Author: Noticias

Page 3495 of 6179
1 … 3.493 3.494 3.495 3.496 3.497 … 6.179

Brain power: Would free university make Japan better?

Noticias

Japón/Agosto de 2017/Fuente: Japan Today

Resumen: En 2016, el número de niños nacidos en Japón descendió por debajo de 1 millón por primera vez desde 1899. La tasa de fecundidad del país -el promedio de niños que una mujer tendrá en su vida- fue de 1,44, mientras que Japón se dice que necesita una tasa de al menos 2,07 para mantener su nivel actual de población. «Tenemos una crisis nacional», dijo Shinjiro Koizumi, legislador del Partido Liberal Democrático, en una reunión consultiva en junio. «Tenemos un sistema que apoya la vida de los ancianos como una sociedad, pero lo que todavía tenemos que construir es uno que apoya a los niños y la crianza de los hijos». Desesperado por abordar el tema, el gobierno está ponderando opciones sobre la mejor manera de apoyar y promover a la juventud de la nación. El 25 de mayo, la Comisión de Constitución organizó discusiones sobre la Constitución -un panel organizado en la Cámara de Representantes, la Cámara Baja de la Dieta- sobre el potencial de acceso gratuito a la educación desde el preescolar hasta la universidad. El 9 de junio, el gobierno emitió un comunicado en el que se decía que se debería tomar una decisión a fin de año sobre cómo asegurar el financiamiento para el preescolar gratis, pero el debate continúa sobre si las universidades también deben ser gratuitas.

In 2016, the number of babies born in Japan fell below 1 million for the first time since 1899. The country’s fertility rate—the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime—was 1.44, while Japan is said to need a rate of at least 2.07 to maintain its current population level.

“We have a national crisis,” said Shinjiro Koizumi, a lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaking at an advisory meeting in June. “We have a system that supports the lives of elderly people as a society, but what we have yet to build is one that supports children and child-rearing.”

Desperate to address the issue, the government is weighing options on how best to support and promote the nation’s youth. On May 25, discussions were held by the Commission on the Constitution—a panel organized in the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Diet—regarding the potential for free access to education from preschool through university. On June 9, the government released a statement saying a decision should be made by year-end on how to secure funding for free preschool, but the debate continues on whether universities should also be tuition-free.

NO FREE LUNCH

In the wake of World War II, Japan implemented a compulsory education system, with the Basic Act on Education guaranteeing access to nine years of schooling for all citizens regardless of their circumstances. Preschool education is paid out of pocket by most parents, and many opt to pay for private high schools, so the financial burden of education can start long before college.

Of Japan’s 776 universities, about 80 percent are private, such as Tokyo’s Waseda University. Tuition fees at these institutions average ¥500,000 to ¥1 million annually, including a one-time admission fee. National or public universities, such as the prestigious University of Tokyo (Todai), typically charge ¥500,000 or less each year. Compared with the United States, this is relatively affordable; the average cost of tuition and fees at US private universities for the 2016–17 school year was $33,480 (¥3.75 million).

Scholarships and loans are sometimes available through Japanese universities, but a major part of the cost is borne by students and their parents. According to a 2012 Cabinet survey, only 40 percent of students benefit from public loans, scholarships, or grants. This contrasts with other countries, such as the United Kingdom where on average 71 percent of students receive support.

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare estimates that granting free higher education for all would require about ¥5 trillion. Schemes have been proposed to fund the initiative through the issuance of more low-interest government bonds, implementation of a social insurance scheme for all pension-paying employees, or passage of a consumption tax increase.

While there are certainly pros and cons to each alternative, all three would probably result in higher national debt. Opponents of the proposal argue that the same future generations the policy aims to support would end up shouldering its cost over the course of their lifetimes.

With Japan’s balance of government debt already twice the country’s GDP, is free access to higher education worth the price?

CONTENT OVER COST

Asked whether tuition-free university would make Japan’s talent pool more globally competitive, Kirsten M. Snipp, associate professor at Takasaki University of Commerce, said free access to higher education would not create anything meaningful, except perhaps more national debt.

Snipp, whose focus is on English education at the tertiary level, also indicated that, during her 25-plus years teaching in Japan, she has rarely encountered a situation where finances were the primary cause of “failed education.”

Bern Mulvey, former dean of Miyazaki International College, agrees. “National and prefectural universities are already quite cheap in Japan. It would be hard to imagine a family here that could not afford the tuition at such institutions,” he said.

Mulvey notes that entrance to such institutions, however, is very competitive, with only about 50 percent of applicants being accepted. Those rejected from public universities can opt for costlier private schools or consider vocational schools known as senmon gakko.

DUAL EDUCATION SYSTEM

It is yet unclear whether the government plans to include senmon gakko in its free-education plan. Germany, which has a GDP similar to that of Japan, is the largest country in the world to have made higher education completely free, as of 2015. Crucial to its ability to cover tuition fees is the establishment of a dual education system, which positions vocational schools as a strong alternative to university education.

Vocational students in Germany undergo simultaneous classroom instruction and practical work experience through apprenticeships at companies. The German government strictly regulates the schools and companies involved to ensure students receive both the theoretical and hands-on skills needed to succeed in their chosen vocation. In this way, the country’s private sector is held responsible for sharing in the education of its people.

Chris Grant, director of human resources, Office Support & Healthcare Lifescience Recruitment Teams at Michael Page International (Japan) K.K., said, “A quality vocational education is critical and will play an increasingly important role in Japan.” Speaking to The Journal, he explained how technology and business-level English are skills that are in extremely high demand, yet candidates with the requisite knowledge are in short supply. Both subjects are common areas of study at senmon gakko, where graduates obtain specialist degrees or skill certifications. It is not uncommon for university students to supplement their studies with courses at such schools to gain workplace advantage.

Grant also said that university education is still the preferred path in Japan, due to its perceived prestige. “This would need to change if there was to be a greater interest in vocational places.”

Ken Takai, managing partner at icareer partners LLC, believes universities, the public sector, and the private sector should all be held responsible for the talent mismatch in Japan between candidates and employers, which persists despite the country’s well-educated population.

According to Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators, a book published annually by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, some 47 percent of Japanese had received tertiary education as of 2012. Japan consistently ranks among the world’s top 10 countries for level of schooling received by its people. Nevertheless, Takai explained, even the country’s highest-ranked institutions churn out generalists rather than specialists, which does little to address the needs of today’s employers.

“It is an irony that the better universities prepare their students as generalists, the worse off their students are in terms of possessing specialist skills, which are strongly demanded in the real world. I agree with the education experts talking about the value of introducing quality vocational schools. However, that is not enough. All employers in Japan must change their hiring practices, changing the hiring focus from generalist to specialist,” he said.

In Japan, the practice of sogo shoku, a type of general career track rotation, persists among large corporate employers. Thus, even those entering the workforce with specialist skills are often forced to work in roles they are unprepared for or have no desire to fill.

The German dual education model, in this case, could serve a greater purpose in Japan. German companies save time and resources in on-the-job training for vocational graduates, who start work with the skills needed to hit the ground running.

EASING TRANSITIONS

In addition to aspiring vocational school students, other groups may benefit from access to higher education.

“Line workers and junior managers in need of updating their skills or acquiring new skills due to the changing environment of their jobs would benefit. Those people who are transitioning in their lives—such as senior citizens, housewives wishing to return to work, or specialists in aging industries reaching the end of their life cycle—would have the most to gain,” Takai said.

While nearly 60 percent of Japan’s younger generation have received tertiary education, less than 35 percent of the country’s older generation have. For older workers with a desire to update their skills but who lack the resources to do so, free access to higher education could boost their job prospects.

At first glance, it sounds like a winning idea, but its implementation—as well as source of funding—would require careful consideration.

Fuente: https://japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/brain-power-would-free-university-make-japan-better

Comparte este contenido:
Leer más »

Venezuela: Micromisión Simón Rodríguez se activa con el Plan Chamba Juvenil

Noticias

Venezuela/Agosto de 2017/Fuente: MPPE

El Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Educación a través del Centro Nacional de Investigación y Formación Permanente del Magisterio (CENAMEC) durante los días jueves 10 y Viernes 11 de agosto se encuentra desarrollando encuentros, para abrir los espacios de diálogo e intercambio, en todo el país, con más de 6900 “chambistas” de la primera avanzada que seleccionaron a la Micromisión Simón Rodríguez (MMSR) como primera opción de trabajo.

Se trata de jóvenes de hasta 35 años de edad, profesionales universitarios que son incorporados a los programas de formación en educación de la MMSR, y luego serán incorporados simultáneamente a un empleo como profesionales de la educación en las escuelas y liceos públicos nacionales, que el Plan considere prioritarios, para que contribuyan al fortalecimiento de la calidad de la educación con un enfoque liberador y emancipador para la construcción de la Patria nueva.

En cada uno de los estados del territorio nacional, los colectivos de trabajo constituidos en asambleas dan inicio a la segunda fase del Plan Chamba Juvenil – MMSR que implica formación y vinculación al trabajo.

Una vez, realizada esta fase, las y los chambistas iniciarán un curso inicial que tendrá una duración de 12 semanas, constituida por 5 módulos donde abordarán tópicos como reflexión sobre la identidad juvenil en construcción, Formación sociopolítica en el marco del Plan Especial Chamba Juvenil, Formación de pedagogía popular crítica y emancipadora, Formación para la pedagogía en su área de especialidad y Vinculación a la práctica docente – investigativa.

Estos profesionales se incorporan a la formación en el contexto del Plan Agosto de Escuelas Abiertas 2017 para luego formar parte del nuevo año escolar 2017-2018 como docentes de aula y continuar su formación desde la dialéctica educación y trabajo.

Este plan es parte de los esfuerzos de nuestro presidente Nicolás Maduro para fortalecer la atención a nuestra juventud a partir de las necesidades detectadas a través del Carnet de la Patria.

Fuente: http://me.gob.ve/index.php/noticias/85-noticias-2027/agosto/3203-micromision-simon-rodriguez-se-activa-con-el-plan-chamba-juvenil

Comparte este contenido:
Leer más »

Estados Unidos: Blame rich whites for ‘Asian fail’ at top schools

Noticias

Estados Unidos/Agosto de 2017/Fuente: Straitstimes

Resumen:  Hace más de una década, conversé con personas de la tercera edad en la Escuela Preparatoria Hunter en la ciudad de Nueva York sobre sus perspectivas de ingreso a la universidad. Una mujer me dijo que había anotado 1.530 de un máximo de 1.600 en el SAT. Cuando la felicité, dijo que su puntuación era lo que ella y sus amigos llamaban «un fracaso asiático». Ella predijo que no sería suficiente para entrar en su escuela de ensueño, Yale. Al día siguiente, supo que Yale la había rechazado. Recordé nuestra conversación cuando leí que el Departamento de Justicia planea investigar una queja de organizaciones asiático-estadounidenses de que Harvard discrimina contra ellos dando una ventaja a otras minorías raciales. Mi respuesta inmediata fue: la víctima correcta, culpable equivocado.

More than a decade ago, I chatted with Asian-American seniors at Hunter College High School in New York City about their college admission prospects. One woman told me she had scored 1,530 out of a maximum 1,600 on the SAT. When I congratulated her, she said her score was what she and her friends called «an Asian fail».

She predicted it would not be enough to get into her dream school, Yale. The next day, she learnt that Yale had rejected her.

I remembered our conversation when I read that the Justice Department plans to investigate a complaint by Asian-American organisations that Harvard discriminates against them by giving an edge to other racial minorities. My immediate response was: right victim, wrong culprit.

Asian-Americans are indeed treated unfairly in admissions, but affirmative action is a convenient scapegoat for those who seek to pit minority groups against one another.

A more logical target would be «the preferences of privilege», as I called them in my 2006 book, The Price Of Admission. These policies elevate predominantly white, affluent applicants: children of alumni, big non-alumni donors, politicians and celebrities, as well as recruited athletes in upper-crust sports like golf, sailing, horseback riding, rowing and even, at some colleges, polo. The number of whites enjoying the preferences of privilege, I concluded, outweighed the number of minorities aided by affirmative action.

By giving more slots to already advantaged students, these preferences displace more deserving candidates from other backgrounds, including Asian-Americans and middle-class whites, without achieving the goals of affirmative action, such as diversity and redressing historical discrimination.

Mr Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, has become the poster boy for this practice. As I reported in my book, Harvard accepted Mr Kushner after receiving a US$2.5 million pledge from his father, a real-estate developer and New York University graduate. While sources at Mr Kushner’s high school told me he was not near the top of his class and did not always take the most challenging courses, a spokesman for Kushner Companies has described him as «an excellent student» and denied that his father’s gift was intended to improve his chances of admission.

In my book, I described Asian-Americans as «the new Jews». Like Jews before the 1960s, whose Ivy League enrolment was restricted by quotas, Asian-Americans are over-represented at selective colleges compared with their United States population, but are short-changed relative to their academic performance.

Much as Ivy League administrators once justified anti-Jewish policies with ethnic stereotypes, so Asian-Americans, I found, were typecast in college admissions offices. Asked why Massachusetts Institute of Technology had turned down one high-achieving Korean-American youth, the then dean of admissions told me it was possible that he «looked like a thousand other Korean kids with the exact same profile of grades and activities and temperament. My guess is that he just was not involved or interesting enough to surface to the top».

My research indicated that college admissions officers tended to compare stellar Asian-American candidates with one another, rather than with the rest of the applicant pool.

The result at some universities amounted to an informal quota system, with the percentage of Asian-Americans admitted as freshmen changing little from year to year. The proportion at Harvard, which long hovered below 20 per cent, has gradually climbed to 22.2 per cent for the class of 2021.

Who takes the places of the spurned Asians?

As far back as 1990, an investigation of Harvard by the US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights pointed to recipients of so-called «white affirmative action». Harvard admitted Asian-American applicants «at a significantly lower rate than white applicants» despite their «slightly stronger» SAT scores and grades, it found.

Accounting for most of the admissions gap was «preference given to legacies and recruited athletes – groups that are predominantly white». In that era, Asian-Americans comprised 15.7 per cent of all Harvard applicants, but only 3.5 per cent of alumni children and 4.1 per cent of recruited athletes.

Unlike affirmative action, the preferences of privilege are not inherently race-based, which makes it tougher to challenge them legally.

When I was researching my book in the early 2000s, several admissions deans assured me that the ranks of alumni children would become more diverse in the future as the children of minorities who gained access to elite universities with the advent of affirmative action attained college age. But that does not seem to have happened.

Based on a Harvard Crimson survey of freshmen entering Harvard last year, legacies remain a largely homogeneous group. They made up 15 per cent of the student body, but 26.6 per cent of those whose parents had a combined annual income of US$500,000 (S$680,700) or more. Two-thirds of these students said family members had attended Harvard. Of freshmen who identified themselves as white, 35 per cent said that a family member had gone to Harvard as an undergraduate.

Meanwhile, the practice of giving admissions breaks to children of current or prospective donors has only intensified. With other sources of revenue failing to keep pace with costs – the pace of tuition increases is declining, as is the percentage of alumni who donate to the country’s top 20 schools – universities are more dependent than ever on major givers, and thus under more pressure to accept their children. In 2015 alone, seven individuals made gifts of more than US$100 million apiece to higher education, including one bequest.

«Recognising that the market is more competitive and that we are constrained in our ability to raise prices, we are going to be more dependent on philanthropy,» Dr Donald Heller, provost and vice-president of academic affairs at the University of San Francisco, told me. «That means there’s probably more pressure on admissions offices around legacies and development admits» – applicants recommended by the development (that is, fund-raising) office.

In an era of widening economic and social inequity, and of backlash against minority groups, the way to open more slots for outstanding Asian-American applicants is not to ban affirmative action.

A better approach for eliminating the «Asian fail» is to curtail preferences for rich whites.

Fuente: http://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/blame-rich-whites-for-asian-fail-at-top-schools

Comparte este contenido:
Leer más »

Australia’s NZ uni fee change ruled ‘discriminatory’

Noticias

Australia/Agosto de 2017/Fuente: RNZ

Resumen:  El cambio de ley – señalado en el Presupuesto federal en mayo – afecta a expatriados y residentes permanentes que anteriormente eran elegidos para acceder a subsidios en educación superior. Las nuevas reglas podrían ver triplicar los honorarios para esos estudiantes. En un informe presentado en el Parlamento, el comité dijo que la eliminación del subsidio de la Commonwealth «discrimina directamente a los residentes permanentes ya los ciudadanos de Nueva Zelanda». «Este grupo tendrá que pagar cuotas (ya sea anticipadas, o reembolsadas con el tiempo) que son sustancialmente más altos que los ciudadanos australianos». Sin embargo, el vicepresidente del comité, el diputado federal de Trabajo de Queensland, Graham Perrett, reconoció que su decisión era desdentada. A pesar de todo, el informe del comité pasaría ahora a ejecutivos del gobierno. Cuando el comité preguntó por qué el gobierno estaba discriminando, no podía justificarlo, dijo Perrett.

The law change – signalled in the federal Budget in May – affects expatriates and permanent residents who were previously eligible for subsidised higher education places.

The new rules could see fees for those students triple.

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights voted unanimously last week that the change is discriminatory.

In a report tabled in Parliament, the committee said the removal of the Commonwealth subsidy «directly discriminates against permanent residents and New Zealand citizens».

«This group will have to pay fees (either upfront, or repaid over time) that are substantially higher than Australian citizens.»

However, the committee’s deputy chair, Queensland federal Labor MP Graham Perrett, acknowledged its ruling was toothless.

Regardless, the committee’s report would now go to government executives.

When the committee questioned why the government was discriminating, it could not justify it, said Mr Perrett.

«The minister didn’t actually justify why he has got rid of this, but he did say: We now let New Zealanders access this scheme where they can get a loan to pay off the higher education fees,» he said.

It may fall foul of an agreement between the two nations, but that was not enough to deter the Australian government.

«Nation states sign treaties, it wouldn’t be the first time an executive might not have complied with all aspects of a treaty they’d signed and ratified.»

There were many New Zealanders living in Mr Perrett’s electorate, with socio-economic challenges, and he expected more New Zealanders to raise their concerns with the government, he said.

Fuente: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/337110/australia-s-nz-uni-fee-change-ruled-discriminatory

 

Comparte este contenido:
Leer más »

Sudáfrica: SA teachers skip classes

Noticias

Sudáfrica/Agosto de 2017/Fuente: News 24

Resumen:  Los alumnos pierden alrededor del 40% del tiempo de aprendizaje cada año en las escuelas sudafricanas porque los maestros suelen saltar clases, según un estudio del Consejo para el Desarrollo y la Empresa. El estudio, publicado el 1 de agosto y titulado Normas Profesionales de Profesores para Sudáfrica: El camino hacia un mejor rendimiento, desarrollo y rendición de cuentas ?, atribuyó la pérdida de tiempo de aprendizaje al fracaso del actual modelo de evaluación docente. IQMS). El informe dijo que el modelo de evaluación de maestros se había debilitado hasta tal punto que los maestros estaban obteniendo puntos de desempeño para asistir a las reuniones del personal y no para buscar ganancias tangibles para mejorar la enseñanza y el aprendizaje en las escuelas.

Pupils lose about 40% of learning time every year in South African schools because teachers habitually skip classes, according to a study by the Council for Development and Enterprise.

The study, released on August 1 and titled Teacher Professional Standards for South Africa: The Road to Better Performance, Development and Accountability?, attributed the loss of learning time to the failure of the current model of teacher assessment – the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS).

The report said the teacher-assessment model had been weakened to such a degree that teachers were getting performance points for attending staff meetings and not for targeting tangible gains to improve teaching and learning in schools.

“Teachers go shopping on paydays. They are doing extra jobs while they are full-time teachers,” an education expert who has knowledge of the report, but who has asked not to be named, told City Press.

The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) in 2013 proposed that the Quality Management System (QMS) replace IQMS. “Until Sadtu has signed it off, it cannot be implemented. It has been watered down by government because of politics,” the expert said.

Accountability and leadership essential

The Council for Development and Enterprise commissioned researchers from the Joint Education Trust to look at the development of teacher professional standards in developed and developing countries. The study assessed the potential of teacher professional standards to improve teacher quality in South Africa.

The study proposed that government review IQMS and introduce teacher professional standards that have been implemented in a number of countries.

“Teacher evaluation in South Africa should be both formative [aimed at personal growth of a teacher] and summative [undertaken as part of performance review focusing on teacher accountability],” it proposed.

It said the evaluation should “appraise teacher performance, strengthen accountability and support professional development”.

It questioned QMS, saying it arguably suffered from a fundamental design fault. It recommended that the department of basic education (DBE) and provinces hold teachers accountable by maintaining a strict school timetable to avoid frequent skipping of classes.

It should institute a high level of managerial accountability and require teachers to be in class when they should to reduce the loss of learning time.

Although such moves were likely to be met with union resistance in forums such as the Education Labour Relations Council, the report said government should move from rhetoric to action on this matter using the deadlock-breaking mechanism provided for by law.

Commenting on the report, Rhodes University-based public service monitor head Zukiswa Kota said accountability and leadership were essential.

“The overall accountability and administration of schools, districts and the sector as a whole must see parallel changes to support the development of enhanced teacher-assessment practices in a sustained way.”

Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said allegations that the union had not signed the IQMS were not only false, but malicious.

“The IQMS was signed and … Sadtu proposed a review of the IQMS in order to deal with its weaknesses. Sadtu proposed QMS to strengthen the role of the principal or deputy principal, which was overlooked by IQMS.”

DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said: “The department supports processes that have the potential of raising the bar of teacher performance, encourage professional development and enhance accountability. The recommendation in the report requires further consultation with the relevant stakeholders in education.”

A dialogue on strengthening teacher professionalism was addressed by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga last week and parts of the report were discussed.

Fuente: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/sa-teachers-skip-classes-20170812

Comparte este contenido:
Leer más »

UNICEF: Los bebés y las madres del mundo sufren los efectos de la falta de inversión en la lactancia materna

Noticias

Agosto de 2017/Fuente: UNICEF

Ningún país en el mundo cumple plenamente las normas recomendadas para la lactancia materna, según se indica en un nuevo informe de UNICEF y de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) en colaboración con el Colectivo Mundial para la Lactancia Materna, una nueva iniciativa para aumentar las tasas mundiales de amamantamiento.

La Tarjeta de Puntuación Mundial para la Lactancia Materna, que evaluó las prácticas de lactancia materna en 194 naciones, encontró que solo el 40% de los niños menores de seis meses reciben lactancia materna exclusiva (únicamente leche materna) y solo 23 países registran índices exclusivos de lactancia materna por encima del 60%.

Está demostrado que la lactancia materna tiene beneficios cognitivos y de salud tanto para los bebés como para sus madres. Es especialmente importante durante los primeros seis meses de vida, ya que contribuye a evitar la diarrea y la neumonía, dos de las principales causas de muerte en los lactantes. Las madres que amamantan presentan un riesgo menor de padecer cáncer de ovario y de mama, dos de las principales causas de muerte entre las mujeres.

“La lactancia materna ofrece a los bebés el mejor comienzo posible en la vida”, dijo el Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General de la OMS. “La leche materna actúa como la primera vacuna del bebé, ya que les protege contra enfermedades potencialmente mortales y les ofrece todo el alimento que necesitan para sobrevivir y prosperar”.

La tarjeta de puntuación se dio a conocer al inicio de la Semana Mundial de la Lactancia Materna, junto con un nuevo análisis que demuestra que se requiere una inversión anual de sólo 4,70 dólares por recién nacido para aumentar la tasa mundial de lactancia materna exclusiva entre los niños menores de seis meses.

Nurturing the Health and Wealth of Nations: The Investment Case for Breastfeeding (Alimentar la salud y la riqueza de las naciones: las razones en favor de invertir en la lactancia materna) sugiere que el cumplimiento de este objetivo podría salvar la vida de 520.000 niños menores de cinco años y generar potencialmente 300.000 millones de dólares en ganancias económicas en 10 años, como resultado de la reducción de las enfermedades y los costos de atención médica, y el aumento de la productividad.

“La lactancia materna es una de las inversiones más eficaces y rentables que las naciones pueden realizar en favor de la salud de sus miembros más jóvenes y la salud futura de sus economías y sociedades”, dijo el Director Ejecutivo de UNICEF, Anthony Lake. “Al no invertir en la lactancia, estamos fallando a las madres y a sus bebés, y pagando un doble precio: en vidas perdidas y en oportunidades perdidas”.

El caso en favor de la inversión en la lactancia materna muestra que en cinco de las economías emergentes más grandes del mundo –China, India, Indonesia, México y Nigeria– la falta de inversión en la lactancia materna da como resultado alrededor de 236.000 muertes de niños al año y 119.000 millones de dólares en pérdidas económicas.

A nivel mundial, la inversión en la lactancia materna se queda demasiado corta. Cada año, los gobiernos de los países de ingresos bajos y medianos gastan aproximadamente 250 millones de dólares en programas de lactancia materna; y los donantes aportan sólo 85 millones de dólares adicionales.

El Colectivo Mundial para la Lactancia Materna está exhortando a los países a que:

• Aumenten los fondos para elevar las tasas de lactancia desde el nacimiento hasta los dos años.
• Apliquen plenamente el Código Internacional de Comercialización de los Sucedáneos de la Leche Materna y las resoluciones pertinentes de la Asamblea Mundial de la Salud por medio de estrictas medidas jurídicas que sean aplicadas y controladas independientemente por organizaciones libres de conflictos de intereses.
• Promulguen políticas de licencia familiar remunerada y de lactancia materna en el trabajo sobre la base de las directrices de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo en materia de protección de la maternidad, como requisito mínimo, y que incluyan disposiciones para el sector informal.
• Pongan en práctica los Diez Pasos para el Éxito de la Lactancia Materna en las instalaciones de maternidad, incluyendo el suministro de leche materna para recién nacidos enfermos y vulnerables.
• Mejoren el acceso al asesoramiento sobre la lactancia materna cualificada como parte de las políticas y programas integrales de lactancia materna en los establecimientos de salud.
• Fortalezcan los vínculos entre los centros de salud y las comunidades, y alienten a las redes comunitarias a que protejan, promuevan y apoyen la lactancia materna.
• Fortalezcan los sistemas de monitoreo que registran el progreso de las políticas, programas y fondos hacia el logro de metas nacionales y mundiales de lactancia materna.

La lactancia materna es fundamental para el logro de muchos de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible. Mejora la nutrición (ODS2), previene la mortalidad infantil y disminuye el riesgo de enfermedades no transmisibles (ODS3), y apoya el desarrollo cognitivo y la educación (ODS4). La lactancia materna es también un instrumento para poner fin a la pobreza, promover el crecimiento económico y reducir las desigualdades.

Fuente: https://www.unicef.org/spanish/media/media_98546.html

 

Comparte este contenido:
Leer más »

República Dominicana: Andrés Navarro afirma que universidades son vitales en Revolución Educativa

Noticias

República Dominicana/Agosto de 2017/Fuente: El Nuevo Diario

El ministro de Educación Andrés Navarro, afirmó que las universidades jugarán un rol de primer orden en el proceso de transformación del sistema educativo y su nuevo paradigma de formación docente, una escuela inclusiva y el desarrollo curricular por competencias que permitan alcanzar avances en la mejora de la calidad de los aprendizajes.

Sostuvo que por esa razón ha encaminado esfuerzos por acercarse a las universidades, a través del Ministerio de Educación Superior (MESCYT), con el propósito de materializar alianzas estratégicas que viabilicen los procesos de formación docente a través de la educación continuada.

Al dirigir un discurso como el primer orador invitado en la creada “Cátedra Magistral de Educación doctor Thomas McDonald”, durante un acto realizado en el auditórium de la Universidad Central del Este (UCE), Navarro mostró su complacencia de que previamente el reconocido cientista estadounidense haya coincidido con la estrategia transformadora de la educación que impulsa la Revolución Educativa del presidente Danilo Medina.

Recordó que el gobierno contempla llegar a un millón 450 estudiantes en la impactante Jornada Escolar Extendida (JEE) con 3,829 escuelas con dicho formato. Para finales del próximo año se prevé construir las aulas que permitan universalizar la JEE, además de fortalecer el programa de rehabilitación de escuelas.

Asimismo, se incrementarán los cuatro millones de raciones alimenticias (desayuno, almuerzo y merienda) que se distribuyen en los centros educativos con jornada escolar extendida, mientras que se distribuirán uniformes escolares, zapatos, libros y útiles entre 1.8 millones de estudiantes a nivel nacional.

“Estamos trabajando con fuerza y decisión en los factores determinantes para la mejora de la calidad educativa, con el concurso de los distintos sectores envueltos en el tema, siempre dirigidos a una formación docente con nuevos conocimientos y tecnologías”, refirió.

Manifestó que actualmente se cuenta con más de tres mil postulantes a docentes universitarios para los programas de excelencia a nivel superior, mientras que se trabaja en el reclutamiento de estudiantes con buenas calificaciones y con potencialidades para ingresar a la carrera magisterial a través de la concesión de 20 mil becas pagadas por el Ministerio de Educación, institución que también asumirá el 65% del pago a los profesores de alta calificación de las universidades que sean seleccionadas por el MINERD.

El funcionario destacó, asimismo, el encaminado proceso de Evaluación por Desempeño Docente que se constituirá en un diagnóstico que mostrará las fortalezas y las debilidades, a lo que se sumará la aplicación del pago de los incentivos a los docentes a partir de enero del próximo año.

Coincidencia

Previo a la conferencia del ministro Andrés Navarro, intervino el doctor Thomas McDonald, empresario estadounidense colaborador de la UCE en el área de capacitación docente a través de la Universidad Mercer de Atlanta, Georgia, quien coincidió en sus reflexiones con las líneas estratégicas de la Revolución Educativa por la mejora de la calidad de los aprendizajes. El Dr. McDonald expuso que esa meta dependerá mucho de una profunda y activa participación de los padres, madres y amigos de las escuelas, en los procesos educativos.

Agregó que el reforzamiento de la formación continua de los maestros, combinado con un decidido involucramiento de los estudiantes, y la puesta en marcha de un currículo que desarrolle el pensamiento, la innovación, la creatividad y el respeto a los derechos humanos, son herramientas vitales para que la República Dominicana pueda alcanzar una educación que la convierta en líder en América Latina y el Caribe.

“No tengo duda de que este país está dando los pasos necesarios en ese sentido, y ojalá también se busque la vía de lograr que los jóvenes bachilleres y los profesionales recién graduados de las universidades encuentren las oportunidades necesarias para insertarse de inmediato en el sector laboral”, refirió McDonald.

Por otro lado, el presidente del Consejo Superior de la UCE, José Hazim Frappier, acompañado de José A. Hazim Torres, rector de la academia, leyó la resolución 11-2017 que instalará anualmente “La Cátedra Magisterial de Educación Thomas McDonald”, en reconocimiento a la valiosa colaboración del filántropo empresario estadounidense, especialista en Ciencias Políticas y Sociales.

Rector destaca esfuerzos

En tanto, el rector Hazim Torres resaltó los ingentes esfuerzos, dedicación y manejo de los recursos por parte del ministro Andrés Navarro, en pos de los cambios que se requieren para la mejora de la calidad de la educación, incluyendo el fortalecimiento del proceso de enseñanza de los docentes, así como los resultados de los aprendizajes que exhiben los estudiantes en los planteles escolares.

En la actividad estuvieron, además, Richard Peguero, vicerrector de la UCE; Jaqueline Malagón, coordinadora de programas; el sacerdote Paul Ramírez, vicario de educación de la Diócesis de San Pedro de Macorís; Luis Manuel Pichirilo, gobernador provincial; decenas de estudiantes de bachillerato y universitarios; rectores de otras academias superiores, y representantes de distintas organizaciones sociales y comunitarias, entre otras personalidades.

Fuente: https://elnuevodiario.com.do/andres-navarro-afirma-universidades-vitales-revolucion-educativa/

Comparte este contenido:
Leer más »
Page 3495 of 6179
1 … 3.493 3.494 3.495 3.496 3.497 … 6.179