International Human Rights Day, 2011

A Two Day Seminar and an Inter collegiate debate competition for student teachers of Alappuzha district will be conducted at Sree Naryana Training College, Sreekandeswaram, Poochakkal, Cherthala in connection with International Human Rights Day in December 2011 (Dec 16 & 17, 2011). It is organized by Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai Foundation for Educational Research and Development (SPFERD) and Dr. N. P. Pillai Centennial Celebration Committee, in collaboration with the Council for Teacher Education(CTE), Kerala State Centre, Dr. T. R. Sivapalan Unnithan Foundation, Indian Adult Education Association(IAEA), Kerala Chapter and International Association of Educators for World Peace(IAEWP), Kerala Chapter.

Seminar Inauguration by Sri. P. Mohandas, Hon. District Judge

Hon. Justice J. B. Koshy (Human Rights Commission Chairman, Kerala) inaugurating Inter-collegiate Debate Competition

Awards Instituted by Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai Foundation

I. M. Ed. Topper, St. Joseph College of Teacher Education for Women, Ernakulam.

In memorial of Dr. N. Vedamani Manual, Former Professor and Head, Department of Education, University of Kerala & Former UNESCO expert, a merit award was instituted at St. Joseph College of Teacher Education, Kovilvattom Road, Cochin, Ernakulam  by one of his well wishers in 2009. From 2011 onwards this award will be sponsored by Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai Foundation (SPFERD). It consists a cash Rs.2000/- and certificate and will be presented at a function organized in the college.

II. Best Out-going Student- Teacher

(i)  In memorial of Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai, one of the veteran teacher educators and a stalwart in the field of non-formal education, an award for Best Out-going Student-Teacher was instituted at JPE Training College, Koorkencherry, Thrissur in 2009. It consists Cash award of Rs.1000/- and Certificate.

(ii)   In honour of Prof. Dr. Mercy Abraham, Ph.D.(Edu.), Ph.D.(Psy), Former Professor of Education , Department of Education, University of Kerala, at Patriarch Ignatius Zakka-I Training College, Malecruz, Puthencruz, Ernakulam in 2009. Cash award Rs. 1000/- and Certificate.

International Human Rights Day, 10th December, 2010

In order to spread awareness about the significance of Human Rights among student-teachers at secondary level, an inter collegiate debate competition was conducted in connection with International Human Rights Day on 10th December 2010 at PKM College of Education, Madambam, Kannur. It was organized by Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai Foundation for Educational Research and Development(SPFERD) in collaboration with the Council for Teacher Education(CTE), Kerala State Centre, Dr. T. R. Sivapalan Unnithan Foundation, Indian Adult Education Association(IAEA), Kerala Chapter and International Association of Educators for World Peace(IAEWP), Kerala Chapter. The participants of the competition were from different teacher education institutions of Kannur, Kasargod and Wyanad districts of Kerala.

         His Excellency Rt. Rev. Joseph Mar Thomas, Bishop of Bathery, Wayanad and Patron of CTE inaugurated the debate competition. The Presidential address was delivered by Dr. V. M. Sasikumar, National Vice President, CTE(South) and Executive Director, SPFERD. The Keynote address was presented by Rev. Msgr. Jacob Vellian, management representative. The felicitation speech was made by Dr. M. Omanaseelan, Reader, Govt. IASE, Thrissur.  Dr. Babu Kochamkunnel, Pricipal, PKM College of Education, Madambam, welcomed the guests and participants. Ms. Nimisha, student-organizer extended Vote of thanks.

         Before the commencement of the competition, an awareness class on Human Rights: Protection and Violation was conducted for the benefit of student-teachers by Adv. P.R. Rajankutty, Kerala State Legal Service Authority and Adv. Manoj M. Kandathil.

         The winner of the competition was Keyi Sahib Training College, Karimbam, Kannur. The Crescent B.Ed. College, Pazhayangadi was declared as runner-up. They were presented with Dr. T. R. Sivapalan Unnithan Rolling Trophy. The best male and female debators were awarded with Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai Memorial Trophy and Dr. N. D. Joshi Memorial Trophy. All the winners were also presented with cash awards and certificates.

Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai - Commemoration - 2011

Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai - Profile

Born on 1st April 1935 at Kadavoor, Kollam Kerala
M.A. (Sociology), M.A. (Politics), M.Ed., Ph.D.(Education)
AIE (London) in Non-formal Education,
Adult Education and Development (Edinburgh)
Adult Education (West Germany)
Lecturer and Reader, Department of Education, University of Kerala
Founder Director, Centre for Adult, Continuing Education & Extension and Population Education Resource Centre, University of Kerala
Successfully guided 35 Ph.D. theses in Education
Published 17 books in English and 19 in Malayalam.


Published more than 200 Research/Article in National and International journals.
Travelled widely all over India.
Lead 18 member Afro- Asian delegates in Adult Education.
Visited Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand and S.Korea under ASPBAE travell fellowship
Member, Indian delegation to the 5th ICAE Conference at Nairobi, Kenya.
Held positions that range from regional to international levels.
Trainer of Trainers.

Recipient of Imperial Relations Trust Fellowship (1975), Vidya Visarada( 1976), ASPBAE Travel Fellowship(1982), Nehru Literacy Award(1994), Rotary Award(1994), Diploma of Honour of IAEWP (1994), Fountain of Universal Peace Award(1994), UGC's Emeritus Professor/Fellowship (1998), Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award (2001), Sardar Patel International Literacy Award (2002), CTE National Award for Excellence (2004) and Sahridaya Vedi Award (2005).

SPFERD

Dr. K. SIVADASAN PILLAI FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (SPFERD)

(Reg. No.T.1556/08)

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

      

The Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai Foundation for Educational Research and Development (SPFERD) is a non-governmental organization committed to the cause of the welfare of humanity through socio-cultural, educational and other developmental activities.  Its Head Quarter is at Thiruvananthapuram

The major activities of the Foundation shall be:

1. To organize programmes to uphold the vision of Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai in the field of education particularly non-formal education

2. To promote short/long term researches in social science

3. To organize programmes to empower teaching fraternity

4. To promote and propagate value based education, peace  and solidarity and work as an agency for the protection of human rights

5.  To undertake projects to develop scientific persuit among the people

6. To publish educational books/journals

7.  To elevate the Foundation to the status of a nationally reputed institute/research organization etc.

  

The Foundation was inaugurated in connection with Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai Commemoration Day on 8th November, 2008.  A National Seminar on Lifelong Learning was held at Kerala Hindi Prachar Sabha, Vazhuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram. Since then every year the 8th November will be observed as COMMEMORATION DAY as a tribute to the Celebrated Personality, the great Guru of many educators.

The Foundation shall have Life Membership only. The Membership Fee is Rs.1,000/-. The administration of the Foundation is vested in the Board of Directors consisting 25 Directors of which 20 are Founding Members and 5 are Nominated ones.

Board of Directors of Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai Foundation for Educational Research and Development (SPFERD)

1. Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thomas (Patron), Bhishop of Bathery, Wayanad

2. Dr. M. A. Sudhir, Professor, Department of Applied Research, Gandhigram Rural University, Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu.

3. Dr. V. Reghu, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Devlopment, Sriperumbudur, Tamilnadu.

4. Prof. A. Abdul Vahab, Former Principal, National training College for Women, Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram.

5. Dr. K. Sivarajan, Head, Department of Lifelong Learning, University of Calicut

6. Dr. B. Krishnaprasad, Principal, NVKSD College of Education, Attoor, Kanyakumari Dist., Taminadu.

7. Dr. C. P. Sreekantan Nair, Academic Director, PTM College of Education, Maruthoorkonam, Thiruvananthapuram.

8. Prof. K. Jacob Mathew, Former Principal, Govt. College of Teacher Education, Thiruvananthapuram

9. Sri. A. Prabhakaran, Director, Gyan Vani FM Radio, IGNOU, Thiruvananthapurm.

10. Dr. V. M. Sasikumar, Former Principal, Buddha College of Teacher Education, Muthukulam, Alappuzha .

11. Dr. T. Sundaresan Nair, Director, State Resource Centre, Kerala.

12. Dr. M. S. Geetha, Principal, Govt. Brennen College of Teacher Education, Thalassery, Kannur.

13. Dr. M. Vijayakumari Amma, Associate Professor, H. H. Govt. College for Women, Vazhuthacadu, Thiruvananthapuram.

14. Dr. G. Valsala, Principal, BNV College of Teacher Education, Thiruvallam, Thiruvananthapuram.

15. Dr. Jaya Jaise, Associate Professor, School of Pedagogical Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam.

16. Dr. K. Y. Benedict, Associate Professor, Mar Theophilus Training College, Nalanchira, Thiruvananthapuram.

17. Sri. S. Harish Kumar, Media Officer, State Resource Centre, Kerala.

18. Dr. G. Suresh Kumar, Registrar, Child Development Centre, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.

19. Dr. Y. Shahul Hameed, Former Managing Director, KELPALM

20. Dr. S. Vinod Kumar, Co-ordinator, School of Behavioural Sciences, Kannur University.

21. Dr. T.K. Mathew, Professor, Titus II Teachers College, Thiruvalla

22. Dr. A.R. Supriya, Director, Centre for Adult, Continuing Education & Extension, University of Kerala.

23. Dr. K. Rajeswari, Asst. Professor, Govt. College of Teacher Education, Thiruvananthapuram

24. Ms. R. Jayasree, State Resource Centre, Kerala.

25. Mr. K. Prathapachandran, Social Activist, Thiruvananthapuram 

Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai Foundation - Inauguration

Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai (1935 - 2007)

Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai Foundation Inauguration - Report
(8^th November 2008)

The inaugural session started off with an invocation by Kumari Parvathy and Kumari Dhanya, students of the Department of Music, University of Kerala. Dr. V. M. Sasikumar, Executive Director, Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai Foundation for Educational Research an Development (SPFERD), welcomed the dignitaries. He expressed his sincere gratitude for the spirit and enthusiasm shown by His Excellency Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thomas, Aux. Bhishop, Thiruvananthapuram Diocese. The support rendered by the Energy Management Centre, especially Shri. Dharesan Unnithan, Director, was also acknowledged. In the present context, the importance of educating the teacher education fraternity on the energy conservation was also highlighted.

The message received from Shri. K. Radhakrishnan, the Honourable Speaker, Kerala Legislative Assembly, Shri. N. K. Premachandran, Honourable Minister for Water Resources, Shri. Jayan Babu, Worshipful Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Dr. Gulab Chaurasia, Chairman, Council for Teacher Education (CTE), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and Mrs. Sushila Chaurasia were read out.

The fond memories of Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai shared by Dr. K. Sivarajan, Principal, University Teacher Education Centre, Calicut and former Syndicate Member, Sri Sankaracharya University, Kalady, deeply touched the minds of friends, colleagues, teachers, well-wishers and students who were present in the auditorium. Dr. Sivarajan rightly remarked that the lamp lighted by Dr. Pillai is still spreading its radiance and the coming generation has to keep it alive and bright.

Shri. Panyan Ravindran, Member of Parliament, formally inaugurated the Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai Foundation by lighting the traditional lamp. He expressed his views regarding the deterioration in the dedication and commitment of the teaching community and commented that the vision and commitment of Dr. Pillai is always a model for the teaching community. The Foundation should stand for the delivery of his vision in the broader sense. As a Member of Parliament he assured all possible support for the functioning of the Foundation.

Shri. Palode Ravi, Executive Member, National Literacy Mission, New Delhi and Ex-MLA, released the logo of the Foundation. He recollected the efforts by Dr. Pillai for the materialization of National Literacy Mission objectives. He suggested observing Dr. Pillai's birth or death day as a day of commemoration.

Dr. N. A Karim, Former Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Kerala and President, Vakkam Moulavi Foundation formally inaugurated the National Seminar on Lifelong Learning. He appreciated the respect given to Dr. Pillai by instituting a Foundation. He also stressed the importance of Education and Development as highlighted in the title of Foundation, which should go hand in hand. Research projects should emerge from the Foundation, he added.

Dr. A. Sukumaran Nair, Former Vice Chancellor, Mahatma Ganghi University, Kottayam and President, Advisory Board, SPFERD delivered the Keynote address. Dr. Nair expressed his views in materializing a research publication related to Dr. Sivadasan Pillai's area of specialization. ‘Let this Foundation prove to be a means for fulfilling the unfulfilled work left behind by Dr. Pillai’, he added.

An essay competition on 'Contemporary Relevance of Lifelong Learning' was organized for teacher-trainees of Kerala. Ms. Sandhya M. S., St. Joseph College of Teacher Education, Ernakulam bagged the First Prize. The Second place was secured by Mr. K. R. Sabarinath, Govt. College of Teacher Education, Thiruvananthapuram and Miss Simi T. P., St. Joseph Teacher Training Institute, Ernakulam was the Third prize winner. Consolation prizes were given to Ms. Sreedevi A. P., and Ms. Lakshmi of St. Thomas Training College, Mukkolakkal, Thiruvananthapuram. The prizes were distributed by Prof. K. Jacob Mathew, Former Principal, Govt. College of Teacher Education, Thiruvananthapuram.

Adv. Nafeesath Beevi, Presidium, KANFED and Former Deputy Speaker, Kerala Legislative Assembly, Prof. K. Kesavan Nair, Secretary, Kerala Hindi Prachar Sabha, Dr. C.P. Aravindakshan, Former Director, Jan Sikshan Sanstan, and Mr. Chunakkara Janardhanan Nair, Chief Editor, Sahithya Poshini, delivered felicitation speeches. Dr. K. Y. Benedict, Reader, Mar Theophilus Training College, expressed Vote of Thanks.

An exhibition of photographs on activities of Dr. K. Sivadasan Pillai as an academician, researcher, thinker, and social worker provided a chance for remembering his contribution to the community.

 The Seminar session started off at 12.30 pm with the welcome speech by Dr. M. S. Geetha, Vice Chairperson of the Foundation. She emphasized the need and contemporary relevance of lifelong learning. Mrs. Padma Ramachandran, Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Kerala and Former Vice Chancellor, M. S. University, Baroda, did the dual role of being the Chairperson of the session and also presented the Theme Paper on Lifelong Learning- A Global Perspective. She provided room on how it is easy to go the moon due to technological development but difficult to reach the village. She emphasized that teachers should read selectively and highlighted the need to take what is good from others. She also expressed her desire to bring out a documentation on Lifelong Learning by November 8, 2009.

The discussion session was actively initiated by Dr. G. Sarathchandra Raj, Former Principal, N. S. S. Training College, Ottappalam and Dr. A. Theresa Susan, Reader Department of Education, University of Kerala. Vote of Thanks was given by Dr. N. B. Suresh Kumar, Programme Co-ordinator, State Resource Centre, Kerala.

The afternoon session started after the lunch at 2.15 pm with welcome speech by Dr. G. Valsala, Former Principal, Govt. IASE, Thrissur. Dr. K. Sivarajan, Pricipal, University Teacher Education Centre, Calicut, who chaired the session, commented on the new vistas opened by Open Distance Learning. The theme paper on Open-Distance Learning was powerfully presented by Dr. V. Reghu, Faculty Head, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development, Sriperumbudur, Chennai. The Vote of Thanks was proposed by Dr. M. Vijayakumari Amma, Reader, H. H Govt. College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram.

The valedictory session flagged off at 2.50pm with welcome speech by Dr. G. Suresh Kumar, Director, Finance, SPFERD and Chaired by Dr. M. G. Sasibhushan, Former Director, KSLMA. The resume of the seminar was presented by Mrs. Anila Chacko, Lecturer, St. Thomas Training College, Mukkolakkal. In his valedictory address Mr. Ramachandran Nair, Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Kerala and Former Vice Chancellor, Sri Sankaracharya Sanskrt University, Kalady expressed his strong protest against the present evaluation system- continuous and comprehensive assessment.

Felicitations were made by Dr. A. Muralidharan Thampi, Chairman, Indian Adult Education Association, Kerala Chapter, Dr. T. Sundaresan Nair. Director, State Resource Centre, Kerala, Dr. A. R. Supriya, Director, Centre for Adult, Continuing Education and Extension, University of Kerala, Mr. R. Gopakumar, Director, Jansikshan Sanstan, University of Kerala and Dr. Y. Shahul Hameed, Vice President, International Association of Educators for World Peace, Kerala Chapter. Vote of thanks for the concluding session was proposed by Mr. S. Harish Kumar, Media cum Tech. Officer, SRC, Kerala (Director, Media, SPFERD).

The entire session was compeered by Mrs. Nisha Chandran, Lecturer, St. Thomas Training College, Mukkolakkal, Thiruvananthapuram. The programme ended at 5.15 pm with the National Anthem.