UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has reneged on a pledge to ban Confucius Institutes, Beijing’s cultural and language outposts in the UK, a move criticised by former prime minister Liz Truss, who urged Sunak to name China a “threat”. Downing Street stated it would be “disproportionate” to close down the institutions given the likely Chinese reprisals against the British Council, a public cultural services provider. Sunak claimed last year during a campaign to become Tory leader that China was “infiltrating” British universities. There are currently 30 Confucius Institutes in British universities, including Southampton, Sheffield and Manchester.
Former US President Donald Trump is using a strategy that targets Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor and potential Republican presidential candidate, with a policy-heavy campaign. Trump is attempting to damage DeSantis’s chances in the presidential race by targeting issues including Social Security, Medicare, foreign policy and DeSantis’s history in office. The Trump campaign has accused DeSantis of wanting to “destroy” the federal pension system and Medicare, and many of Trump’s attacks have focused on the cuts to entitlement spending that DeSantis voted for when he was a congressman from 2013 to 2018. Trump’s new approach is different from his first foray into politics in 2016, when he relied on chaotic tactics and personal insults to secure the Republican nomination. Reuters found that Trump had launched 242 attacks against declared and potential rivals for the party’s nomination since announcing his own candidacy in November 2021. Of those attacks, 216 have been aimed at DeSantis although he has yet to confirm his candidacy.
A phonics-based approach to reading instruction is the best way to teach Australian children how to read, according to the results of the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. The state of New South Wales has overhauled its curriculum to ensure phonics is taught when students learn to read, while a compulsory phonics check is carried out on Year 1 students. One in five Australian students currently lack basic reading skills, a gap that has widened in the past decade for boys in NSW, while girls continue to progress. The national UK approach to phonics has been cited as a good example to follow.
Native American former student sues Oklahoma school for removing feather at graduation
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 16:05
The Broken Arrow Public Schools and two employees have been sued in the US for the removal of sacred eagle feather from the graduation cap of Lena’ Black, who is Otoe-Missouria and Osage. Black had been bestowed the sacred object when she was aged three and was awaiting to walk into Broken Arrow High School's May 2022 graduation when two school employees approached her and instructed her to remove the eagle plume, damaging it in the process. The lawsuit cites intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and violations to Black's state and federal constitutional rights to free speech and freedom of religion.
The Toronto District School Board has reported that more than 300 students have been involved in violence on school property this academic year. A total of 323 students have been involved in violence on school premises between September and April. The board suggests this is on track to reach a new high since the data started being collected in 2000. The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario commissioned a survey of its members earlier this year and found that 42% of its members have had a physical injury, illness or psychological injury or illness as a result of workplace violence against them this school year.
Four high-school students were killed and another injured in a car crash in a suburb of Chicago on 9 February. The victims were travelling in the same vehicle and were aged between 16 and 18. Three other people were hurt in the incident involving three cars, one of whose occupants caused a power outage by striking a light pole. The cause of the crash is believed to have been speed and a safety signal being ignored.
DeSantis signs bills targeting drag shows, pronouns, bathroom use and transgender children
The Toronto Star
23-05-17 15:10
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed bills that ban gender affirming care for minors, restrict pronoun use in schools, and require people to use the bathroom corresponding with their sex in some cases. This is part of the governor's efforts to legislate against LGBTQ+ issues as he is building his presidential campaign as a Republican candidate. DeSantis signed the bills in front of a Christian school in Tampa, with a banner reading "Let Kids Be Kids" behind him, while lawmakers said that this legislation protects children from "sexually explicit" content while invoking their religious beliefs to defend the state's actions. Democrats opposed the bills, however, Republicans have a supermajority in both chambers, and the bills passed easily.
Publisher Penguin Random House and PEN America have brought a lawsuit against a school district in Florida, alleging that the school board removed 10 books from library shelves about race and LGBTQ+ identities, violating the First Amendment. The case does not name Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, as a defendant, although he has championed policies that allow for the censorship and challenging of books based on whether they are appropriate for children in schools. This action is seen as part of an approach to win support from conservative voters for his planned presidential run.
Canadian province Prince Edward Island requires 1,200 extra health-care workers over the next decade, according to a report from health consultancy Health Intelligence. The report points out that the larger number of necessary hires is due to an extensive health system reform plan, which includes adding nurses, pharmacists and doctors to the network. A less ambitious reform plan would necessitate just 245 new workers, the report added. The Health Intelligence report considers factors including worker migration, retirement and mortality, and identifies major health problems affecting the province including cancer, diabetes, chronic pulmonary disease and cardiovascular issues.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer and member of the Kennedy family, is running an “unprecedented” campaign for the Democratic nomination against Joe Biden, supported by a combination of the far left and far-right, according to an op-ed in The Globe and Mail. Kennedy, whose father Bobby Kennedy challenged a sitting president in 1968, is predominantly known for his opposition to vaccines, support for the release of Sirhan Sirhan, who was convicted of assassinating Sen. Robert Kennedy, and criticism of public health expert Anthony Fauci. While not expected to win the nomination, he has drawn surprisingly strong early poll numbers.
Quebec education minister skewered for suggesting teachers don't deserve same pay hike as MNAs
CBC
23-05-17 22:42
Quebec's Education Minister, Bernard Drainville, has faced criticism for suggesting in a video interview that teachers' salaries should not be compared with that of other government employees, including members of the legislative assembly. Political columnist, Michel David asked Drainville why teachers should not be paid similar salaries to those in other Canadian provinces. In response, Drainville argued that a comparison between the work of a teacher and an MNA (member of the National Assembly) is "shaky" and even "a tad demagogic." Critics say the minister's comments betray his contempt for teachers and the profession.
Charles Elliott Pascal, one of North America’s leading education experts, has died. Pascal, who was born in Chicago in 1944, held numerous positions including Ontario’s first Early Learning Advisor under the province’s former Premier Dalton McGuinty, who recently praised him as “one of the most passionate and committed Canadians I have ever met”. Pascal was instrumental in creating the Canadian Index of Wellbeing, as well as helping to introduce full-day kindergarten in the province. Beyond his work in Canada, Pascal also advised governments and the UN around the world. In 2015, he was appointed a member of the Order of Canada.
The Biden administration has issued a proposal that college programmes that leave students underpaid or deeply in debt would be barred from receiving federal funds. However, the proposal would only apply to for-profit universities and a small fraction of programmes at traditional universities. Both tests have to pass programmes to qualify for federal funding, starting with a check whether a degree programme’s graduates have annual student loan payments averaging no more than 8% of their total income. Any programme failing these tests twice in three years would lose access to federal funding. The proposal’s scope is not wide enough to help most students, say opponents of the proposal.
B.C. expands access to in-school child-care program
CBC
23-05-18 03:24
The Seamless Day Kindergarten pilot program, launched by the British Columbia government in 2019 to provide before- and after-school care for kindergarten students, will expand to 20 additional schools in the province after a successful trial in four locations. Certified early childhood educators supervise children in kindergarten classrooms, offering uninterrupted care throughout the day, while working parents benefit from saved time and peace of mind. The one-off cost is between C$275 and C$500, with a C$350 per month fee for in-school care, and participating schools can apply for provincial funding to help lower costs.
Three consecutive editorials in China's People's Daily have expressed concern that the country's demographic crisis could hit its economic growth. It follows China's population falling to 1.41 billion last year, marking its first decline in six decades after a record low birth rate of 6.77 per 1,000 people. The editorials supported President Xi Jinping’s vision to create a “talent dividend” by ensuring the development of individuals and boosting education. However, Professor Yuan Xin of Nankai University's School of Economics said there is a growing disadvantage in terms of population size and migration, optimisation of human capital, “will finally become quiet”.
Harrow mom says 'hopeless' school system failing to accommodate her son
CBC
23-05-18 08:00
A mother in Harrow, Ontario, has complained about what she sees as a failure by the local public school board to attend to both her young son’s special education and medical requirements. Jessica McCoy says that her child had limited access to school due to misbehaviour so severe that he was only allowed an hour a day in attendance. However, the Ontario Education Act states that a student cannot be held back unless they are part of a special education programme, which McCoy says her son was not. This placed additional pressure on her as she had to be on standby to take care of him. McCoy says that the school claimed it did not have the resources to deal with her son’s behaviour. Since then, the boy has been diagnosed with epilepsy and McCoy alleges that the school has not made any proactive arrangements for his care during a seizure.
Multiple schools in Sydney have returned to remote learning on a part-time or full-time basis due to COVID-19 outbreaks. Liverpool Girls High School had to move students in years 9, 10, and 11 to remote learning due to about 20% of their teaching staff contracting COVID-19 or suffering from symptoms. Cammeray Public School, Parkes High, Martindale Public, and Yawarra Community School have also moved some students to remote learning for part or all of the week due to COVID-19 concerns. Reinstated mask mandates have been implemented. NSW Secondary Principals’ Council president Craig Petersen commented on the lack of casual teaching staff, which has created difficulty in finding relief coverage when needed, causing some schools to move to remote learning. NSW schools currently have 13,500 coronavirus infections, and influenza cases have increased by 35%.
English universities are at risk from being over-reliant on tuition fees from overseas students, particularly those from China, warns the Office for Students (OfS) in its annual report on financial sustainability. The watchdog has contacted UK higher education institutions with high levels of student recruitment from China to check contingency plans for any possible drop in income from overseas students. The OfS warns that any event that “reduces the flow” of international students to universities such as a changing geopolitical environment could cause a “significant impact” on institutions that have a heavy reliance on international student recruitment.
UK universities have been warned over financial risk by the higher education regulator if there is a sudden drop in demand from students from China, which could lead to issues in achieving financial resilience. The watchdog, The Office for Students, has written to 23 universities with high levels of Chinese students to ensure they have contingency plans in place for any sudden drops. In 2021-2022, there were 151,690 Chinese students enrolled at UK universities, up from 89,735 in 2014-15 and some Universities have become acutely dependent on fee income from international students.
Politicians in Guernsey are calling for a review of primary schools after figures revealed a fall in the number of reception classes. Vale and La Houguette Primary Schools, and Notre Dame Primary Schools, have all reduced the number of reception classes. Overall, pupil numbers have fallen from 500 in 2022 to 491 in 2023. Last year, the island's politicians voted for a review of Guernsey's primary schools in the next political term. Former Chief Minister Gavin St. Pier called on the States to look at reducing the number of primary schools.
