Further evidence that an education system that requires students to pass tests at certain ages is detrimental to learning was produced by a Manchester University study. Emphasising mathematics and English at primary school in order to pass tests, detracts from other subjects resulting in less learning and more narrow learning. And readers of this blog …
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Category:Education
UK government to legislate compulsory education till 18, but where’s the money?
The UK Queen’s Speech outlining parliamentary intentions for 2008, indicated that the UK government wishes to legislate compulsory schooling or technical training for all till the age of 18. Even parents will be required to encourage their children to comply. While it is commendable to be supporting education, the approach is questionable. In contrast to …
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Business schools waste resources.
From Higher Aims to Hired Hands analyses the development of business schools over the past year and shows clearly that rather than develop minds and skills they (as BusinessWeek summarises) only serve two functions: a signal to employers that grads are committed and productive, and to provide a network of contacts. What they have lost …
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You Tube for scientists
If you want to complement your video browsing with something a bit more scientific, check out SciVee. It has two main types of video: those accompanied by documentation for peer review and those without peer reviewed papers. For example, there’s a video of 6 science bloggers discussing their blogs or a lighthearted look at transgenic …
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Executive certificate in sustainability – more please
In an effort to meet the growing demand for leaders in sustainable business, the Presidio School of Management has expanded its offerings to include an executive education certificate program targeted at senior executives. The school’s Sustainable Management Executive Certificate program will launch in January 2008 in partnership with the San Francisco-based Hanson Bridgett law firm. …
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How to build a better education system – lessons from around the world
A new report by McKinsey examines the common characteristics of school systems producing students who perform well on international tests. How the World’s Best Performing School Systems Come Out on Top (9.46 MB pdf). Their conclusions are not rocket science but do help clarify myths and reality. Getting good teachers depends more on how you …
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Trade, inequality and education
Observations that inequality is rising as wealth rises have circulated recently with the publication of the International Monetary Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook which shows that while global income inequality has fallen, within countries, both rich and poor, inequality has been rising almost everywhere. As the IMF put it: “This recent experience seems to be …
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Humans learn aggression from parents when young
Research looking at the development of aggressive behaviour in toddlers, highlights that young children do not learn to be aggressive, instead as they get older and their brains become more mature they become less aggressive as they learn to control their behaviour. Children learn to regulate the use of physical aggression during the preschool years, …
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A global map of ocean plant-life
This image shows the density of chlorophyll in the earth’s oceans; the lighter colour the more phytoplankton. The linked article describes how the graphic was created and its implications. It is striking because it shows which parts of the ocean are most productive. This awareness will be important as humanity improves ocean management and even …
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Social skills favoured in evolution
A new cycle of research of baboon behaviour is summed up in a book titled “Baboon Metaphysics” by Dr. Cheney and Dr. Seyfarth, biologists from the University of Pennsylvania. The title is a play on Darwin’s comment “He who understands baboon would do more towards metaphysics than Locke.” Their conclusion, based on many painstaking experiments, is …
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