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| |  | |  | "The soft power of antiquity, beauty, myth and a rich intellectual tradition can only do so much to counterbalance the hard power of superior expenditure, organisation and innovation."
Professor Garton Ash's comments are in this Guardian comments piece.
Massey University gets fee maxima exemption The Tertiary Education Commission has allowed Massey University to increase its domestic tuition fees in 2007 above the fee maxima of 5 percent. More information is at this web page. A Manawatu Standard story is at this web page.
Post-school qualification helps job hunting, NZ research finds Young New Zealanders with a post-school qualification earn more on average than those who don't, and have a better chance of getting a job. There is, however, a good deal of variation in the labour market experiences of young graduates, according to new research. Motu researchers Dave Maré and Yun Liang have been examining census data from 1996 and 2001 to build a picture of how young graduates fare when they enter the labour market. 'Labour Market Outcomes for Young Graduates', is at this web page.
Employers argue for more education support for under-privileged children The proposed new curriculum should specifically aim to help children who don't come from supportive families, says Paul Winter of the Employers and Manufacturers Association Central. "New Zealand has a large tail of under-achievement in education that is relatively worse than other nations. A much greater proportion of our under-achieving young people and their families need to be engaged in constructive learning," Mr Winter said. Mr Winter welcomed the references to enterprising and entrepreneurial young people in the curriculum's vision statement, though he said these goals weren't integrated into the main body of the curriculum. Information on the draft curriculum is at this web page. Mr Winter's statement is at this web page.
New online journal looks at ECE teacher education research A new, biannual, online journal - He Kupu - that looks at research and scholarship in early childhood teacher education and online learning has been launched. The publication is put out by the Auckland-based New Zealand Tertiary College and the first edition is online at this web page.
Melbourne to get more state schools that select pupils Melbourne will have more state schools that are allowed to select their pupils, following policy by both major state political parties to allow such institutions. Prior to state elections last month, Labor announced funding for selective schools in North Melbourne and the outer eastern suburbs and the Liberals have promised four new selective schools, joining the existing two. A story in The Age is at this web page.
Oxford's administrative reforms rejected by dons Oxford University's New Zealand vice-chancellor, John Hood, has seen his package of administrative reforms - that would have made the university function more like a business - rejected by a congregation of university academics this month. A further postal vote is expected. A Guardian story on Oxford and John Hood's reform plans is at this web page.
Fees have not deterred poorer UK students, says minister The introduction of £3,000 tuition fees this year has not deterred students from poor backgrounds going to university, says Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell, following the release of a report from funding council Hefce into university participation. Meanwhile, young adults who are deterred from going to university because they fear debt are to be offered a new earn-to-learn scheme in which they may work for 50 percent of the time and study for the other 50 percent. A Guardian story on Bill Rammell's comments is at this web page. A Guardian story on the earn-to-learn scheme is at this web page.
Vouchers for distance education on sale in England England's Open University is selling gift vouchers in the hope that people can interest their hard-to-buy-for relatives in higher education. A Guardian story on the scheme is at this web page.
British government promotes alternative exams All secondary school students in England are to get a chance to do the International Baccalaureate instead of traditional A-levels by 2010. Prime Minister Tony Blair announced the plans last month. In New Zealand, too, alternative school exams are becoming more common, with increasing numbers of schools introducing the International Baccalaureate or Cambridge International Exams. More information is at this web page. A Subtext story on plans for a Cambridge International qualification that could be in New Zealand in 2008 is at this web page.
US parents take advantage of school choice, figures show The percentage of US children enrolled in their assigned public schools decreased from 80 to 74 percent at the same time as an increase in chosen public school enrolment from 11 to 15 percent was recorded between 1993 and 2003. A new report from the National Center for Education Statistics giving a detailed look at school choice in the decade to 2003 says the trend away from assigned public schools between 1993 and 2003 generally held for students across sex, grade levels, poverty categories, parent education levels, family types, regions and community types. In 2003, students enrolled in chosen public schools and private schools had parents who were more satisfied with the schools than students enrolled in the assigned public schools. The report, 'Trends in the Use of School Choice: 1993 to 2003', is online as a PDF document.
Vietnam aims for 40 percent of students in private universities The Vietnamese government aims to place 40 percent of tertiary students into private universities, and a top education official said the country needed to speed up the establishment of private and privately funded universities. Vietnam's education system was gradually moving from concentrated management to self-control and self-responsibility, the official was reported saying. Universities have self-determination in areas relating to management, finance, personnel organisation, training, enrolment, programme construction and international co-operation. More information is at this web page.
Improving ECE gets benefits for children later in life Quality early childhood education (ECE) is well-known as being important for kick-starting a child's education and learning and providing educational advantages later in life. Two new studies add further evidence. Information on the two studies is at this web page.
Punjab hands polytechnic to private group The Punjab government has handed over an incomplete building of a polytechnic to a private group. More information is at this web page.
Chinese education company starts another school The largest provider of private educational services in China, New Oriental, has announced the establishment of a new training school. The Beijing New Oriental North Star Training School is the first step in New Oriental's expansion into the professional certification preparation field, which includes preparation for the law and accountancy and civil service exams. More information is at this web page.
Private university management moves in Turkey A US company is forming a partnership with Istanbul's Bilgi University, one of the leading private institutions in Turkey. Baltimore-based Laureate Education will provide management, marketing, technology and student services to the 9,000-student university. Laureate Education runs universities in Asia, Europe and Latin America. Bilgi would become a part of the Laureate International Universities network, in which students can participate in exchange programmes and earn joint degrees. Founded in 1996, Bilgi has three campuses and offers 48 undergraduate and graduate degrees, in business, communications, economics, law, finance, science and the arts. More information is at this web page. | ||
