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Australia: Chisholm mum pleads with Education Directorate for special needs transport

Australia/ February 13, 2018/By: Emily Baker/Source: http://www.smh.com.au

Duffy Primary was the best fit for Allan Liang. Autism Spectrum Australia felt it, and so did his mum, Nancy Ju.

It’s a 20-minute drive from their Chisholm home but Allan, now nine, is thriving in Duffy’s learning support unit. He’s made great progress. But Ms Ju is desperate for help in getting him to school each day, a task made difficult by her worsening mental health.

Despite pleas from her psychologist, representations from Labor MLAs and low-level advocacy by community organisations, the Education Directorate and Transport Canberra have refused Allan access to special needs transport.

The directorate argues Allan could attend a closer school and has repeatedly pointed to Ms Ju agreeing she would organise Allan’s transport when enrolling him at Duffy Primary in 2014.

But Ms Ju, a single parent from a non-English speaking background, said she agreed to the condition as she was given a day’s deadline to get him enrolled. Her health has declined since then. She claims another student in Allan’s autism unit was offered transport support, though the Education Directorate said it was «not aware» of students using special needs transport to travel from Tuggeranong to Duffy Primary.

«Special needs transport is provided by Transport Canberra for students to travel to their closest appropriate and available learning support program,» a directorate spokesman said.

«It is not normally available if a family chooses a different program in a further location.»

The situation has become a bureaucratic nightmare for Ms Ju, who has been repeatedly encouraged to access transport funding through the NDIS only to be knocked back because Allan attends a school outside his priority enrolment area.

In a statement on Friday, the Education Directorate again suggested Ms Ju «discuss this further» with the National Disability Insurance Agency. The NDIA told her in December it was unable to fund special needs transport without the permission of the Education Directorate.

Ms Ju is adamant her son stay at Duffy Primary.

«Allan has shown many positive improvements since he attended the autism unit at Duffy Primary,» Ms Ju said.

«He requires being secured with this environment for his education with consistency and the routine that he is familiar with.

«In the past three years, the stress of challenging this unfair condition has impacted on my mental health. Additionally, there has been the significant financial impact as a result of that unfair condition being imposed.»

The Education Directorate spokesman said: «The Education Directorate understand the frustration of the family regarding this situation.

«The directorate and schools work hard to accommodate the needs of all students and school communities as much as achievable.

«In a situation like this, families are advised that enrolling a student in a learning support unit at a school that is not nearby, when programs are available closer to home, will usually mean that special needs transport is not provided.»

The spokesman said it had also encouraged Ms Ju to «continue to seek support from the ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy Service».

Source:

http://www.smh.com.au/act-news/chisholm-mum-pleads-with-education-directorate-for-special-needs-transport-20180209-h0vurm.html

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The Education State? Students lag behind state government goals

By: Henrietta Cook

The performance of Victorian students has gone backwards since the Andrews government set ambitious targets as part of its Education State agenda.

New figures obtained by The Age also reveal that parents’ trust in the state school system has taken a hit, with only 51.7 per cent reporting high levels of confidence in the sector.

high levels of confidence in the sector.

The state government launched the targets as a centrepiece of its Education State policy in September 2015 but has since remained quiet about how schools are tracking.

The measures are calculated using a combination of NAPLAN results, the OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), parent and student surveys, retention data and Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority assessments.

The Age can now reveal that out of the nine targets that have reported data for 2016 and 2017, only two areas improved.

These were year 5 reading and year 9 maths.

But this coincided with a decline in the proportion of students reaching the highest levels of achievement in year 9 reading, year 5 maths and critical and creative thinking.

Under the new targets, this is meant to increase to 39.9 per cent by 2020.

The achievement gap between the most disadvantaged year 5 and 9 students and their peers also grew wider between 2016 and 2017.

There was also a drop in the proportion of year 9 students who remained engaged in education until year 12. This dipped to 96.3 per cent,  down from 96.6 the previous year.

And the proportion of surveyed families who reported high levels of confidence in the government school system dropped from 55 to 51.7 per cent. This is a far cry from the goal of 65.9 per cent by 2025.

University of Melbourne laureate professor Dr John Hattie said policies aimed at reaching the targets had not had enough traction in schools.

«I am delighted that we have those targets and there are promising areas but we need to be much more vigilant in terms of making sure schools meet those targets,» he said.

«We have committed to these targets so let’s move them up.»

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino said he was confident more children would move into the top achievement bands as the government’s Education State initiatives rolled out.

«Anyone can jump over a low bar – that’s not what we are about. These targets are hard to meet because they’re real targets that will see real improvement in what our students achieve at school.»

He said there were early and exciting improvements, with some of Victoria’s lowest-performing students moving into the middle achievement bands.

«It may not be headline grabbing, but it’s the first step in seeing the long-term improvements we want to achieve.»

He said changes in the second-year-target figures were not statistically significant and «do not paint a full picture of improvements in the sector».

Education is emerging as a key battleground ahead of the November state election.

The state opposition recently pledged to review the curriculum if it won government and called for a greater focus on «Australian values» in schools.

The opposition’s education spokesman, Tim Smith, said the new figures showed that it was time to declutter the curriculum and focus on literacy and numeracy.

«We want to improve student outcomes, instead of weak slogans and a part-time education minister,» he said.

«The education state slogan is not worth the number plate it is written on.»

The five and 10-year targets include boosting the number of students achieving excellence in reading, maths, science and the arts, breaking the link between disadvantage and outcomes and improving confidence in the school system.

The Grattan Institute’s Dr Peter Goss said consistent improvements during the earlier years of school were key to hitting the targets.

«For Victoria, I’m seeing good signs in reading, but less improvement in numeracy. Much more needs to be done to be improve writing, but that is also true across Australia,» he said.

He said change took time and the metrics used to measure progress bounced around from year to year.

«This creates a risk of jumping at shadows if a metric slips marginally,» he said.

«That said, improvement is always better than not, and the government will no doubt be working to understand what is going on where metrics aren’t improving.»

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority chief executive Dr David Howes said that while the best result would be improvements across the board, there were encouraging signs.

«The 2017 NAPLAN results show we’re lifting students out of the bottom three bands in reading and lifting performance in the early years,» he said.

«We will see improvements in the year 5 target data as these year 3 students move through primary school.»

He said the latest NAPLAN results showed that Victorian primary students were the country’s top performers in six out of 10 domains.

«Nevertheless, further significant improvement will be required to reach the ambitious Education State targets in both primary and secondary schools,» Dr Howes said.

Source:

http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/the-education-state-students-lag-behind-state-government-goals-20180201-p4yz7g.html

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EEUU: Career education spotty around state. Students’ lack of opportunities in rural areas catch attention of legislators

EEUU/January 30, 2018/By Hunter Field/Source: http://www.arkansasonline.com

In Arkansas, a K-12 student’s access to career and technical course work depends on where that student lives.

A high school student in Springdale, for example, has the choice of 24 programs of study split between on-campus offerings and off-campus Secondary Area Career Centers with larger, more-advanced equipment. A similar student at Hillcrest High School in Lawrence County has only three options and no career center.

Nowhere is the disparity clearer than in the cluster of 11 north Arkansas school districts — including Hillcrest — that has no career center. Across the state, students in 37 of Arkansas’ 238 districts don’t have access to such centers, according to Arkansas Department of Career Education data.

Those figures are alarming for educators in the primarily rural areas, said Gerald Cooper, executive director of the Northcentral Arkansas Educational Cooperatives.

«Kids in those areas aren’t just underserved, they’re unserved,» Cooper said.

Furthermore, funding for career centers — which has remained stagnant despite increases in demand — was formulated in a way that benefits districts that already have them, according to a Bureau of Legislative Research report. Districts receive their annual allotments from the state based on the previous year’s enrollment in career center courses.

The issue has caught the attention of some state lawmakers, who question whether Arkansas’ approach to career and technical education is working for all students.

Those legislators — a bipartisan group on the Senate and House education committees — are part of a committee in charge of generating an educational adequacy report every two years that recommends how school districts should spend state funds and whether there should be any increases to ensure that every student in Arkansas receives an equitable and adequate education.

The mandate comes from legislation passed in the early 2000s in response to a series of state Supreme Court decisions in the Lake View school funding lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of the state’s K-12 education funding model.

While the legislation doesn’t explicitly require career and technical education to be analyzed in the adequacy studies, the legislative committee expanded its definition of adequacy in 2016 to include «opportunities for students to develop career readiness skills.» The Arkansas Department of Education requires public high schools to teach a minimum of nine career and technical education courses.

Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, worries that schools in rural areas too far from career centers are teaching only the most basic courses like home economics. Students in those districts, she said, are missing out on the more advanced courses that career centers offer.

The state, Elliott added, may need to step in to ensure that every district has equitable access to career centers. Elliott, a retired teacher, sits on the Senate Education Committee.

«The final responsibility is with the state,» she said. «We can’t just step back and say, ‘Well, you shouldn’t have been born there.'»

Sen. Jane English, R-North Little Rock, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, agreed with Elliott, saying that in future years the committee may need to consider technical education and career centers as part of its per-student funding formula for school districts.

English pointed to the fact that only about 22 percent of Arkansans attain bachelor’s degrees, making career education at the secondary level even more important. Additionally, many of the most «in-demand» occupations, according to the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, have training aspects that can be offered at the high school level.

However, those courses, like automotive repair and medical services, require advanced facilities and equipment that most school districts can’t afford on their own.

Career centers draw from students across multiple districts, which receive state funding to pay those centers on a per-student basis. Study programs include computer engineering, aviation technology, banking, culinary arts, criminal justice and biomedical science. High schools have 601 different courses they may offer.

The state provides about $20.1 million annually for career centers, according to the Bureau of Legislative Research. That money is distributed to the school districts at a rate of $3,250 per full-time student. That rate has remained unchanged since it was established in 2003.

The centers were created by a 1985 law that called for 16 to be located strategically around Arkansas to maximize access.

There are currently 27 centers (two are pilots) with 29 satellite locations, according to the Arkansas Department of Career Education.

Despite there being more than the law requires, districts like Melbourne still don’t have a vocational learning facility within an hour’s drive, said Superintendent Dennis Sublett. For these smaller districts, it all comes down to a lack of funding.

«We’d love some help,» he said. «We’d love our kids to have the same opportunities as the rest of the kids in the state.»

Some districts have addressed the shortage by raising millages or partnering with nearby private industry, but those options aren’t available to poor, rural districts, as Rep. Michael John Gray, D-Augusta, noted in a joint education committee meeting Tuesday. In Augusta, which doesn’t have access to a career center, there’s simply not industry there anymore to partner with, Gray said.

Elliott pointed to the Lake View case during Tuesday’s meeting, saying that it’s great for school districts to partner with private businesses when they’re nearby, but that won’t work for the entire state.

«The bottom line, the Supreme Court did not say businesses have to do this,» Elliott said. «They said that we do.»

A few minutes later, Rep. Stephen Meeks, R-Greenbrier, caught several members off guard with a comment about the Lake View case.

«Just want to start off with a quick reminder since it was brought up this morning about having to follow adequacy, that while we definitely value the opinion of the Supreme Court, this body is not bound to do anything the Supreme Court tells us to do,» he said. «We do it because we think it is the right thing for the kids of Arkansas.»

Elliott said the comment «astounded» her.

«I think the thing that needs to be clear about what we say … we are bound by the constitution and we are bound by what we put on paper and what we say we’re going to do,» she said. «Well, that needs to be clear with us … if we think that we don’t have three equal branches of government and one won’t hold us accountable for what we say we’re going to do.»

Source:

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/jan/28/career-education-spotty-around-state-20/

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Ditch the old hierarchies – further and higher education belong together

19 de enero de 2018 / Fuente: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/

Ongoing ministerial education reviews risk treating technical and academic education as separate pathways, says Quintin McKellar, and this could be to the detriment of both

Following last summer’s series of attacks on universities, the Commons Education Committee is looking at value for money in higher education, and the Treasury Committee has an enquiry on student loans.

Although the current funding system has increased the number of young students entering higher education, including from disadvantaged backgrounds, which is very much to be welcomed, it has also led to a catastrophic fall in the number of mature and part-time students which is a source of grave concern.

At the same time, politicians of all stripes are realising that the harsh cuts the further education sector has suffered – between 2009 and 2015 colleges dealt with a 27 per cent real term cut in funding – have had adverse consequences.

In the context of Brexit, problems with the skills system cannot be ignored. As the recent report from the Social Mobility Commission said, “whole tracts of our country feel left behind, because they are”. Some say that this social crisis led to the outcome of last year’s referendum, arguing that those on the side of Remain were too comfortable with the idea of recruiting skills from the EU rather than providing workable options for local people.

The major review of funding across tertiary education, confirmed in the government’s recent Industrial Strategy white paper, could be an opportunity to think radically about how we could do things better. If it is to come up with anything sensible though, it must move away from an out-dated view of how tertiary education is organised.

In the white paper, the government promised to “establish a technical education system that rivals the best in the world, to stand alongside our world-class higher education system”. This implies that technical and academic education are separate pathways. It does not reflect the real world.

The boundaries between colleges and universities have been blurring for some time: the majority of degrees taught by universities are vocational – just think of nursing, teaching, engineering, architecture, graphic design – while nearly 250 colleges offer higher education.

In terms of mode, colleges are rightly praised for working closely with employers but many universities also excel in employer-engagement and work-based learning. Modern universities in particular have developed “learning by doing” pedagogies where students learn by solving real-world problems in teams and practise their skills in both simulated environments and through work placements.

For students who prefer to learn while being employed, both universities and colleges now offer a wide-range of apprenticeship programmes, including degree apprenticeships.

It is, however, perhaps most important that the review recognises that both academic and technical education can be delivered to the highest levels. For too long, technical education has been seen as somehow inferior to academic education – a fall-back option for those who are struggling academically. In reality, many employers are happy to sponsor doctoral training for postgraduates who want to work in industry rather than academia – or even move seamlessly between the two.

In any event, thinking about education in terms of levels with an assumption that people should move in an entirely linear way – from level 1 to level 2 to level 3 and so on – is not always helpful. It harks back to the days of PSA, targets where the system measured how many people had achieved at each level, and to the early axe of austerity, which fell first on “Equivalent Level Qualifications” – people could no longer access funding to study a course if they had already achieved a qualification at that level.

In a world where it is estimated that people now entering the labour market will have as many as nine careers, this is surely not the right approach. Employers want people with the competencies for their occupation, with soft skills that enable them to work in teams and with the ability to think critically about what they are doing and suggest improvements and innovations.

Many people will study at both colleges and universities at different points in their life – and not always in a linear way. Employers will look to both colleges and universities for their training needs. The reviews must not create barriers between the further and higher education sectors and trade one off against the other, but ensure that both are adequately funded and that opportunities exist to move smoothly from one to the other.

Of course we cannot be naive. Education has to be paid for, most probably by a combination of the taxpayer, student and employer, and there has to be some system of rationing – but let’s ditch old hierarchies and think afresh about how we can make best use of our many excellent universities and colleges.

Fuente noticia: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/ditch-old-hierarchies-further-and-higher-education-belong-together#survey-answer

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Kenia: Form 1 students report as free education program kicks off

Nairobi / 10 de enero de 2017 / Por: SIMON NDONGA / Fuente: https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/

A spot check by Capital FM News in various schools showed increased activity as the new students were registered and escorted to their dormitories and shown their classes.

At the Kenya High School, the principal Flora Mulatya expressed optimism that the initiatives put in place by the government will lead to improved performance this year.

“We are receiving our Form Ones from today and they started reporting as early as 6am. We started attending to them and we have already admitted almost 100 girls and we have received text books also for form one. So it is a good beginning because this year unlike other years, the form ones will be issued with books immediately and their fees have also been paid by the government,” she said.

The situation was the same at the Nairobi Milimani Secondary School where the students were full of excitement as they began the next chapter in their education.

“I came to this school because I wanted to perform well and make history. I also want to go to a good university since I like Maths and even English. I want to start a business when I grow up,” stated Brian, one of the new students.

“I have been admitted to this school and I have seen that the teachers are really disciplined and I know that I can perform really well,” said Joshua Greg, another student.

The senior teacher Jenifer Mwiti who is also the English Language Head of Department in the school welcomed the students and urged then to work hard during their years at the institution.

“We are doing well for the admissions and we have had a busy morning. The parents and students are coming and we have received them quite well and the whole program is going on well. We have no problem. We expect the performance to really improve because the books come in handy,” she stated.

The principal of Nyeri High School JK Maina applauded the national government for disbursing the free secondary education funds and text books on time.

Maina stated that they received the text books on Monday and the funds are already in the school bank account in readiness for starting this year in high gear.

“We want to appreciate the government, yesterday we received the text books and they are in the books store. We want also to appreciate the government because the funds are already in the school bank account,” he stated

He said that they are admitting more than 300 Form One students this year unlike last year where they admitted 270 students.

A spot check by Capital FFM News in various schools showed increased activity as the new students were registered and escorted to their dormitories and shown their classes/MOSES MUOKI

On her part, Iriaini Girls Secondary school principal Margaret Muthoni Munene echoed similar sentiments stating that they have already received the text books and funds.

”We have also received the government money for free secondary education and therefore the parents are expected to pay only boarding fee and money to buy school uniform,” she stated.

The government has already sent out Sh29.5 billion for the Free Day Secondary Education Programme (FDSE) programme which is helping to achieve a 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary school level.

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang stated that the government has released a further Sh7.5 billion for printing and supply of six core textbooks.

He stated that the funds disbursed to schools will cover all the tuition and other operations as per guidelines for each student enrolled in secondary schools irrespective of whether they are enrolled in sub-county, county, extra-county or national schools.

For schools with boarding facilities, national schools and extra-county schools in the urban centres of Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret will charge Sh53,554 while all other boarding schools will charge Sh40,435.

Fuente noticia: https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2018/01/form-1-students-report-free-education-program-kicks-off/

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South Africa: Don’t attack EFF for demanding free education: Mcebo Dlamini

South Africa/January 09, 2018/Source: http://www.enca.com

Fees Must Fall activist Mcebo Dlamini said government should not attack the Economic Freedom Fighters for calling on potential students to go to universities and demand free education.

Dlamini, a student activist who has been at the forefront of the battle against university fees said the free education issue should be handled politically.

«We have an obligation as a country and as students and as activist and assist our people at home. The call by the EFF is just a mere protest and it says to government work hard. I am taking it as activist. We need to handle it politically and not attack the EFF,» he said.

Dlamini’s remarks follow the EFF leader Julius Malema’s New Year message where he called on all qualifying students even those who did not apply last year to report to tertiary institutions and take advantage of free higher education.

Malema’s statement followed President Zuma’s announcement of free higher education for most South Africans in December.

However Universities South Africa said no university would allow walk-ins this year and Higher Education Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize accused Malema of making reckless statements.

Source:

http://www.enca.com/south-africa/dont-attack-eff-for-demanding-free-education-mcebo-dlamini

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EEUU: We’ve failed our children by neglecting sex education. Here’s what we must do

EEUU/December 12, 2017/ By: The Editorial Board/Source: http://www.fresnobee.com

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