As their children grow up, every set of parents has a different idea as to what should be the main focus of their upbringing and how they should spend their free time, especially when it comes to extra-curricular activities.  Some parents place a huge emphasis on academics and want their children doing extra reading or working with a tutor.  Other parents are heavily into sports and want their children to focus on sports.  Some parents simply want their children to be children and don’t push them in any particular direction at all.

In most cases, schools give children at least some opportunity to participate in a team sport.  Along with the team sports that are taught during physical education classes, there are usually a few varsity sports teams that will represent the school while competing against other schools in the area.  In addition to this, most communities have a few organized sports leagues that children can be active in.

We discussed about the importance of Team Sports in Education on our Facebook Page & here are the top opinions that we picked out from the discussion:

1. I myself being a student feels dat team sports are very essential . They create mutual undrstandng and make them realise the importance of helping others without any selfishness . - Babbu Sandhu
2. It’ll teach d kids that team spirit and d spirit of game is more important than winning and losing, It’ll develop d child’s ability to differentiate between right & wrong, & help in makin a choice between d two & also help develop d winnin streak & perform better – Pavitrata Patil
3. It is the platform which makes da child ready 4 his future life…he learns frm this experiences to tackle da circumstances in his life n go through them winningly n courageously….he can prove himself confidently – Alpa Hodar
4. Once a child learns team work, he has learnt to survive…Then wthr it’s sports, hostel, sports, study, camps or whatever, he/she is there to gel with all situations – Sarvesh Gupta
5. The child learns to openup and place his views on the table with a more positive approach. this will help the child to develop his personality in a more responsible way and accept failures and achievement in more appropriate manner. – Aparna Nakhare
6. All academics and no play makes JACK / JILL a dull BOY / GIRL ….. Sports in curriculum adds in children THAT confidence which is required for sportmanspirit, positive teamwork etc …. also good for health ….. academics is important but if it is added alongwith the fun of sports it will definitely give good results …..it also teaches there is nothing like losing or winning …. but participating and trying to reach the goal is very much important – DrReshma Purohit
7. Some of the many benefits of sport participation for children include:  Improved sleep, Mental health benefits, such as greater confidence, Improved social skills, Improved personal skills, including cooperation and leadership, Reduced risk of obesity, Increased cardiovascular fitness, Healthy growth of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons, Improved coordination and balance, Greater ability to physically relax and, therefore, avoid the complications of chronic muscular tension (such as headache or back ache – Faty Majdi
8. In my local custom, there is an old adage which says that to educate a child is to create a viral society; which is a kin to implying the same as education is insurance for the future generations. When sports or games are introduced, learning becomes enjoyable, easier and motivational. Sports also make children healthy, it improve and build capacities. Healthy children will learn faster & better, translating in spending lesser time in school. So team sport very important!- Man Yusuf

Perhaps most importantly, team sports teach children how to succeed and how to fail since inevitably throughout each season of their sport their team will do both.  With every win and loss, children learn coping skills.  These are important skills to develop in a child and they will last them throughout life.

It is rightly said that Education is not the answer to the question. Education is the means to the answer to all questions. We at Aviva strongly believe that Education is the greatest gift to a human being & we value the right of Education for every child. On this note, we present to you  The Aviva Great Wall of Education. This time we have come to the Capital of India – Delhi on National Education Day.

We have organized a book donation drive to help the underprivileged child get education. The Chief Guest of the event is Shri Salman Khurshid. Also present on the occasion are noted actor and brand ambassador of Khushii, Nasir Abdullah, Sudeep Mukhia and other distinguished guests.

The Aviva Great Wall of Education starts today on the 11th November, 2010 and will end on 15th November, 2010. The closing ceremony Chief Guest would be Sachin Pilot. The venue for the event is DLF Place, Saket, New Delhi.

Come and help underprivileged children with education and donate a book or just stop by for some of the fun activities like Nukad Natak and Story Telling! Your one gesture could help bring a child closer to Education.

Inauguration of the Aviva Great Wall of Education by Chief Guest Mr. Salman Khurshid with school children.

Admission time is just round the corner and as a concerned parent, the importance of sending your child to the right school takes precedence. To make things easier for you, Aviva, along with Hindustan Times put together a survey that identifies the top 10 schools in your area within your city.

The survey was conducted by the prominent market survey agency ‘C fore’. The survey consisted of a healthy mix of parents and teachers that brings you a result that is fitting and unbiased.

The research was conducted in cities like Mumbai, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon & Faridabad. In order to help you check the top schools in these regions we have developed a Top School Survey Application on Facebook. You can select the region of your choice and see the survey conducted.

Click here to check the survey

To begin with this article, one aphorism that I must mention….i.e. “Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man”—by Swami Vivekananda…

Education is one of the important phases of life…the phase which is never ending. People learn throughout life, there is no limit to education….as in the word of mathematics it can be defined as “limit tends to infinity”.

Though in today’s world many people are unemployed despite standard level of education…this thought of unemployment trigger their followers to say ‘bye bye’ to education. But in my opinion if a graduate do not find any job, then if he joins a shop, or if he starts driving or any things which is not his job according to his qualification, then in the long run he will be benefited and respected in a far better way than the one who is not educated and doing the same sort of job. If someone is unable to continue education because of economic reasons, family burden etc, my note is not to discourage them, rather some sections of the society should come forward to help them in continuing their education.

Now talking of the education we should always think about quality education….and in my opinion quality education means inner depth of education and if a person acquires this then respect comes from within…and that education should not be only bookish, implementation of the thoughts which people learn are essential. Its not that every guy will become engineer, doctor, but every guy should be educated from within….I believe every guy is topper in his owned field…we should listen to everyone…we should not disrespect any people…each and every person is vital to this world…everyone’s thought, work are important everyone in this world is interrelated…this statement can not be skipped.

THOUGHT OF SOME SECTIONS OF PEOPLE AT OUR PLACE ABOUT EDUCATION AND THE REMEDY

1) Here the parents think their children should be either a doctor or an engineer…with this thought they pursue their children to science stream against the wish of their children….but at the end of the day either that student fail to go forward with this thought or some might continue this way with full pressure resulting in frustration and finally in a job which is not satisfying. So living life in a tense situation.

So, people should not force their children into something which he/she can not manage rather think in a practical way every field has its own importance every field has good career opportunity provided students follow the field in a meaningful way which is enjoyable too.

2) Another section of people, they are so  rich that their children think that they will go outside or abroad even if their results do not suit their course, and this leads to mere enjoyment of those students only, final outcome educated students without education the meaning is “no inner education” and they enjoy this and they think that this is the life. Now I am emphasizing here the meaning of the word “outside” according to them, telling someone that “I m going outside” is a big thing, more importantly this satisfies them. If you ask those students after their matriculation or 10+2 examination, that what course they want after their result, or what will be next??…they will strictly and proudly answer that “going outside” ….that means results do not matter much to them, as they are very much sure of the trends that their parents will support their these illogical thought….this does not mean that I am not in support of “outside” study…rather for getting higher education this is an important step….but their should be some specific goal. Students from Delhi, Chennai also come to Assam for their study, getting into MBBS, MD.B.TECH, etc…so this is also “outside” for them….but with some specific goal….from this I think those sections of people should take a lesson that goal should be specific then choose location of course location is important, but primary thing should be goal then goal will ultimately guide into suitable place.

This blog is to highlight these small things which I have seen around my network but these small things may not be small unless we all focus and try to find out the solution.

- DR.CHIRANJIB DEB.

Education is Insurance, but are we doing enough to ensure that our children get the best of education available out there. Universities are charging exhorbitant amounts and its growing every year.  The university fees range from a whooping Rs. 23 lakhs to Rs. 30 lakhs per year. Are you ready to shell out that kind of money? If you are wondering which institutions of higher education will take the most of your buck?  Here are ten schools certain to charge a premium for a four-year degree. (All 2009-2010 price tags include tuition, room and board, and fees).

10. Vassar College
Price Tag: $51,300.
The now coed former Seven Sisters school offers 50 baccalaureate majors in liberal arts fields from English to biology and self instruction in foreign languages from Hindi to Yiddish. Graduating Vassar seniors applying to schools of medicine and law boast acceptance rates of 85 and 88 percent.

9. Washington University in St. Louis
Price Tag: $51,329
WUSTL’s cost brings the choice of 40 majors in the arts and sciences, in addition to business, fine arts, and engineering. Price doesn’t come without prestige: the 9th most expensive school in the States is also the 11th most selective for incoming undergraduates.

8. Trinity College
Price Tag: $51,400.
Hartford, Connecticut’s small liberal arts school explains that its “purpose is to foster critical thinking, free the mind of parochialism and prejudice, and prepare students to lead examined lives that are personally satisfying, civically responsible, and socially useful.”

7. Wesleyan University
Price Tag: $51,432
The second Connecticut school on our list has just under 2,800 students who each pay $51,432 to study one of the school’s 47 academic majors in the arts and sciences. Gifted science students wishing to pursue a master’s degree are in luck: Wesleyan waives fifth year tuition for students in its combined BA/MA program.

6. Columbia University
Price Tag: $51,544
The only Ivy also boasting top ten tuition and fees, New York City’s Columbia University offers students the 8th best undergraduate program in the country.

5. Johns Hopkins University
Price Tag: $51,690.
13th best in the nation, Hopkins offers over 60 majors in the arts and sciences, engineering, and education.

4. George Washington University
Price Tag: $51,775
Washington’s largest university, George Washington offers 87 major programs including international affairs, political science, and journalism. The price tag is steep but comes with a small grace: tuition remains at the freshman rate for up to 10 full-time semesters.

3. New York University
Price Tag: $51,993.
Our 3rd most expensive school boasts 11 undergraduate programs, from nursing, to liberal studies, to the renowned Tisch School of the Arts.

2. Georgetown University
Price Tag: $52,161
The nation’s second most expensive institution is also its oldest of Catholic origin. Georgetown boasts notable alumni William Clinton and Antonin Scalia, and a Big East leading seven men’s basketball titles.

1. Sarah Lawrence College
Price Tag: $55,788.
Sarah Lawrence takes the most expensive crown for another year, topping our list with a total bill of $55,788. The nation’s highest price tag buys an undergraduate program without traditional majors: Sarah Lawrence students individualize programs to suit their interests. Individual faculty tutorials augment seminars, and grades are supplemented with detailed written evaluations by faculty. Whether you’re considering an in-state bargain, or one of the premium-priced schools above, explore ways to lessen the burden

If you are wondering how much these colleges might cost in the future you can use our Aviva Educost Tool. It will help you predict the future cost of education for your child.

Click here for source

As parents we always ask ourselves the question, as to whether I am doing the right thing for my child. Whether I am doing enough to provide them with good education and is it really worth it?

Education has been perceived as an Investment and not an expense and what better way to ask parents about their opinion on the same.

Below are the top entries we got from parents on our page. We salute them for having such an open mind and sharing valuable insights with us.

“In today’s times, the only sure thing that we can give our kids to shape them as better people and help the get a better perspective of things around them, is education. However expensive, since we are sure that it is in one way or the other going to help them be better individuals, it is definitely an investment, there is no denying that at all. For having been responsible to bring them to this world and give them a life, it is our ra responsibility to see that they shape it up in the right way, with the help of education.”
- Rekha Ram

“My high school teacher once told her story of how his father considers his children as saving banks….without practically keeping any cash with himself he invested all his money to educate his children and after a few years he proudly raised his head to be the richest man among his circle by making his daughters become the most educated and resourceful citizens in the society when there were very few who could give in to this idea of investment! Education is 100% investment with huge returns and a massive growth in human resources!”
- Lunna Sangma

“Education is all pure investment as the return and that too the compounded return you get in the form of developed personalities, thoughts, behaviour and again in the form of guiding your children for shaping their life is all possible only through education.”
- Seha Gupta

“Any investment is done with a dream of growth, but now-a-days the theory of economics is related to the market demand, whether it is any real estate, industry or employment. Sometime it goes too high, some times it is unexpectedly low. But education yields knowledge, job, money, happiness and the most wanted PEACE. it is a permanent property which can’t be stolen and is always productive. Education can be passed over to the next generation, making them knowledgeable, disciplined and a perfect human being.”
- Annie Sircar

You too have similar thoughts? Do share with us on writeforus@educationisinsurance.com and get featured

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance" - Derek Bok

The choices available for students is growing by the day, but with choices comes even the expense and it is seen that many  students end up choosing something else just because they are not able to afford their desired education. The debate on our facebook page gave rise to a very important question – ‘ Where do you want your child to pursue his/her higher education?’

We conducted a poll on facebook page asking parents to share their thoughts as to where would you like your child to pursue their higher education?

Below is the response from the poll.

So it is easily evident that parents would prefer that whatever their kids want to pursue and wouldn’t really be putting restrictions as such. Also it is seen that parents are also of the opinion that education in India is growing and therefore there are good avenues available here too.

What do you think? Do let us know in the comments below

As another year of rapid change passes and the shadow of recession lifts slowly, a slew of new careers are waiting to be explored in the new decade. How is it going to unfold for your children who will stand at important crossroads in 2020? What kind of career options will they have? As we grow into an information-driven society and technology advances, Generation 2020 will find itself caught in a brain race. The youth of the future are likely to consider becoming space architects or genetic counsellors, careers that we can only dream of at this point in time.

Lets take a look at some careers of the future.

1. Healthcare:
Healthcare involves the diagnoses, treatment and care of people, whether newly born, terminally ill or the elderly. The scope of this field has remarkably evolved over the last few years due to increasing investments, growing hospital chains, changing lifestyles and longer life spans. Apart from the traditional areas of medical practice (physicians, dentists, ophthalmologists, cardiologists etc.), careers such as hospital administrators, health technologists and technicians and medical research will see a surge in the long term. Nursing as a profession, will also evolve owing especially to rising numbers of the aged population striving for a better life. The latest additions to the series of upcoming careers in this field are those in brain analysis and genetic counselling.

2. Wealth-care:
Though the finance sector was badly hit by the recession, the clouds have slowly begun to shift and make way for new vistas. Individual earnings are on the rise and so is their willingness to take risks with their money. That being the case, there is a need for professionals who understand, explain, save and multiply their money for them. This opens up doors to careers in financial/investment advisory, risk management, wealth management, and corporate finance.

3. Engineering
With boundless innovation in technology, careers unheard of until now are being touted as options for the new generation. Move over computers and telecommunication engineers, your children will specialise in fields such as robotics, teleportation, simulation and space tourism.

4. Education:
Education is another field where investments are pouring in. Also, it is gradually taking a global as well as commercial avatar. As more foreign universities collaborate with Indian educational institutes and organisations, the latter have begun to move towards organised recruitment processes. Apart from the traditional positions such as chancellors and vice-chancellors, positions such as CEO and COO are also making way into the system.

As teaching methods continue to reform, the ‘e’ word has already made its way into teaching methods. Thus educational content developers will gain increasing importance in the years to come.

5. IT:
An intelligent network has become a necessity for any setup. Therefore web and system analysts, designers and developers will continue to remain in demand and will be required to undertake increasingly complex profiles. So will software designers and developers, web consultants and information mangers. Also, parallel programming is a relatively new career, likely to become popular in the years to come.

6. Green Jobs:
The pressure of demand on depleting resources is only likely to increase manifold in the future. In such a scenario, we will need people who can come to our rescue; people who specialise in ‘resource recycling’ and ‘intelligent infrastructure’. So when your children grow up, you may see them working on jobs involving renewable energy, biogas, solar and wind power systems, environmental products and services and so on. Other areas include research and development, manufacturing, consulting, energy generation, energy efficient buildings and construction and project design and implementation. Sustainable environment-related fields are expected to lure future job seekers in huge proportions, akin to what IT did a decade ago.

7. Biotechnology Jobs:
Another sector likely to see high growth is biotechnology, which will also create several jobs in the fields of manufacturing, sales, research, development and so on. Careers options in this area include drug discovery, cell therapy and tissue engineering, bio-informatics, clinical research, intellectual property, bio-analytical chemistry, plant engineering etc.

8. Agriculture and other Agriculture-based careers:
Despite making progress in several sectors, agriculture continues to be an important source of income in India. The advent of agricultural technology is expected to foster growth in agriculture and other agriculture-based sectors. There is and will continue to be ample scope for making successful careers in flower farming, spices processing, pharmaceutics, dairy, fruit and vegetable, meat and fish and other food processing sectors. Also, several job seekers are expected to opt for the relatively less explored organic food and beverages industry.

9. Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is fast becoming popular and offers plenty of career options in fields as varied as medicine, engineering, cosmetics, computer hardware and software, robotics, defence, research and development and so on.

10. Other Opportunities:
a) Experimental Petrologist: These are people who study the evolution and formation of rocks on other planets.

b) Realizer: A realizer creates real versions of virtual objects.

c) Weather Modification Police: These people supervise over those who produce iodine induced rainfall from passing clouds. They are responsible for controlling the iodine quantities used for weather modification.

d) Unplugging: This is a mental health professional responsible to help wean people from excess technology dependence.

These are the promises that the future holds for children of today. It seems like a difficult path to tread, but then it always is and cannot be any different. One thing is for sure though, given the immense scope for exploring a wide array of career choices, providing your child the space for self exploration is imperative.

Also the future of your child, education and success depends on how well you plan today.
Be prepared and everything will fall into place.

What do you think about this article? Let us know in the comments below!

All parents dream that their child gets the best possible childhood and a safe and secure future. Yet sometimes due to sheer negligence or laziness, parents are unable to offer their children a well laid out financial platform to pursue career ambitions.

Delayed planning, insurance experts have point out, has been one of the key reasons contributing to this. With the future cost of education going up significantly in recent years, the importance of having a perfect financial plan to secure your child’s future has become essential.

However now you need not worry as we will help you make an informed choice in a market flooded with child plans.

Click here to find out how