Smartphones and the internet have the potential to improve education for millions of underprivileged users in the developing world. Much has been discussed about the low cost and ubiquity of a mobile phone and its utility to aid the delivery of "anytime, anywhere" education. But what do these educational practices look like in real life?

Research shows that Emotional Intelligence is a predictor of success of online learning environments

Emotional intelligence characteristics like self-confidence, self-esteem, independent thinking, previous achievements and ambition are inherently linked to performance and academic success.  The model of emotional intelligence, was first linked to academic excellence by Salvoey and Mayer in 1990.

"We don't want your pity. We want your pride.” 

What is ‘Disability Pride Month’? 

‘Disability Pride Month’ has been observed in July every year since 1990, as this was the month when the Americans with Disability Act, that bans discrimination against people with disabilities, was passed in 1990.

Empowerment and its dimensions

Empowerment is intrinsically linked to the concept of disempowerment and refers to the process by which those who have been denied the ability to make choices acquire such an ability. In other words, empowerment entails a process of change.

According to UNICEF, there are a total of 10.1 million child labourers in India, out of which 5.6 million are boys and 4.5 million are girls. Education remains one of the core factors to combat this form of abuse against children in India and globally.

In September 2018, the Supreme Court of India declared Section 377 of the Indian Constitution as unconstitutional, as it infringed on the fundamental rights of autonomy, intimacy, and identity of citizens. Do these constitutional rights of children of the LGBTQIA+ community in India thrive in educational spaces too? At Turn the Bus, we wish to continue this dialogue, even after the Pride month.

In April and May of 2021, Class 10 and Class 12 Board exams of various boards in India were cancelled. This has left students across the country fraught with anxiety about their future, especially students of Class 12 and raises many questions discussed in this blog.

Practical gender needs and Indian States promoting practical gender needs

Women’s and girls’ needs in general are typically related to responsibilities and tasks associated with their traditional gender roles. Responding to such practical gender needs does achieve stability in family structures but not gender equality in societies at large.

The need for parent communication

In India there are typical barriers to parent-child communication, especially in matters of sexual health topics. There is a feeling of embarrassment (both among the parents and adolescents) in discussing sexual matters; belief that discussing sexual topics before marriage is inappropriate; lack of appropriate knowledge among the parents themselves on how to communicate with adolescents on sexual health or related health concerns, including cardiovascular diseases[1,2]

Our last two blogs about the last month, May 2021, focused on the Chat For Impact Summit and the Keynote Speaker, Alicia Garza. This final blog looking back at May 2021 will put the spotlight on some of the incredible organisations that took part at the Chat For Impact Summit 2021.