A case for a systematic implementation of the ‘flipped classroom’ at all levels

Imagine the era that preceded the publication of the first textbook for a given subject.   Teachers would individually devise their own teaching material and exercises, document these in their ‘class notes’ and subsequently deliver their classes.  They would often copy material from their ‘class notes to the blackboard along with relevant illustrations and exercises.  Students would in turn copy some of this material in their notebooks and work on the exercises set.

Dealing with systemic corruption

For years now the country has been struggling to reduce if not eradicate corruption.  Laws like the Prevention of Corruption Act 2002 have been passed.   And yet numerous debates and talk shows later, we still come across alleged corrupt practices some involving hundreds of millions of rupees.  These alleged practices, while potentially enriching a few individuals, also result in a drain of public funds.  Goods and services – often of poorer quality – are purchased using tax-payers money at higher prices than those charged by competing suppliers.  The beneficiaries are often those in power and/or their cronies.  

Modernizing our Election System

Introduction

It is generally acknowledged that some of our electoral practices are archaic and that while they served us well in the past, they have now become the source of serious problems. Moreover, they belong to an era which preceded the widespread use of information technology. There is also considerable mistrust in certain quarters about the use of e-voting. And yet transactions worth millions of rupees take place daily over the internet and through Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) across the country. We trust machines counting our bank notes and updating our bank accounts but insist on our votes being manually counted as they have always been.

Lockdown – the way forward?

 Covid-19 is very contagious and dangerous and we need to try our utmost to prevent it from spreading and claiming more lives.  Any death is one too many.  It is also a challenging time for decision-makers because they are being called upon to deal with a complex situation that they were the least prepared to handle.  In this crisis, we are extremely grateful to all those in the frontline who are bravely ensuring the continuity of essential services (health, retail, law and order, etc.) in spite of the risks involved.

The Covid-19 Pandemic and Leadership

Introduction
Leadership experts like Warren Bennis refer to major crises as “crucibles of leadership” – situations that makes it possible for great leadership to emerge. The Covid-19 pandemic is undoubtedly one such event. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that it is potentially a turning point in human history – one that we have all been experiencing for the last few weeks. As such, the handling of this crisis will probably become one of the most quoted examples in discussions about leadership in the coming years. There are already articles comparing, for instance, New Zealand’s PM, Jacinda Ardern’s handling of the crisis with Donald Trump’s.