The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued new recommendations on how government-run public schools should help combat America’s childhood obesity epidemic. The recommendation sparked outrage with some critics saying that it takes decision-making power from parents and gives it to unelected, unaccountable administrators. The AAP’s guidelines call for a “whole child” approach to solving obesity, which would place all medical records, access to healthcare, and social services within each k-12 school. The AAP recognises that many issues that contribute to weight gain—from divorced or single-parent homes, fast food heavy diets in the car, financial stress, to cultural habits, but calls for medical interventions and school-based care. The family is relegated to the fourth position in how effective “whole-child” healthcare can be provided. The days of nutrition, exercise, and educating parents on healthy nutrition are long gone, instead, families play an observant role, supporting the primary work of the school in caring for their children.
The US Department of Education, under the Biden administration, is investigating how Virginia's Loudoun County Public Schools responded to two 2021 sexual assaults against girls by a boy who claimed to be "transgender." The investigations will force the department to address inconsistencies in its own legally suspect expansion of Title IX, which mandates that biological males claiming to be female are considered the same as biological females under the law. Changes to Title IX brought by the Biden administration have put schools across the country at greater risk of sexual assault, but have also created a bureaucratic nightmare for teachers and administrators. Complicating matters is the proposed rule change that would eliminate due process protections for those accused of sexual assault and harassment. Removing these protections created by the prior Title IX rules would mean no live hearings, no introduction of evidence, and no opportunity to be represented by counsel, among others. DOE’s proposed rule brings back the single-investigator model, putting all power in one unelected bureaucrat who has the power to change the trajectory of a student's life with one stroke of a pen.
Law professor and originalist Michael Stokes Paulsen has given a speech claiming that something is wrong with the US Supreme Court’s approach to section one of the Fourteenth Amendment, which he feels goes beyond decisions he feels are wrong. Paulsen believes that the current Supreme Court only enforces the last two clauses of section one - addressing the rights of all persons - rather than the first three clauses, which address the status and rights of citizens, and that the Court’s approach is resulting in a jurisprudence that lacks any relationship to the original meaning of the amendment’s ‘Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses.’ Paulsen suggests that “An increasing number of scholars now believe that the “Equal Protection of the Laws Clause” guarantees nothing more than the equal protection of the natural rights of life, liberty, and property—natural rights that belong to all persons regardless of citizenship,” and claims the current Supreme Court “leaves those three opening clauses unexamined and unenforced.”
Paulsen concludes by suggesting that the overall approach to the Fourteenth Amendment, focusing only on the last two clauses, has created an entity resembling “the terrible truth [that] is unavoidable when you and your grandson try to set the space shuttle upright on the table…. [A] terribly shaped creation that most likely will not work as originally intended.” Protest, civil disobedience, and appeals to the Constitutional amendment process are the only ways to redress the Supreme Court’s current trend, Paulsen advises.
Yeshivas, New York’s Orthodox Jewish schools, have won a significant judicial victory in the state. New York state had, under pressure from a campaign backed by teachers' union leader Randy Wieingarten, sought to require private schools including yeshivas, which are not covered by an exemption, to provide an education “substantially equivalent” to that offered by state schools. Schools facing inspection by the state and deemed to be deficient could have been required to close. However, last week Judge Christina Ryba ruled that parents were responsible for ensuring a child is properly educated, rather than the schools themselves.
Our boys are suffering a crisis that few can deny, but the root causes and solutions remain elusive. Contributing factors include an absence of fathers, technological and economic shifts, and an education system that does not foster boys, but we need constructive solutions that acknowledge interdependence. Identity politics leftists see masculinity as toxic and deny there are differences between genders. Conservatives suggest a strict division of gender roles, as in the 1950s, but this alienates women and enflames young men, with neither approach solving the indecision and bereft sense of purpose that afflict our boys.
Amanda Gahan, principal at St Joan of Arc Catholic Primary School in Haberfield, spoke on the challenges of school leadership and how her previous career in HR benefits her role as principal. Gahan said her focus is on collaborative planning, whereby teachers can be encouraged to leave room for the "magic of teaching," and she spends most of her time sharing the joy of education, community, and faith with students, staff, and parents. Gahan believed that the most significant challenge for passionate educators today is to remember to maintain a work-life balance. They could use the skills required to be a principal in several industries, particularly if they have completed postgraduate studies. Principals must communicate effectively, have excellent time management and organisational skills, high emotional intelligence, and an ability to take risks to lead strategic improvement.
Peter Frankopan, a professor of global history at Oxford University and the author of "The Silk Roads: A New History of the World" and "The New Silk Roads: The Present and the Future of the World", spoke with journalist Benjamin Law for Good Weekend magazine about the role of religion in his life and for humanity, his commandments for writing, the inevitability of persecution and killing and global governance. He also spoke about UK politics, and while he has trust of the public, he doesn't have credibility in all areas and has no plans to run.
Is a new online university a cure for what ails the humanities?
The Globe and Mail
23-05-19 11:00
A Wellesley College Professor is set to open Ontario's first dedicated online university for the humanities. The institution, namedThe Humanities Digital Degrees Project, will teach English or French literature, history and philosophy and rely heavily on reading rather than video lectures. Despite being fully online, the university will not use videotaped lectures, instead focusing on extensively annotated texts and grading based on term papers and streamed presentations. The school aims to provide a rigorous education on a global scale to those highly literate enough to gain admittance. The cost of tuition will be around $5,000 a year.
Shore School, a prestigious private school in North Sydney, is investigating a violent incident involving two students after video footage emerged of one boy physically attacking a classmate with a table. The fight, which took place in a classroom, shows a student lifting a table and throwing it at another student. The incident has been reported to the police and disciplinary action is being taken. The school stated it condemns any form of violence. In July 2020, former Shore principal Tim Petterson was dismissed after a review of the school’s culture found new leadership was needed. The school, also known as Sydney Church of England Grammar School, has campuses in North Sydney and Northbridge and charges fees of up to AUD 39,960 ($31,143) for year 12 students. The violent incident is part of a broader issue of worsening student conduct in schools across New South Wales, with assaults in public schools having risen 50% over the past decade.
Ontario Autism Coalition wants to find out how often students with special needs are sent home
CBC
23-05-19 10:00
The Ontario Autism Coalition is questioning parents of children with special needs about the number of times their child has struggled to remain at school. For children with special needs to be able to concentrate and grow in a safe environment, their needs must be met accordingly. Otherwise, the child may be sent home or fail to receive the care and attention they need to excel academically. Despite the Ontario Autism Coalition's request for data on school exclusions, the province has no information and is thus unprepared to address this matter. Once the survey of parents of children with special needs is completed, the Ontario Autism Coalition says it will share the findings with Ontario's legislature and media to increase awareness of the issue. Some parents have already taken issue with how cuts to specialized classrooms have affected their children's education, with both faculty and student struggling to adapt to policy changes.
The president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, has warned of the presence of Russia's Wagner mercenaries in neighbouring countries Mali and Burkina Faso and urged Western investment in his country. Niger, which is rich in natural resources and minerals, produces seven percent of the world's uranium supply and is becoming a focus of Western interest as an African security and economic partner. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger in April and the country's president met with Emmanuel Macron in Paris and attended King Charles’ coronation in London. Bazoum stated that despite their presence in the region, he would "certainly not invite" Wagner to Niger. The Libyan-owned Wagner Group engages in lucrative commercial ventures in Africa and has a widespread military presence in the region. Some proceeds go to funding its operations in Ukraine, estimated to cost $100m per month. Climate change has also had a severe impact on the region, making it vulnerable to Islamist extremist recruitment. Bazoum has urged Western companies to invest in Niger, stating there is little incoming investment from countries such as France and the UK.
Toronto mayoral candidate Mitzie Hunter, a former provincial Cabinet minister for Ontario, wants to develop a transportation strategy that invests in Scarborough’s subway. Hunter’s own experience of limited transportation choices as a teenager led her to support the Scarborough Line, saying the subway would change opportunities for struggling youth and unify the city from east to west. Hunter wants the subway to extend from Downsview, linking to the northbound Line 1 that goes towards York University. The mayoral candidate argues that the subway will change perspectives on Scarborough, leading more people to make the commute as an investment in that part of Toronto. Despite slow-rising poll numbers, Hunter is focusing on housing policy in her campaign, hoping to create a city-run housing agency to develop and manage rentals and affordable home-ownership units. She states that housing availability is causing families to feel they must leave Toronto, while the city needs to do more to connect with younger generations. Hunter wishes to solve this issue, which she defines as Toronto’s biggest challenge.
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that a defamation lawsuit brought by a school trustee against a teacher's union leader should not continue. The case was initiated by Barry Neufeld, a trustee in Chilliwack, British Columbia, in response to negative comments made by Glen Hansman, then head of the B.C. Teachers' Federation. Hansman criticized Neufeld's comments about the implementation of a sexual orientation and gender identity program in provincial schools. Although the case was originally dismissed under British Columbia's anti-SLAPP law, which protects public debate, it was reinstated by the B.C. Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court has now restored the original order dismissing the action.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led many people to rethink their careers, with some choosing to break free from paths they long resented or to establish small businesses. Others left city locations or industries hit by the pandemic or made changes to achieve better work-life balance. While some simply carried on regardless, the pandemic gave others the chance to make long-desired career transitions. Events that break people from their normal patterns can have a profound impact on thinking, and the COVID-19 pandemic has been an event of unprecedented magnitude in this regard.
China's youth unemployment rate has reached its highest level since 2018, with 20.4% of people aged between 16 and 24 without work in April. This means that nearly 12 million Chinese people are expected to enter the job market in June at a particularly challenging time due to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and strict health restrictions on travel. High youth unemployment has been a significant economic challenge in China for several years, further exacerbated by the pandemic and the destruction to small businesses and consumer confidence. To address this problem, the Chinese government has introduced policies designed to stimulate employment in small and midsize businesses and to direct state-owned enterprises to create more employment opportunities. However, a mismatch has been identified between the jobs that college graduates want and the jobs that are available, affecting industries such as technology, education, and medicine, which can no longer compete with the traditionally popular industries of construction and retail.
China's youth unemployment rate has hit a high of 20.4% according to newly released data, with graduate job seekers increasingly "wary" of finding work in their chosen industries. As well as the mismatch between the jobs wanted and jobs available, graduates have also had fewer opportunities to gain internships or the social experiences that recruiters look for, as a result of lockdowns linked to the pandemic. The high unemployment has prompted government subsidies to stimulate youth employment, with state-owned enterprises directed to make more jobs available for those just starting out.
Australian metropolitan parents are enrolling their children in boarding schools to save time commuting and receive more academic support, according to the Australian Boarding Schools Association. Approximately 5,900 boarding students across New South Wales (NSW) include around 1,000 with metropolitan families. Australian boarding schools have remained consistent in enrolment with about 20,490 students since 2012, despite growing from around 150 a decade ago to approximately 200 in 2020. However, boarding school income from overseas-international students, which had doubled in the past decade, has dropped since the pandemic, resulting in the closure of three schools in Victoria and Tasmania. There are 47 boarding schools in NSW, with the majority being high-fee private schools that charge up to $73,000 for boarding and tuition, while other state schools charge $13,000 annually. NSW state president of the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association, Tanya Mitchell, is requesting a public all-girls boarding school option in the state for rural students.
Dargavel Primary School in Renfrewshire, Scotland, which is only a third of the size it should be, could cost taxpayers over £100m ($135m) after mistakes by SNP-run local council officials. The authority admitted it had made an error after it opened the £18m building with space for 430 children. It now believes that 1,100 pupils were actually needed there and that could increase to 1,500 by 2033. Neil Bibby, the Labour MSP for West Scotland, called on the government to help foot the bill. The primary school is part of a multimillion-pound development for 4,000 new homes.
The rise of generative artificial intelligence is sparking a pivotal moment in education. Technologies like Chatbots can craft essays, poems, computer code and songs that can seem human-made, making it difficult to ascertain who is behind any piece of content. While ChatGPT cannot be used to detect AI-generated writing, a rush of technology companies are selling software they claim can analyze essays to detect such text. But accurate detection is very difficult, according to educational technology experts, forcing American educators into a pickle: adapt to the technology or make futile attempts to limit the ways it’s used. Educational experts say the tensions erupting lay a troubling reality: protocols on how and when to use chatbots in classwork are vague and unenforceable, with any effort to regulate use risking false accusations. There are various views: some such as the New York City Department of Education and the University of Sciences Po, in Paris, have banned ChatGPT, citing concerns it may foster rampant plagiarism and undermine learning. Others professors openly encourage use of chatbots, comparing them to educational tools like a calculator, and argue teachers should adapt curriculums to the software.
The trend for converting historical or unusual buildings into hotels, which have saved many architecturally important structures from demolition, is highlighted by a piece carried by the Sydney Morning Herald. Among the 10 properties featured are the Crawford Hotel, Denver, originally the Denver Union train station, which features 600 pieces of art, many with a travel theme, curated by local art group NINE dot ARTS; the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, Turkey, the city’s last Ottoman palace which was seriously damaged by fire in 1910 and which took six years to restore; and Mamula Island Hotel, Montenegro, the site of a former Austro-Hungarian fortress used as a concentration camp and prison under fire by both sides during WW2, and which is a new 32-room hotel backed by firm Orascom Development.
