contributed to the development of the modules.It is expected thatthe complete version of the moduleswill be released in the public domain by the end of 2009.
Summary of the on going projects –Kuruvila Jacob Initiative as of August 09′
Education Excellence cluster Programme
Kuruvila Jacob Initiative iscontinuing theinvolvement with thirty corporation schools, by taking up a third cluster programme covering 10 more corporation schools, in response to a specific request by the authorities.
Theseprogrammes are designed, developed and delivered on the basis of Total Quality Management (TQM) principles and practices- Twenty-four privateschools have also undergone Total Quality Management training under Kuruvila Jacob Initiative since 2004.
Model School Programme in Corporation Schools for Accreditation
The KJI is also assisting the Corporation of Chennai for the establishment of three model schools by 2010 on the QCI framework of Quality School Governance standards from the first two clusters. There are plans to establish quality assurance cell at Chennai City Corporation for sustenance of the improvement processes implemented.
As before, all the above programmes have been conducted free of cost to the schools involved, the entire cost being borne by the Trust. The above two initiatives have been conducted with the training assistance of CII Institute of Quality, Bangalore.
Education Leadership Programme (ELP) for heads of Institutions
Our initiative continued its partnership with Centre for Education Management and Development (CEMD) New Delhi. This is one year open learning Post-Graduate Diploma cum training programmefor Correspondents, Principals and senior teachers. This programme in Education Leadership (ELP) aims to provide the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for school Principals and Administrators to shape the future of the schools and the students therein. This programme is being offered by our initiative at a heavily subsidized cost.
The fourth batch of Education leadership would start from September 8th of 2009 and the registrations are on for the same. We are extremely happy to say that as of date 27 candidates have confirmed participation, out of the thirty-five seats available.
