Education News

China outclasses West in key education survey

By AFP

Paris - Teenagers from four big Chinese regions outshone their contemporaries in Western nations in a keenly watched survey of education capabilities published Tuesday, which also showed no improvement trend in developed countries over the past two decades.

China outclasses West in key education survey

By AFP

Paris - Teenagers from four big Chinese regions outshone Western contemporaries nations in a keenly watched survey of education capabilities published Tuesday, which also showed no improvement trend in developed countries over two decades.

With schools shuttered, Haiti children also endure crisis

By AFP

Port-au-prince - In the middle of the deadly political unrest that has rocked Haiti for more than two months, another crisis is unfolding -- most schools are closed, leaving Haitian children with nothing to do and their parents flailing to cope.

How Russia's foster children are saving dying villages

By AFP

Sanktpeterburg - In a small room with a blackboard and lace curtains, first-grader Danya listens as his teacher explains the concept of vowels and consonants. In this village school with 36 pupils, he is one of 13 foster children.

Australian universities adopt foreign interference guidelines

By AFP

Sydney - Australia announced measures to combat foreign interference at its universities Thursday, setting new guidelines around the key areas of research collaboration, cybersecurity, and international partnerships.

Why did one Ohio school district decide to arm its teachers?

By AFP

Sidney - At the entrance to Sidney High School in small-town Ohio, there is a poster which reads: "Inside this building, our children are protected by an armed and trained response team.

World Bank urges Lebanon to form govt, warns of recession

By AFP

Beirut - The World Bank urged protest-hit Lebanon on Wednesday to form a new government quickly, warning of the threat of an economic downturn that would deepen poverty and worsen unemployment.

Crippling student loans contribute to Chile's protests

By AFP

Santiago - Spiralling student debt, with some loans the size of a mortgage, pricey tuition fees and a troubled education system have helped fan the flames of Chile's deadly protests.

Study: Parental involvement is key for child school success

By Tim Sandle

Plymouth - Parental involvement plays key role in children's academic attainment, according to a new academic study. This is something that is independent of the child’s age or socio-economic status.

Yale in academic censorship row in Singapore

By AFP

Fpo - Yale's Singapore college has become embroiled in a row about academic freedom after axing a course on dissent, with the controversy fuelling a wider debate on whether universities are compromising their values to expand abroad.

Bangladesh MP 'hired lookalikes' for uni exams

By AFP

Dhaka - A Bangladeshi lawmaker has been expelled from university after allegedly hiring as many as eight lookalikes to take exams in her place, officials said Monday.

California takes a data-led stance for later school start times

By Tim Sandle

There is news that California has become the first state to mandate later school start times. Effective 2022, the law will prohibit middle schools from starting before 08:00 and high schools before 08:30. This is based on a data assessment.

School trip hijab clash sparks new secularism row in France

By AFP

Paris - A new row over secularism and the wearing of the Islamic hijab in public buildings has erupted in France after a far-right politician asked a woman accompanying her son and other children on a school trip to remove her headscarf.

Japan student uses invisible ink to ace ninja report

By AFP

Apo - A Japanese student aced an assignment on ninja culture by making her own invisible ink from soybeans in a stealthy move that impressed her professor.

China slams 'sinister intentions' of US visa curbs on Xinjiang

By AFP

Bejing - Beijing on Wednesday decried a US decision to restrict visas for Chinese officials linked to the repression of Xinjiang Muslims, and called on Washington to withdraw the measure.

China slams 'sinister intentions' of US visa curbs on Xinjiang

By AFP

Bejing - Beijing on Wednesday decried a US decision to restrict visas for Chinese officials linked to the repression of Xinjiang Muslims, and called on Washington to withdraw the measure.

'House of torture' puts focus on Nigeria Islamic schools

By AFP

Kano - Horrific revelations of torture and abuse at a compound billing itself as a Koranic reform school in northern Nigeria have shone a spotlight on Islamic institutes unregulated by the authorities.

Two million children out of school in war-torn Yemen: UN

By AFP

Sanaa - Two million children are out of school in war-torn Yemen, a fourth of whom have dropped out since the conflict escalated in March 2015, the UN children's agency said Wednesday.The education of a further 3.

Thai police order for intel on Muslim students sparks outrage

By AFP

Bangkok - A Thai Muslim student group Wednesday called for police to drop an order requesting universities to provide "intelligence" on Muslim students and their activities in the Buddhist-majority state.

Open-air lessons for Yemeni pupils without classrooms

By AFP

Ibb - Twenty Yemeni pupils listen to their teacher with textbooks balanced in their laps as they sit under trees in their southern village, where the school building remains unfinished.

Outcry forces NW Pakistan officials to scrap veil order for girls

By AFP

Peshawar - Pakistan education authorities have reversed a decision making it compulsory for female students in two major northwestern cities to wear veils, one day after the move sparked a rights outcry on social media.

Hong Kong students take protest to schools with human chains

By AFP

Fpo - Hong Kong's secondary schools have become the latest ideological battleground for pro-democracy protesters with thousands of students taking part in human chain rallies since the new academic year kicked off.

Catholic school priest bans 'Harry Potter' books on exorcist advice

By AFP

Washington - Exorcists advised a Nashville school priest to ban the Harry Potter books, over fears the popular children's novels could be used to summon spirits.

Eight schoolchildren killed in China, suspect arrested: official

By AFP

Bejing - Eight schoolchildren have died and two others were injured in a "school-related criminal case" in central China, with a 40-year-old suspect arrested, local authorities said Tuesday, the latest attack targeting an educational institution in the country....

Bangladeshis speak up about 'rampant' rapes in Islamic schools

By AFP

Dhaka - Former Bangladeshi students are turning to social media to detail allegations of "rampant" sex abuse at the hands of teachers and older pupils in Islamic schools, breaking their silence on a taboo topic in the conservative country.

Hong Kong students to boycott new term as protests continue

By AFP

Fpo - Hong Kong student leaders on Thursday announced a two-week boycott of lectures from the upcoming start of term, as they seek to keep protesters on the streets and pressure on the government.

When school's not safe: Afghan war takes toll on kids

By AFP

Kabul - Sixteen-year-old Madina still has nightmares about the day two huge blasts tore through her school in Kabul, showering shards of broken window glass on her and other students. She survived, with lacerations to her arms and legs.

Peer-to-peer student site Brainly raises $30 million in funding

By Tim Sandle

Brainly, the world’s largest peer-to-peer learning community for students, parents and teachers, has announced it has raised more than $30 million in funding to power their U.S. expansion.

When school's not safe: Afghan war takes toll on kids

By AFP

Australian unis become battleground over Hong Kong protests

By AFP

Sydney - Tensions in Hong Kong have rippled across Australian universities, as supporters of the pro-democracy protests have been targeted and harassed by "patriotic" mainland students -- with the tacit backing of Beijing.