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Time of India
04-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
In classrooms, gel pens write fountain pens' early obituary
Mangaluru: A heap of nib boxes waiting for replacement with broken ones from several years at the shop of B Sham Bhat in Hampankatta tells the story of how the fountain pen, once a must-have in school bags, is fast losing popularity among students, as schools increasingly favour ball and gel pens. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Pulling out from his drawer, where one can see walls and his workplace splashed with fountain ink, along with a few old pens that are there for repair, Bhat, owner of Vijaya Pen Mart, said the use of fountain pens among schoolchildren declined over the past decade. "There was a time when I replaced 100 broken nibs per day; now, hardly one or two. The nib stock here has been lying around for the past 10 years. As per my knowledge, only 5% to 10% of schoolchildren use it, and the rest all depend on gel or ball pens. Those who buy fountain pens are professionals such as doctors, advocates, and others," said Bhat, adding there are some customers, including NRIs staying in Gulf countries, who come to his shop to buy fountain pens for their children. "The countries they work in do not have a fountain pen collection like we have here. In total, we have plenty of supply of fountain pens but no demand," he pointed out. Bhat, who has been in the sale and repair of fountain pens for the past five decades, also added that he has customers from Kerala. "The state has made it mandatory in schools to use fountain pens. The same should be applied to Karnataka state as well. The use of fountain pens has many advantages, including sustainability," he pointed out, adding that the use of fountain pens faded away due to ink stains and no proper policy. A parent who was at Bhat's shop scouting for a fountain pen for their fifth-grade son said it was used for improving his handwriting. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now When TOI contacted schools, they shared that only a few children use it on their own will. "It is not compulsory but voluntary," said Sr Melissa, principal of Mount Carmel Central School. Sr Maria Sarika, principal of St Agnes CBSE School, added they ask children to avoid gel pens and use ball pens. "When it comes to fountain pens, we have limited users," Sarika said. Fountain pens provide stability for grip in writing, which is not the same in gel or ball pens, says Deena Dimple D'Souza, assistant professor in the department of occupational therapy at MCHP, MAHE, Manipal. Dr Varghese Joe C, an orthopaedician and professor at a medical college who switched to fountain pens for writing about seven years ago, said writing is smooth and helps with good handwriting. "The only drawback for students could be ink stains, and waterproof ink is expensive," he said.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Maths, physics play spoilsport for CBSE Class 12 students in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Students of Class 10 and those from the commerce and humanities streams of Class 12 got high scores in the CBSE results, but maths and physics proved recalled how many students walked out of the exam hall in tears. Delhi Public School-South principal Anitha Bijesh said: "Maths and physics brought down the scores of science students. The average score in maths was 77%, and (that in) physics was 82.5%. It was expected as the papers were really tough, and the teachers saw the trend during valuation. However, the scores in other streams remained good."Mount Carmel Central School principal Sister Melissa noted a discernible shift in the difficulty level of the Class 12 physics exam paper over the past two years. She recalled a time when students frequently achieved 100 out of 100. Now, only one student secured a high of 97 in schools said even though the papers were tough, many students performed satisfactorily in physics, considering there were no indications of grace marks. "The physics exam was tough; however, the students did well," said a college principal from Bhat, principal of GEAR Innovative International, said: "Considering the paper was tough, the physics marks were satisfactory. Many questions were (of) college level, JEE standard, and some even out of syllabus. However, the scores in maths could have been better. Even though there were tricky questions, we thought the well-performing students would have done better.""At the same time, English went exceptionally well. Some other subjects in humanities and commerce were equally good," she added. Seema Goel, of AECS Magnolia Maaruti Public School, said: "Even though the papers were hard, the sample papers gave an idea of what the exam would be about. The students were aware that competency-based questions would come, and the schools had prepared them for it. That's what helped students score well despite the hard papers.""The scoring in Class 10 was extremely good this time. At least 134 of the 226 students secured more than 90% marks. The number of students who got more than 95% also increased this time," said Jayanthi Nair, principal of National Public School-Banashankari .
Time of India
23-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Parents prefer schools with digital education aids for kids
Mangaluru: Parents in Mangaluru are shifting their school choices, prioritising digital integration in classrooms. While quality teaching and teacher calibre remain important, schools that have successfully adopted modern tools like smart boards and online learning platforms are increasingly favoured. This trend is evident in both private and govt schools, reflecting a growing emphasis on digital transformation to enhance the learning experience. Many schools are slowly integrating smart boards or smart TVs along with traditional blackboards in each classroom. Stressing that it is one of the criteria parents consider while choosing a school, apart from teaching quality and its outcomes, a parent whose ward studies at a school near Maryhill shared that they admitted their child to the school after learning that it has digital aids such as a smartboard in every classroom. "As a parent, I am aware that visual learning does help a lot in certain subjects," the parent expressed. Students shared that it helps in a better understanding of certain subjects, which are otherwise difficult to grasp when taught through traditional classroom teaching. Sr Melissa, principal of Mount Carmel Central School, whose school has had such digital aids for the past 14 years, shared that these technologies help in visual aids. "The students understand subjects such as science, geography, and the grammar of English and Hindi better when taught with smartboards. We have seen that over the years it helps students," said Sr Melissa. Digital aid also helps in gaining practical knowledge, which is otherwise not possible with textbooks alone. A spokesperson for Yenepoya School, giving an example of how to explain the human body, said that it is best understood when shown through visual aids. Adopting digital aids also breaks the monotony of traditional classroom teaching, thereby making classrooms more engaging and interesting. The digital aids have not only become part of the aided and unaided schools but also govt schools. One such example is the govt higher primary school near Maji in Vittal. The school has smart TVs in every classroom from LKG to Class VIII. However, teachers also advise limiting the use of these aids in teaching. Govt high school teacher Shambhu Shankar pointed out that the teacher should become the focal point in a classroom and must be able to teach students with their teaching abilities. "Digital aids should be used for certain subjects and topics only, and they should not capture the entire classroom setting," he said, adding that a teacher is a lifeline in a classroom.
