| Monday, Sep 08, 2008
Make the right choice
We conclude the series on various study options after Plus-Two,
with a look at a few assorted courses.
During the past few months this column carried a series of articles
highlighting a wide variety of academic courses for those who
have finished Plus-Two, irrespective of their optional subjects.
The main areas covered were hospitality management, finance
professions (chartered accountancy, cost accountancy, and company
secretaryship), law, fine arts, physical education, National
Defence Academy, fashion design, and the travel profession.
There are many more options, a few of which are indicated below.
Computer courses
Although computer-based programmes are in general attractive,
one serious hurdle is that regular university programmes such
as B. Tech. or MCA are expensive. They involve several years
of academic study — four years after Plus-Two for B. Tech.,
and six years after Plus-Two for MCA. Further, admission to
these programmes may not be easy for all. So, one possibility
is undergoing distance education programmes in computer / IT
domain leading to degrees such as BCA, B. Sc. (Computer), and
B. Sc. (IT). These university programmes would require at least
three years of study.
Another possibility is going for short programmes of a year
or even less. We should keep in mind that we have to be very
careful in selecting institutions for such study.
Short programmes with a specific objective of skill development
are a blessing to many who may not be able to secure admission
in long courses or undertake them. After securing a job that
matches one’s qualification, the candidate can of course
rise to higher levels through further part-time / online education
and constant updating of information and skills.
An attractive area is animation / multimedia. Multimedia,
as the name implies may involve a fine mixture of text, graphics,
photographs, animation, video, sound, and interactivity, offering
boundless possibilities in conveying a message. Rising popularity
of multimedia opens the door to larger opportunities for jobs.
Those blessed with artistic talents and imagination have immense
possibilities.
There is an interesting convergence of art, science, literature,
commerce, and industry in multimedia. Its application has
made education and entertainment richer. Computer-aided design
has assumed importance in engineering, technology, and architecture.
The use of CD ROM has become widespread in almost every sphere
of human activity. The services of animation professionals
are much in demand today.
Anyone with a Plus-Two qualification can go in for this kind
of short-term training. Owing to the variety of components
in multimedia, the skills required also differ greatly. For
example, the person who handles the text has to be a wordsmith
who can convey maximum information using minimum words in
an attractive style. The choice of fonts, colour, and movement
should be in tune with the taste of the target population.
How well text and graphics merge will decide the quality of
the product. Long text may prove to be dull; the addition
of pictures, charts, tables, photographs, etc. will give flavour
and enhance the effectiveness of communication. A picture
can stand for a thousand words. Attractive layout comes from
the mind of a person with creativity, imagination, and experience.
The type of animation has to be decided based on the application.
It could be simple in educational CD ROM or Internet web sites.
But television and cinema are in a different mould.
Advertisement may demand products of dazzling colours and
vigorous movements. Page making, graphic designing, digital
image processing, 2D and 3D animation, digital audio processing,
and special effects are some of the areas to be mastered.
Creation of user-friendly links in the Internet webs, and
the design of interactive sites, taking into account the convenience
of the users, require talent and dedication. Web sites that
offer facilities for interaction as in those offering training
for competitive examinations or other areas where self-assessment
of the individual user is necessary, demand imaginative design.
Distance education
Various open universities conduct distance education programmes
leading to professional degrees like BBA and BBM (business
administration / business management). During job search,
we should be prepared to meet severe competition from those
who come with MBA or similar postgraduate qualifications in
management.
Stenography
Traditional stenographers proficient in shorthand and typing
have become a vanishing tribe. A personal assistant or office
secretary can function only with additional skills in using
computer software such as MS Word, Excel, e-mail, and the
Internet. How many of us are aware that those with these skills
and reasonable proficiency in the English language are in
great demand today? If you have good public relations and
skills and spoken communication also, it is not difficult
to find middle level jobs. These skills may prove to be better
than a conventional university degree, while you make a job
search.
Teachers’ training
There are different levels of teacher education programmes.
For undergoing the B. Ed. programme, you should be a university
graduate. However, there are a few other teacher training
programmes that can be pursued by those who have completed
the higher secondary course.
Any teacher education programme / institution in our country
should have the approval / recognition of the national body,
National Council For Teacher Education, Hans Bhawan, Wing
II, 1, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi - 110 002 (Web site:
www.ncte-in.org). Those with Plus-Two qualification can undergo
the following programmes, the details of which are given in
the web site shown above.
Certificate in Education (XII with not less than 50 per cent
marks are eligible for admission. Target children below six
years); Duration - one year.
Elementary Teacher Education Programme leading to Diploma
in Education. Candidates with at least 50 per cent marks in
XII. Duration - two years
Certificate in Physical Education (C.P.Ed.). Candidates who
have passed XII and have participated in sports / games at
least school / college / district levels are eligible for
admission. Duration - two years
Bachelor of Elementary Teacher Education Programme (B.EI.Ed.)
shall be a pass in XII with 50 per cent marks. Duration -
four years. Not a popular course.
Courtesy: The Hindu - Education Plus
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