Dear Teachers

Over the past few years the Institute for Oriental Study (IOS), Thane, has established links with the League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers (LECT) London. Under the Teachers' International Professional Development (TIPD) Programme LECT and IOS has been organizing exchange visits of teachers from UK and India. IOS has hosted the visits of British teachers to India in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. It has also arranged educational tours of Indian teachers to UK in October 2004, June 2005, October 2006 and November 2007. All these visits went off very well. Apart from interaction with their counterparts the participating teachers got an opportunity to see classroom proceedings, undertake educational tours and participate in various cultural activities. The tour has shown beyond doubt that there is lot that can be shared between teachers of UK and India. A fifth visit of Indian teachers is, therefore, planned to Leeds, Cambridge and London (UK) in the month of May 2009.

The proposed tour would focus on Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in school education as practiced in UK. It will include visits to educational institutions, interaction with students, practising teachers and educational advisors in Leeds Educational Authority. In addition, the proposed tour will provide a rare chance of visiting places of educational interest in Cambridge and London. The approximate cost of the tour would be about Rs. 95,000 (Rupees ninety five thousand only). This includes air travel (Mumbai-London-Mumbai) by economy class, surface transport in UK, stay and food for the period of the visit. This estimate might change a little depending on the prevailing exchange rate and airfare at the time of departure. Please note that expenses for passport, visa and for sight seeing are not included in this estimate.

If you wish to participate in the proposed educational tour to UK please fill the attached form and return it with a crossed cheque or Demand Draft of Rs. 15, 000 (Rupees Fifteen thousand only) drawn in favour of Institute for Oriental Study, Thane. The application must reach IOS on or before December 31, 2008. Also, note that the responsibility of obtaining passport and visa lies with the candidate. The institute would of course help in these matters. Only those candidates who submit a photocopy of the valid passport by March 31, 2009 will be considered for the proposed tour.

I look forward to taking you to the fifth educational tour of Indian teachers to UK.

Sincerely,

Dr. Vijay V. Bedekar
President
Institute for Oriental Study, Thane