Media Release
Mangaluru, Mar 9: A two-day National Conference was conducted at St Ann’s College of Education (Autonomous), Mangaluru on March 5 and 6. St Ann's College of Education, Mangaluru strives for quality education and prepares teachers for modern society with personal, academic, research and professional excellence to spread the light of wisdom and knowledge to humanity.
With an apparition to address new challenges and demands on the education system in the context of drastic changes and increasing complexity of today’s world and to address the various innovative practices in education, the college organized a two-day National Conference to provide a platform for educationists and researchers from all over the nation to deliberate on various issues with regard to the perspectives and innovations towards quality education in the 21st century.
Dr M S Padmini former director, CES Indian Institute of Education Pune, former head, Department of Education, Shivaji University of Education, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, was the chief guest of the conference and gave a keynote address. Former principal St Ann’s College of Education, Mangaluru, Dr Sr Leonilla Menezes AC, was the guest of honour for the function. Sr M Shubha AC secretary, The Apostolic Carmel Educational Society, St Ann’s Covent, Mangaluru was the president of the function.
In her keynote address, Dr M S Padmini stressed on the importance of a political will in revamping the curriculum in all dimensions including the quality dimensions. She opinioned that the technological and scientific advancement depends on intellectual humans and how they make use of it. According to her the key components of 21st-century skills in teacher education are ICT in education and communication skills. Sr Shubha AC spoke about how evolutions and innovations are needed for the survival and development of education as well as manhood. Teacher trainees are to be trained in such a way that they train their students in the future to face challenges without fear and insecurity.
Dr T C Tankachan associate professor, St Thomas College of Education, Pala, Kerala spoke about the theme ‘Teacher Education in the 21st Century-Context, Innovations, Concerns and Challenges' in the first plenary session. In his opinion, the quality of education is reflected in the beneficiaries of education. He stressed on the importance of a virtue-based humanistic education model for teacher education which is the need of the hour. In the second plenary session, the resource person Dr Poonam Batra professor of education, Central Institute of Education, University of Delhi, spoke about the theme, ‘Conception of Quality Education and the Problem of Equity and Social Justice.’ She expressed her views about various perspectives on quality of education in the context of history, philosophy, policies, teachers and the present outcome-based education. In her view quality cannot be separated from education and conception of quality also mean the focus we give in developing teachers regarding democracy, marketing, society, and values. All these dimensions attribute to the professional development of teachers. In the third plenary session, the resource person, Dr Sr Leonilla Menezes AC former principal, St Ann’s College of Education (Autonomous), Mangaluru, spoke about the theme ‘Quality Assessment in Higher Education’. She spoke about the multidimensional aspect of quality evaluation and how the quality of education leads to sustainable development in society. She spoke about NAAC and highlighted how Total Quality Management (TQM) in an institution leads to better leadership, the satisfaction of students, parents, societal expectations, and the national goals of education.
The researchers from different parts of the country presented their research papers during the two-day National Conference. There were 31 papers based on different subthemes. The two-day conference covered a wide range of sub-themes in the field of teacher education, higher education, constitutional provisions and policies of education, ICT in education, education for promoting vocation and entrepreneurship and physical education, yoga and development. The chairpersons for the sessions were Dr M S Padmini former director, CES Indian Institute of Education Pune, former head Department of Education, Shivaji University of Education, Kolhapur Dr Vijaya Kumari S N associate professor,
Dr Flosy D’Souza associate professor and Dr Sharmila Mascarenhas assistant professor, St Ann’s College of Education, Mangaluru.
Prof Dr Alwyn D’Sa controller of examinations and registrar (in-charge), St Aloysius College (Autonomous), Mangaluru gave the valedictory address of the conference. Sr Maria Kripa AC Superior, St Ann’s Convent and joint secretary St Ann’s College of Education, Mangaluru, Karnataka was the president for the valedictory programme. Few of the participants expressed their opinions and the experiences that they cherished during these two days. The convener of the conference Dr Sharmila L Mascarenhas presented a report and an overview of the highlights and subsequent discussions held during the conference.
Dr Rose Kiran Pinto assistant professor, St Ann’s College of Education compered the session. Sr Dorothy D’Souza assistant professor St Ann’s College of Education and organizing secretary proposed a vote of thanks.