Britain/August 8, 2017/By: Jon Stone/Source: http://www.independent.co.uk
A slight increase in higher education could have kept Britain in the EU.
Britain would have likely voted to remain in the European Union were its population educated to a slightly higher level, a new study has found.
Researchers at the University of Leicester say that had just 3 per cent more of the population gone to university, the UK would probably not be leaving the EU.
The researchers looked at reasons why people voted Leave and found that whether someone had been to university or accessed other higher education was the “predominant factor” in how they voted.
The paper, published in the peer-reviewed journal World Development, applied a multivariate regression analysis and logit model to areas of the country to identify why people voted the way they did.
The level of higher education in an area was far more important than age, gender, the number of immigrants, or income in predicting the way an area voted, the researchers found.
Age and gender were both significant but not as important as education level, the researchers found. Income and number of immigrants in an area were not found to be a significant factor in how people voted.
The researchers also found that a lower rate of turnout – by just 7 per cent – would also likely have changed the result to Remain.
The last Labour government set a target of half of young people accessing higher education and there has been a large expansion in numbers in recent decades. Universities UK says it expected the number of people in employment with higher education qualifications to have risen from 28.7 per cent in 2002 to 51.3 per cent in 2022
Dr Aihua Zhang, from the University of Leicester’s Department of Mathematics, said: “The EU referendum raised significant debate and speculation of the intention of the electorate and its motivations in voting. Much of this debate was informed by simple data analysis examining individual factors, in isolation, and using opinion polling data.
“This, in the case of the EU referendum where multiple factors influence the decision simultaneously, failed to predict the eventual outcome. On June 23rd 2016, Britain’s vote to leave the EU came as a surprise to most observers, with a bigger voter turnout – 72.2 per cent – than that of any UK general election in the past decade.”
British voters voted by 52 per cent to 48 per cent to leave the EU in a referendum held in June 2016.
Asia/ India, 05 August 2017. By: education.einnews.com
According to the information given by the Minister of State (HRD), Upendra Kushwaha in a written reply to a Rajya Sabha question, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 lays down the duties of the appropriate government and the local authority to ensure that good quality elementary education conforming to norms and standards is provided, curriculum and courses of study are prescribed in a timely manner, and teachers are trained.
In order to focus on quality education, the Central RTE Rules have been amended on 20th February, 2017 to include reference on class-wise, subject-wise Learning Outcomes.
«The Learning Outcomes for each class in Languages (Hindi, English and Urdu), Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Science and Social Science up to the elementary stage have, accordingly, been finalised and shared with all States and UTs. These would serve as a guideline for States and UTs to ensure that all children acquire appropriate learning level,» sated an official release.
The release further stated that that under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Sarva Shiskha Abhiyan (SSA), the State Governments and UT Administrations were being supported on several interventions to improve teaching standards.
The quality will be ensured through measures such as regular in-service teachers’ training, induction training for newly recruited teachers, training of all untrained teachers to acquire professional qualifications through Open Distance Learning (ODL) mode, recruitment of additional teachers for improving pupil-teacher ratios, academic support for teachers through block and cluster resource centres, continuous and comprehensive evaluation system to equip the teacher to measure pupil performance and provide remedial action wherever required, and teacher and school grants for development of appropriate teaching-learning materials, etc., the Parliament was informed.
Reacting to the information, Jaipur-based educator Prabha Kishore said the it would be better that the quality of teachers preparation should be ensured and monitored along with legal course of action on them if children’s right to quality is violated by the teachers, schools and officers who are presiding over the system.
I feel that there is contradiction in some recent announcements, namely, restoring common examination for Classes V and VII to strike the fear of failure to improve learning outcomes; and viewing quality in terms of quality inputs and quality processes. This contradiction is likely to promote tuitions and coaching classes at elementary school level by teachers.
Philippines, Aug. 05, 2017. By: education.einnews.com/ Zea Io Min C. Capistrano.
President Rodrigo Duterte said it was his sentiment for the poor families to get out of poverty through their children that persuaded him to sign the free education law.
He spoke for the first time about it when he visited anew government troops fighting in in Marawi City on Friday afternoon.
The President on Thursday signed Republic Act (RA) No. 10931, also known as the “Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act” which exempts qualified students from paying tuition and other school fees in any state or local universities and colleges.
“I signed the law last night. I’m giving everybody, lahat ng ating mga anak a tertiary education, college. Oo, libre na ngayon,” Duterte told the troopers during his visit to the Joint Special Operations Task Force Trident in Barangay Kilala, Marawi City on Aug. 4.
Duterte said he understands sentiments of the poor families who worry of their children’s education.
“Mahirap lang din ako na tao. I mean, I… I have… I come from a poor father. Itong ano kasi ang disparity kasi ng mga mayaman pati mahirap, ‘yung… Kasi ‘yung iba they can pursue studies. They can go to UP kaya sigurado naman talaga na mas mataas ang standards. They can go to sa Ateneo, La Salle, UST. ‘Yung kasi ‘yung atin lang mga technical, technical, ang bata naman kung may utak, bigyan natin ng panahon (I am a poor man, too. I mean, I have come from a poor father. The disparity of the reach and poor… because others can pursue their studies. They can go to UP and they are ensured of their education because it has high standards. They can go to Ateneo, La Salle, UST. But ours can only get technical education. If a child is intelligent, let’s give them their time),” Duterte said.
Duterte said with the new bill, students may finish their college education and even pursue further studies. The President also promised to establish a trust fund worth P50 billion for the education of the children of soldiers.
“Pero gusto natin ang pamilya, ang bata. ‘Yung anak mong na bright, libre naman ‘yung four years. You get another four years doon sa trust fund ninyo to finance his maybe medicine or law (We want to ensure our children’s future. If your child is intelligent, the four years in college is free so you can spend for his education for another four years from your trust fund to finance his education, maybe medicine or law),” Duterte said.
Students’ battlecry
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, said Friday that the fight for free education was taken up by generations of student activists.
“We have come a long, long way from where we started with this advocacy. That battle cry of generations of student activists has now become firm government policy, and we are better for it,” Gatchalian said in a statement Friday.
He said the signing of the law “is the collective victory of everyone who has fought to uphold and defend the inalienable right of every Filipino to quality tertiary education,”
In her Facebook post Friday, National Youth Commission chair Aiza Seguerra said the President’s signing is victory to all Filipinos regardless of their ideology. He also warned the public to be vigilant on the crafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the law to ensure this will benefit the Filipino youth.
“Pinirmahan ni Presidente, ipinasa ng Congress at ipinaglaban din ng mga aktibista ng napakaraming taon. Wag natin maliitin yon just because of our differences. Sila ang patuloy na nag ingay at nakibaka while we are all too busy living our normal lives. This victory is for all Filipinos, no matter what color or ideology. Ngayon, mas kailangan natin bantayan ang IRR ng batas na ito para masiguradong mapapakinabangan talaga ito ng kabataang Pilipino (The law was signed by the President, passed by Congress and was fought for by activists for so many years. Let us not belittle that fact just because of our differences. They were the ones who continued to struggle while we are too busy living our normal lives. Now, we need to guard the IRR of this law to ensure that this will really benefit the Filipino youth),” Seguerra said.
Landmark
The law is a landmark legislation which also exempts from paying students currently enrolled or shall enroll in non-degree technical-vocational education and training offered by any technical-vocational institution (TVI) under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
However, students who have already attained a bachelor’s degree are not qualified to the free tertiary education.
The law also established a tertiary education subsidy (TES) and student loan program for all Filipino students who will enroll in undergraduate post-secondary programs of SUCs, LUCs, TVIs, and private higher education institutions. The TES may cover tuition and other school fees, book allowance, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses, allowance for room and board costs, and expenses related to disability.
“The TES shall be administered by the UniFAST (Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education) Board and the amount necessary to fund the TES shall be included in the budgets of the CHED (Commission on Higher Education) and the TESDA,” the RA stated.
The student loan program will also be administered by the UniFAST Board. Payment of the loan amount will begin once the beneficiary secures gainful employment with income that reaches the Compulsory Repayment Threshold (CRT).
In a press briefing on Friday, Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra said with the passage of the law, they are expecting Congress to make the necessary appropriations to fund the long-term government program on free SUC education.
Guevarra said the other sources of funding for the free education in SUCs include the official development assistance (ODA) and donations, both from local and international donors.(davaotoday.com).
United Arab Emirates, Aug 5 2017. By: DH News Service
Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak has said that education plays key role in personal and social development of any human being.
Sheikh Nahyan was addressing the inaugural session of the first of its kind Festival of Education in the country, on Saturday, at Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre, Jaipur, as a chief guest. He said that education had potential of enabling the world end all economic inequalities and discriminations.
The Minister said that adopting to the scientific and technological changes was need of the hour and to ensure this our children should be offered the best quality education. He called upon the parents and entire society to join the governments in order to ensure quality education and overall development of the young next generation.
Sheikh Nahyan thanked the CM vasundhara Raje for her visionary idea of arranging for this festival and said with the teachers and pupils of Rajasthan getting acquainted with novel ideas of providing education this would revolutionize the scenario of education.
Addressing the gathering of educationists and researchers, teachers and parents on this occasion, Chief Minister Raje said that given the geographical and demographical circumstances of the state, providing quality education to the children here it was a big challenge.
The CM said that with the efforts thus made the talented students to get opportunities of higher studies in medical, engineering, law, management and other such disciplines.
Addressing the festival, Union HRD Minister Shri Prakash Javdekar said that the countries focusing on research and innovation excel in the world.
Prosperity based on natural resourced had its own constraints of time and only innovations and adaptations could make it everlasting, he said.
South African/August 01, 2017/By: News24/Source: All Africa
Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi has welcomed the decision by St John’s College to fire a teacher who was found guilty of misconduct in an internal hearing about a racist campaign against black, Indian and Greek students, as well as foreign students.
Lesufi said the teacher left the school with immediate effect on Friday, following his visit to the school earlier in the day.
The elite school in Houghton, Johannesburg was engulfed in a race crisis after the teacher was charged with bringing the school into disrepute; contravening the South African Council of Education’s code; and making racist remarks.
He was found guilty during the internal hearing and given a final written warning, but retained by the school.
The school’s spokesperson Jacqui Deeks told News24 on Thursday although the educator had been found guilty, there were «mitigating circumstances which did not warrant dismissal».
«St John’s College would like to emphasise that it takes allegations of racism and discrimination very seriously and we are vehemently opposed to bigotry in any form and will not tolerate racist actions,» Deeks said at the time.
Lesufi rejected the school’s position and called for the teacher to be fired. He then visited the school on Friday morning to give the school an opportunity to redeem itself.
During his meeting with the school’s management, Lesufi demanded that the school dismiss the teacher before 1pm on Friday and said legal action would be taken if it failed to do so.
«The MEC said the final written warning was unsatisfactory considering the seriousness of the charges and the guilty finding against the educator,» the department said.
Following the meeting, Lesufi met the representatives of the Independent Schools Association of South Africa (ISASA) to discuss the issues facing the private education sector.
«It was agreed that a summit would be facilitated in September 2017 to deal in detail with all issues affecting private and independent schools in particular. A date for the summit will be announced in due course,» he said.
He said all schools, whether they fell under the public or private sector, could not have codes of conduct which contravened the country’s Constitution.
«We will deal with racism decisively and not give racists space to breath because non-racialism is non-negotiable,» Lesufi said.
Nigeria/August 01, 2017/By Yusha’u A. Ibrahim/Source: All Africa
Minister of Education Malam Adamu Adamu has disputed allegation that the ministry is planning to Islamise Nigeria.
Adamu who paid a courtesy visit yesterday to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, said, «Since the controversy started, I did not say anything about it until today. The ministry is accused and by extension I am accused of picking out Christian Religious Knowledge from the education curriculum and then imposing Islamic Religious knowledge on both Christian and Muslim schools. This is not true at all. In 2012, the then Federal Government under Goodluck Jonathan formulated a policy where IRK and CRK were grouped together. The implementation of the policy started since 2014. That was two years after the formulation of the policy and about two years before I became minister of education.»
He said at the last National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, he suggested to the council that IRK and CRK should be made core subjects which students of the respective faiths must be made to study.
Tracing the history of the IRK, CRK policy further, the minister said, «If some people still believe that the policy was formulated to Islamize Nigeria, with due respect, the President at the time the policy was formulated was Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister was Nyesom Wike the present governor of Rivers State; the formulator and writer of the policy was Professor Godswill Obioma and Mrs Okwonko who was at the time the policy was implemented the director of basic education in the ministry were all Christians. So, I cannot see how people are accusing the ministry or me of imposing this policy to Islamize Nigeria.»
According to famed anthropologist Arjun Appadurai, the central question of our times is whether we’re witnessing the worldwide rejection of liberal democracy and its replacement by some sort of populist authoritarianism.
There’s no doubt that democracy is under siege in several countries, including the United States, Turkey, the Philippines, India and Russia. Yet what’s often overlooked in analyses of the state of global democracy is the importance of education. Education is necessary to respond to the formative and often poisonous cultures that have given rise to the right-wing populism that’s feeding authoritarian ideologies across the globe.
Henry A. Giroux delivered this commencement speech upon receiving an honorary doctorate at the University of West Scotland in early July.
Under neo-liberal capitalism, education and the way that we teach our youth has become central to politics. Our current system has encouraged a culture of self-absorption, consumerism, privatization and commodification. Civic culture has been badly undermined while any viable notion of shared citizenship has been replaced by commodified and commercial relations. What this suggests is that important forms of political and social domination are not only economic and structural, but also intellectual and related to the way we learn and teach.
One of the great challenges facing those who believe in a real democracy, especially academics and young people, is the need to reinvent the language of politics in order to make clear that there is no substantive and inclusive democracy without informed citizens.
Democracy Demands Questions
It is imperative for academics to reclaim higher education as a tool of democracy and to connect their work to broader social issues. We must also assume the role of public intellectuals who understand there’s no genuine democracy without a culture of questioning, self-reflection and genuine critical power.
As well, it’s crucial to create conditions that expand those cultures and public spheres in which individuals can bring their private troubles into a larger system.
It’s time for academics to develop a culture of questioning that enables young people and others to talk back to injustice. We need to make power accountable and to embrace economic and social justice as part of the mission of higher education. In other words, academics need to teach young people how to hold politicians and authority accountable.
All generations face trials unique to their own times. The current generation of young people is no different, though what this generation is experiencing may be unprecedented. High on the list of trials is the precariousness of the time — a time in which the security and foundations enjoyed by earlier generations have been largely abandoned. Traditional social structures, long-term jobs, stable communities and permanent bonds have withered in the face of globalization, disposability and the scourge of unbridled consumerism.
Social Contract Shrinking
This is a time when massive inequality plagues the planet. Resources and power are largely controlled by a small financial elite. The social contract is shrinking: war has become normalized, environmental protections are being dismantled, fear has become the new national anthem, and more and more people, especially young people, are being written out of democracy’s script.
Yet around world, the spirit of resistance on the part of young people is coming alive once again as they reject the growing racism, Islamaphobia, militarism and authoritarianism that is emerging all over the globe.
They shouldn’t be discouraged by the way the world looks at the present moment. Hope should never be surrendered to the forces of cynicism and resignation.
Instead, youth must be visionary, brave, willing to make trouble and to think dangerously. Ideas have consequences, and when they’re employed to nurture and sustain a flourishing democracy in which people struggle for justice together, history will be made.
Youth must reject measuring their lives simply in traditional terms of wealth, prestige, status and the false comforts of gated communities and gated imaginations. They must also refuse to live in a society in which consumerism, self-interest and violence function as the only viable forms of political currency.
These goals are politically, ethically and morally deficient and capitulate to the bankrupt notion that we are consumers first and citizens second.
Vision Is More Than Sight
Instead, young people must be steadfast, generous, honest, civic-minded and think about their lives as a project rooted in the desire to create a better world.
They must expand their dreams and think about what it means to build a future marked by a robust and inclusive democracy. In doing so, they need to embrace acts of solidarity, work to expand the common good and collectivize compassion. Such practices will bestow upon them the ability to govern wisely rather than simply be governed maliciously.
I have great hope that this current generation will confront the poisonous authoritarianism that is emerging in many countries today. One strategy for doing this is to reaffirm what binds us together. How might we develop new forms of solidarity? What would it mean to elevate the dignity and decency of everyday people, everywhere?
Young people need to learn how to bear witness to the injustices that surround them. They need to accept the call to become visionaries willing to create a society in which people, as the great journalist Bill Moyers argues, can «become fully free to claim their moral and political agency.»
Near the end of her life, Helen Keller was asked by a student if there was anything worse than losing her sight. She replied losing her vision would have been worse. Today’s young people must maintain, nurture and enhance their vision of a better world.
This was adapted from a recent commencement address given in Glasgow, Scotland, by Prof. Giroux, named one of the top 50 educational thinkers of modern times.
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This was adapted from a recent commencement address given in Glasgow, Scotland, by Prof. Giroux, named one of the top 50 educational thinkers of modern times.
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