Ministry promises to set right all wrongs of 2010 in coming year; on cards is formulation of law on school fee hike, keeping strict tabs on fake degrees and colleges, completion of Pune University restoration work

Education was in the news for all the wrong reasons this year. From widespread protests by parents over fee hike in schools to deemed universities losing their status, and from bogus institutes being busted to protests by
students over privatisation of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), the list is endless.

However, the education ministry has made a slew of promises that can revamp the entire education sector, if all goes according to plan. The ministry has announced many ambitious policies for schools, colleges and even deemed institutes next year.

Schools
Bill on fee hike regulation: The most important issue that rocked school campuses across the state was overcharging of fees. After state wide protests that went on for many months, the state government announced that a bill would be soon introduced to regulate school fees. It would be tabled on March 1, 2011, the first day of next year's budget session and all schools would have to follow it from the next academic year.

Reducing academic pressure: From next year, there would be no list of toppers, either state or divisional, thus reducing the pressure on students. Besides that the tentative time-table for board exams would be available at the beginning of the year, giving ample time for students to prepare.

Best-Five formula: After experimenting with various formulas for junior college admissions, the state has finally decided on the best-five formula. The best-five formula allows students from all boards to calculate their percentage based on the best scores from five subjects and apply for admissions. This would ease the pressure on them.