Education takes a hit in Myanmar’s Kachin State
“The biggest problem is we need more teachers. However, many who are qualified are afraid to work in the area because of the ongoing conflict and the recent attacks,” Haundang said.
Some 47,000 people are in IDP camps in KIA-controlled areas, with thousands more staying with host families, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on 18 April.
Thousands of school-age children have been affected by the conflict, with varying access to education facilities.
In KIA-controlled areas, volunteer teachers have been used to maintain education services for the displaced. However, financial support for this effort is lacking. A comprehensive assessment of the education sector is urgently needed to better determine the number of children in need of education support, gaps in school supplies, and the absorption capacity of existing schools, OCHA said.
[ENGLAND] Fewer students are applying to become teachers since the government began to reduce bursaries for those with 2:2 degrees and turn away applicants with thirds.
Applications to teacher training courses are down by 15% on last year, after the number of bursaries was also cut back for those applying to teach non-priority subjects.
But research shows more students want to join the profession. Over 80% of final-year students think teaching is a high-status career choice, according to research released today by the Teaching Agency, while a separate survey shows schools and universities are the second most popular type of employer
[INDIA] The National council of teacher education (NCTE) has taken an initiative to reform and revamp teaching education system in the country. Following the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education-2009, the government is now gearing up to reform the teaching education system with an aim to improve the quality of procedures and practices. Following the exercise, all courses of teacher education like BEd, MEd, NTT (Nursery Teachers Training), BPEd and MPEd will get revised.
On the Shoulders of Giants: What Does Bank Street College Know About Preparing Teachers? (VIDEO!)
Ariel Sacks writes about Bank Street College, a teacher education program in New York that “has a unique approach that gets it right for teachers and students.”
Also see: Edutopia’s story and video on Bank Street College.
![[ENGLAND] Trainee teachers face sitting tough new tests in literacy and numeracy before being allowed to enter the classroom amid fears over poor standards in the three-Rs, it emerged today.
Students will be required to sit rigorous exams to qualify for training places as part of sweeping Government reforms designed to attract the brightest graduates into the profession.
An expert panel – led by top head teachers – will be tasked with drawing up new-style assessments of basic skills in a move designed to root out poorly-qualified candidates.
Ministers are also proposing to raise the pass mark for existing tests and clamp down on the number of times students can re-sit exams. (via Teachers to sit rigorous new tests in the three-Rs - Telegraph)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1pecfACtN1qb8rnio1_500.jpg)
[ENGLAND] Trainee teachers face sitting tough new tests in literacy and numeracy before being allowed to enter the classroom amid fears over poor standards in the three-Rs, it emerged today.
Students will be required to sit rigorous exams to qualify for training places as part of sweeping Government reforms designed to attract the brightest graduates into the profession.
An expert panel – led by top head teachers – will be tasked with drawing up new-style assessments of basic skills in a move designed to root out poorly-qualified candidates.
Ministers are also proposing to raise the pass mark for existing tests and clamp down on the number of times students can re-sit exams. (via Teachers to sit rigorous new tests in the three-Rs - Telegraph)
Teacher training in Ontario will be bumped up to two years starting in 2014, says the provincial government.
The Liberals, who promised the move during the 2011 election campaign, began consultations with education groups on Wednesday about the change.
Three to four additional sessions are planned for April and May.
Teachers typically earn a four-year undergraduate degree and then spend another year at university completing their bachelor of education. (Ten of the 13 universities with education programs also offer the degrees concurrently so students can complete the two at the same time.)
The Liberals have said more training is needed given the challenges and increasing demands teachers face. The expanded program, the details of which have yet to be finalized, will include more practical, in-class training for new teachers.
South Africa produced more engineers than schoolteachers in 2009, which suggests that education planning and priorities need urgent revision.
[NEW ZEALAND] Teachers with just six weeks’ training will be in front of secondary classrooms as part of a controversial initiative to fill jobs in poor schools.
The University of Auckland and Teach First NZ are to recruit the programme’s first 20 candidates - who all must already hold a degree - next month, conditional only on Teachers Council sign-off. They are looking particularly for languages, engineering or science graduates.
More than half of primary school teachers in Mali are without a basic teaching qualification and the competences required to deliver quality education, according to a new study commissioned by EI and Oxfam Novib. (via Education International - Mali: New study reveals serious teacher quality challenges)
According to a report released by the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) on Wednesday, South Africa is in dire need of good, skilled teachers.
“South Africa’s education system is underperforming, especially in terms of maths and science results. When compared to many other developing countries, our expenditure on education is not matched by the results, and research shows decisively that good teaching is vital for better results,” Ann Bernstein, the founding director of CDE, told journalists.
