Education Program

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Japan: 97% of schools eligible to provide free higher education

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Asia/ Japan/ 23.09.2019/ Source: the-japan-news.com.

The education ministry announced Friday that 97.1 percent of 1,074 universities and junior colleges in the nation have been recognized as eligible for a free higher education program (see below) for students from low-income households, a system that will be launched in April 2020.

A total of 31 private universities and junior colleges did not apply to the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry for accreditation. Institutions with financial difficulties are not eligible to provide free education. The ministry suspects that financial woes were the reason some institutions did not apply. Universities that are struggling financially could have further difficulty attracting students.

The ministry said that 1,043 out of 1,074 national, public and private universities and junior colleges have been certified. Of the 1,043 institutions, 744 are universities and 299 are junior colleges. All national and public universities, including the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, have been granted eligibility. According to the ministry, the 31 institutions that did not apply were all private schools.

Of the 2,713 vocational schools in the nation, 1,688, or 62.2 percent, were certified. All 57 of the nation’s technical colleges were accredited.

The system will be introduced to prevent a divide in educational opportunities, as the percentage of people who go on to higher education is lower among low-income households. However, some people argue that the system should not serve as a life raft for financially stricken private universities.

In response, the ministry has created a benchmark: Incorporated entities that have liabilities in excess of assets, face payment deficits for three straight years and have a student enrollment of less than 80 percent of the school’s quota for three straight years are ineligible for the program.

“Of the universities and junior colleges that didn’t file applications, nearly 10 are believed to have judged that they couldn’t meet such administrative standards,” said an official of the ministry’s office for higher education support.

Medical and dental universities did not apply apparently because the upper limits on free tuition under the system meant their hefty tuition fees could not be covered.

Part of the revenue from an increase in the consumption tax rate from October will be used to make higher education free. The ministry estimates that up to about 750,000 people will be eligible for the program, and that the annual cost will be up to ¥760 billion.

■ Free higher education program

A program to waive or reduce the tuition and entrance fees of universities, junior colleges, vocational schools and technical colleges, while expanding grant-type financial aid, including for living expenses. Up to about ¥700,000 will be provided in annual tuition fees, and up to about ¥910,000 will be provided in grant-type financial aid. For example, in the case of a family with two parents and two children, the program will apply if the household makes an annual income of less than ¥3.8 million, in principle. Such households with an annual income of less than ¥2.7 million are exempted from residential tax. Speech

Source of the notice: https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0006021575

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Australian state ends Chinese education program over foreign interference fears

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Oceania/ Australia/ 02.09.2019/ Source: www.reuters.com.

Australia’s most populous state said it will ax a Chinese-funded education program that teaches Mandarin in schools amid fears over potential foreign influence.

The Confucius Institute program – administered by the Chinese government agency Hanban – teaches China’s official language in 13 public schools across New South Wales (NSW).

However, the NSW government said in a review issued late on Thursday that, while it found no specific evidence of interference, it was improper for the program to continue.

“The review found, however, a number of specific factors that could give rise to the perception that the Confucius Institute is or could be facilitating inappropriate foreign influence in the department,” the review said.

The government report said NSW was the only state government worldwide to have such a program and that the arrangement also placed Chinese government appointees inside the NSW education department.

The Chinese embassy in Canberra did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the program would be replaced by Mandarin classes run by the state government.

Australia has in recent years sought to increase the teaching of Mandarin in schools in a bid to strengthen ties with its largest trading partner.

The removal of the program comes amid heightened concerns about Chinese activities in Australia and the neighboring Pacific region and a souring of relations in recent years.

In 2017, then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull accused China of meddling in Australia’s domestic affairs, a charge that Beijing denies.

Australia then further alienated China last year when it essentially banned the technology giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL] from supplying equipment for a 5G mobile network, citing national security risks.

China criticized that move as being politically motivated and urged Australia to abandon what it described as a Cold War mentality.

Australia has also moved in recent months to push back against China’s quest for greater influence in the Pacific.

Canberra fears Chinese lending in the region could undermine the sovereignty of small Pacific countries and has moved to increase economic aid and its diplomatic presence in the region.

At the same time, Australia has experienced disruption to its coal exports to China, including customs delays. China denies that Australian trade is being hampered because of bilateral tensions.

 

Source of the notice: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-china-education/australian-state-ends-chinese-education-program-over-foreign-interference-fears-idUSKCN1VD009

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United Kingdom: Parents have clear views on the education system, it’s time they were heard

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Europe/United Kingdom/26.06.18/By Charles Parker/Source: www.telegraph.co.uk.

On an almost daily basis we hear from educators, politicians and commentators on what needs to change in education. But we rarely hear from parents, despite the fact they have a clear perspective on the outcomes. It’s their children that the system teaches and they see first hand whether it’s working.

Recent research from the Baker Dearing Educational Trust shows that 80 per cent of parents think the current education system needs to change to reflect 21st century Britain, which suggests they have concerns.

The research surveyed 1,000 parents with teenagers at mainstream schools and their responses were compared with 450 parents whose children attend University Technical Colleges (UTCs), technical schools for 14-18 year olds.

The results found that for two thirds (66 per cent) of parents their biggest fear is that their child will not find a job when they leave education and nearly half (48.1 per cent) of parents said they felt stressed about their child’s education.

It is completely understandable that parents are concerned about the future and whether their children will secure the careers they deserve.

Parents are hearing about high youth unemployment and graduates not being able to find jobs. Their children are staying at home longer and finding it harder to rent, let alone buy, their own homes.

«It is completely understandable that parents are concerned about the future and whether their children will secure the careers they deserve.»

Futurist, Rohit Talwar says that youngsters need to be ready to have 40 jobs during their career and work, potentially, up to the age of 100.

Although no one really knows what’s in store it’s clear that the way we’ve been working and living is going to change greatly. So for UTC parents it must be reassuring to know that their child is confident and has a clear understanding of the industry they want to work in.

Nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of mainstream school parents surveyed said they wanted a greater variety of choice in the type of school for their child and 69 per cent said they wanted the option to select a technical education if it reflected their child’s talents.

It’s really hard for schools to keep pace with the modern world of work, where the skills requirements are changing all the time. In order to cope with these changes, young people will need to be well grounded in basic behaviour, social skills, communication and teamwork. They will need to have the ability to adapt, learn new skills and master technologies that haven’t even been conceived yet.

Recently, Nicky Morgan showed she had been listening to working parents when she offered them the right to request childcare from their school that reflects a full working day.

I agree that it is important that schools align themselves with the working day for three reasons. First, it helps children in their transition between school and work. Second, parents will be pleased that children remain in school where they are safe and supervised to do their homework and extra-curricular activities.

But finally it makes sense on a social level for everyone’s quality of life. It keeps learning and homework within the working day rather than dragging into the evening when parents and children are too tired to concentrate.

UTCs are ahead of the curve on this as they have been operating on a working day since the first one opened.

Schools are working hard to deliver the talent employers need but employers need to change too. They need to take a long-term view of their skills requirements and integrate better with the education system.

In Europe, collaboration is normal, but in the UK the worlds of education and employment are largely separate.

Employers and the university control the governing bodies of UTCs. This means they are required to understand more about education and it helps the senior leaders of the school to better understand the needs of employers. It’s testing for both sides, but it seems to be paying off.

The research showed that about eight out of 10 parents believed the UTC was preparing their child for the world of work compared to just over 6 out of 10 parents with children at mainstream schools.

The skills challenge we face will not be solved by one single system or education program. This is not just a problem for the Government, educators or industry. Our research show parents have clear ideas and should play a larger role in engineering future solutions.

Source of the notice: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/11960332/Parents-have-clear-views-on-the-education-system-its-time-they-were-heard.html

 

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EEUU: State officials explain education program

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EEUU/March 27, 2018/By Grant McPherson Staff Writer/Source: http://leader.mainelymediallc.com

Residents have numerous questions regarding profiency-based diploma program
State officials attended a Scarborough board of education meeting to discuss where the state was in its implementation of proficiency-based diplomas as well as the challenges they face, but residents still have many questions.

Maine Department of Education Chief Academic Officer Paul Hambleton and Sen. Brian Langley (Dist. 7), chairman of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, spoke before board members, school staff and the public Thursday, March 15 and answered questions about what kind of regulations the state was considering.

Following a state mandate, ninth graders at Scarborough High School must demonstrate they have mastered skills in eight different educational areas in order to graduate. Residents are concerned how the new grading system will affect their children’s chances of being accepted to colleges and universities.

Hambleton, who taught English and special education before joining the department of education, said he’s heard both concerns and success stories from around the state regarding the transition. He spoke before the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee and asked for clarification from the legislature about what the definition of “proficient” should be.

“The struggle I was having was in one particular area of the law,” Hambleton said. “It describes the diploma as something that is awarded when a student reaches proficiency in all eight areas and my challenge with that after talking to colleges is if we take that at straight face value, we were concerned about the way we were setting it up was going to result in a lot of kids not being able to meet that bar.”

Hambleton has been back and forth in discussion with the legislature about amendments to the law, which could look similar to aspects of the No Child Left Behind Act and Every Student Succeeds Act, the latter a reauthorization of the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Acts.

“Now the question is, what does a diploma mean,” Hambleton said. “The other moving piece is what do we expect kids to be able to do by the time they graduate high school? Do we want to create a statewide definition for all students in all eight areas before they exit high school? That’s been our challenge. Where is that model and where do we land on that? What are we expecting all kids in the state to be able to do regardless of zip code? How do we help all kids get there without creating a barrier that will trip kids up? That’s essentially where we are now, finding that sweet spot.”

Over the next couple weeks, Hambleton said he would work with the legislature and his department to try and answer some of those questions.

Langley spent 27 years teaching culinary arts at the Hancock County Technical Center in Ellsworth before his time in the legislature and was present when the proficiency-based diploma bill was introduced. He said that a proficiency based grading system is not a mandate of the new law and local school districts are free to implement it, create a hybrid system or keep a numerical method of grading.

Langley said he doesn’t know how many schools have chosen a proficiency based grading system, but that eight high schools in Maine will graduate students this year with performance-based diplomas.

The law took effect Jan. 1, 2017 and Langley said as long as the state legislature continues to turn over every few years there will continue to be amendments to the law. However, he is hopeful the changes will be beneficial in the long-term.

“It’s been difficult for those whom the system has always worked for,” Langley said. “They will continue to say it still works. I spent my career working with castaway kids. When they had been given up on they would end up in my program. With a grading system of one through four for a perfect blueberry pie taste, they could begin making one when they compare themselves against a standard and not someone else’s work.

“Most school systems already have proficiency based (models). In kindergarten through second grade, a report card shows if a student can tell time to a quarter of the hour, count to 10 and recite the alphabet.”

Langley said the legislature would wait for an amendment to the law from the department of education or possibly choose to delay further implantation by a year. While not originally planning to attend the Scarborough Board of Education’s meeting, he said he felt obligated when he heard a municipality was discussing how to implement its own methods.

“It’s nice to see so many people out for a school board meeting,” he said. “From my perspective it’s hard and people are very concerned about what’s best for their kids. A lot of school systems have trouble finding enough people to serve on the school board. You will develop thick skin working through the issues and come out better for it.”

Scarborough resident Jeannine Uzzi said while she supports the transition to proficiency-based education, making sure colleges and universities understand students’ transcripts is critical.

“I have no philosophical issue, but the fact of the matter is the onus is on the district to replace the familiar transcript with narrative data and it will take a lot of hard work upfront before the switch to a different grading system,” she said. “Proficiency-based education will not disadvantage students in terms of learning, it should be an advantage. There need to be resources put into recreating how we grade assessments and how teachers are trained. The town has to invest money to support changes.”

Maria Connolly, another resident, was less enthusiastic about the change. She said the discussion about proficiency based education has only caused more anxiety for her children, who are considering private school to ensure a better chance at being accepted to the college or university of their choice.

“You have the future of our children in your hands,” she said. “We want you to leave a legacy of positivity for them. I regret I didn’t get involved in the discussion sooner. I regret my 13-year-old son came up to me at the beginning of the school year asking to go to Cheverus for the rest of his high school career because he was unhappy with the grading system. As a 13-year-old he was worried about the impact on himself. If a 13-year-old saw the writing on the wall, then you as the board of education and superintendent should have.”

Staff Writer Grant McPherson can be reached at news@scarboroughleader.com

Source:

http://leader.mainelymediallc.com/news/2018-03-23/Community_News/State_officials_explain_education_program.html

 

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Egypt: U.S. Agency for International Development and Ministry of Education Launch Renewable Energy Curriculum

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United States / February 24, 2018/By: APO

Resumen: Un nuevo plan de estudios desarrollado por la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional en asociación con el Ministerio de Educación ayudará a más de 300 estudiantes de escuelas técnicas en Aswan y Hurghada a especializarse en energía renovable y prepararlos para el empleo en los prometedores sectores de energía eólica y solar de Egipto.

A new curriculum developed by the U.S. Agency for International Development in partnership with the Ministry of Education will help over 300 technical school students in Aswan and Hurghada specialize in renewable energy and prepare them for employment in Egypt’s promising solar and wind power sectors.

This new, three-year diploma program is the first of its kind in Egypt. It supports the Government of Egypt’s plan to meet 20 percent of its electricity needs through renewable energy by 2022.  The program will provide skilled labor for power plants such as the Benban Solar Park in Aswan, where 40 solar stations will help meet Egypt’s increasing demands for electricity.

Developed by the Ministry of Education and Technical Education in partnership with USAID, the renewable energy curriculum is being piloted in three technical schools in Aswan and Hurghada and will eventually expand to 57 schools in nine governorates.  The coursework combines classroom instruction and hands-on, practical experience to produce technicians capable of immediately contributing to the renewable energy sector.

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“The launch of this new curriculum could not be more timely,” said USAID Mission Director Sherry F. Carlin at the program launch in Benban Technical School. “Employers like engineering companies and renewable energy firms need to hire people with skills and experience, and this new technical education program trains students to become skilled technicians who are qualified for these jobs.”

Speakers at the launch ceremony at Benban Technical School in Daraw included Aswan Governor General Magdy Fouad Hegazy and Deputy Minister of Education and Technical Education Dr. Ahmed El Geushey.

This activity is part of the $30 billion that the American people have invested in Egypt through USAID since 1978.

Fuente: https://www.cnbcafrica.com/apo/2018/02/21/egypt-u-s-agency-for-international-development-and-ministry-of-education-launch-renewable-energy-curriculum/

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UNESCO’s Support to Girls Education in Imotong State

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UNESCO/October 10, 2017/ Source: https://reliefweb.int

Community Girls Schools (CGS) is a unique education program designed to accelerate equitable access to quality basic education for girls aged between 8-12 years in villages that have no established formal schools. It’s a modified education program which offers flexible learning opportunities to learners mainly in lower primary education, where girls are expected to constitute 70% of the total learners, and boys constitute the remaining 30%. The CGS program is mainly characterized by condensed syllabus, faster learning process, targeting marginalized female learners, and flexibility in the learning schedule and calendar.

One of the four clusters of CGSs that are getting support from the Out of School Children (OOSC) project being implemented by UNESCO Juba Office is that of Imotong State. The partner that is given the assignment to provide the support and to run the 93 CGSs in the three counties of Torit, Magwi and Nimule is Alternative Basic Education for Pastoralists (ABEP). ABEP has also managed to cater for displaced children who left their areas of Pageri, Moli and Kerepi and are temporarily settled in Nimule.

ABEP has recruited 93 all-female CGS teachers who are conducting classes for 2,731 students (1,927 girls and 804 boys). As the target set was to enroll 2,790 students, ABEP has achieved a 97.9% success rate in terms of enrolment. With regard to sex disaggregated targets, ABEP had planned to enroll 1,953 girls and therefore has achieved 98.7% of its target; the success rate for boys is 92.8% as the plan was 837 boys and actual enrolment is 804. ABEP has reported that it has given capacity development orientation training for all its 93 teachers in the writing of lesson plans, and use of learners’ attendance register.

ABEP has conducted one assessment of learning so far, and the pass rate for girls was 63% and for boys 67%, an indication of the need to work harder to support girls succeed in their education.

ABEP mentions insecurity and famine in the project areas as two of the major challenges it faces in the execution of its activities. It recommends some kind of school feeding programme to be launched in the CGS schools if it is possible to do so.

Source:

https://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan/unesco-s-support-girls-education-imotong-state

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Estados Unidos: CHA education partnership puts higher education in reach

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Chicago / 04 de octubre de 2017 / Por: Rachel Hinton / Fuente: https://chicago.suntimes.com

Cyntisha Taylor thought she would never be able to return to college until she learned about the Partners in Education program.

She had taken classes at National Louis University but had to quit in 2015 when she became ineligible for Pell Grants.

That decision meant she had to begin paying back her loans, with the high payments keeping her from making real progress on them. Unable to pay back her loans and unable to take out new ones, Taylor said she had given up on getting a college education.

“Once I found out that I exceeded the Pell Grant, I had the mind-set that I would just get a job and put my career goals aside so I could pay my loans and go back to school one day,” Taylor said.

Last year, a professor encouraged her to look into applying to become part of the partnership between Chicago City Colleges and the Chicago Housing Authority. The program covers unmet financial aid and offers academic support for CHA residents and housing choice voucher recipients.

Once enrolled, Taylor transferred some of her credits from National Louis and went to Kennedy King College. Her tuition was paid by the CHA.

Cyntisha Taylor earned an associate’s in general education in May. She plans to go back to National Louis University to complete her bachelor’s degree. | Provided photo

Seeing the success of students like Taylor and the growing number of people enrolling into the program, the CHA will add $400,000 to the Partners in Education program for the 2017-2018 academic year, bringing the total to $1.2 million. Last year, the budget was $800,000.

Cassandra Brooks, who oversees the program for the CHA, said the goal of the partnership — which began in 2005 and opened to voucher recipients in 2011 — is to make sure more people have access to education without worrying about the minutiae that often makes that difficult.

Things like transportation to and from college are covered by City Colleges’ UPass program, and students are connected to child care services, job placement and transfer assistance so they can earn their bachelor’s degrees.

Over the past six years, more than 2,200 students have enrolled in City Colleges with support from the program. Seeing the growing number of participants and their success was part of the reason behind the housing authority increasing its contribution.

“Our program provides more nimbleness for students who may have started school decades ago and now see the need to go back,” Brooks said. “Going to college is one of the best ways toward self-sufficiency and a stable future.”

City Colleges Chancellor Juan Salgado said the colleges are “a critical part of the city’s infrastructure,” so it’s important to ensure “upward mobility” for all of the city’s residents.

“We craft our curriculum to meet students where they’re at, and we have a great diversity of students,” Salgado said. “Partnerships like these work because we listen to students, we support them and, in the end, they get something they want. We, as a city, need to do more of that to help people succeed.”

In the program, many students are the head of their household and key breadwinners. The average student is 35 years old and over 80 percent are women. Demographically, 90 percent are African-American, Brooks said. And 54 percent transfer to four-year colleges, Salgado said.

At 36, Taylor fits into these demographics. She said she got serious after enrolling in the program. Her grades had to be up, so she studied harder. Her classes in human services and criminal justice were difficult, but she said advisers pushed her and supported her.

In May, Taylor got her associate’s degree in general studies and plans to complete an associate’s degree in criminal justice before transferring back to National Louis. Without the partnership program, she said, that wouldn’t have been possible.

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