Stories about Education from October, 2011
Colombia: Law 30 and “Operation Seventh Ballot” on Regional Election Day
Through the Facebook group “Operation Seventh Ballot” [es], citizens are inviting voters to deposit a paper in the ballot box with the words “NO TO THE REFORM OF LAW 30″...
East Timor: Investing in Creativity and Culture
Barcelona artist David Palazón ended up in East Timor as a break from his career. Now he is coordinating a project to research Timorese culture in hopes of creating a school for the creative industries, to stimulate jobs in the non-oil economy, small businesses, and tourism.
Open Access Africa: Spreading Knowledge, Increasing Collaboration
We celebrate Open Access Week with a special focus on Open Access Africa. As the internet lowers the bar for publishing and disseminating information, print-era publishing models still keep African researchers and students separated from colleagues in different countries and their ideas. How has Open Access changed scholarship in Africa?
Sri Lanka: Working Towards Uniting the Nation
The 26 year long civil war in Sri Lanka has left many scars and it is an uphill task to bridge all divides and start the reconciliation to unite people. 'Sri Lanka Unites' is engaging the youth across the country to build good leadership with hope and reconciliation who will unite the nation one day.
Colombia: Photos of Student Protests at Plaza de Bolívar, Bogotá
Mike shares photos of student protests at Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá. “Lots of people protest for lots of causes in central Bogotá, but few of them seem to have...
France: New Visa Restrictions for Foreign University Graduates
France has taken a legal step which makes it more difficult for foreign students who have graduated from French universities to work on French territory and thus change their student visa permit into a working visa. Julie Owono reports on reactions to the new immigration rules.
Egypt: A Class Project That Became One of Egypt's Biggest Charities
From a class discussion after a lecture at Cairo University, to the building one of the biggest charity and volunteer organizations in Egypt. Here's the story of how university professor Sherif Abdel-Azim helped create Resala.
Tanzania: New Blog to Connect College Students
TZCampusVibe: Life of University Students is a new Swahili and English blog in Tanzania that connects University students in the country.
Lithuania: Corruption within the Educational System
Alan Hendrixson of With a Grain of Druska discusses problems arising from corruption within Lithuanian education and health system.
Chile: State Security Law, Violence Deterrent or Repression?
On October 18, Chilean Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter invoked the State Security Law to punish the persons responsible for the burning of a bus during the protests supporting the student movement. The country's citizens comment on this controversial measure.
Chile: Students Storm Former Congress Building
Robert L. Funk reports on the storming of the former Congress building in Santiago by students during “a Committee meeting to which the Education Minister had been invited”. Protesters refused...
Colombia: Workers and Students Take to the Streets in Protest
Public sector workers and university students have hit the streets of Colombia to express their dissatisfaction. Cati Restrepo explores some of their concerns.
Sri Lanka: Education Policy Requires Change
Serendipity opines that the present Sri Lankan Education Policy requires a complete overhaul.
Chile: Photos of October 19 Student Protest
Chilean students marched for education reform on October 18 and 19. Kena Lorenzini posts numerous pictures of the second day on her personal blog.
China: Children Wearing Badge of Shame
Some elementary schools in China force children who under-perform to wear a green scarf. (via Ministry of Tofu)
Trinidad & Tobago: The Question of Race
“I feel that a person loses a bit of who he or she is internally by having to limit themselves by that one word. And it can be quite a...
Trinidad & Tobago: Children & the Internet
In the wake of a controversy in which a teacher was allegedly involved in a sexual relationship with a student [the situation came to light because of photos he posted...
Macedonia: Public Debate on Down Syndrome
Prof. Vladimir Trajkovski, MD, PhD, blogged [mk] about the public debate on the Down Syndrome, which was held in Skopje on Oct. 15 with over 300 participants, including the Croatian...
Global Handwashing Day: Changing Behaviors through Song and Dance
Do you know how to properly wash your hands? Through songs and dances, people from different parts of the world teach others the right way to wash their hands to promote health. October 15 is Global Handwashing Day.
Chile/New York: Similarities Between Occupy Wall Street and the Student Movement
The students of Chile are entering their fifth month protesting for education reform. As Occupy Wall Street gains numbers on the ground and increased attention from the press, economic and social echoes between the two are worth noting -- and perhaps provide a hint as to what comes next.
Colombia: You Can Copy This Creative Commons Film Festival
The Creative Commons Audiovisual Festival will be taking place in Barranquilla and Medellin later this month. You can still experience it even if you aren't in Colombia by requesting to Copy the Festival, and getting a full package to replicate the festival, including films, talks and contact information for directors and panelists.