Stories about Education from August, 2012
Brazil: 13 Year-Old Exposes School Problems on Facebook
Diário de Classe [pt], a Facebook page created by Isadora Faber, a 13 year-old from Santa Catarina, Brazil, has already gathered more than 176,000 “likes”. Aiming to “show the truth about...
Chile: Students March in the Thousands for Education Reform
Thousands of students and teachers marched peacefully on Tuesday, August 28, to demand education reform. This massive march is part of the student movement's ongoing efforts to overhaul the education system in Chile.
Canada: High Stakes in Quebec General Election After ‘Maple Spring’
The 2012 Quebec general election is set to take place on September 4. This year the effects of the students' strikes in response to the increase in university tuition fees will strongly impact voters' choices. Netizens from Quebec have reacted to the opinion polls a few weeks ahead of the vote.
Poland: Interview with Adam Dobrzynski, GV Translator and Heavy Metal Musician
An interview with Adam Dobrzynski, a member of the heavy metal band "Wanderer" and a translator for GV Poland.
France: Mandatory Car Driver Breathalyzers in Bid to Reduce Accidents
Starting from July 1 2012, every vehicle driver in France has had to carry a breathalyzer. This measure is aimed at diminishing the number of accidents caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol.
Argentina: Blogging in Welsh from Patagonia
The Argentine Patagonia was the first home of the Welsh migration that arrived in 1865 on the Mimosa steamboat. People from Wales and their descendants living in Argentina keep their culture and language alive through blogs and social networks.
Colombia: Students’ National Mobilization Call
On Twitter [es], Facebook [es] and other [es] media, the National Student Board (Mane) [es] is calling for a national mobilization on September 5 to protest President Santos’ failure to keep his commitments to...
Africa: Time for a Male Circumcision-Driven HIV Policy in Africa?
After overcoming much skepticism, the idea that circumcision is an effective measure in reducing HIV transmission is now globally accepted by the health professionals community and the general public. Experts and bloggers weigh in on the practicality and the effectiveness of a circumcision-driven HIV public health policy in Africa.
Brazil: Bicycle Brings Books to the Homeless
If good ideas transcend boundaries, this one does it by bicycle. That is, by Bicicloteca, a bicycle that carries a small library through the city of São Paulo, Brazil.
India: Bullying in Educational Institutions
Mahitha Kasireddi at Youth Ki Awaaz writes about a perennial social problem in Indian higher secondary education and beyond. Ragging or abuse/bullying of the freshers has become a culture in...
Cambodia: Khmer Language Books Now Online
The Digital Library for International Research has made available more than 50 publications of Khmer books and educational materials from Cambodia.
Malaysia: History of Islamic Education
Azmil Tayeb gives a brief overview of the history of Islamic schools in Malaysia. The author also discussed the role of the state in providing Islamic education in the country.
The Nazi Past of the Father of Colombian Anthropology
Cristina Vélez posts [es] her thoughts about “Nazi intellectuals” in her blog after it was revealed [es], at an academic Congress in Vienna, that Austrian-born Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff (1912-1994), considered the...
Sri Lanka: Time To Rethink The School Examination System
Serendipity questions the lack of credibility of the School Examination System in Sri Lanka and relates how that is contributing to the growing unemployment in the country.
Costa Rica: Cat Literally Drops In During University of Peace Class
A class at the University of Peace in Costa Rica had an unexpected visitor drop in, as a cat fell through the suspended ceiling right behind a couple of students...
Russia: Yekaterinburg University Begins Masters Program in Blogging & Political Journalism
Yekaterinburg's Ural Federal University is for the first time offering a Masters Degree [ru] in “political journalism” with specific training in blogging and “image-making.” In February 2011, UFU hosted [ru] journalist and...
Wales Celebrates its National Eisteddfod Festival, With a Digital Twist
Last week an event took places in Wales, which for many eclipsed even the Olympics. The National Eisteddfod of Wales is one of the only festivals in which the Welsh language is the primary language of every aspect of activity.
Russia: Moscow's Intelligentsia on Trial in Tver?
While this summer's 'hooliganism' charges against Pussy Riot have enjoyed the spotlight at home and abroad, there is another trial that perhaps reveals even more about tensions in modern Russian society. That is the case against Ilya Farber, a schoolteacher and eccentric recently sentenced to 8 years in prison and fined 3.2 million rubles for exhorting bribes from a building contractor.
Africa: Innovation, Education and Nature
Mutua discusses education and innovation in Africa: “In today’s world it is imperative to create a differentiated and sophisticated economy in order to truly be competitive, so for African states...
Egypt: The President's Son Fails Admission Test
The GUC Insider is the independent student-led media outlet of the German University in Cairo (GUC). In a short article [ar], it announces that the son of the Egyptian President...
Côte d'Ivoire: Debate Rages over University Fees
The universities of Côte d'Ivoire are getting ready to re-open their doors on September 3, 2012, bringing to an end long months of closure, controversially ordered by the Ivorian president. Joy at this announcement was swiftly replaced by a wave of indignant reactions following the decision of university heads to increase registration fees. Debate continues to rage in the Ivorian media as well as various social networks.
