Education

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Germany: Governor remakes Ky. Board of Education

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Germany/By: Ronnie Ellis CNHI Kentucky/ Source: http://www.dailyindependent.com

Hal Heiner, a charter school supporter and critic of the Kentucky Education Association, resigned Monday as Secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet to accept an appointment to the Kentucky Board of Education.

Gov. Matt Bevin also appointed his former communications director, Amanda Stamper, and five others to the board effectively remaking the board.

The appointments come after a tumultuous General Assembly which drew thousands of teachers to Frankfort protesting changes in their pension system and lobbying for more funding for public schools and a session during which the Republican-controlled legislature declined to provide funding for charter schools which they authorized last year.

Many teachers were still reeling Monday from comments Bevin made last Friday, saying children were likely — he used the word guarantee at one point — subjected to abuse and danger when some school systems closed to allow teachers to travel to Frankfort for the protests.

Stamper, who is now public relations director for Anthem, also commented on the school closings on Friday by posting on her Twitter account that: “Heavy on my heart are the children who’ve been left at home by themselves because their parents can’t afford the extra childcare expense due to school being cancelled.”

The appointments also come against the backdrop of a state audit of the school’s larges public school system in Jefferson County. That audit — prompted by reports of inappropriate restraints of some children and other problems — should be completed soon, according to Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt.

Heiner has frequently criticized the Jefferson County system. He also was critical of KEA during the 2017 General Assembly during testimony before the education committee on behalf of charter school legislation.

“I am grateful for Sec. Heiner’s skilled and selfless leadership of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet over these past two and a half years,” Bevin said in a press release announce Heiner’s resignation as cabinet secretary. “He has overseen a pivotal time of transformation as we strengthen Kentucky’s education system and modernize workforce training. I appreciate his willingness to continue serving Kentucky in a less time-intensive but very important role as a member of the state Board of Education. In his new role, I am confident he will work to ensure that every K-12 student in the commonwealth has the best possible opportunity for success.”

Heiner, a former member of the Louisville Metro Council, was one of four Republican contestants in the 2015 Republican gubernatorial primary won by Bevin who subsequently appointed him Secretary of the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.

In the press release, Heiner said his time as cabinet secretary has been “the highlight of my career,” a time of progress in workforce readiness and education.

“There is, however, work still to be done, and I look forward to focusing my time and energy on students at the elementary and secondary levels as a member of the Board of Education,” Heiner said.

The seven new appointees join the 11-member Kentucky Board of Education who are appointed by the governor. The other five appointed Monday be Bevin are:

• Laura Timberlake of Ashland is chief operating officer for Big Sandy Distribution/Big Sandy Superstores, a furniture store chain. She serves on the boards of Ashland Alliance and Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital and holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources from Park University.

• Kathy Gornik of Lexington is the retired co-founder and president of Thiel Audio and has served as chairwoman of the Consumer Electronics Association and on the board of the National Science and Technology Education Partnership. She holds a BA degree in education from the University of Dayton.

• Tracey Cusick of Union is mother to 10 children and has served as a parental advisor to the board with a background in home schooling, private and public schools. She holds an associate’s degree in applied science from State University of New York’s Health Science Center in Syracuse.

• Joe Papalia of Louisville is chief executive officer of Munich Welding and Deposition Technology Innovations. He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a non-voting member of the Council on Postsecondary Education.

• Ben Cundiff of Cadiz was initially appointed by Bevin to an unexpired term. He is owner and operator of Cundiff Farms, an attorney and former chairman and CEO of Trigg County Famers Bank. He holds a degree in chemical engineering from Vanderbilt University.

Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnhifrankfort.

Source:

http://www.dailyindependent.com/news/governor-remakes-ky-board-of-education/article_61106b5c-41a0-11e8-8754-238b72440f96.html

 

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Young Japanese turn to financial education to prepare for future of uncertain pensions

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Por: www.japantimes.co.jp/ 18-04-2018

Education programs to help people make financial plans for their future are spreading as young Japanese face a bleak horizon of uncertain pension benefits.

Their worries are well-founded, given the aging population and low birthrate.

Japanese are often regarded as being reluctant about making investments, with cash and deposits accounting for more than half of about ¥1.8 quadrillion in financial assets held by households in Japan, according to the Financial Services Agency.

Meanwhile, the share of stocks and investment trusts, including those indirectly owned through insurance and pension programs, is only around 19 percent.

In the United States, where many people engage in asset-building activities, households have some 46 percent of financial assets in stocks and investment trusts.

“There is an unfavorable image about investing,” which is often considered identical to speculation in Japan, according to Hiroshi Nodomi, the senior general manager for financial literacy and education support at the Japan Securities Dealers Association.

But stock prices have maintained an upward trend in recent years, creating an environment that encourages a shift in popular interest from deposits and savings to investment.

A 2016 survey conducted by the Central Council for Financial Services Information, which is affiliated with the government and the Bank of Japan, found that 62.4 percent of people aged 18 and older believe it necessary to conduct financial literacy education at schools, while 12.9 percent said there is no such need.

The FSA is also promoting “long-term tsumitate (accumulation) and diversified investment,” an official said.

For example, the Tsumitate Nippon Individual Savings Account (NISA), a tax-exempt scheme for investment by individuals that was introduced in January, is designed for modest investing in financial instruments.

Amid the increasing awareness, Kyorin University in 2016 started teaching financial literacy — skills and knowledge allowing an individual to make effective decisions on financial resources — as a required course for first-year students in the social science department.

“I receive many after-class questions, suggesting that many students consider asset management a matter that concerns them,” said Nobuyuki Oda, a professor who, with two other teachers, holds about 30 classes per year on insurance, pensions, stocks and other financial issues.

During the first day in the class on financial education at Kyorin University, students are asked what kind of life they want to live. Students often recognize a wide gap between their envisioned lives and reality after they learn about lifetime income and other specific data, and become willing to acquire financial literacy, Oda said.

The university’s one-year financial education program is designed to give students knowledge required for the third, or lowest, grade of “certified skilled financial planning professional” credentials, a form of certification issued by the government.

Financial education should start in high school because it teaches “pension and other matters linked to our lives,” said Ayana Mineshima, who took the course at Kyorin University.

Under the government’s new curriculum guidelines for high school studies, financial education will be “considerably upgraded,” according to an official in the education ministry.

Expectations are increasing that the financial literacy of young people in Japan will improve in the coming years.

*Fuente: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/04/17/business/young-japanese-turn-financial-education-prepare-future-uncertain-pensions/#.WtYpwSPhC_E

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UAE: Sheikh Nahyan wins educational personality award

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Por: khaleejtimes.com/ Ismail Sebugwaawo -Abu Dhabi /18-04-2018

This cycle of the awards included 39 winners, comprising of those from the UAE and the Arab region

 Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, won the Educational Personality of the Year at the Khalifa Award for Education.

He was recognised for his tireless efforts in promoting education and supporting learning activities across the UAE.

Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court and member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, honoured the winners of the Khalifa Award for Education 2017/2018 at a ceremony held at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

This cycle of the awards included 39 winners, comprising of those from the UAE and the Arab region.

Hussein Al Hammad, Minister of Education, said at the award’s mission, supported by the President, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is to be a leading national initiative to encourage people, who work in education, to innovate and develop education, in compliance with the challenges of the information age.

«Education has been so pivotal in the growth and development of the UAE and the nation’s leaders are keen in supporting the education sector for quality learning,» said Al Hammadi.

On receiving the award, Sheikh Nahyan said: «I am very proud to be selected for this coveted award, which is named after the President, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.»

Other awardees

Affaf Tobbala, 77, professor of mass communications at the Modern Sciences and Arts University in Egypt, won an award for her work on children’s literature including a book for young innovators. «I am happy that my work about authoring books for educating children has been recognised.»

Tobbala, who is also an editor, scriptwriter and art producer of a number of short documentaries and films, was recognised in the category of distinguished university professor in the field of scientific research.

Fatimah Saeed, 35, a kindergarten teacher at Al Woorod School in Ras Al Khaimah was recognised for her creativity in the classroom. «I am keen on doing research about the best and latest teaching methods and this helps me to develop good teaching skills and create good teaching materials for my pupils,» Saeed told Khaleej Times, aft-er getting her award.

«I love teaching small children and this award is a big honour for me. It will motivate me into doing more for the excellence of children.»

Saeed has represented the UAE in various international educational workshops. She said she is looking forward to presenting her suggestion to authorities about creating a ministry for children’s affairs.

Moza Mohammed, 35-year-old teacher at Hala School in Fujairah, received the award for her tireless work on Islamic strategic and creative projects. «I am so happy to receive this award. My research and creative projects in the religious field have helped improve children’s learning because they can easily get the concepts.»

Among the award categories included; educational innovation, promising teacher, distinguished university professor in the field of teaching, distinguished university professor in the field of scientific research, creative teacher, special needs, creativity in teaching Arabic and others.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

*Fuente: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/sheikh-nahyan-wins-educational-personality-award

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UK university strikes called off after UCU members accept pension proposals

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UK/April 17, 2018/By: Colin Drury/ Source: https://www.independent.co.uk

Students welcome decision to avoid walkout.

Further strikes at UK universities are to be called off after members of the University and College Union (UCU) voted to accept proposals aimed at resolving a dispute over pensions.

Thousands of staff – including lecturers, academics and researchers – were were due to walk out next week in protest at plans which they said would reduce their retirement pots by £10,000 a year. Fourteen days of strikes have already hit 65 universities since 22 February.

But members of the UCU voted to call off more action after bosses at Universities UK agreed a joint panel would be set up to reassess the pension issue.

The news was welcomed by the National Union of Students (NUS), with estimates suggesting up to 1 million students were affected by previous walkouts.

Shakira Martin, NUS president, said: “We are pleased to see a deal has been reached. Students have wholeheartedly chosen to support their staff during this dispute, and we have seen inspiring displays of solidarity on campuses across the UK since day one.”

The strikes were called after Universities UK revealed plans to change the Universities Superannuation Scheme from a defined benefit scheme – which gives a guaranteed retirement income – to a defined contribution scheme, which would make pensions vulnerable to changes in the stock market. Universities UK had said the alterations would help make up a £6bn deficit.

But, with the proposals now dropped, members of the UCU voted almost two to one to stop more walkouts and instead reopen negotiations. There was a record 63.5 per cent turn out, the union said.

Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, said: “The union has come a very long way since January when it seemed that the employers’ proposals for a defined contribution pension were to be imposed.

“Now we have agreement to move forward jointly, looking again at the USS valuation alongside a commitment from the employers to a guaranteed, defined benefit scheme.”

And she added: “We hope this important agreement will hearten workers across the UK fighting to defend their pension rights and was won through the amazing strike action of UCU members.

“UCU has more work to do to ensure that the agreement delivers the security in retirement that university staff deserve.”

Universities UK said the decision to appoint an expert panel and suspend industrial action would reassure students that summer exams and graduations would not be affected by industrial action.

But a spokesperson warned: “It is important that interested parties engage with the panel and remain open-minded about its possible findings.

“Working in partnership with UCU, we will now appoint a jointly agreed chair for the panel as soon as possible before developing its terms of reference, order of work and timescales.”

Source:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/uk-university-strikes-called-off-uss-ucu-accept-pension-proposals-a8303086.html

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EEUU: Utah leaders hope education measure helps keep teachers

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EEUU/April 17, 2018/By JULIAN HATTEM. The Associated Press/Source: https://www.seattletimes.com

Political leaders in Utah said Monday they hope a new ballot measure that would nearly triple education funding in five years will help the state entice and hold on to its best teachers.

The ballot initiative will give voters the opportunity to support an increase in the gas tax, currently 29.4 cents a gallon, by 10 cents to gradually increase education funding over the next five years. The proposal was crafted as part of a compromise between lawmakers and an education group that wanted voters to approve a plan that would have sent $715 million to the schools immediately through a hike in state sales and income taxes.

Combined with other funds and a freeze on state property tax rates, which would otherwise drop as property values rise, the initiative would increase education funding yearly starting at $141 million in 2019 and reaching $386 million in 2023.

That would raise overall state education funding to $585 million — nearly three times the funding schools would otherwise receive that year.

If voters approve the measure in November, lawmakers would decide how to allocate the new educational spending, including how much will go to teachers.

The initiative comes as other states grapple with standoffs over teacher salaries that have led to mass protests from West Virginia to Arizona. Last week, thousands of teachers in Kentucky protested at the state Capitol and cheered as lawmakers overruled a veto of a budget that would increase public education spending.

“We need to make sure we can pay our teachers and attract the best and brightest and retain them in the schoolrooms,” Republican Gov. Gary Herbert said at a ceremonial signing for the bill at an elementary school in suburban Salt Lake City on Monday.

Heidi Matthews, the president of the Utah Education Association, the state’s largest teachers’ union, said the money could be used for classroom assistants to give students “more one-on-one learning and alleviate the impact of Utah’s exceptionally large class sizes.”

Additional funding will ensure teachers “have the resources they need to reach, teach and inspire every student and deliver the high quality education that they deserve,” she said.

Utah’s spending per pupil in school is the lowest in the nation. The state spent an average of $6,575 per student in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, compared to $11,392 nationally.

The state also has some of the nation’s fullest classrooms, according to Department of Education data.

Source:

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/utah-leaders-hope-education-measure-helps-keep-teachers/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all

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How Minecraft is becoming the foundation of a generation’s computer science education

Pluma Invitada

By: CHAD SAPIEHA

Minecraft: Education Edition will be one of the most popular modules at Hour of Code events around the world this week.

Like many adults, Benjamin Kelly didn’t initially get the global Minecraft phenomenon, which has seen millions upon millions of kids investing endless hours exploring and creating within a blocky virtual world. Eventually he came around.

“I consider myself a late adopter,” says Kelly, who teaches technology at Caledonia Regional High School in New Brunswick. “But the students’ passion for the game was unyielding. I adopted Minecraft mainly because of that.”

By “adopted” he means he not only began playing it himself but also brought the game into his classroom. In addition to the 120 million-plus copies of the consumer-oriented version that have been sold since the Swedish-made mining game launched in 2011, Microsoft Corp. has sold more than 2 million Minecraft: Education Edition licenses specially designed to help kids learn to code.

Once he started poking around the game he began to see its educational potential. “It offers community,” he explains. “Minecraft is so popular it’s a culture. And by adding the recent powerful coding connections to the game Microsoft has created the ideal computer science education environment.”

Minecraft: Education Edition allows kids to command an agent within the game using computer code, sending it off to perform actions such as mining, harvesting, or building while the player continues doing whatever he or she likes. It’s designed to provide a familiar and accessible environment in which to introduce kids to some of the core concepts of computer science while keeping things fun and creative.

“I’ve seen examples where coding has caused the agent to build entire cities with random building heights all while the student continues to explore the game,” says Kelly.

Once he began using Minecraft in his classroom there was no turning back. Kelly went on to become a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert and a Global Minecraft Mentor. He was recently named New Brunswick’s Inspirational STEM Teacher of the Year for 2017.

“Minecraft may be the single best educational tool available to support inclusion, universal design for learning, a wide variety of curriculum, and, most importantly, 21st century skills and competencies needed for successful lives and careers,” he says.

Kelly is just one of thousands of teachers now using Minecraft: Education Edition, and he’ll putting it to work again this week as part of the Hour of Code, a series of more than 100,000 teacher-planned educational events taking place in over 180 countries, with 3,000-plus events registered in Canada alone. Educators can choose from hundreds of ready-made tutorials sorted by grade and topics, many with prepared teacher notes. The student-led Minecraft module is, unsurprisingly, among the most popular of these programs.

Cam Smith, a spokesperson for Microsoft in Education Canada who has spent his entire career leveraging technology as a teaching aid (he built his first computer when he was 15), isn’t surprised that kids gravitate towards Minecraft as a portal to learning about computer science. He says nearly 70 million people have used Minecraft tutorials to understand the basics of coding.

“Minecraft is a great first step into coding,” says Smith. “It’s an open sandbox environment that is already beloved by students of all ages, genders, and backgrounds around the world. It’s a powerful validation that coding can be a truly creative pursuit for students.”

But are kids actually learning anything by playing Minecraft in the classroom? Smith is convinced they are.

“I’ve seen first-hand the power of how a gamified learning approach to coding ignites curiosity and passion within students,” he explains. “I’ve spoken to educators and have seen students learn to code using Minecraft in classrooms across the country. Complimentary to learning to code, Minecraft: Education Edition helps kids with teamwork by building worlds together.”

Smith’s job has given him opportunity to see how Minecraft not only helps students learn about computer science, but also geography and architecture as kids recreate real world replicas of schools, provinces, and cities. He even once observed students building a river in Minecraft to study fish conservation.

And he’s looked on, satisfied, as Minecraft has nudged quiet students out of their shells. “I’ve seen Minecraft: Education Edition be an incredible tool for students to stand out where they might not be as vocal in the classroom,” he says. “Their work shines through building confidence and an interest in STEM learning.”

As a teacher, Kelly has seen these sorts of occurrences first-hand, too. He believes that Canadian universities are now being flooded with students in computer science and engineering who cut their coding teeth via Minecraft. He thinks even those who don’t go on to study STEM subjects benefit from spending time with Minecraft in the classroom.

“As our world becomes more and more globally competitive and robots take over countless careers, creativity will be a badge for employment,” he explains. “Minecraft is a giant sandbox only limited by the player’s creativity while at the same time fostering the growth of creative ability. The 21st century competencies will win careers moving forward in a world where knowledge is just a mobile device away. Computer science education – and Minecraft: Education Edition – prepare our students today for that future.”

Source:

http://calgaryherald.com/technology/gaming/how-minecraft-is-becoming-the-foundation-of-a-generations-computer-science-education/wcm/f18131f0-a3d4-4d78-a758-2794077de785

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Ghana: Education; The Right Of Every Child

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Ghana/April 17, 2018/By: Josephine Nettey/Source: http://theheraldghana.com

The goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover, to create men who are capable of doing new things (Jean Piaget)

At independence, many countries looked to reform education to accelerate economic and social development. Ghana was no exception, and the newly independent government saw in education the keys to social and economic development. This insight still lived 5 decades onwards in the Republic, for this reason the framers of the 1992 Constitutionprovided for the security and guarantee of this right in Article 25, Clause (1) Sub-clause (a) of the 1992 Constitution. This provision reads;

  • All persons shall have the right to equal educational opportunities and facilities and with a view to achieving the full realization of that right,
  • Basic education shall be free, compulsory and available to all.

Where Basic Education Level is provided for Section 1(2) of the Education Act, 2008 as amended by Education (Amendment) Act, 2010 as follows;

  • The basic level of education shall consist of
  • Two years kindergarten
  • Six years of primary
  • Three years of junior high school.

Per the above provisions all persons, every child has a right to education emphatically the right to free and compulsory education. This right as provided for imposed a duty on our government after the coming into force of the constitution to ensure that all children are educated as provided for in Article 38 Clause (2) of the 1992 constitutions. This provision reads;

  • The Government shall, within two years after Parliament first meets after the coming into force of this Constitution, draw up a programme for implementation within the following ten years, for the provision of free compulsory and universal basic education.

The issue is that all successive government following the enforcement of the 1992 Constitution have failed to implement the above provision in providing free, compulsory and universal basic education to all children. They have even failed more woefully in enforcing the compulsory aspect of the education as mandated them. Because of their inactionour children are on the street instead of being in the classroom working and engaging in perilous activities daily.

Yet we dare to tag them as “Street Children” …!!!  Who is to blame?

Especially when our own laws namelyThe Children Act, 1998 (Act 560) sets the minimum age for light work at 13yrs and hazardous work at 18years. However, the opposite is true that most often than not we see children below these ages engaged in hazardous work in the middle of highways and major roads including begging, selling, wiping windscreen of cars and even inhaling fumes from vehicle exhaust.

Noting that Begging as an activity is an offence as per Section 2 Subsection 1 (a) and (b) of the Beggars and Destitute Act, 1969 (N.I.C.D 1969) which reads;

  • A police officer may arrest without warrant
  • A person who is found begging
  • A person wandering, or
  • A person who is in any premise or place for the purpose of begging.

That is to say we will have no street children on our streets if the Police Agency were complying to the law and arresting these children and putting them in schools to receive education and enjoy their fundamental as such.

The sight of these children on the street is even more distasteful when you see them accompanied by adults who clearly by their conductare perpetuators of denying theirchild access to education. But isthat really the case?

Especially when the mandate is on the government through its Ministry namely the Ministry of Education and its local representative the is District Assemblies to provide for the necessary infrastructural needs for education of the population in the area of authority as provided for by Section 2 Subsection (2) of Act 778as Amended.

Notably to mention Section 4 of Act 778 as Amended provides for the role of the District Assembly social welfare where a child fails to go to school. This section reads;

  • Where a Child does not attend a course of instruction in compliance with subsection (1) the parent shall, in the first instance, appear before the social welfare committee of the District Assembly for the Appropriate action.

And Section 1 of Act 778 as Amended reads;

  • A child who has attained school going age shall, at the basic level, attend a course of instruction as laid down by the Minister in a school recognized for that purpose by the Minister.

The above is to the effect that the District Assemblies Social Welfare have a duty to ensure parent or guardians do not preventtheir child from enjoying their right to education as guaranteed by the supreme laws of our land. Have they lived up to this Duty?

As we recognize International Day for Street Children today April 12,2018 may our government through its Ministry and local assemblies live up to the duty imposed on them by the laws of our motherland so we may be celebrants of Children Day only and not the opposite.

For Education is a tool for producing a scientifically literate population, tacklingthe environmental causes of low productivity; and for producing knowledge to harness Ghana’s economic potential…!!!

Long live every Child. Long Live Ghana..!!

Koiwah Koi-LarbiOfosuapea, 0501451986

(Fellow – Center for Constitutional Order)

Source:

http://theheraldghana.com/education-the-right-of-every-child/

 

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