Learn About Education and Schools in Virginia

Learn About Education and Schools in Virginia When it comes to education and schools, all states are not created equal. States and local governments possess almost all of the power when it comes to governing education and schools.   Because of this, you will find key differences in education-related policy across all fifty states and the District of Columbia. You will continue to find distinct differences even between neighboring districts thanks to local control. Highly debated educational topics such as the Common Core State Standards, teacher evaluations, school choice, charter schools, and teacher tenure are handled differently by almost every state.   These and other key educational issues typically fall along controlling political party lines. This ensures that a student in one state will likely be receiving a different variation of education than their peers in neighboring states. These differences make it virtually impossible to accurately compare the quality of education   one state is providing compared to another. You must utilize several common data points to make connections and draw conclusions about the quality of education any particular state is providing. This profile focuses on education and schools in Virginia.   Virginia Education and Schools Virginia Department of Education Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction: Dr. Steven R. Staples District/School Information Length of School Year: A minimum of 180 school days or 540 (K) and 990 (1-12) school hours are required by Virginia state law. Number of Public School Districts: There are 130 public school districts in Virginia. Number of Public Schools: There are 2192 public schools in Virginia. **** Number of Students Served in Public Schools: There are 1,257,883 public school students in Virginia. **** Number of Teachers in Public Schools: There are 90,832 public school teachers in Virginia.**** Number of Charter Schools: There are 4 charter schools in Virginia. Per Pupil Spending: Virginia spends $10,413 per pupil in public education. **** Average Class Size: The average class size In Virginia is 13.8 students per 1 teacher. **** % of Title I Schools: 26.8% of schools in Virginia are Title I Schools.**** % With Individualized Education Programs (IEP): 12.8% of students in Virginia are on IEPs. **** % in Limited-English Proficiency Programs: 7.2% of students in Virginia are in limited-English Proficient Programs.**** % of Student Eligible for Free/Reduced Lunches: 38.3% of students in Virginia schools are eligible for free/reduced lunches.**** Ethnic/Racial Student Breakdown**** White: 53.5% Black: 23.7% Hispanic: 11.8% Asian: 6.0% Pacific Islander: 0.1% American Indian/Alaskan Native: 0.3% School Assessment Data Graduation Rate: 81.2% of all students entering high school in Virginia graduate. ** Average ACT/SAT score: Average ACT Composite Score: 23.1*** Average Combined SAT Score: 1533***** 8th grade NAEP assessment scores:**** Math: 288 is the scaled score for 8th grade students in Virginia. The U.S. average was 281. Reading: 267 is the scaled score for 8th grade students in Virginia. The U.S. average was 264. % of Students Who Attend College after High School: 63.8% of students in Virginia go on to attend some level of college. *** Private Schools Number of Private Schools: There are 638 private schools in Virginia.* Number of Students Served in Private Schools: There are 113,620 private school students in Virginia.* Homeschooling Number of Students Served Through Homeschooling: There were an estimated 34,212 students that were homeschooled in Virginia in 2015.# Teacher Pay The average teacher pay for the state of Virginia was $49,869 in 2013.## Each individual district in the state of Virginia negotiates teacher salaries and establishes their own teacher salary schedule. The following is an example of a teacher salary schedule in Virginia provided by the Richmond Public School *Data courtesy of Education Bug . **Data courtesy of ED.gov ***Data courtesy of PrepScholar. ****Data courtesy of the National Center for Education Statistics ******Data courtesy of The Commonwealth Foundation #Data courtesy of A2ZHomeschooling.com ##Average salary courtesy of National Center of Education Statistics ###Disclaimer:   The information provided on this page changes frequently.   It will be updated regularly as new information and data becomes available.

Death Penalty in California Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Death Penalty in California - Essay Example The executions also included convictions for piracy, rape, rioting, kidnapping, spying and espionage. The death penalties were also executed by the State Government laws. However, in 1972, the United States Supreme Court upheld that all the state death penalty laws were not in accordance with the constitution since they permitted for random and unpredictable adoptions. (The Federal Death Penalty) Since the federal statute has similar weaknesses as that of the state laws, no death sentence adopting the older federal statutes has been upheld. During the year 1988, the new Federal Death Penalty law was passed for murder in the course of a drug-kingpin conspiracy. This statute has been formulated in consonance with the statutes approved by the Supreme Court after its 1972 ruling. During the year 1994 the federal death penalty was expanded to include about 60 different crimes. The federal death penalty statute has the jurisdiction over any individual in any state or territory of the US convicted of the murder of certain government officials, kidnapping giving rise to death, murder for hire, fatal drive by shootings, sexual abuse crimes giving rise to death, car jacking resulting in death and also some crimes not ending with death such as managing a rampant drug business. (The Federal Death Penalty) In California 13 persons have ... It is also noted that the above 648 prisoners on Death Row include 15 women. It has been observed that in the recent years at least three innocent persons on Death Row were exonerated in California. Jerry Bigelow was set free in the year 1988 after the imprisonment for eight years; Patrick Croy was set free in the year 1990 after the imprisonment for 11 years and Troy Lee Jones was set free in the year 1996 after serving 14 years. (State by State: California) The statistics on death row inmates in different states reveal that Texas, North Carolina and Florida all are having large numbers but in California the number of death row inmates is highest. In California it has been found that imposition of death penalty has been negatively correlated to the richness. The more money the convicted have the more is the opportunity to beat the rap. Taking into the consideration the eleven sentences since the year 1970, it can be presumed that the 640 prisoners on death row most likely have deaths of natural causes costing the tax payers in terms of appeals etc to the tune of 100 millions. Moreover, trusting the government to kill people seems ambiguous since it involves trusting them with not making errors in killing the innocent people. (California: Highest Number of Death Row Inmates) The death penalty in California like that of other states is considered to be costlier in comparison to a life imprisonment sentence without the scope of parole. Such costs have been seen not to be the consequences of the frolicsome appeals but instead the consequence of the Constitutional safeguards. It has been provided that Juries must be accorded clear principles on sentencing that give rise to the explicit provisions for what forms the frustrating and extenuating situations. The

PATRIOT ACT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PATRIOT ACT - Essay Example "The USA Patriot Act's provisions for certification and mandatory detention contravene the Fifth Amendment's guarantee of due process of law" (2002, p. 1419). Patriotism needs memories. They are a continuous source of inspiration and an invincible bastion: even the harshest oppression cannot deprive a people of its memories. The most precious memories are those of peoples who loved their country and their fellows with a noble love; not with national vain gloriousness or narrow parochialism. The idea of the Patriot Act is that parents must tell their children stories of patriotism not to nurture national pride but love of liberty (Cassella 2002). The Patriot Act is seen as an energetic resolve to resist oppression. Whether it comes from denial of political rights or from social oppression, exclusion is incompatible with the principle of the republic. Since it has to be a community sustained by bonds of fellowship and love, the state and the government must assure everyone the dignity that comes from citizenship and the respect and self-respect that education and labor assure. The Country is the idea which rises upon that foundation; it is the sentiment of love, the sense of fellowship which binds together all the sons of that territory. The Patriot act inspires true love for the Country. True love of country is an 'immense love' immune to prejudices and inspired by thoughts of unity and peace. It is a passion that animates and inflames generous souls who cannot stand their country's corruption and enslavement. While their fellows cry and suffer in silence, they speak up. They foresee their country's bleak future and share their fellows' needs, anxieties, and hopes. They do not share their vices and weaknesses. Like ancient prophets, they do not speak out of irrational fury or offended pride but out of indignation. They say unpleasant things to their fellows; they denounce their faults and enumerate their responsibilities to call them to action. Reproach is not intended to humiliate, nor to emphasize the patriot's moral superiority, but to elevate the soul of his own people, with which he wants to work (The USA-PATRIOT Act and the American Response 2002). The main disadvantages of the Patriot Act are privacy violations, surveillance and information sharing, increased Governmental Secrecy, not targeted on terrorism. "The USA PATRIOT Act contains a number of provisions that may be used by federal law enforcement authorities to seize and forfeit the assets of terrorist organizations, assets that are derived from terrorist acts, and assets that are intended to be used to commit terrorist acts in the future" (Cassella 2002, p. 7). To some extent, love of country presses us to feel the oppression that some of our fellows endure as an outrage. Oppression may take the form of the denial of civil and political rights or exploitation, brutality, contempt for human dignity in workplaces and social life; the victims may be adult, old or young, male or female; the patriot reacts with particular passion to the sufferings of his fellows: he feels not just compassion but indignation, and indignation gives him the motivation to change. Indignation aga inst and hatred of the oppressor drive the

Siddhartha VS. Fahrenheit 451 Essay Example for Free

Siddhartha VS. Fahrenheit 451 Essay Siddhartha and Fahrenheit 451 are very similar in some ways and very different in others this essay will talk about some of these similarities and some of the differences. In order to understand the two books we must first write a detailed summary of them. Once that is done then we can get into the similarities of the two good books, and finally the differences of Siddhartha and Fahrenheit 451. In Siddhartha, the main character Siddhartha decides to leave his family, along with his best friend Govinda, in order to seek enlightenment. They travel to the woods to find the Samanas, a group of people who decide to live without property. During the three years with the Samanas they learn a lot. One day they hear that there is a man who is said to have achieved Nirvana. They take the leave form the Samanas in order to pursue Gotama, the Enlightened One. When they get there they hear one of his speeches, Afterwards Siddhartha confronts Gotama to ask why his speech did not tell him how to achieve Nirvana. Soon after the confrontation Govinda announces that he is going to stay and become one of Gotama’s followers, while Siddhartha decides that he is going to pursue his own path towards enlightenment. Govinda is not happy with this but he had already made his oath to serve loyally under Gotama. Siddhartha leaves the town and goes back through the woods where he encounters a ferryman. The ferryman whose name is Vasudeva lets Siddhartha spend the night in his hut and then gives him a change of clothes to wear into town. Siddhartha goes to the nearby town and there he meets Kamala, a local courtesan. He then proceeds to ask Kamala if she can teach him about love. AT first she laughs at him and said that for her to teach him he must get some money. Before Siddhartha leaves he asks Kamala if he could exchange a poem for a kiss. She agrees and after that was over she sent Siddhartha to the rich merchant, Kamaswami. When Siddhartha asks to learn the way of the merchant Kamaswami does not turn him down. Siddhartha now rich again and learning the ways of love and trade believes that he is happy for a change, but some part of him is still missing. After a while Siddhartha decides to leave his merchant life in order to keep chasing his dream. He leaves Kamala and Kamaswami behind and goes back to the woods. There he goes to the river where he looks down upon himself and believing that his life was over. He decides to drown himself for it would be the quickest way to go, but something talks him out of it. Instead he falls asleep by the base of a tree. When he wakes up he is astonished to find his best friend Govinda asleep across from him. He and Govinda talk for a while when Govinda said that he needed to catch up with his group of monks that were spreading the word of Gotama. Siddhartha then leaves and follows the river back to the Vasudava’s, the ferryman, house. While there he asks Vasudeva if he can teach him the ways of the ferryman. Vasudeva agrees. They begin by telling Siddhartha that in order to become a ferryman he must firs learn to listen to the river. When Siddhartha and Vasudeva are ferrying people across they come across Govinda and his group of monks again. The monks say that Gotama is dying and has called all his monks back to him. It is in one such time that Siddhartha and Kamala meet up again. This time Kamala has a son with her. Kamala has been bitten by a snake and Siddhartha wants to help her. He tries and tries but nothing works and she eventually dies. At the very end of the story Govinda and Siddhartha are reunited for the last time. Govinda now seeing Siddhartha for the first time in a while believes that Siddhartha has done it, he had achieved Nirvana. In Fahrenheit 451 the main character is a man known as Guy Montag. He is a fireman. Being a fireman does not mean that they fight fires, it means that they burn books that the people in their city try to keep hidden. On the way home from on hard day at work, Montag meets a young girl named Clarisse. She is a peculiar girl for she asks a lot of questions that have to do with nothing besides just random things. In one of these questions she asks if it were true that firemen actually fought fires instead of burning books. Montag does not know how to answer. He walks along until he gets to Clarisse’s house. The final question that she asks Montag is the strangest of them all. It is â€Å"are you happy†. Montag goes home pondering that final question. He gets ready for bed when he accidentally kicks a sleeping pill bottle on the floor. After realizing that it is empty he quickly calls the emergency room. They send someone over to help with Montag’s wife Mildred. They finish with her and tell Montag that they get about ten of these calls every night. He keeps going to work and talking with Clarisse. It was during one of these talks that she rubbed a flower under her chin. When Montag asks what it meant she says that it is to see if a person is in love or not. Montag goes to work one day and is attacked by the mechanical hound. After he gets away he says that the mechanical hound has done that three times and it would only act that way if someone had programmed it. Later on in the book he comes home and sees that Mildred is watching the news. It was saying that a young 17 year old girl was hit by a car and killed. Montag realizes that the girl was Clarisse. One day he is at the park and sees a man by the name of Faber. Montag learns that Faber was a college professor but quit because they had burned all of the books. Faber offers Montag his address. One night while the women friends of Mildred’s are over he goes to Faber’s house. There he comes up with his plan to reprint books. He also says that they should plant books in the fireman’s houses. Faber didn’t listen so in order to get him to listen, Montag starts to rip the pages out of the bible. Faber gives Montag an earpiece that allows them to talk. While back at work the firemen get a call that someone has books in their house. Montag is deep in conversation with Beatty the fire chief that only after they stop does he realize that the house they stopped in front of is his own. Beatty tells Montag that he is under arrest and he has to burn all of his books that he had with a flamethrower. After he finishes torching the books Montag gets irritation in the ear with the communication device. Beatty sees this and takes the earpiece. Now that Montag is frustrated he decides to torch Beatty. After that he is attacked by the mechanical hound. He kills the beast and gets away. Unfortunately for him every channel is playing a tape that tells people to be on the watch for Montag. While at Faber’s house He had given Montag some directions. Montag now on the run follow those directions. He meets up with a group of refugees that are all intelligent. They decide to leave for the city to reprint the books that they have memorized the city is leveled by bombs. They decide that it is now best to reprint those books so that the survivors have a sense of dignity again. Now that you understand the basic outline for the two books here are a few similarities between them. In both books the main character finds teachers that help him along the path to their destiny. In Siddhartha these teachers like Kamaswami, Kamala, and even his best friend Govinda. In Fahrenheit 451 Montag’s teachers are Clarisse, Faber, and even the group of outcast college professors. Another similarity between the two is that in both books the main character has to confront a river. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag must get in the river to help wash away his scent from the hounds and to help him get away. In Siddhartha, Siddhartha confronts the river three separate times. The first time is when he must cross to get to the town. The second time is when he faces a life and death scenario. The last time is when he is told by Vasudeva to learn from the river. These are just some of the similarities between Fahrenheit 451 and Siddhartha. There are many differences between these books. Some of these differences we will talk about now. In Siddhartha, the main character start out with a path set for him. While in Fahrenheit 451 Montag does not yet have a particular goal in mind. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag is on the run and he is being chased by a bunch a law enforcement officials. In Siddhartha, Siddhartha is not being chased or pursued by anyone or anything. He is simply making his own way throughout the universe. One last difference between the two is that in Siddhartha, the main character does not have to make a new friend to help him along the way, he already has Govinda. Whereas in Fahrenheit 451 Montag must find someone to replace Clarisse after she dies. That someone was Faber after they meet. These are just a few of the differences between the two. Now you have the basic information between the two books, the similarities and differences between them as well. These two books are not that different from each other. They both are written in a fictional setting and both are enjoyable. These two books will be good reading for just about anyone. Bibliography Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. New York: New Direction, 1951. Print Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Siddhartha VS. Fahrenheit 451 Essay Example for Free

Siddhartha VS. Fahrenheit 451 Essay Siddhartha and Fahrenheit 451 are very similar in some ways and very different in others this essay will talk about some of these similarities and some of the differences. In order to understand the two books we must first write a detailed summary of them. Once that is done then we can get into the similarities of the two good books, and finally the differences of Siddhartha and Fahrenheit 451. In Siddhartha, the main character Siddhartha decides to leave his family, along with his best friend Govinda, in order to seek enlightenment. They travel to the woods to find the Samanas, a group of people who decide to live without property. During the three years with the Samanas they learn a lot. One day they hear that there is a man who is said to have achieved Nirvana. They take the leave form the Samanas in order to pursue Gotama, the Enlightened One. When they get there they hear one of his speeches, Afterwards Siddhartha confronts Gotama to ask why his speech did not tell him how to achieve Nirvana. Soon after the confrontation Govinda announces that he is going to stay and become one of Gotama’s followers, while Siddhartha decides that he is going to pursue his own path towards enlightenment. Govinda is not happy with this but he had already made his oath to serve loyally under Gotama. Siddhartha leaves the town and goes back through the woods where he encounters a ferryman. The ferryman whose name is Vasudeva lets Siddhartha spend the night in his hut and then gives him a change of clothes to wear into town. Siddhartha goes to the nearby town and there he meets Kamala, a local courtesan. He then proceeds to ask Kamala if she can teach him about love. AT first she laughs at him and said that for her to teach him he must get some money. Before Siddhartha leaves he asks Kamala if he could exchange a poem for a kiss. She agrees and after that was over she sent Siddhartha to the rich merchant, Kamaswami. When Siddhartha asks to learn the way of the merchant Kamaswami does not turn him down. Siddhartha now rich again and learning the ways of love and trade believes that he is happy for a change, but some part of him is still missing. After a while Siddhartha decides to leave his merchant life in order to keep chasing his dream. He leaves Kamala and Kamaswami behind and goes back to the woods. There he goes to the river where he looks down upon himself and believing that his life was over. He decides to drown himself for it would be the quickest way to go, but something talks him out of it. Instead he falls asleep by the base of a tree. When he wakes up he is astonished to find his best friend Govinda asleep across from him. He and Govinda talk for a while when Govinda said that he needed to catch up with his group of monks that were spreading the word of Gotama. Siddhartha then leaves and follows the river back to the Vasudava’s, the ferryman, house. While there he asks Vasudeva if he can teach him the ways of the ferryman. Vasudeva agrees. They begin by telling Siddhartha that in order to become a ferryman he must firs learn to listen to the river. When Siddhartha and Vasudeva are ferrying people across they come across Govinda and his group of monks again. The monks say that Gotama is dying and has called all his monks back to him. It is in one such time that Siddhartha and Kamala meet up again. This time Kamala has a son with her. Kamala has been bitten by a snake and Siddhartha wants to help her. He tries and tries but nothing works and she eventually dies. At the very end of the story Govinda and Siddhartha are reunited for the last time. Govinda now seeing Siddhartha for the first time in a while believes that Siddhartha has done it, he had achieved Nirvana. In Fahrenheit 451 the main character is a man known as Guy Montag. He is a fireman. Being a fireman does not mean that they fight fires, it means that they burn books that the people in their city try to keep hidden. On the way home from on hard day at work, Montag meets a young girl named Clarisse. She is a peculiar girl for she asks a lot of questions that have to do with nothing besides just random things. In one of these questions she asks if it were true that firemen actually fought fires instead of burning books. Montag does not know how to answer. He walks along until he gets to Clarisse’s house. The final question that she asks Montag is the strangest of them all. It is â€Å"are you happy†. Montag goes home pondering that final question. He gets ready for bed when he accidentally kicks a sleeping pill bottle on the floor. After realizing that it is empty he quickly calls the emergency room. They send someone over to help with Montag’s wife Mildred. They finish with her and tell Montag that they get about ten of these calls every night. He keeps going to work and talking with Clarisse. It was during one of these talks that she rubbed a flower under her chin. When Montag asks what it meant she says that it is to see if a person is in love or not. Montag goes to work one day and is attacked by the mechanical hound. After he gets away he says that the mechanical hound has done that three times and it would only act that way if someone had programmed it. Later on in the book he comes home and sees that Mildred is watching the news. It was saying that a young 17 year old girl was hit by a car and killed. Montag realizes that the girl was Clarisse. One day he is at the park and sees a man by the name of Faber. Montag learns that Faber was a college professor but quit because they had burned all of the books. Faber offers Montag his address. One night while the women friends of Mildred’s are over he goes to Faber’s house. There he comes up with his plan to reprint books. He also says that they should plant books in the fireman’s houses. Faber didn’t listen so in order to get him to listen, Montag starts to rip the pages out of the bible. Faber gives Montag an earpiece that allows them to talk. While back at work the firemen get a call that someone has books in their house. Montag is deep in conversation with Beatty the fire chief that only after they stop does he realize that the house they stopped in front of is his own. Beatty tells Montag that he is under arrest and he has to burn all of his books that he had with a flamethrower. After he finishes torching the books Montag gets irritation in the ear with the communication device. Beatty sees this and takes the earpiece. Now that Montag is frustrated he decides to torch Beatty. After that he is attacked by the mechanical hound. He kills the beast and gets away. Unfortunately for him every channel is playing a tape that tells people to be on the watch for Montag. While at Faber’s house He had given Montag some directions. Montag now on the run follow those directions. He meets up with a group of refugees that are all intelligent. They decide to leave for the city to reprint the books that they have memorized the city is leveled by bombs. They decide that it is now best to reprint those books so that the survivors have a sense of dignity again. Now that you understand the basic outline for the two books here are a few similarities between them. In both books the main character finds teachers that help him along the path to their destiny. In Siddhartha these teachers like Kamaswami, Kamala, and even his best friend Govinda. In Fahrenheit 451 Montag’s teachers are Clarisse, Faber, and even the group of outcast college professors. Another similarity between the two is that in both books the main character has to confront a river. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag must get in the river to help wash away his scent from the hounds and to help him get away. In Siddhartha, Siddhartha confronts the river three separate times. The first time is when he must cross to get to the town. The second time is when he faces a life and death scenario. The last time is when he is told by Vasudeva to learn from the river. These are just some of the similarities between Fahrenheit 451 and Siddhartha. There are many differences between these books. Some of these differences we will talk about now. In Siddhartha, the main character start out with a path set for him. While in Fahrenheit 451 Montag does not yet have a particular goal in mind. In Fahrenheit 451, Montag is on the run and he is being chased by a bunch a law enforcement officials. In Siddhartha, Siddhartha is not being chased or pursued by anyone or anything. He is simply making his own way throughout the universe. One last difference between the two is that in Siddhartha, the main character does not have to make a new friend to help him along the way, he already has Govinda. Whereas in Fahrenheit 451 Montag must find someone to replace Clarisse after she dies. That someone was Faber after they meet. These are just a few of the differences between the two. Now you have the basic information between the two books, the similarities and differences between them as well. These two books are not that different from each other. They both are written in a fictional setting and both are enjoyable. These two books will be good reading for just about anyone. Bibliography Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. New York: New Direction, 1951. Print Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967. Print.

Essay --

Some people are born with the knowledge on how to maintain and manage their time and others learn it as they grow. I was not so fortunate. While I managed to keep my work areas organized and had somewhat of a routine to help keep my life in relative order, I was always struggling with â€Å"losing† time. It was a problem that always left me feeling guilty about not finishing on time while at same time I was overwhelmed about things that were piling up. I always procrastinated and never got things done the day I thought I should. When I was occupied at school or hanging with friends, I was constantly stressing about the many task I had to get done at home. Then when I was at home I would think about tasks that were left undone in the â€Å"outside world†. It was a never ending cycle that prevented me from being relaxed or enjoyed some days. In the book Time Management from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern explains a variety of plans for time management by breaking them down into easy steps. The plans offer different options and structures for people who are constantly struggling with time ma... Essay -- Some people are born with the knowledge on how to maintain and manage their time and others learn it as they grow. I was not so fortunate. While I managed to keep my work areas organized and had somewhat of a routine to help keep my life in relative order, I was always struggling with â€Å"losing† time. It was a problem that always left me feeling guilty about not finishing on time while at same time I was overwhelmed about things that were piling up. I always procrastinated and never got things done the day I thought I should. When I was occupied at school or hanging with friends, I was constantly stressing about the many task I had to get done at home. Then when I was at home I would think about tasks that were left undone in the â€Å"outside world†. It was a never ending cycle that prevented me from being relaxed or enjoyed some days. In the book Time Management from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern explains a variety of plans for time management by breaking them down into easy steps. The plans offer different options and structures for people who are constantly struggling with time ma...

Subramainaya Baharathi

Introduction: Subramaniya Bharathi the Poet of Tamil Nationalism & Indian Freedom â€Å"He who writes poetry is not a poet. He whose poetry has become his life, and who has made his life his poetry – it is he who is a poet. † – Bharathy Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharathi was born on 11 December 1882 in Ettiyapuram in Tamil Nadu. Bharathi died on 11 September 1921. In a relatively short life span of 39 years, Bharathi left an indelible mark as the poet of Tamil nationalism and Indian freedom. Bharathi's mother died in 1887 and two years later, his father also died. At the age of 11, in 1893 his prowess as a poet was recognised and he was accorded the title of ‘bharathi'. He was a student at Nellai Hindu School and in 1897 he married Sellamal. Thererafter, from 1898 to 1902, he lived in Kasi. Bharathi worked as a school teacher and as a journal editor at various times in his life. As a Tamil poet he ranked with Ilanko, Thiruvalluvar and Kamban. His writings gave new life to the Tamil language – and to Tamil national consciousness. He involved himself actively in the Indian freedom struggle. It is sometimes said of Bharathi that he was first an Indian and then a Tamil. Perhaps, it would be more correct to say that he was a Tamil and because he was a Tamil he was also an Indian. For him it was not either or but both – it was not possible for him to be one without also being the other. Bharathi often referred to Tamil as his ‘mother'. At the sametime, he was fluent in many languages including Bengali, Hindi, Sanskrit, Kuuch, and English and frequently translated works from other languages into Tamil. His (among all the languages we know, we do not see anywhere, any as sweet as Tamil) was his moving tribute to his mother tongue. That many a Tamil web site carries the words of that song on its home page in cyber space today is a reflection of the hold that those words continue to have on Tamil minds and Tamil hearts. His – was Bharathi's salute to the Tamil nation and many a Tamil child has learnt and memorised those moving words from a very young age – and I count myself as one of them. Bharathi was a Hindu. But his spirituality was not limited. He sang to the Hindu deities, and at the same time he wrote songs of devotion to Jesus Christ and Allah. Bharathi was a vigorous campaigner against casteism. He wrote in ‘Vande Matharam' : – – We shall not look at caste or religion, All human beings in this land – whether they be those who preach the vedas or who belong to other castes – are one. Bharathi lived during an eventful period of Indian history. Gandhi, Tilak, Aurobindo and V. V. S. Aiyar were his contemporaries. He involved himself with passion in the Indian freedom struggle. His ‘Viduthalai, Viduthalai' was not only a clarion call for freedom from alien rule but also addressed the need to unite a people across caste barriers – ! ! ! ! . Bibilography He saw a great India. He saw a n India of skilled workers and an educated people. He saw an India where women would be free. His – expressed the depth of his love and the breadth of his vision for India. Bharathi served as Assistant Editor of the Swadeshamitran in 1904. He participated in the 1906 All India Congress meeting in Calcutta (chaired by Dadabhai Naoroji) where the demand for ‘Swaraj' was raised for the first time. Bharathi supported the demand wholeheartedly and found himself in the militant wing of the Indian National Congress together with Tilak and Aurobindo. Aurobindo writing on the historic 1906 Congress had this to say: â€Å"We were prepared to give the old weakness of the congress plenty of time to die out if we could get realities recognised. Only in one particular have we been disappointed and that is the President's address. But even here the closing address with which Mr. Naoroji dissolved the Congress, has made amends for the deficiencies of his opening speech. He once more declared Self-Government, Swaraj, as in an inspired moment he termed it, to be our one ideal and called upon the young men to achieve it. The work of the older men had been done in preparing a generation which were determined to have this great ideal and nothing else; the work of making the ideal a reality lies lies with us. We accept Mr. Naoroji's call and to carry out his last injunctions will devote our lives and, if necessary, sacrifice them. † (Bande Mataram, 31 December 1906) Many Tamils will see the parallels with the Vaddukoddai Resolution of 1976 which proclaimed independence for the Tamils of Eelam – the work of older men determined to have ‘this great ideal and nothing else' and the later determination of Tamil youth to devote their lives, and ‘if necessary sacrifice them' to make that ideal a reality. In April 1907, he became the editor of the Tamil weekly ‘India'. At the same time he also edited the English newspaper ‘Bala Bharatham'. He participated in the historic Surat Congress in 1907, which saw a sharpening of the divisions within the Indian National Congress between the militant wing led by Tilak and Aurobindo and the ‘moderates'. Subramanya Bharathi supported Tilak and Aurobindo together with ‘Kapal Otiya Thamilan' V. O. Chidambarampillai and Kanchi Varathaachariyar. Tilak openly supported armed resistance and the Swadeshi movement. These were the years when Bharathi immersed himself in writing and in political activity. In Madras, in 1908, he organised a mammoth public meeting to celebrate ‘Swaraj Day'. His poems ‘Vanthe Matharam', ‘Enthayum Thayum', ‘Jaya Bharath' were printed and distributed free to the Tamil people. In 1908, he gave evidence in the case which had been instituted by the British against ‘Kappal Otiya Thamizhan', V. O. Chidambarampillai. In the same year, the proprietor of the ‘India' was arrested in Madras. Faced with the prospect of arrest, Bharathi escaped to Pondicherry which was under French rule. From there Bharathi edited and published the ‘India' weekly. He also edited and published ‘Vijaya', a Tamil daily, Bala Bharatha, an English monthly, and ‘Suryothayam' a local weekly of Pondicherry. Under his leadership the Bala Bharatha Sangam was also started. The British waylaid and stopped remittances and letters to the papers. Both ‘India' and ‘Vijaya' were banned in British India in 1909. The British suppression of the militancy was systematic and thorough. Tilak was exiled to Burma. Aurobindo escaped to Pondicherry in 1910. Bharathi met with Aurobindo in Pondicherry and the discussions often turned to religion and philosophy. He assisted Aurobindo in the ‘Arya' journal and later ‘Karma Yogi' in Pondicherry. In November 1910, Bharathi released an ‘Anthology of Poems' which included ‘Kanavu'. V. V. S. Aiyar also arrived in Pondicherry in 1910 and the British Indian patriots, who were called ‘Swadeshis' would meet often. They included Bharathi, Aurobindo and V. V. S. Aiyar. R. S. Padmanabhan in his Biography of V. V. S. Aiyar writes: â€Å"All of them, whether there was any warrant against them or not, were constantly being watched by British agents in Pondicherry. Bharathi was a convinced believer in constitutional agitation. Aurobindo had given up politics altogether†¦ and Aiyar had arrived in their midst with all the halo of a dedicated revolutionary who believed in the cult of the bomb and in individual terrorism. In 1912, Bharathy published his Commentaries on the Bhavad Gita in Tamil as well as Kannan Paatu, Kuyil Paatu and Panjali Sabatham. After the end of World War I, Bharathi entered British India near Cuddalore in November 1918. He was arrested and imprisoned in the Central prison in Cuddalore in custody for three weeks – from 20 November 20 to 14 Dece mber. He was released after he was prevailed upon to give an undertaking to the British India government that he would eschew all political activities. These were years of hardship and poverty. Eventually, the General Amnesty Order of 1920 removed all restrictions on his movement. Bharathy met with Mahatma Gandhi in 1919 and in 1920, Bharathy resumed editorship of the Swadeshamitran in Madras. That was one year before his death in 1921. Today, more than 80 years later, Subaramanya Bharathy stands as an undying symbol of Indian freedom and a vibrant Tamil nationalism. P. S. Sundaram in his biographical sketch of Subramania Bharathy concludes: â€Å"Though Bharathi died so young, he cannot be reckoned with Chatterton and Keats among the inheritors of ‘unfulfilled renown'. His was a name to conjure with, at any rate in South India, while he was still alive. But his fame was not so much as a poet as of a patriot and a writer of patriotic songs. His loudly expressed admiration for Tilak, his fiery denunciations in the Swadeshamitran, and the fact that he had to seek refuge in French territory to escape the probing attentions of the Government of Madras, made him a hero and a ‘freedom fighter'. His lilting songs were on numerous lips, and no procession or public meeting in a Tamil district in the days of ‘non-cooperation' could begin, carry on or end without singing a few of them†¦ Bharathi's love of Tamil, both the language as it was in his own day and the rich literature left as a heritage, was no less than his love of India†¦ When he claims for Valluvan, Ilango and Kamban, Bharathy does so not as an ignorant chauvinist but as one who has savoured both the sweetness of these writers and the strength and richness of others in Sanskrit and English†¦ â€Å"(in Poems of Subramania Bharathy – A Selection Translated by P. S. Sundaram, Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd, 1982) Mahakavi Subramania Bharathiar was one of the greatest Tamil poets, a prolific writer, philosopher and a great visionary of immense genius. He was also one of the most prominent leaders of the Indian independence movement. His national integration songs earned him the title â€Å"Desiya Kavi† (National Poet). His patriotic songs emphasize nationalism, unity of India, equality of men and the greatness of Tamil language. Bharathiar was born on December 11, 1882 in Ettayapuram, which is now part of Thoothukudi District. Bharathiar was educated at a local high school where his talents as a poet were recognized even at the age of 11. He had voracious appetite for learning ancient and contemporary Tamil literature and had gifted intellect to derive astonishing truths from ancient poems. At the age of 22, he became a Tamil teacher at Setupati High School in Madurai and the same year he was appointed as Assistant Editor of a daily newspaper called â€Å"Swadesamitran†. In 1906, he was editor of a weekly magazine called â€Å"India†. By 1912, Bharathiar was already a legend in South India and his political meetings were attracting multitudes of young patriots, ready to join the non-violent movement for attaining freedom from the British rule. Bharathiar died on September 11, 1921, at the young age of 39. The legacy of the poet however endures forever Literary Works The following collections published by Bharathi piracuralayam, Triplicane, 1949 contains shorter pieces: thEciya keethangal – 57 poems thoththirap pAdalkal – devotional songs, 66 pieces vinayakar nanmanimaalai, kannanpattu -23 pieces pirapadalkal – 30 pieces autobiography in verse form: svacarithai (49 st. ), bharathi arupathu (66 st), cinnacankaran kathai puthiya aaththiccudi, paappapattu (1914, 16 quatrains) pancali capatham – narrative poem in 1548 lines rose – gnana ratham, 1910 short narrative pieces aaril oru pangku,1911-12 Cheeezzzz: The Tamil poet, Maha Kavi Subramaniam Bharathiar, familiarly referred to as Bharathi, has been a real life hero. His extraordinary power was his poetry, his weapon of choice- his pen. He wrote at a time when his country was crying out for reform. Though many may remember him for inspiring h is people to seek freedom from alien rule, he also spoke out for the freedom and equality of the Indian woman – his damsel in distress – in a time when they were barely acknowledged for their existence. The mid 19th century was a time when the Indian woman had absolutely no rights and their relationship with their husbands were close to that of Master and Slave. Women were not thought important enough to pursue studies, as their role was more as the dutiful wife at home. Bharathi was first among the growing school of Renaissance poets during this period who insisted that the only way for a country to grow was through empowering its women. â€Å"Aanum Pennum nigarrenak kolvathaal Ariviloanki ivvagayakam thalaikumaam† Taken from his poem Puthumai Penn (New Woman) the line evokes that â€Å"When we realize that man and woman are equal, this world will flourish with knowledge†. From religious hymns to inspiring nationalist anthems and poems shattering without hesitation every social taboo that was held close by conventional South Indians, Bharathi voiced his opinion without hesitation in a lyrical style that has not even been surpassed by literature that followed his period. Among his well-known poetry is Oadi vilayaadu paapaa. While a poem of instruction for children it also hints to all ages on accepting people as human beings and not on their caste or creed. Jaadhigal illaiyadi paaapaa, Kulath thaalchi uyarchi sollal paavam paapaa Neethi uyarntha mathi kalvi Anbu niraiya udayavargal meloar paapaa â€Å"There is no caste little one. It is a sin to categorise people as high and low caste. Only those who possess justice, intelligence and education and great love are of a high caste† Thus he included the Tamil woman in his fight for freedom who, in one of his essays he called â€Å"Slaves who remain conservative and orthodox† as they were â€Å"not permitted to make their own choices†. Woman as a mother was Bharathi's favourite theme and the book ‘Woman in Modern Tamil Literature' by Loganayagy Nannithamby says that â€Å"Bharati who envisages women as the incarnation of Sakti [Parasakti – the great Goddess or the Mother-Goddess] says in one of his essays on philosophy: As a man, all the female deities you pray to, represent the latent powers of Parasakti hidden in women like your mother, wife, sister and daughter. Bharati's idealist views later turned to more down-to-earth, reformist views with the seeping in of Northern influences like the coming of the Brahmins and Puranas, which was slowly deteorating the status of the woman of the South. He argued that if women's freedom were to be deprived, man would perish along with it and that men were not to monopolize freedom. Aettayum pengal thoduvadhu theemaiyendren niyirunthavar Maaynthuvittar Veetukkullay pennaip pooti vaippoam endra vindai manithar thalai Kavilnthaaar â€Å"Those who thought that women should not touch books and learn have died! Those surprising people who said that we have to lock women in homes to do their duties, have put their heads down in shame. † His hope for women included a librated free woman who thought independently and used her knowledge, like men, for the betterment of the country. His wife Chellamal Bharati, in her biography of her husband related incidents when she says how her husband put all social barriers to the wind and clung to her arms while walking boldly next to her (Brahmin women were required to walk a few steps behind her husband). Nimirntha nannenjum naer konda paarvaiyum Nilathinil yaarukkum anjaatha nerigalum Thimirntha gnanach cherukkum iruppadhaal Semmai maadhargal thirambuvathillaiyaam† â€Å"With upright heart and steadfast look and ideas that are not afraid of anyone in the world- the woman does not falter as she has the delight of wisdom. † This great poet died on September 11, 1921 after being trampled by an Elephant when he went seeking blessings at t he temple. He was thought of as such an outcast at the time that only seven people attended his funeral. But his poetry, which belied his time, caused the birth of new ideas and the emancipation of the status of the woman in India today and remains as inspiration to millions of people around the world. Cheeezzzz: and This is the great Hero's Photo. Subramanian T. R subbu: Fantastic TRIBUTE to our GR8T Poet n Freedom Fighter Shri. MAHA KAVI SUBRAMANIA BHARATHI indeed†¦ Good to see that you shared with all our friends here my dear Ramya Ponnu O0 On this day Let's Have our Gr8t Rememberance of his contributions to the society ! :noteworthy: subbu