Stories about Education from January, 2014
Teaching of “Religion and Morality” In Bangladesh Schools
Blogger Bhaskar comments in Mukto Mona Blog about the newly introduced subject ‘religion and morality’ in school curricula of Bangladesh: In Bangladesh, teaching of ‘religion and morality’ in secular schools, we are talking about, is an extension of Maktab, Madrasa [Muslim religious schools] and dictatorial position held by Ulema in...
Samsung Withdraws Controversial University Quota Policy in South Korea
South Korea isn't notoriously nicknamed "The Republic of Samsung" for nothing.
Sports as a Vector of Peace in Burkina Faso
The National Department of Sports and Entertainment in Burkina Faso published a report on the role of sports as a vector of peace and development in Burkina Faso [PDF in fr]: Les programmes sportifs bien conçus renforcent les capacités humaines de base, créent des relations interpersonnelles et inculquent des valeurs...
Coursera Online Courses Blocked in Syria, Iran and Cuba by US Sanctions [UPDATE]
Hit by US sanctions, Coursera students from Syria, Iran and Cuba, can no longer complete their studies on the online learning platform. Netizens react.
Child Artists in Syria's Largest Refugee Camp ‘Zaatari’
Syria children at the Zaatari refugee camp, on the Syrian-Jordanian border, was showing off their artistic skills, writes Syria Untold.
INNOVATION: Containers as Student Housing at European Universities
In order to alleviate the lack of student housing available across Europe, a few universities in Denmark, Germany, France (Le Havre) [fr] and Spain have tried to turn containers into student dorms. Containers appear to be the structure of choice because they are less costly and readily adaptable to include the necessary amenities....
Supporting the Rights of Malian Youth to Education
Mali's education system faces multiple challenges, but activist groups are coming together to tackle them head on.
Calypso, Race & Political Allegiance in Trinidad & Tobago
The 2014 Carnival season in Trinidad and Tobago is heating up, as a controversial calypso is banned from live performances at a venue whose owner often courted controversy himself.
China Sentences Citizens’ Movement Icon Xu Zhiyong to Four Years in Prison
His imprisonment is part of a crackdown by new Chinese Communist Party leadership under President Xi Jinping against political liberals who have been trying to advocate for constitutional reform.
The Online Presence of Puerto Rican Women: Gender, Creativity, and Equality
Angel Carrión features some of the online spaces Puerto Rican women have created to express ideas, creativity, exchange information, or provide resources that further education on women's issues and equality.
Cartoon Character ‘Meena’ Changes South Asian Attitudes Towards Girls
"Since her inception 14 years ago she has shown millions of women and girls what can be achieved."
South Korea Accused of Rewriting History in High School Textbook
The South Korean government is blamed for favoring textbooks that support their political views and grant them excuses for their past flaws.
Is the Vybz Kartel Trial an Opportunity for Jamaica?
Jamaican music has always captured the global imagination, especially when celebrities become outlaws. One blogger suggests that the Vbyz Kartel murder trial holds valuable lessons about legal and social justice.
Hong Kong: An Outraging Elementary School Entry Examination Question
The answer to the question is “nothing”.
Understanding Human Rights in Portuguese-Speaking Countries
[All links lead to Portuguese language pages, except where otherwise stated] The Portuguese language version of the educational manual for human rights “Understanding Human Rights” is available online. The website provides the complete manual in pdf format or divided into chapters, as well as training material, bibliographical references and institutional information specifically aimed at...
China's Viral Sex Education Videos
A small team has released a collection of one-minute childhood sex education videos on China's youku, China's YouTube. The videos, involving topics such as “Why Are Boys Different from Girls” and “Where Do Babies Come From?”, have become the second most popular search on Baidu and have drawn over one...
The Ripple Effect Of Rote-Learning In Pakistan
Muhammad Taseer Hussain at Pak Tea House criticizes the quality of education system in Pakistan. Lack of good teachers encourages some students to adopt rote-learning, which is more like a mechanical task of repeating what to be learned and does not require much of reasoning or inference. the blogger adds:...
37 Million Students Start New Year with Free Textbooks in Bangladesh
"This is the kind of Bangladesh we would like to see...Children happy with new books seeking knowledge....not children with gun powder learning to make human BBQ"
China and Hong Kong: Mocking The Motherland's Wind
A netizen uploaded a poem from primary school textbook which praises the wind blowing from China to Hong Kong as blessing. Very quickly the so-called brain washing poem has turned into a subject for mockery. Details from Dictionary of politically incorrect Hong Kong Cantonese.
No Girls Allowed at New Cosmology Public School in Japan
A new public school in Japan that will teach students cosmology is open for applications. Enrollment is only open to boys.
How Should Middle Eastern Women Dress in Public?
This question, posed by a University of Michigan study, is drawing laughs – and criticism online.
