Education Department opens investigation into Harvard’s legacy admissions

Breadcrumb Trail Links PMN World PMN News Author of the article: The Associated Press Michael Casey Published Jul 25, 2023  •  Last updated 1 week ago  •  3 minute read FILE – Students walk through Harvard Yard, April 27, 2022, on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. On Monday, July 24, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into Harvard University’s policies on legacy admissions, which give an edge to applicants with family ties to alumni. Photo by Charles Krupa /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Article content BOSTON (AP) — Opening a new front in legal battles over…

‘Put learners first’: Unesco calls for global ban on smartphones in schools | Unesco

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…

Jérémie Lepage new CSCDGR director of education

Article content The Conseil scolaire catholique de district des Grandes Rivières (CSCDGR) has announced the appointment of Jérémie Lepage as director of education and secretary treasurer. Article content “The school board trustees expressed their confidence in Mr. Lepage to manage the school board, guide strategic planning, and lead the CSCDGR for the years to come,” said board chair Roger Grégoire, in a press release issued Tuesday. “His passion for Catholic education, innovative vision, and inspiring leadership will be invaluable assets to our board. Together, we will continue to provide a quality education while encouraging our students to reach their full…

Quebec’s English-speaking community applauds court decision on education reform – Montreal

Quebec’s English-speaking community is reflecting on what they call a “clear victory” for English-language minority education rights. This, after a Quebec Superior Court judge struck down parts of the province’s controversial education reform known as Bill 40. It took almost three years for a decision, but Quebec’s English-speaking community is relieved it’s status quo. “Since the beginning, QPAT has even advised the ministry to say this is not a good way to go,” said Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers president Steven LeSuer. “It’s a huge win for the English-speaking community,” he added. On Wednesday Justice Sylvain Lussier ruled that several…

Wisconsin governor signs bill overhauling elementary reading education

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill into law Wednesday overhauling the way reading is taught in the state. The Republican-authored bill is meant to improve sagging reading scores and emphasizes phonics, the relationship between sounds and letters, over memorization. It also requires more frequent reading tests and employs reading coaches to help struggling students. “We have to ensure our kids have the reading and literacy tools and skills to be successful both in and out of the classroom,” Evers said in a statement. “This bill, modeled after initiatives that have been successful in other states…

Nervous wait for Chinese students as ‘gaokao’ results released | Education News

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…

Higgs’s remarks on LGBTQ policy called ‘deplorable’ by education council members

Members of the Anglophone East district education council have waded into a debate over New Brunswick’s policy on LGBTQ students in schools, with one member calling Premier Blaine Higgs’s comments on the issue “deplorable.” “I know it’s recent news, it just came out, but the premier’s comments regarding Policy 713 tonight are absolutely deplorable,” Dominic Vautour said during the council’s meeting Tuesday evening in Moncton. It was one of a series of comments by Anglophone East council members, who oversee a district in the southeast region of the province with more than 18,000 students, that criticized the government and its…

Serbia’s education minister resigned in the wake of deadly mass shootings, including at primary school

Serbia’s education minister submitted his resignation Sunday following two mass shootings, one of them at a primary school, that left 17 people dead, while the European country’s government urged citizens to turn in all unregistered weapons or run the risk of a prison sentence. Education Minister Branko Ruzic is the first Serbian official to resign over the shootings despite widespread calls for more senior officials to step down in the wake of the back-to-back bloodshed. Ruzic cited the “catastrophic tragedy that has engulfed our country” in explaining his decision. Soon after the attack at the school in Belgrade, Serbia’s capital,…