Stories about Education from December, 2010
Azerbaijan: Hijab ban
Aaron in Azerbaijan [Eng] also comments on the recent law introduced in Azerbaijan prohibiting hijabs in schools. The blog wonders if the move is an attempt by the government to stop the further spread of radical Islam in the secular country.
D. R of Congo: AK47 versus education
AK47 versus education in the Democratic Republic of Congo: “In 2008 at the age of 16 Mark together with about 12 boys from his village were abducted by the unsympathetic rebels and they were cow marched into the jungle where they were taught how to operate the deadly AK47 and...
Puerto Rico: Second Student Strike
Students of the University of Puerto Rico have started the second strike in less than a year, this time in protest against a special tuition fee to be charged in January. Follow the hashtag #huelgaUPR in Twitter, the student blog Desde Adentro [es], and the digital magazine 80 grados [es]...
Azerbaijan: Hijab ban introduced in schools
Last week hundreds of protesters staged a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Education in Baku, Azerbaijan, expressing their outrage against new regulations banning the wearing of hijabs in schools. Bloggers react.
Uruguay: Winners of Blog Competition “Your Ideas Matter” Announced
The winners of the schoolchildren blog competition, “Your Ideas Matter,” were recently announced [es]: three girls from the School Agraria de Raigón won first place in the innovative projects category; the school 93 of Maldonado [es] won first place in the school blog category; and students from Liceo 66 de...
Armenia: Facebook Storytelling
Writing for Ararat Magazine, Global Voices author Simon Maghakyan says that that one Facebook Group is attempting to use the popular social networking site to teach children Armenian history. The post wonders if this might turn out to be a revolutionary way to get them interested in such subject matters.
Paraguay: Indigenous Youth Participate in Political and Social Leadership Seminar
The blog despierta…Paraguay!!! [es] reports on a recent seminar where more than 120 indigenous youth (15-30 years old) from 60 communities gathered to debate, learn and share experiences about “their current and historical context, interculturality and participation, human development and the strengthening of political and social leadership.”
Malaysia: Moratorium on Medical Schools
The Malaysian government has imposed a five-year moratorium on medical programs across the country, with the aim of shifting the focus from quantity to quality as the number of medical graduates continues to increase every year. Is this a good policy intervention? Bloggers react
Puerto Rico: Police Occupies the University of Puerto Rico
After the conclusion of a two day walk out organized by students, the Police has occupied the main campus of the University of Puerto Rico for the first time since 1981 in anticipation of a possible student strike on December 14. The blogosphere and social media networks are buzzing with reactions.
Sri Lanka: Studying In Sinhala
Za Za writes that studying only in Sinhala language can be challenging for the Sri Lankans.
Botswana: The Problem with local publishers
Lauri discusses the problem with local book publishers in Botswana: “Book publishers in Botswana work like this: They wait for the Ministry of Education to put out a tender for the books they need. The publishers then run around trying to get writers to write those books. They submit the...
Puerto Rico: Original version of Wikileaks
An anonymous team has founded the website Iupileaks [es] in which they are posting documents of the administration of the University of Puerto Rico (Iuipi is the colloquial name of the main campus of the University): “We are a small group of people who attempts to inform the public about...
Chile: Blog Against Reduction of History Class Hours
The blog Historia y Reforma [es] (History and Reform) collects “the different positions that have been manifested against the reduction of hours for History that are scattered in various media and social networks. At the same time, readers will be able to learn about the different actions that are being...
South Korea: Free School Meals Debate Sweeps the Nation
A serious debate on the free school meals system has swept South Korea this week, as a minority opposition party succeeded in passing a bill through parliament that expands free meal coverage.
Serbia: Novelists Participate in “Blog Day” Project
On Dec. 8, one of the Serbian publishing houses launched an interesting project: called Blog Day, it represents a unique example of web activism in Serbia that will be taking place four times a year. The topic of the first Blog Day was Ecology, and over 20 Serbian novelists have posted their contributions.
Puerto Rico: Tense Prelude to the Student Strike
A 48-hour blockade organized by students from the state-run University of Puerto Rico in protest against a proposed $800 annual fee got off to a tense and violent start early Tuesday morning, as students raising barricades around the Río Piedras campus clashed with private security guards hired by the administration.
Puerto Rico: Violence at the University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is in crisis again. Students are opposing a special registration fee to be charged in January that the administration imposed to alleviate a fiscal deficit. There have already been violent incidents. Follow the latest news on today's stoppage under #huelgaUPR [es] and #paroUPR [es].
Japan: A Quiet Revolution by the NEET [Not in Education, Employment, or Training]
In a post titled "Revolution of the NEET (lol)", Sayuri Tamaki explores a new breed of NEET and how they are changing the country.
China: It's alright to shoot journalists
David Bandurski from China Media Project blogs about a Peking University professor Kong Qingdong's remarks on the violence that journalists faced in China: “If these journalists were all lined up and shot, I would feel heartache for not a single one of them.”
Kuwait: “Stand up and fight for your youth!”
Kuwaiti Abdulla Al-Moussawi, "Sayed, The Pearl of Arabia", dubbed as the next Maradona, has been an issue of much controversy on Mark's blog. See how the dream of what could have been "one of the world's greatest football players in history" was shattered.
Chile: Students Protest Reduction of Hours for Social Sciences
A decision by Education authorities to reduce class hours devoted to Social Science subjects, in order to increase hours dedicated to Mathematics and Language, ignited a debate and led to several protests. Juan Arellano was present in the capital, Santiago, during one of these protests.
