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"I'm a great believer that not all centres suit all children, and not all centres suit all parents. And that's why we've got the diversity of centres out there. And mine is just another choice. And surely parents should have a choice."
Parliamentary committee plans an inquiry into school system The education and science select committee plans an inquiry into schools with the aim of making the schooling system "work for every child", NZPA has reported. Committee chairman and New Zealand First MP Brian Donnelly said it would look at how the system defines standards of achievement; the size and composition of the group of students failing to meet minimum standards; and the extent to which policies minimise the number of students not achieving standards. More information is at this web page.
Gateway school numbers increase With another 30 schools this year having started the Gateway scheme, the total number of schools on the programme is now over 200. Gateway combines study at school with workplace learning. Students gain credits towards national qualifications while working in jobs. Over 6,500 students will participate in Gateway this year, with continuing growth expected. Three-quarters of eligible schools are now in the scheme. A Tertiary Education Commission article on the programme is on page 10 of this PDF document.
Maxim Institute wins prestigious award for education research The Maxim Institute has received a prestigious award for its Parent Factor reports. The five reports assess parental perceptions about schooling in New Zealand and offer recommendations to improve educational results by placing greater decision-making power in the hands of parents, principals and teachers. Maxim won the 2006 Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial "Innovative Project" award for the reports. The award comes from The Atlas Economic Research Foundation which gives the awards to think tanks for publications and projects promoting public understanding about the ideas of freedom. More information is at this web page. The Parent Factor reports are at this web page.
Australian private training to be measured Plans have been mooted to measure the extent of private training in Australia. The Australian Council of Private Education and Training (ACPET) wants private training, including fee-for-service activity, to be measured so the government is aware of its extent and contribution to the economy. ACPET has been meeting with National Centre for Vocational Education Research staff to work out a methodology. More information is at this web page.
Give universities free rein in fees and admissions, says Labor MP Let universities accept as many students as they want and charge what they want, says a senior Australian Labor MP. Craig Emerson, a senior Labor MP and former economics adviser to Bob Hawke, was speaking earlier this year at the Melbourne launch of his new book Vital Signs, Vibrant Society. If a university charged too much, students would go to another institution, Mr Emerson was reported as saying in the Australian Financial Review. His suggestion comes as the Australian Labor party finds itself under pressure to review its opposition to full-fee domestic students as universities become more dependent on the fees. Mr Emerson has also proposed a schools policy that would abandon the distinctions between government and private schools and give wealthier private schools an incentive to enrol disadvantaged students, such as students with learning difficulties.
Endowments keep Oxford colleges afloat Oxford colleges are breaking even, but only by relying on endowments and raising money from alumni, the Guardian has reported. The core activities of teaching, research, accommodating students and caring for historic buildings were heavily in deficit, and subsidised from non-core income, the Guardian reported. Academic fees and tuition income fell in real terms by 2.6 percent in the year to July 2005. The Guardian story is at this web page.
Student loans 'cut risk of investment' in tertiary education Introducing income-contingent student loans, whereby loan repayments depend on income or earnings after graduation, would allow students to reduce the risks associated with investing in higher education and increase access for students from low-income backgrounds, says a new C D Howe Institute Commentary. The Commentary can be downloaded as a PDF file by clicking here.
Spending increases don't improve student achievement: report While United States education spending ballooned by 78 percent after inflation adjustments over 20 years, 73 percent of public school eighth-graders performed below proficiency in maths, and 70 percent scored below proficiency in reading, according to a recent study. More information is at this web page.
Public school joins with charter to attract more students A struggling public school in Washington DC has come up with a novel way to attract more students and avoid possible closure: join forces with a charter school instead of trying to compete with it. Over the past five years, Washington DC public schools have lost 10,000 students, mostly to charter schools. A Washington Post story on the charter school plan is at this web page.
Universal, high-quality, early childhood education could boost GDP A high-quality, universal preschool policy would add US$2 trillion to annual United States GDP by 2080, Brookings Institute research shows. The national programme would cost the federal government about US$59 billion, but would generate enough revenue to cover costs several times over. More information is at this web page.
Chilean private school voucher students perform better Private school voucher students with scholarships show a small achievement advantage relative to public school voucher students, research from Chile finds. 'Using School Scholarships to Estimate the Effect of Government Subsidized Private Education on Academic Achievement in Chile' is by Priyanka Anand, Alejandra Mizala, and Andrea Repetto and can be downloaded as a PDF file by clicking here.
Online tertiary education 'skyrocketing' in United States Enrolment in US online tertiary education is skyrocketing, and growth is expected to continue, the Wall Street Journal has reported. Overall, higher-education enrolment in the United States is virtually stagnant, but by early 2008, one out of 10 college students will be enrolled in an online degree programme, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
Online learning taking off worldwide The global 'e-learning' market is growing annually at 150 per cent and is worth around US $23 billion; and more than two thirds of Global 1000 businesses now include e-learning as part of formal workplace training. A conference in Ethiopa this month looked at online learning. The conference website is at this web page. More information on the growth of e-learning is at this web page.
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