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United Kingdom: ‘Poverty premium’ in higher education leads to poorer people feeling isolated

Europe/ United Kingdom/ 23.04.2018 / From: www.theguardian.com.

Working-class students are penalised by a “poverty premium”, often paying higher costs to continue studying in a university environment in which they may feel isolated and as though they do not belong, according to a report.

Research for the National Union of Students finds that student expenditure routinely outstrips income from loans, leaving many whose parents cannot afford to subsidise them without the means to pay for basics such as food and heating.

Fees for halls are often unaffordable for those struggling on maintenance loans, with many universities setting rents above inflation to generate additional income, the study claims.

It quotes the results of a freedom of information request by the University of East Anglia students’ union, which found that more than 20 higher education institutions generated more than £1,000 profit per bed space a year.

One student said they had to find an additional £700 on top of their maintenance loan to pay for their accommodation alone. “This pricing policy risks segregating working-class students in lower-cost accommodation from others who have access to additional funds from their families,” the report says.

Working-class students – who are most likely to be employed in a job that requires more than the recommended 15 hours a week of work while studying – also struggled to afford to participate in social events with their wealthier peers, leaving them feeling ostracised. One student said they were expected to pay £200 to join a junior common room for their halls of residence to be included in social activities.

Worcester students’ union submitted evidence from one contributor who said: “[If you are] working-class you are shunned by students too … It’s ridiculous. I remember feeling inferior to everyone else because I wasn’t pretty enough, I didn’t dress nicely enough, I had pack[ed] lunch rather than canteen food.”

An annual survey by the University of Bristol students’ union found just over a third of respondents had witnessed bullying, harassment or discrimination based on a person’s economic or class background.

The NUS report, Class Dismissed: Getting in and Getting on in Further and Higher Education, goes on to point out that dropout rates from university are highest among working-class students, who are more likely to be debt averse than their wealthier peers, yet can end up paying more.

Fees for access courses mean many working-class students pay an additional year of fees to gain qualifications and they can struggle to find a guarantor to rent in the private sector, leading them to use private schemes with higher fees and interest rates.

Addressing student poverty and creating equal access to education has been Shakira Martin’s central mission as NUS president. A black, working-class single mother, she explains in a powerful introduction to the report how education has played a transformative role in her life.

“I left high school with one GCSE, left home at 16 – living on just £44.50 per week – and became the young mother of two beautiful girls. If you were to tell any of my teachers at secondary school this would be where I am, where I have worked to be, they would have never believed you. But here I am. Against all odds. Further education transformed my life and gave me the second chance I needed.

“My hope, and my vision for the UK is that we will arrive at a day where my story is not against all odds. That no working-class person’s story is against all odds. We will no longer be the exceptions to the rule when it comes to success and fulfilment in education. We will be the rule.”

The report calls for the introduction of a minimum living income for students in further and higher education; it also recommends the restoration of maintenance grants, the education maintenance allowance and NHS bursaries for healthcare students.

From: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/apr/23/university-costs-working-class-students-more-says-nus-repor

 

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England: Why I became a music teacher: my students make me a better musician

England/ 23.04.2018/ From: www.theguardian.com.

I started learning violin when I was around four years old. I’m a fifth generation violinist in my family. So playing the violin is part of my family history and I felt that keenly even as a little boy.

My own violin teaching was really outside of school. My dad found me an incredible teacher, Warren Jacobs, an Australian who taught mainly in Edinburgh and Glasgow. I do remember loving playing the violin from a very early age.

Even when I was a small boy I wanted to play music with other people. The National Children’s Orchestra (NCO) had a massive impact on my life and it’s so amazing to see it have the same affect on children now. Children aged eight to 14 are auditioned to find the finest musical talent in the UK. They come together at residential courses three times a year, at Easter, Christmas and the summer. As a boy it was so incredible to find and play with people who were as driven and passionate as I was.

I didn’t set out to become a teacher, I just knew I wanted to play the violin. I read music at Cambridge and then the Birmingham Conservatoir studies in violin.

I’ve never been taught how to teach, it’s something that has evolved over time. I always did a lot of informal teaching, but by the time I was 21, teaching violin had become a big part of my life.

It’s quite normal for classical musicians to teach alongside playing, as a way to make some money. When I’d finished my post grad at Birmingham I seriously needed to think about how I would make a living. I was a professional violin player but didn’t have a full time salary. More formal teaching was the obvious thing, but I found I just enjoyed it so much. A lot of performers teach because they have to. For me it was always very different, it was a pleasure not just a necessity.

Some of the greatest violin teachers I’ve met have spoken about how much we learn about ourselves as a player from teaching and that’s certainly true for me. I’ve always felt my teaching improves my performing and helps me to have an intelligent approach to my own practice. I literally don’t have any time to waste so I’ve got to get things done efficiently.

To begin with I taught privately. I’ve started children off learning to play the violin at the age of four. That’s something I really enjoy, to be there right at the start rather than ‘rescuing’ someone who may have been taught less well. It’s incredible when you see talent at a really early age, but at the same time less naturally talented students can do really well with good teaching

As my interest in teaching grew and I began to get regular freelance work with all different types of schools. I taught violin at Lichfield Cathedral school one or two days a week and worked on a fantastic scheme with Birmingham City Council music service where I taught group violin lessons in a number of state schools. There was even funding for one-to-one teaching if you came across a real talent. All the while I was performing all over the country.

Then I got married and my wife got tired of my driving all over the country all the time. So when the head of strings job at Uppingham School came up, I applied. Of course I’d had interviews for my freelance music teaching but this was a really serious process. I was so delighted to get the job three years ago and I’m enjoying it so much.

Before I was mainly teaching one-to-one violin but now I’ve got a proper job I’m also involved in organising musical events and of course I’m involved in pastoral care of our students as well.

My tip on keeping students inspired is to give them the responsibility for their music. I show them how to make their instrument sound as good as possible as early as possible. The target they have is to focus on making a brilliant sound and I try to empower them to teach themselves – to me that is the definition of being a successful music teacher.

It’s really wonderful to be involved in music teaching. I so enjoy watching young musicians and young people develop. I think every child should have the opportunity to learn an instrument – and there have been countless studies on how young people who are involved in classical music do better in their life and learning especially if they are involved in orchestras and can develop all that fantastic teamwork and ability to trust and interact with each other.

The National Children’s Orchestra (NCO) has remained a large force in my life. I now teach and conduct courses as well as auditioning for them in my spare time. It’s a real focus to go into state schools and identify the really talented children and we work closely with music hubs and services to do that. There are members of the NCO from all backgrounds – if we find the talent funding is there to make it happen. Last year we had a record number of more than a thousand kids auditioning, and there are 600 to 700 members of the orchestra, although not all of them play in the national concerts. So if music teachers reading this have discovered real talent in their students then they should get in touch with the NCO.

I’m so happy teaching and performing. I want to do more of the same and want to keep improving myself. That’s very much a musician’s mindset.

Alex Laing is head of strings at Uppingham school in Leicestershire. The National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain are celebrating their 35th anniversary this year with a series of concerts including the Main Orchestra at the Barbican on Saturday 27 July.

From: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/jul/21/teaching-music-musician-inspire-students

 

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Piñera Broadens Scope of Free Technical Education in Chile

Chile/April 17, 2018/Source: http://www.laht.com

Chilean President Sebastian Piñera signed on Monday into law a bill broadening the scope of free technical and professional education, a measure that will benefit some 13,000 students.

The initiative, which will enter into force in 2019, extends free education to students at professional institutes and technical training centers who come from families in the country’s lower 70 percent, economically speaking.

Piñera said that the law will mitigate the “treatment inequality” by the state that has existed vis-a-vis technical/professional students compared to others pursuing higher or additional specialized education.

“One must acknowledge that higher technical/professional education has not received from the state the recognition and the support it deserves, often being postponed due to the needs of the universities,” said the president at a ceremony at the seat of the executive branch.

According to Piñera, in recent years about 15 percent of the state financing for higher education has been destined for the technical/professional sector, despite the fact that in 2017 43.5 percent of all students enrolled at higher educational institutions were from this group.

So, he said that broadening the scope of free education in this area is an “acknowledgement and a reparation” to technical/professional students, who represent an “indispensable force for our development.”

“Our government is absolutely committed to strengthening this weak link in our production chain and in prioritizing the most vulnerable students in technical/professional higher education in (our) effort to expand cost-free (education),” Piñera concluded.

In Chile, there are 43 professional institutions with 377,000 registered students as well as 48 Technical Training Centers where 136,000 people study.

Source:

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=14094&ArticleId=2454745

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Pakistan: Public Private Partnership produced good results in education sector: CM

Pakistan/April 10, 2018/BY AFTAB CHANNA/Source: https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the Public Private Partnership (PPP) in education sector has produced best results and its one of the success story is the toddlers who speak fluent English at DCTO English medium schools in Lyari.

This he said while addressing administration, teaching staff and students at DCTO English Medium High School, Lyari operating on PPP mode by Kiran Foundation, which he visited on Saturday. When the chief minister reached at school he was received by Education Secretary Iqbal Durani, Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) MD Nahid Durrani, administrator of school Nazir Tunio and others.

He said that Lyari was once a beautiful, peaceful and a vibrant area in the city. It used to remain opened the whole night. “I had also the honour to enjoy milk tea at restaurants at night but later something painful happened and Lyari turned into a most disturbed area in terms of peace and tranquility.

Murad Ali Shah added that drug dealers, paddlers and other out laws established their sway in the Lyari. The government worked day and night and fought bravely with mafias and restored peace there and then started developing the area to restore its past glories.

This DCTO school is one of the oldest schools from pre-partition. Originally it was established in 1930s by Deepchand T Ojha. This school was a preferred choice for schooling till 1970s. Later, this institution saw a great decline resulting in poor standard of education and dilapidated school building. He added that by 2002, the DCTO school had three double storey buildings where 13 schools were running within the same premises but there were barely any children getting education.

The government decided to hand over the school to Kiran Foundation in 2016, the chief minister said and added the Kiran Foundation runs this school from pre-nursery to high school. “The most encouraging move I have witnessed here at DCTO school is that the parents, particularly the mothers of students are given proper training to handle their kids at home DCTO,” he said and added this shows that mother and child education and training are taking place simultaneously at DCTO.

This novel but practical approach would definitely create [a child] father of nation. “These children who live in Lyari and have recently liberated themselves from the shekels of gang wars are speaking fluent English and know how to receive elders and how to talk and even they have good knowledge of history and geography.  “I assure you they are our best future and they would lead Layri to a prosperous, educated and culture Lyari,” he hoped.

The chief minister sharing his personal experience with the audience said that a little girl in a nursery class brilliantly briefed him about the geographical location of different province on the map of Pakistan. “They [students] are good at mathematics, science and history- this is what I have learnt by interacting with them in their class rooms.

Murad Ali Shah said that just after taking over as a chief minister he had visited this school and had made some promises with them to construct additional storey in school building to accommodate more students. “Today, I have visited that portion and heaved a sigh of relief to see wide and airy class rooms, labs and airy veranda,” he said and added the school administration has told him that 800 students are enrolled there and for academic session more three candidates/students had applied for admission but due shortage of space they could hardly accommodate 100 students.

The chief minister directed secretary education Iqbal Durani to locate a suitable school building in the area and hand over them to expand this DCTO school. “If you are giving good education, shaping up the future of students and training their mothers, I am with you- there is no service above it,” he said and vowed to support them in all intents and purposes.

Source:

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/04/07/public-private-partnership-produced-good-results-in-education-sector-cm/

 

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Syrian: The world’s toughest place to study?

Syrian/09.04.2018/ Fom: BBC.com.

In the rubble of Syria’s long war, there are all kinds of images of destruction and despair.

But despite all the odds, in the depths of the siege of Eastern Ghouta, there are young people still trying to study and plan for a future.

Such students rely on universities offering online degrees – and as well as the challenges of staying alive, they have to find access to electricity and internet connections.

Mahmoud, a 20-year-old in Eastern Ghouta, has been studying computer science with the US-based University of the People, which offers degrees to people out of reach of conventional higher education.

‘Heavy shelling’

He took classes at secondary school in Eastern Ghouta through years of civil war and the siege – but then had nowhere to continue his studies into university.

House of a student in Eastern Ghouta
Image captionThe shattered home of a student in Eastern Ghouta. He survived by being elsewhere at the time it was hit.

«When I finished high school I couldn’t find a university that offered computer science degrees,» he tells the BBC.

Studying and getting a degree are important as a way of looking forward, says Mahmoud, a symbol of something better in the future.

«I think I’ve put my first step on the road,» he says.

The University of the People is billed as the alternative university for people with no other alternative. It was used by Syrian students during the battle for Aleppo when the city’s own university was hit by rockets.

Siege of Eastern Ghouta
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionRescuing a child after an air strike during the siege

It allows students to study for an accredited degree entirely online, with support from the likes of Google and the Gates Foundation, and staffed by volunteer academics and retired university lecturers.

In Eastern Ghouta, described by the UN secretary general as «hell on earth», the university has about 10 students still following courses.

‘Survival’ and ‘hope’

But how can anyone focus on studying during such attacks?

«Of course there are a lot of psychological effects because of what is happening around us,» says Mahmoud.

«When the bombardment, the shelling, gets very heavy, the only thing we think about is our survival.

«And then when the bombardment gets better, even for a short amount of time, we go back to thinking about our jobs, our studies, what are we going to do in the future.

«I think personally that this dilemma is a psychological problem in itself.

The aftermath of an air raid
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionMoving through the smoking ruins after an attack last week

«Because our minds wander between two separate lives – the life of a young person trying to complete his studies and achieve his goals – and the life of a 20-year-old just trying to get through the day and to survive again to see another day.»

But having the opportunity to study, in a place cut off and encircled, is a rare source of «optimism», he says.

«I want to graduate, to have a degree. For us under siege that’s a very big opportunity. It gives students hope.»

It’s a remarkable type of determination.

«I’m motivated to learn and want to keep learning. If I have the chance, I want to be part of the process of rebuilding the country again,» says Mahmoud.

‘We’ve had a bloody day today’

But it’s far from easy.

Until last month, it was «difficult but manageable» to keep up his studies, relying for power on local generators.

Mariam Hammad
Image captionMariam – a student who worked by candlelight during the battle for Aleppo

«Things like electricity, internet connection, everything I need for my virtual study was hard to get because of the siege and sometimes not available at all.»

But the situation has worsened.

All the families in his building have had to move down to take shelter together in the basement, he says.

Another computer studies student, Majed, has had his home demolished by an air raid. He has been struggling with unreliable internet connection and problems charging his phone.

While many students around the world are preparing for exams, he sent a message last week to say: «We’ve had a bloody day today. Dozens of air strikes.»

On Tuesday, Majed said a ceasefire for negotiations seemed to be holding.

Family in siege of Eastern Ghouta
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image captionFamilies emerging from underground shelters earlier this week

But food and power remained scarce and very expensive and people had moved to makeshift bomb shelters to escape the shelling.

He fears for Syria’s next generation, missing out on education and with the risk of «ignorance and child labour».

While other students are counting down the days to final exams, he has been counting the numbers of victims.

But Majed says he still has «faith» and is looking to the future. He wants to get a PhD.

«Our lives should continue, the war should not prevent us. In the end we’re the ones to rebuild the country and repair the damage.

«I believe education will help us build our future.»

From: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-43555596

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EEUU: What’s Christian higher education worth? How about $60 billion a year

EEUU/ April 3, 2018/BY JOSEPH JONES/Source: http://www.fresnobee.com

The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) last Monday issued a ground-breaking economic study of its 142 members in the United States, which includes Fresno Pacific University.

These institutions broaden the educational options for students by creating environments where students can freely integrate their Christian faith into their education. Many schools, like FPU, do not require their students to be Christians, but do encourage the integration of faith and knowledge in preparation for service to society and their communities.

The report highlights the economic value of these institutions throughout the country, and particularly addresses the 16 colleges/universities in California. FPU is the only university of this nature in the Valley, providing educational options for traditional, non-traditional and graduate students. The university has the highest degree-completion rate in the Valley and is a Hispanic-serving institution.

The CCCU study released Monday shows that its members have a national economic impact of $60 billion each year. That’s $166 million per day. This study mirrors a similar study of private colleges and universities in California by the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities.

These 79 colleges and universities, including FPU, employ 88,800 Californians and provide a $26 billion-plus economic contribution to the state. They produce 22 percent of the bachelor’s degrees, 52 percent of the master’s degrees and 54 percent of the doctoral degrees in California.

Here are a few key findings about the Christian schools in the CCCU study:

 ▪  For every $1 in federal grant money a student receives, Christian institutions provide $5 in aid to that student through grants and scholarships.

 ▪  The student loan default rate for graduates (6.3 percent) is nearly half the national average (11.5 percent).

▪  Although tax exempt, they generate $9.7 billion in federal tax revenue each year.

▪  For every $1 in federal grant money a student receives, the schools generate more than $20 in federal tax revenue.

 ▪  One in three students are first-generation college students.

 ▪  50 percent come from families that make less than $50,000 a year.

 ▪  While approximately one in four college students across the country volunteer, more than one in three of our students participate in community service, contributing about 5.4 million hours a year.

Fresno Pacific University in comparison to other Christian and independent colleges reveals:

 ▪  49 percent of FPU students are the first in their families to attend college or university, rather than one in three, and these students graduate at the same rate as our students in general.

 ▪  56 percent come from families who earn $40,000 or less annually, rather than 50 percent of students coming from families who earn less than $50,000.

 ▪  student default rate is 4.4 percent, below the CCCU average of 6.3 percent.

 ▪  All our traditional undergraduate students perform community service.

 ▪  44 percent of our students identify themselves as Latino or Latina. They also graduate at the same rate as our students in general.

In all, the 16 CCCU institutions in California spend $1.8 billion annually on operations and capital investments, enroll over 60,000 students, employ more than 10,000 people, support more than 45,000 other jobs, attract more than $500 million in ancillary student spending and generate $370 million in state tax revenues.

Their more than 220,000 alumni earning an extra $2.8 billion a year due to the education they received. Nationwide, CCCU schools educate 445,000 students, employ 72,000 faculty and staff and serve 3.5 million alumni around the world.

The return on investment in institutions like Fresno Pacific is not just realized in dollars and cents. Our success is defined by the ways in which we produce effective graduates.

Our spiritual and ethical commitment to the Valley is only a reflection of our commitment to Christ. We have adopted the mantra to “Engage the Cultures and Serve the Cities in the Valley.” We are privileged to join with others to serve in the economic well-being of our region and this state. We look forward to partnering with others who are also committed.

Source:

http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article207082359.html

 

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Japan: Too much of an education could be bad for your future

Japan/April 03, 2018/By: MICHAEL HOFFMAN*/Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp

Poverty comes in many forms but one color: gray.

There is the poverty of the poor, the poverty of the rich, the poverty of the academically under-qualified, the poverty of the academically over-qualified. The poverty of the poor pretty much speaks for itself. The riches of the rich may be deceptive.

The biggest drain on them is education for the kids. Luxuries and pleasures can be sacrificed, but to compromise where the children are concerned is (or is seen to be) to deprive them of the leg-up they need (or are seen to need) to gain a foothold in life.

What high schools are open to graduates of inferior elementary schools? Inferior ones. What universities are open to graduates of second-rate high schools? Second-rate ones. What kind of career is open to graduates of merely ordinary universities? A merely ordinary one. The consequent financial strain can be felt as a kind of poverty.

If it’s true of the rich, how much more so of the poor. The high cost of education is considered a main cause of the sunken birth rate. If educating your children as the economy demands its top tier be educated requires means beyond the average, means beyond you, childlessness might well seem the more responsible option.

There’s education and education. Motives for acquiring it vary. It can be a quest for knowledge or a quest for credentials. The former is problematic. Shukan Gendai magazine tells some cautionary tales.

“Kyoko-san,” 27, studied fine arts. It was her passion. She’d learn the subject, then teach it. Undergraduate school, graduate school, post-grad school. Hard at work on her Ph.D. thesis, she suddenly noticed something: Students graduating ahead of her weren’t getting jobs.

Stupid of her not to notice before! Absorption in your studies can blind you to earthier realities. Panicking, she put aside her thesis and threw herself into job-hunting. Nothing. Universities were over-staffed, the private sector had no room for her. She eventually landed a job at a small small-town rural arts museum. The work is routine and she feels her expert knowledge rotting within her, but at least she can feed herself.

Not every one is so lucky. “Nakamura-san,” 29, is a Ph.D. scientist struggling to repay a ¥6 million student loan on a ¥2 million-a-year salary. The good news is that his employer is a university and his job description includes the word “research” — followed, unfortunately, by the word “assistant,” which translates into part-time status and lab chores far from the cutting edge.

Maybe in 10 years he’ll get an assistant professorship. Or maybe not — in which case he’ll be 40 years old and nowhere. In the meantime, he lives in a ratty ¥40,000-a-month apartment, eats at the university cafeteria and wonders, “How long can I take this?” It’s enough to make the private sector look attractive — but an exploratory foray into it showed that the private sector did not return the compliment. Knowledge beyond a certain range of commercial exploitability, comments Shukan Gendai, is to the private sector the rough equivalent of otaku-hood.

“Takada-san,” 26, is pursuing a doctorate in literature at the University of Tokyo. He’s learning something the great books don’t teach — to wit: “To get anywhere in research you need connections. I didn’t know that when I started. You need to develop relationships with influential professors who can boost your career.

“So, I get involved in academic meetings, I help out at the reception desk, I coach visiting overseas students. … In short, I’m so busy maneuvering behind the scenes that I have no time to study.”

This is ironic, in view of the importance society attaches to education. Arrestingly symbolic, as the back-to-school season nears, is the iconic randoseru elementary school rucksack. The word, borrowed from Dutch, reflects the age and origin of the import, harking back as it does to the early 19th century, when a restricted number of Dutch traders were almost the only foreigners permitted in Japan. They bequeathed to their hosts a few European books, a smattering of the Dutch language, a bit of European science (and a hunger for more) — and the randoseru. Japanese kids have been saddled with it ever since.

It’s no light burden. And it’s gaining weight, as the Asahi Shimbun noted last week. Carrying a full load of books, lunch, gym clothes and whatnot, it can weigh nearly 10 kilograms. The 7-year-old second-grader gamely bracing against its downward thrust probably weighs little more than 20 kg him- or herself.

Why should the venerable randoseru be gaining weight? Because, the Asahi explains, textbooks are. There’s so much to learn! Never more than now, and more and more each year as knowledge, competition, pressure and standards rise. As of 2015, after six years of elementary schooling, an average child will have carried (and hopefully read) a total of 6,518 textbook pages — representing a 34 percent increase in 10 years. Moral education, a new subject swelling the curriculum beginning this year, will add, over six years, an estimated 1,067 pages to the load.

“Higher” education, meanwhile, languishes. “Higher education” used to mean, simply, college. A hundred years ago less than half the population got beyond elementary school, which alone was compulsory. College was for the lucky and gifted few.

Postwar democracy flung open the academic gates. What had been a mark of distinction became more or less a necessity to anyone with white-collar aspirations. Today, “higher education” means — if it means anything — not university education per se but learning for its own sake, and Shukan Gendai’s coverage is not encouraging.

It shows the number of Ph.D. students declining at a rate the declining student-age population only partly accounts for: 14,927 nationwide in 2016 as against 18,232 in 2003.

Philosophy remains a popular university alternative to raw science. Each year brings forth 1,000-odd newly fledged philosophers. They can’t all be professors. Most will have to leave academia and seek their fortunes in the “real world.” As what? Doing what? In an age of post-truth and artificial intelligence, who needs philosophers?

*Michael Hoffman is the author of “In the Land of the Kami: A Journey into the Hearts of Japan” and “Other Worlds.”

Source:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/03/31/national/media-national/much-education-bad-future/#.WsMQOYjwbIU

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