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Nigeria: Education Reforms. Okanlawon Demands Support For Aregbesola

Nigeria/April 3, 2018/

The Special Adviser, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, said at the weekend that in seven years of the Aregbesola administration, it has been proved that so much can still be done with so little.

Stakeholders in Osun State,, including religious organisations have been urged to support the Rauf Aregbesola administration in its bid to fully overhaul the education sector in the state.

The Special Adviser, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, said at the weekend that in seven years of the Aregbesola administration, it has been proved that so much can still be done with so little.

Okanlawon, who was the chairman at the triennial congress of the Ansar-ud-deen Society of Nigeria, Osun State branch, held in Iwo between Friday and Sunday, said Aregbesola’s government’s vision in education tallied well with the mission of the Islamic society, which he noted began as a movement to give Muslims quality education without surrendering their faith.

He said with education as the first basic reason for the formation of the society 95 years ago, it is incumbent on the society to support a government that gives its all to the promotion of education and advancement of knowledge.

Okanlawon said: “As a religious body that had promoted education over the decades, we must not fail to remind ourselves of the critical need to join hands with the present administration of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, in its manifest mission to transform education in the state.

“Though it is still an ongoing project, this government has constructed new schools and refurbished many others. It is gratifying to note that the second Elementary School to be commissioned in this state was the Ansar-deen Elementary Government School, Isale Osun, Osogbo. As we must all be aware, the state has gone ahead to complete schools such as Ansarrudeen Elementary School, Sabo, Osogbo, Ansardeen Middle School, Odoori Iwo among others.”

Okanlawon said at no time in the history of the state has any government been so determined to change the face of education.
He said the reform is not limited to the provision of physical infrastructure alone but a comprehensive efforts at changing the orientation of the teaching staff and motivating them towards achieving better results.

He said: “To date, this government has completed Wole Soyinka Government High School, Ejigbo, Adventist Government High School, Ede, Osogbo Government High School, Osogbo, Ataoja Government High School, Osogbo, Fakunle/Unity Government High School, Osogbo, Ilesa Government High School, Ilesa while similar projects are nearing completion in Iwo, Ikirun, Ila, Ile-Ife and Ikire.
“These are in addition to over 40 Middle Schools and about 45 Elementary Schools already completed and put to use. There are many others at different stages of completion.”

Okanlawon said the achievements in education and other sectors become much more appreciable given the indigent nature of Osun State.
He said: “Had Aregbesola had so much money to play around with, perhaps, this would not have been too much a feat. But in a state as cash-strapped as we are, you would agree with me that this is a feat of immeasurable proportion. We are also grateful to God that the gains of these revolutionary transformations are manifest in the results of external examinations where our students take part.

“Today, Osun which used to produce less than 5 per cent matriculable students after yearly examinations has remained consistently among the top three states in Nigeria in the Joint Admission Matriculation Board examinations in the last three years. Effectively by the year 2017, Osun had achieved a percentage improvement of at least 46 per cent in WAEC results when you compare the results of the years before the advent of the Aregbesola administration.”

Source:

https://theeagleonline.com.ng/education-reforms-okanlawon-demands-support-for-aregbesola/

 

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Australia: Apple unveils new iPad, education software to win back schools

Australia/April 3, 2018/By Richa Naidu and Stephen Nellis /Source: https://www.crn.com.au

Apple has rolled out a new iPad and classroom software aimed at grabbing more of the education market, but did not cut the price of its entry-level tablet despite schools flocking to laptops costing a third less.

Apple is looking to reassert dominance in schools, where inexpensive laptops running software from Google and Microsoft now top iPad by sales, offering a cheap way to get to cloud-based productivity tools.

The new iPad has a more powerful computing chip and an extensive set of new, free software for teachers to manage students and schoolwork. But the unchanged starting price of $439 for students and $469 for the general public, without a keyboard or case, compares with less than $200 for some Windows and Google Chrome models.

Apple shares were down 1.4 percent to US$170.26 after the event, slightly better than the NASDAQ Composite, which was down 1.6 percent in midday trading.

Some analysts had believed Apple might cut prices, but the company stuck with its more traditional approach of packing more features into a device.

Despite the new software, Apple faces a tough battle in the educational market given the popularity of Google and Microsoft’s productivity suites, said Carolina Milanesi of Creative Strategies. Google’s G Suite fuelled Chromebook sales because it was seen as easy to use to manage assignments.

«Most teachers don’t look past G Suite for education,» she said.

Apple, as part of its response, on Tuesday announced improvements in its iWork suite at an event in Chicago, where school bells and announcements over a public address system directed press and more than 300 teachers into an auditorium at Lane Tech College Prep High School.

The event came during a spring buying season when many schools are making purchasing decisions for the upcoming school year.

«We’ve been at this for 40 years and we care deeply about education,» Apple chief executive Tim Cook said at the event.

Apple executives said the new iPad works with its pencil accessory and features an upgraded A10 Fusion chip, the same CPU that powers the iPhone 7. It is available immediately.

The Apple Pencil remains priced at $145 for the public, though Lenovo will release a device called Crayon for $49, the first third-party stylus to work with the iPad.

Apple made up just 17 percent of the K-12 US educational market in the third quarter, according to data from Futuresource Consulting. Meanwhile 60 percent of mobile computing shipments to schools ran Google’s Chrome and 22 percent had Windows.

Chromebooks sold by Dell Technologies cost as little as US$189. Microsoft last year introduced an education-focused laptop from Lenovo running Windows 10 S for a similar price.

Acer announced a tablet that runs Chrome OS for US$329 on Monday that comes with a built-in stylus.

Apple in recent years made changes to its operating system so that more than one student can log into an iPad, and to its software to let teachers better manage students.

On Tuesday it updated iWork – which includes word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software – to allow students to take handwritten notes more easily, along with adding more free storage on its iCloud service.

Apple also released a new app called Schoolwork to help teachers create assignments and track student progress. Google has a similar app for managing student profiles, but analysts highlighted Apple’s Schoolwork app as unique in helping teachers manage assignments and progress.

The previously iPad-focused Classroom teacher administration app would start working on Mac computers in June, Apple said.

In the fall Apple will roll out «Everyone Can Create» lessons on video, photography, music, and drawing, joining existing «Everyone Can Code» guides for computer programming skills.

The new courses highlight features that some low-priced laptops do not have, such as a camera and microphone.

«If you look at it as a Chromebook competitor, it’s expensive. But if you look at it and say, I can do music with GarageBand, I can take pictures or use it as a video camera and now I can do (augmented reality) … it appeals to teachers and schools that want to push the envelope on education,» Milanesi said.

Sales of iPads made up just 8.3 percent of Apple’s US$229.2 billion total revenue last year, compared with the nearly 62 percent of sales generated by iPhones.

Source:

https://www.crn.com.au/news/apple-unveils-new-ipad-education-software-to-win-back-schools-487850?utm_source=itnews&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=networkbar

 

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United Kingdom: Special needs children ‘paying price’ for education funding ‘crisis’

United Kingdom/April 3, 2018/By: Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk

Thousands of children with special needs are paying the price of a «crisis» in education funding, a union has claimed.

Official figures show the number of youngsters with special educational needs plans or statements that are awaiting school places has more than doubled in a year.

The National Education Union (NEU) claimed that local councils are being «starved» of the money they need for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with youngsters forced to stay at home because authorities do not have the cash to provide a suitable education.

Overall, as of January last year, there were 287,290 children and young people, up to the age of 25 in England, that had an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), or a statement of special educational needs.

Of these, the vast majority (279,582) were aged 19 or under.

The year before, there were 256,315 children and young people with an EHCP or statement, and again the vast majority were 19 and under.

The government data also shows that as of last January, 4,050 youngsters with an EHCP or statement were «awaiting provision» – effectively waiting for a place in education.

This is up 137% compared with January 2016, when the number stood at 1,710, and up 372% compared with 2013 (858 children).

The NEU argued: «Children facing some of the greatest challenges are paying the price for the crisis in education funding.»

NEU joint general secretary, Kevin Courtney, said: «It is an absolute disgrace that the Government is starving local authorities of the resources needed for children with SEND.

«Children are at home because local authorities don’t have enough money to provide suitable education.

«Local authorities are being placed in an impossible position. They have a legal duty to plan high quality education for every child with SEND, but cuts have taken away the resources they need to educate children with complex needs.

«Extra money is urgently needed for SEND but it must be new money and not come from the already challenged school budgets. Parents and teachers are in despair. The Government is failing thousands of children and families and must act now to resolve this critical situation.»

Meanwhile, a separate survey by NASUWT union has shown more than a half (59%) of all special educational needs teachers said they had been attacked by their pupils in the last year.

Staff among the 1,615 polled said they had been head-butted, punched, kicked and spat on – including, in a handful of cases, on a daily basis.

Almost three-quarters (74%) said they experienced verbal abuse in addition to physical assault. Some 7% said they were not encouraged to report such incidents to their school.

One respondent said: «I receive more abuse as a teacher than friends of mine who are in the police force and prison service.»

Speaking from the annual NASUWT conference, union general secretary Chris Keates said: «No one should go to work expecting to be assaulted, yet all too often teachers who are attacked are told it’s all part of the job.

«Pupils with special needs who exhibit violent and disruptive behaviour need more help and support and all too often their needs are not being met.»

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: «Core schools and high needs funding has been protected in real terms per pupil and will rise to its highest ever level – over £43 billion in 2020, 50% more per pupil spending in real terms than in 2000.

«The budget for pupils with special educational needs is £6 billion this year. Local authorities now have more money for every pupil in every school.

«Our new Education, Health and Care Plans are putting the views of young people with special educational needs and disabilities and families at the heart of the process so they can help shape the support they receive.

«This is a hugely significant reform but local authorities are rising to the challenge and have reviewed almost 222,000 cases with initial inspections showing positive outcomes for young people.»

Source:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/01/special-needs-children-paying-price-education-funding-crisis/

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Argentina: UNC-Ciencias Sociales abre con un congreso los festejos del Centenario de la Reforma Universitaria

América del Sur/Argentina/ 02.04.2018/ Fuente: www.lavoz.com.ar.

El puntapié inicial de los festejos por el Centenario de la Reforma le corresponde a una de las facultades más jóvenes de la UNC: Ciencias Sociales. El próximo miércoles, debutará el primero de los múltiples congresos que este año tendrán como sede a Córdoba con motivo de la celebración de la gesta que encabezó Deodoro Roca y compañía en 1918.

“Las ciencias sociales a 100 años de la Reforma, legados y desafíos” es el título del evento académico de tres días que congregará a casi 500 personas entre investigadores, docentes y estudiantes, y que concentrará casi 300 ponencias en la flamante Facultad de Ciencias Sociales.

“Este es el primer congreso de ciencias sociales a nivel nacional, y creemos importante hacerlo en esta fecha para debatir el rol de nuestra disciplina en el marco del Centenario de la Reforma”, dijo la secretaria de Posgrado de la Facultad, Liliana Córdoba.

Como parte del cónclave, está previsto un foro que se encargará de trabajar sobre los sucesos que ocurrieron cien años atrás y la relevancia del movimiento estudiantil en esos cambios.

Será, de alguna manera, el cónclave que inaugure el camino al 15 de junio. Este trayecto estará repleto de actividades, charlas y convocatorias.

Desde el Rectorado le dieron a cada una de las unidades académicas autonomía para definir una agenda propia y luego incorporarla a los festejos centrales.

A este congreso, el primero de estas características a nivel nacional, le sucederán otras citas de relevancia internacional como la Cumbre Académica de América Latina y la Unión Europea, a mediados de abril, y la Conferencia Regional de Educación Superior (Cres) del 11 al 14 de junio.

Las conclusiones del congreso, que contará con la presencia de expositores de toda la Argentina y de varios países de América latina, como Colombia y Chile, serán volcadas en un documento. De allí surgirá la propuesta que acercarán a la Cres.

“No es un congreso de grandes figuras, sino que se busca ponderar el diálogo entre los docentes, los estudiantes y los investigadores. Tenemos que darnos este espacio que antes no teníamos,” dijo la funcionaria universitaria.

No obstante, la apertura del encuentro estará a cargo del exdirector de la Biblioteca Nacional, Horacio González, quien brindará la conferencia inicial a las 17.30 en la sala biblioteca de la Ciudad Universitaria. También participarán otros reconocidos especialistas de las ciencias sociales, como Patricia Funes y Sandra Carril.

“Córdoba es un polo importante en la ciencias sociales. El CEA y el Iifap son dos referencias nacionales e internacionales y también lo es la carrera de Trabajo Social. El desafío es poder conjugar todo ese desarrollo que hasta el momento ha venido siendo insular”, concluyó Córdoba sobre la importancia del congreso.

Fuente de la noticia: http://www.lavoz.com.ar/ciudadanos/unc-ciencias-sociales-abre-los-festejos-con-un-congre

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¿Qué nos pediría alguien con TEA? #DiaMundialAutismo

Hablar de TEA en España es hablar, sin duda, de Ángel Rivière Gómez, un gran psicólogo especializado en autismo no sólo a nivel nacional, sino también internacional. Por desgracia nos abandonó de forma repentina, pero su legado sigue presente de forma constante en el mundo TEA. Su perspectiva humana y próxima nos ha ayudado a todas las personas que intervenimos en este trastorno a entenderlo, tratarlo y convivir con él.

A falta de unos días para celebrar el Día Mundial de Concienciación sobre el Autismo, desde Míranos y Únete queremos compartir con todxs vosotrxs lo que Ángel opina sobre lo que nos pediría una persona con autismo.

1. Ayúdame a comprender. Organiza mi mundo y facilítame que anticipe lo que va a suceder. Dame orden, estructura y no caos.

2. No te angusties conmigo, porque me angustias. Respeta mi ritmo. Siempre podrás relacionarte conmigo si comprendes mis necesidades y mi modo especial de entender la realidad. No te deprimas, lo normal es que avance y me desarrolle cada vez más.

3. No me hables demasiado, ni demasiado deprisa. Las palabras son “aire” para ti, pero pueden ser una carga muy pesada para mí. Muchas veces no son la mejor manera de relacionarte conmigo.

4. Como otros niños, como otros adultos, necesito compartir el placer y me gusta hacer las cosas bien, aunque no siempre lo consiga. Hazme saber, de algún modo cuándo he hecho las cosas bien y ayúdame a hacerlas sin fallos. Cuando tengo demasiados fallos me sucede lo que a ti. Me irrito y termino por negarme a hacer las cosas.

5. Necesito más orden que el que tú necesitas, más predictibilidad en el medio que la que tú requieres. Tenemos que negociar mis rituales para convivir.

6. Me resulta difícil comprender el sentido de muchas de las cosas que puedan tener un sentido concreto y descifrable para mí. No permitas que me aburra o permanezca inactivo.

7. No me invadas excesivamente. A veces, las personas sois demasiado imprevisibles, demasiado ruidosas, demasiado estimulantes, respeta las distancias que necesito, pero sin dejarme solo.

8. Lo que hago no es contra ti. Cuando tengo una rabieta o me golpeo: si destruyo algo o me muevo en exceso, cuando me es difícil atender o hacer lo que me pides, no estoy tratando de hacerte daño. ¡Ya que tengo un problema de intenciones, no me atribuyas malas intenciones!

9. Mi desarrollo no es absurdo, aunque no sea fácil de entender. Tiene su propia lógica y muchas de las conductas que llamáis “alteradas” son formas de enfrentar el mundo desde mi especial forma de ser y percibir. Haz un esfuerzo por comprenderme.

11. No me pidas siempre las mismas cosas ni me exijas las mismas rutinas. No tienes que hacerte tú autista para ayudarme. El autista soy yo, no tú.

12. No sólo soy autista. También soy un niño, un adolescente o un adulto. Comparto muchas cosas de los niños, adolescentes o adultos a los que llamáis “normales”. Me gusta jugar y divertirme, quiero a mis padres y a las personas cercanas, me siento satisfecho cuando hago las cosas bien. Es más lo que compartimos que lo que nos separa.

13. Merece la pena vivir conmigo. Puedo darte tantas satisfacciones como otras personas, aunque no sean las mismas. Puede llegar un momento en tu vida en que yo, que soy autista, sea tu mayor y mejor compañía.

14. No me agredas químicamente. Si te han dicho que tengo que tomar una medicación, procura que sea revisada periódicamente por el especialista.

15. Ni mis padres ni yo tenemos culpa de lo que me pasa. Tampoco la tienen los profesionales que me ayudan. No sirve de nada que os culpéis uno a otros. A veces, mis reacciones y conductas pueden ser difíciles de comprender o afrontar, pero no es por culpa de nadie. La idea de “culpa” no produce más que sufrimiento en relación con mi problema.

16. No me pidas constantemente por encima de lo que soy capaz de hacer. Pero pídeme lo que puedo hacer. Dame ayuda para ser más autónomo, para comprender mejor, pero no me des ayuda de más.

17. No tienes que cambiar completamente tu vida por el hecho de vivir con una persona autista. A mí no me sirve de nada que tú estés mal, que te encierres y te deprimas. Necesito estabilidad y bienestar emocional a mí alrededor para estar mejor. Piensa que tu pareja tampoco tiene culpa de lo que me pasa.

18. Ayúdame con naturalidad, sin convertirlo en una obsesión. Para poder ayudarme, tienes que tener tus momentos en que reposas o te dedicas a tus propias actividades. Acércate a mí, no te vayas, pero no te sientas como sometido a un peso insoportable. En mi vida he tenido momentos malos, pero puedo estar cada vez mejor.

19. Acéptame como soy. No condiciones tu aceptación a que deje de ser autista. Se optimista sin hacerte “novelas”. Mi situación normal mejora, aunque por ahora no tenga curación.

20. Aunque me sea difícil comunicarme o no comprenda las sutilezas sociales, tengo incluso algunas ventajas en comparación con los que os decís “normales”. Me cuesta comunicarme, pero no suelo engañar. No comprendo las sutilezas sociales, pero tampoco participo de las dobles intenciones o los sentimientos peligrosos tan frecuentes en la vida social. Mi vida puede ser satisfactoria si es simple, ordenada, tranquila. Si no se me pide, constantemente y sólo aquello que más me cuesta. Ser autista es un modo de ser, aunque no sea el normal. Mi vida como autista puede ser tan feliz y satisfactoria como la tuya “normal”. En esas vidas, podemos llegar a encontrarnos y compartir muchas experiencias.

Fuente reseña: https://www.miranosyunete.com/single-post/2018/03/30/Blog-Educativo-%C2%BFQu%C3%A9-nos-pedir%C3%ADa-alguien-con-TEA-DiaMundialAutismo

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Ecuador: Unos 2.000 niños de Amazonía recibirán atención integral

América del Sur/ Ecuador/ 02.04.2018 / Fuente: www.eltelegrafo.com.ec.

Un total de 2.039 niños del cantón Taisha, en la provincia amazónica de Morona Santiago, recibirán atención integral a través de la Misión Ternura, que despliega el Gobierno de Ecuador, en busca de combatir la desnutrición infantil, informó hoy el Ministerio de Inclusión Económica y Social (MIES).

La ministra del ramo, Berenice Cordero, indicó que la Misión permitirá brindar atención a cada infante. «Vamos a hablar de los niños y niñas con su nombre y apellido. Vamos a realizar un seguimiento nominal: su peso, su talla, estado nutricional, sus logros de desarrollo, su estado emocional y realizaremos un acompañamiento a sus familias», explicó. Según la funcionaria, «casi cinco de cada diez niños padecen desnutrición en este cantón, que está ubicado en la Amazonía del país y que es uno de los 90 cantones priorizados a nivel nacional, que registran los mayores índices de desnutrición infantil», indicó el Ministerio en un comunicado.

El Gobierno presidido desde mayo pasado por Lenín Moreno llevará adelante la estrategia, a través del MIES, y el trabajo articulado de varias instituciones de Estado como los ministerios de Salud y de Educación, el Registro Civil y la Secretaría del Agua, entre otras.

Para este propósito se conformó la Mesa Técnica Cantonal, que será liderada por la Municipalidad de Taisha, señaló el MIES. Cergio Ayuy, alcalde de Taisha, dijo que es un compromiso de los gobiernos locales apoyar el trabajo que realiza el Estado para erradicar la desnutrición infantil. Además, destacó que el desarrollo infantil «no es solamente un problema de salud pública o de educación inicial; sino de un trabajo articulado entre el Estado, las familias y la comunidad», indicó el Ministerio en el comunicado.

Fuente: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/sociedad/6/ninos-amazonia-gobierno-ecuado

 

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Zero tolerance approach to bad behaviour in schools amount to ‘child abuse’, teachers claim in United Kingdom

United Kingdom/ 02.04.2018/ From: www.independent.co.uk.

‘Las políticas y  reglas estrictas sobre la conducta de los alumnos «son crueles, victorianas, dickensianas». Y castiga más a los niños de la clase obrera ‘

A zero-tolerance approach to discipline in schools amounts to “child abuse”, teachers have claimed.

Extremely strict behaviour policies unfairly punish working class children who may not be as focused in class or as well-behaved because of difficult circumstances at home, teachers have suggested.

The remarks came as the NUT section of the National Education Union (NEU) raised their concerns about the state of children’s mental health at their annual conference in Brighton.

Jonathan Reddiford, from North Somerset, said he felt ‘zero tolerance’ behaviour policies in schools were a “key cause” for mental health problems among young people.

He added that it was “incredibly harsh” to exclude pupils for misbehaving and he said using strict behaviour policies with vulnerable children was “nothing short of child abuse”.

Michael Holland, from Lambeth, added that punishing disadvantaged children with strict behaviour approaches was an “abuse” of their rights.

 He said: “Zero tolerance is intolerance. Zero tolerance doesn’t work. Zero tolerance is cruel, Victorian, Dickensian. It punishes working class children the most.

“It punishes black children and children from black ethnic minority groups [they] are far more likely to be excluded from schools.”

Mr Reddiford told the conference that one Year 7 student he had taught was not very “focused” in class – but it was because he was sharing a bed with three family members and he did not get much sleep.

“For me to then try and exercise some sort of zero tolerance behaviour policy would be nothing short of child abuse,” he said.

Mr Holland added: “We believe in a different vision of education. One where children are not sent home because they have a sharp haircut, or their shoes aren’t totally black. We believe in an education service that respects each child.

“If a child is disruptive because they are exhausted or hungry or both. Or if a child kicks another child because the previous night they witnessed domestic violence at home. We respond with patience. We respond with compassion.»

There was unanimous support from conference delegates to opposing «the move towards ever more punitive behaviour policies in schools» which it said was «feeding a mental health crisis for our children».

The motion said: “The increasing use of detention, isolation and exclusion, often talked of as being ‘zero tolerance’ approaches, usually mean ignoring the varied difficulties children have.”

Delegates also highlighted other experiences of growing mental health concerns about their pupils, which some linked to a narrowing of the curriculum in schools.

Paul Power, of Haringey, who has been a head of year in a secondary school for 16 years, said: “I have seen an increase in anxiety, an increase in depression, an increase in stress, an increase in students talking about suicide, an increase in self-harming.”

He added that reforms to exams had led to more stress. “And to be honest there is only one word for them – and that is child abuse,” Mr Power told the conference.

Delegates voted that high stakes testing has harmful effects on children’s mental health, and called for a renewed campaign to oppose Sats.

On Monday, delegates will debate whether to boycott high stakes tests in primary schools – including the Sats.

From: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/strict-behaviour-school-punish-children-child-abuse-teachers-national-education-union-a8283276.html.

 

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