Yesterday, the report by Prof. Ken Muir CBE “Putting Learners at the Centre: Towards a Future Vision for Scottish Education” was published, alongside the Scottish Government’s response to the report and its recommendations. The recommendations are all either fully accepted, broadly accepted or accepted in principle.
The headlines, of course, are on what is to become of Scotland’s national agencies. in summary:
The Scottish Qualifications Authority is to be replaced by a new body with the same role, provisionally called “Qualifications Scotland” – which will have a governance structure which allows for more participation by pupils, teachers and other stakeholders.…
So, I came across an article on Special Needs Jungle on the new Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018, which came into force on 1 September 2021. This seems to represent a sweeping change in the special educational needs framework (now to be known as additional learning needs). You can read about the changes here: The new “rights-based” Additional Learning Needs system in Wales
Welsh Government Factsheet
Based on what I have read, there are some interesting and welcome features in this new legislation:
Covers ages 0 to 25, as opposed to 3-18 (roughly) in Scotland
A…
Vancouver resident Calvin Wong says he can finally start picturing a future in Canada after the federal government announced it was dropping educational requirements for Hong Kongers seeking permanent residency in the wake of the Chinese city’s crackdown on dissent.
Wong, 28, had graduated from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology with a computer science degree in 2017 before moving to Canada on a work permit in 2021, looking for a life where he could enjoy “political freedom.”
But immigration pathways for Hong Kong residents that have allowed thousands to settle permanently in Canada excluded…
Smartphones should be banned from schools to tackle classroom disruption, improve learning and help protect children from cyberbullying, a UN report has recommended.
Unesco, the UN’s education, science and culture agency, said there was evidence that excessive mobile phone use was linked to reduced educational performance and that high levels of screen time had a negative effect on children’s emotional stability.
It said its call for a smartphone ban sent a clear message that digital technology as a whole, including artificial intelligence, should always be subservient to a “human-centred vision” of education, and never supplant face-to-face interaction with teachers.
Unesco…
Premier Doug Ford’s government is pushing Ontario schools to focus on what it calls “getting back to the basics of education.”
The 2023-24 school year brings fresh momentum to that push from Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce.
The government is now armed with new powers to set provincial priorities for student achievement, and school boards face new requirements to report publicly on their progress.
Here are some highlights:
Student achievement plans
Each school board is required to post what’s called its Student Achievement Plan, a document that lays out how the board intends to work on the education priorities…
Ontario elementary educators were informed via a newsletter distributed on Wednesday, June 20, of a new language curriculum to be implemented in the 2023-24 school year beginning this September.
The minister of education announced plans to overhaul the language curriculum in Ontario, on the heels of the Ontario Human Rights Commission Right to Read Report, and is introducing a literacy screening tool for educators to use with learners starting in grade 2.
The announced curriculum changes put an emphasis on graphemes, morphemes, and other phonic tools. The goal is for a move towards evidence-based literacy strategies.
While the educators are…
DNRR photo.
MIDDLE MUSQUODOBOIT: The closing of the Natural Resources Education Center (NREC) at the end of the summer is being made to improve workforce collaboration and efficiency, a spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables said.
Residents in Middle Musquodoboit had heard the NREC would be closing and became concerned of losing its valuable education for those in the Musquodoboit Valley and across NS A few made posts on social media site Facebook voicing their disappointment in its closure.
Erin Lynch, with the department, said they recognized the Natural Resources Education Center was enjoyed by many over…
Some 13 million high school graduates across China are nervously awaiting a test result that will determine the rest of their lives.
The gaokao – a combination of the words “college” and “exam” – is regarded as one of the most important events in the life of any Chinese student. The exam consists of three mandatory subjects: Mandarin, English and maths, with optional subjects including physics, history and politics. Depending on the subject, participants spend between one and two and a half hours completing essays, multiple choice, and fill-in-the-blank type questions.
They will have spent 12 years preparing for the…