Stories about Education from April, 2011
China: Centennial Celebration of Tsinghua University
Jing Gao from the Ministry of Tofu explains how the centennial celebration of Tsinghua University turns political.
Bhutan: Bonded Teachers
Tshering Tobgay criticizes a recent rule in Bhutan that teachers will never be able to apply for other government posts.
Brazil: School Bullying and the Realengo Massacre
On 7 April 2011, twelve adolescents at the Tasso da Silveira City School in the west of Rio de Janeiro were shot dead. The culprit was ex-pupil, Wellington Menezes de Oliveira, 23, who then turned the gun on himself. The growing speculation about the killer’s profile, in both the blogosphere and traditional media, raised the issue of bullying in Brazilian society.
Armenia: Pseudo-patriotism and flag burning
Unzipped comments on the creation of a Facebook page by some students in Armenia calling for the “virtual burning” of the flags of Azerbaijan and Turkey. The blog says it considers the move one that can only lead to more hatred between Armenia and its two estranged neighbors and is...
Malaysia: Obesity in schools
Nuraina A Samad from Malaysia reminds authorities that addressing the obesity issue also requires a review of the physical education and fitness programs in schools
Malaysia: Boot Camp to “Help” Effeminate Boys
Based on their effeminate tendencies, 66 schoolboys from the state of Terengganu in Malaysia were recently sent to a boot camp aimed at "helping them behave in a proper manner". The boys were identified by their schools, who were instructed last year to identify students who displayed feminine qualities. The blogoshere in Malaysia is divided over this issue.
Malawi: Political Science Lecturer Talks About Blogging Academic Freedom
When Malawi's Inspector General of Police Peter Mukhito summoned political science senior lecturer Dr Blessings Chinsinga over an example he gave in the lecture room, he had no idea that the incident will appear on Boniface Dulani's blog. Victor Kaonga wanted to hear from Dulani about his blogging experiences especially following the Chinsinga episode which has turned into a movement fighting for academic freedom.
Costa Rica: Climate Change Affecting the Cloud Forest
The Monteverde Now project documents the stories of 11 members of the Monteverde Community through short video interviews where they explain how their life has been transformed and how they are adapting to sustaining their diverse and delicate ecosystem in the face of climate change.
Bahamas, U.S.A.: Economic Empowerment
“The best way to address poverty and fairness in our society is through a radical overhaul of our failing education system”: Bahama Pundit sees some parallels with the U.S. regarding debt and income inequality.
India: Higher Education, An Opportunity Lost
“Higher Education in India, in particular, is a game of political privileges and cronyism; consequently, Indian institutions fail to make it to global top table and also fail to equip its 2.9 million graduates a year with basic employment skills,” comments Supriyo Chaudhuri at Sunday Posts.
Trinidad & Tobago: Autism Awareness
“It wasn't until 1994 that Asperger's syndrome was officially recognized by the American Psychological Association. Fifty years. T&T's already behind the curve”: Blogging at Outlish, Nicole Greene “hope[s] it doesn't take us another 50 years before we're finally ready to properly support the autistic community among us.”
Turkmenistan: Crackdown on Turkish schools
As Turkmenistan’s authorities quietly move to shut down the system of Turkish secondary schools, Annasoltan communicates with an alum of one of these schools to get an insider’s view.
Taiwan: Experience of foreign graduate students
Fili writes about his experience studying in a Ph.D. program in Taiwan. While Range also writes about his experience as a graduate student in Taiwan.
Pakistan: Text Books Being Updated After 11 Years
Faisal Kapadia at Deadpan Thoughts welcomes the steps by the Education Ministry of Pakistan to update the text books and supplementary materials for both students and teachers of primary and secondary schools, which were pending for so long. In states like Sindh & Baluchistan they were not revised in the...
Malawi: The Power of a Blog Post
The two-month old stand-off between the university lecturers in Malawi and their employer has led to the closure of the University of Malawi's main colleges. But no one would have known that things were so bad if one blogger, Boniface Dulani, had not written a post titled "Mutharika's dictatorship hits a new low: Unima's Blessings Chinsinga summoned by Inspector General of Police" on February 12, 2011.
Colombia: Citizens Reject Proposal to Reform Higher Education Law 30
Colombian President Santos' proposal to reform the Higher Education Law 30 has not been received well. Despite some accepting it, the loudest voices heard, online and in the streets, have been the opposition. This past April 7 a national march was held; at the same time, netizens share their concerns on blogs, videos, web pages and other social media.
South Koreans Baffled By Five Consecutive University Suicides
South Koreans are buzzing over recurring suicides which occurred in one prestigious university. The school's unique penalty tuition system which was adopted by the president of the school also went under fire for driving students to extreme stress, even to the death.
Singapore: Debate on ‘Pampered’ Soldiers
Are Singapore soldiers ready for battle? This is one of the many questions raised by netizens who are reacting to the photo of a young serviceman whose backpack is being carried by someone believed to be their family domestic helper
Egypt: Remembering Bahr El-Baqar Incident
Forty one years ago, the Israeli Air Force raided a primary school in the Egyptian village of Bahr el-Baqar. About 30 of its students died, over 50 were severely wounded, and many were left with disabilities. And after all those years, Egyptians still remember the massacre.
Cuba: Exam Fraud
“Fraud in Cuban schools is a deep evil, almost endemic,” says Iván García, who explains that “on a greater or lesser scale it’s been happening since 1970.”
South Korea: Four Students Committed Suicides in KAIST
Four students at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology(KAIST), South Korea's one of prestigious universities, have committed suicides this semester, reportedly because of the pressure of competition and KAIST's penalty system which charges students extra fee for underachievement. Net users have filed an online petition[ko] urging the KAIST...
