Pregnant women on Waiheke are being invited to add their newborns to a once in a generation study led by the University of Auckland, along the lines of the UK television programme Child of our Time.
Growing Up in New Zealand is an opportunity for pregnant women and their partners to play a decisive role in improving the lives of New Zealand children, according to its project communications manager Bernadette Cornor.
The 21-year research project aims to better understand the influences on children that lead to how they grow up, and how early experiences influence a child ’s education, employment and social interactions.
And as nothing like it has been undertaken since the 1970 ’s, it should reveal how much New Zealand has changed since then, says Corner.
The project is recruiting pregnant women and their partners now, so their babies can be included from before birth right through to adulthood.
And to accurately reflect the diverse nature of New Zealand ’s population, pregnant women are being sought from every age group, community, professional group and ethnic background.
"To protect the privacy of participants, confidentiality is guaranteed and no research finding will be linked to any of the participants," says Corner. "All that is required of participants is a one and a half hour chat with researchers every 12 to 18 months." The Growing Up in New Zealand team is recruiting 7,800 mothers for the project from an area south of Auckland ’s Harbour Bridge, down to the Waikato and across to Thames, including Waiheke and other gulf islands.
Interested women due to have babies between Anzac Day and Christmas Day this year (25 April - 25 December 2009), are invited to call freephone 0508 476946 or visit the website www. growingup.co.nz.
Waiheke Marketplace
Baby Wanted For 21 Year Study
China New Agenda For Graduates
With an unprecedented 6.1 million college graduates due to enter the job market this year, employment is at the top of the Chinese Government's agenda.
In recent sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee, employment was listed as the number-one priority.
Wen Jiabao, Premier of China, has made it clear that the Government realises how serious the challenge is, and has earmarked 42 billion yuan (£4.18 billion) to tackle the problem, acknowledging that "employment is a matter of livelihood and dignity".
In a press conference at the end of last year, Chen Guangjin, professor at China's Social Science Academy, stated that for the 5.59 million college students who graduated in 2008, the unemployment rate was above 12 per cent - about three times the official national figure.
And Liu Erduo, deputy dean of the School of Labour and Human Resources, People's University, predicted that China's economy would hit bottom this summer, just as graduates enter the jobs market, which would make the situation even worse.
The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and nine other ministries have adopted fresh policies since the end of 2008 to tackle this worrying issue.
For example, incentives are being introduced for college graduates to join the Army or to work or teach in China's western regions and poorer areas for a certain number of years after graduation. In return, graduates are being offered reimbursement of tuition fees and student loans, or a grades discount when applying to join masters programmes.
Students are also being encouraged to start their own businesses after graduation, and loans of 50,000 yuan are available to those who lack start-up capital.
The Ministry of Education has also decided to organise 1 million college students to participate in various internship programmes over the next three years, and to expand the number of places for double-bachelors and science and engineering masters students by 50,000 this year, including masters of business administration and public administration.
Although some of these policies are considered to be helpful, others are highly controversial. Professor Liu for one is not in favour of the policy to increase the number of masters students.
"That only serves as an expedient measure, but the problem is not really solved," he said. "The employment pressure is shifted to the near future, and that could make it tougher for masters students when they graduate."
Under the plans for MBA enrolment, the requirement that applicants have three to five years of work experience has been abandoned this year.
Li Yiheng, research fellow at the Public Economy Academy, Peking University, expressed his concerns in an interview with the Information Times newspaper. He warned that if the policy were applied, there would be a sharp increase in student numbers and the MBA gold standard would be debased.
"The employment pressure would be more severe, not relieved," he added.
One online comment doing the rounds in Chinese universities sums up the mood.
It says: "You become a bachelor. Then a master. Then a PhD. Finally you end up with the degree of a martyr."
Hong Bing is associate professor at the School of Journalism, Fudan University, Shanghai.
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/
Not High Enough For Elite UK Universities
Britain ’s higher education minister David Lammy has warned elite universities that they risk undermining public confidence in their admissions systems by demanding pupils score the new A* grade in their A-level results from next year, The Guardian reports. Lammy said universities planning to use the A* grades to select students risk unfairly rejecting candidates whose schools fail to accurately predict their ability to get an A*. The new grade will be awarded to students who get top scores in their A-levels. It was introduced in response to universities ’ concerns that they can no longer distinguish between straight A students. Last year more than a quarter of all students were awarded an A grade. Applications to most universities depend on schools ’ predictions of students ’ grades. There are also concerns that the A* will cement independent schools ’ dominance of places at the top institutions. Last month Cambridge, Imperial College London and University College London confirmed they would use the A* in their admissions processes. However, other top universities including Oxford, London School of Economics and Durham have ruled out the use of A~ until it has been properly reviewed.
Scientific Brainers
Jake Martin ’s parents, Brent and Debbie, don’t know where their son got his extraordinary scientific brain from.
It is something that has amazed them since Jake was very young and has also made them extremely proud.
The Cambridge High School student is riding a wave of success. Jake ’s invention, the Discovery Model Gasifier, which turns wood power into electricity, has been described by some of the top engineers in the country as an engineering masterpiece.
The Discovery Model Gasifier has not only won supreme national awards in the last few months, it has also seen Jake gain prestigious international recognition.
Jake was the winner of the International Award for Engineering and Technology at the Youth Science Creations Competition in Beijing.
"I wasn ’t expecting to win my category. There was some incredible stuff there." Jake was one of four New Zealand secondary students who went to Beijing. There were 15 delegations from around the world attending the science fair.
While there was no prize money, students in Beijing would kill for the opportunity Jake now has the ability to get into any Chinese university he chooses.
"It ’s not about the money, it ’s about getting into university over there. There ’s lots of hype because it ’s such a big deal." Jake ’s success doesn ’t stop there either. He is a gifted rower as well.
Two days after returning from~ Beijing, Jake competed at the Maadi Cup. Because he ate very little while he was away, he came home five kilograms lighter than when he went.
"My mum had to load me up with carbs, so it was heaps of pasta and rice for me," Jake said.
"It ’s funny how they don ’t really eat much rice in China." Jake said he felt as though he was suffering from altitude sickness when he returned.
"I thought about pulling out of the quad because I didn ’t want to let the others down." How wrong he was the Cambridge High School boys ’ under-18 coxed quad went on to win a silver medal in their event.
So what does the future hold for this amazing young man? He has his sights set on gaining entry into an engineering school at a university in England or the United States.
"It would be nice to still be able to row but I ’ll keep my options open," Jake said.
And his parents couldn ’t be happier.
"The world just seems to be opening up for Jake," Jake ’s mum Debbie said.
"We are very, very proud of Jake. Cambridge has provided him with many opportunities that he probably would not have had if we were still in Auckland."
Cambridge Edition
British Malaysian Society donates RMI5,800 to charity homes
THE British Malaysian Society (BMS) recently donated 3,000 (RM1S,800) to three charity homes in Selarigor.
The donation was raised at a charity drive during the society ’s 25th annual dinner in London two months ago.
The three homes Selangor Cheshire Homes, The Little Sisters of the Poor and Montfort Boys Town each received a cheque for 1000 (about RM5,300).
Present to receive the donations were Selangor Cheshire Homes president Khatijah Sulieman, The Little Sisters of the Poor voluntary doctor Dr Loh Tak Seng and Montfort Boys Town administrative officer S. Arulanandam.
"We are very keen on developing the society ’s work not Only in the United Kingdom but also in Malaysia," said British High Commissioner Boyd McClear who presented the cheques on behalf of the BMS.
"The fund raising was a decision taken by the society to make contributions through charities because it is important to help the less unfortunate.
"BMS has demonstrated Its desire to reach back into Malaysia and this is an excellent way to channel BMS ’s intentions." Khatijah, who thanked BMS on behalf of the three homes for the donations, said the money would be very helpful to them.
The society is represented by the Kuata Lumpur Panel in Malaysia which provides information, advice and assistance to society members on an "on-call" basis.
"This event marks the society ’s appreciation of looking after the less fortunate and I would like the society in Malaysia to start raising funds for various charities," said BMS Kuala Lumpur panel chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim said.
BMS was set up to enhance relations between Malaysia and Britain in the fields of education, culture and commerce.
The Sun
Malaysia
Far Behind Quality Control
A BRITISH parliamentary cornmittee of inquiry recently asked Oxford University vicechancellor John Hood and Oxford Brookes University vicechancellor Janet Beer, who were sifting next to each other: Is an honours degree in history from Oxford University worth the same as an honours degree in history from Oxford Brookes? The MPs marked the vicechancellors ’ replies, which were probably pretty standard for British universities, as not up to the standard of a year 12 essay.
Dr Hood responded: "At Oxford, we apply a consistent standard in awarding degree classifications. We use external examiners and we take their assessments very, very seriously." Professor Beer said: "It depends what you mean by equivalent and worth", adding that her university knew its honours degree was "of a national standard".
The committee wasn ’t satisfied with the responses. Its chairman, Phil Willis, said: "I ’m treating this conversation with incredulity. It costs twice as much to educate a student at Oxford University than at Oxford Brookes, and you invest significantly more time, and you are creaming the world ’s best students, yet you say the outcomes are the same." Notwithstanding the criticism, British universities have a better system for maintaining standards than their Australian and US counterparts. Each British university appoints an external examiner for each of its coursework programs, to report annually on its academic standards, the rigour of its assessment processes and the performance of its students, and to compare these indicators with those of other universities.
External examiners are normally expected to attend assessment board meetings and to endorse assessment outcomes before final results are confirmed.
Britain ’s Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education also has a procedure for investigating reports of "causes for concern" about an institution ’s academic standards. The procedure provides for a brief preliminary inquiry, to be followed, if necessary, by a full investigation.
The QAA publishes investigation reports and, if a cause for concern is substantiated, the institution is required to adopt a plan for rectifying shortcomings.
The QAA has also developed an academic infrastructure to give institutions a shared starting point for setting, describing and assuring the quality of their programs. This comprises a qualifications framework similar to the one in Australia, program specifications and a code of practice for assuring academic standards.
The code has 10 parts covering things such as student admission, program approval, assessment and providing for students with disabilities. The infrastructure includes benchmark statements for 57 disciplines that specify with reasonable clarity the knowledge and skills that students are expected to possess.
The European Bologna process is developing somewhat similar subject statements as part of its so-called Tuning process. So far Tuning has developed statements of the knowledge, understanding, skills and abilities that students are expected to display in nine disciplines at three levels: bachelor, masters and doctorate. It has also developed fuller "reference points for the design and delivery of programs" in chemistry, European studies and physics.
The Tuning project covers 47 countries, many very different from each other, so its statements are more general and descriptive and thus less useful than Britain ’s subject benchmark statements.
At its present rate of progress Australia is years away from establishing even the standards framework that British MPs criticised so vigorously. The Australian Universities Quality Agency established a reference group in 2007 that produced a broad standards framework that the agency says guided its audits in 2008. It has now established an advisory group to develop a generalisable national structure for academic standards for Australian higher education.
AUQA says its advisory group has explored contemporary contexts and considered various options for assuring academic standards, but it has published no more detail. While it may suit some universities for the agency to have such a leisurely and permissive approach to maintaining standards, it is not in the interests of the sector, let alone the community it serves.
Gavin Moodie is a higher education poLicy anaLyst at Griffith University who writes reguLarLy for the HES.
Australian
UK Teacher To Find A Niche
MAKING a sea change or "desert change" doesn ’t get more drastic than moving from rainy Britain to the rustred dirt of outback Australia and the Central Desert community of Warburton.
But one holiday to Australia was all it took and British school principal Steven Soames was hooked.
"I was in the UK where I was working as a deputy principal," he said "I was looking for a bit of a sea change and I came over here on holiday.
"I really enjoyed it and went to the Education Department and found out what the position was on teachers and at the time there was a massive teacher shortage so I was ahnost nailed to the seat.
"I filled in the form and when I got back to the UK, I got a phone call at 5.30 one morning telling me I ’d been accepted to the remote teaching service." only having been in Western Australia for three and a half years, Mr Soames has spent his entire Australian teaching career working in regional WA.
Before relocating to Warburton to work as the school principal at the Warburton Ranges Remote Community School, he worked in Laverton where he spent one year as a teacher and two years as a deputy principal.
"I really got taken with the idea of teaching in the remote areas," he said.
"I feel that some of the remote schools, very often, are at a disadvantage and I ’ve always enjoyed working alongside communities that experience disadvantage and try and make a difference." "I came out to Warburton last year and I really enjoyed it I think it ’s a lovely place." While he may be a long way from home and his background teaching in inner-city schools in England, Mr Soames said the disparity in education between the UK and remote Western Australia is not that huge despite the massive differences in culture and geography.
"There are a lot of similarities but there are also a lot of differences," he said.
"Culturally there are a lot of differences because the UK culture is relatively homogenous whereas here, some of the teaching strategies we try to adapt to meet the needs of the students.
"But having said that, teaching is teaching wherever you are and I am a big believer that good teaching is good teaching wherever you find yourself - "What I have noticed in terms of similarities is that poverty is still poverty the issues that it generates are still the same."
Kalgorlie Miner
Australia
Affordable UK education
Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia - Student seeking quality education in UK at an affordable fee need not look further than Birmingham International College (BIC). BIC provides British accredited courses diplomas, advanced diplomas, degrees and masters at unbeatable price. Financial assistance is also given in the form of scholarships and guidance for legal temporary work opportunities.
Situated in Birmingham, the second largest city in UK, BIC offers students a chance to experience the quality of UK education which is world recognised. Prof. Tony White House, coordinator for Post-graduate Programmes in BIC says “many students from Asean and from around the world come to UK to study because of the world class quality education and excellent study environment.”
For many, going to UK is a dream that is hard to realise due to the high cost involved. Thus, many opt to obtain British degrees offered in local private colleges. The notion that studying in UK is unaffordable is proven false by BIC which has received licence and joined UKBA Sponsor’s Register for TIER 4 to recruit foreign students. For example, the estimated fee for a Diploma in Business locally is about RM25,000 for the duration of 2 to 2 ½ years; at BIC, one could complete their Diploma in Business in only one year at a rate cheaper than this. As BIC offers secured scholarships up to 40% of the total tuition fee for successful applicants, the cost is only about RM15K.
Prof. Tony White House also says “Why acquire a British degree locally when one can go to UK, experience its cultural abundance and excellent environment at a comparatively similar or cheaper price?”
Students can also support themselves while studying in UK. In addition to the financial assistance in the form of secured scholarships for successful applicants, BIC also assists in temporary work placement for the students in accordance to British law. While studying in UK, students can work part time: up to 20 hours per week during the study period and full time during off term. Upon successful completion of degree or masters programme, students will be eligible to apply for two years Post Study Work visa (PSW) which will enable them to work full time in UK.
BIC is accredited by ASIC (Accreditation Service for International Colleges), NCC (National Computer Centre), Edexcel and some UK universities. Applicants can choose to study business, management, computing, IT, hotel management, health and social care.
Certificates, diplomas and higher national diplomas (HND) could be completed and students may also obtain BSc (Hons) in Business Administration, BA (Hons) in Business Administration, BSc (Hons) in Computing, MBA or MSc in Strategic Business IT. Students can also obtain Postgraduate Diploma (PgD) in business and computing awarded by NCC and Edexcel.
Students with SPM, STPM, A-level, and O-level, SAM, AUSMAT and AUP qualifications can apply for various courses offered. Malaysian as well as foreigners who have completed foundation, diploma and degree programmes or with equivalent qualification are also encouraged to apply. The three intakes are in Jan/Feb, May/June and Sept/Oct.
BIC regional office in Malaysia will provide student/parent counselling, assessment of academic credentials and advice, assistance with application completion, securing placements and assistance in visa application.
It will also assist with accommodation and flight arrangements including an airport pick-up service from Birmingham airport to BIC.
Students will also be guided to take full advantage of free healthcare services, discounts on books and entertainment, inexpensive accommodation as well as scholarships.
The May/June intake is in progress. Contact its regional office at 03-79570805 or email to mpl@bic.ac
http://www.thesundaily.com/index.cfm
Universities urged for more protection of education by investment
Representatives from the UK's universities have written to the Treasury urging them to protect public investment in higher education or risk losing out on the best students and researchers to other countries.
The letter from Universities UK to the chancellor Alistair Darling and Treasury secretary Yvette Cooper highlighted higher education institutions are major contributors to the UK economy, employing more than one per cent of the UK's total workforce and educating graduates who go on to work in multiple sectors.
But Universities UK chief executive Diana Warwick said the government's decision to limit the numbers of places available for students in the UK and continued under-investment meant the UK would not be able to compete internationally, limiting the speed of the country's economic recovery.
Ms Warwick pointed out UK universities generated £45 billion for the UK economy each year, but a lack of funding programmes like those in the US would leave the sector lagging behind.
She said: "The United States has set the pace with a multi-billion dollar investment in higher education as part of a broader fiscal stimulus package. Not only is this the right action in itself, but it presents an irresistible challenge to the UK.
"As our major competitor, we now face the very real danger of losing our research stars to our better-funded counterparts in the United States, causing lasting damage to the UK."
She went on to add the limit on the number of students entering some universities was most likely to impact on student from poorer backgrounds.
She added: "Without a rethink thousands of students will fail to get places this year. Many institutions will not enter clearing, and the impact on students from lower socio-economic groups will be most pronounced.
"Indeed the threat of fines which may go into several millions for institutions who accidentally over-recruit, means that most institutions will aim low, possibly even under-recruiting, in order to avoid crippling financial penalties."
http://www.inthenews.co.uk/
The new UK visa policy rules for student
Lahore,Pakistan
A RENOWNED education consultant giving a presentation on salient features of New UK Visa Rules on Wednesday explained in detail the new Points Based System TIER 4 Student Visa.
The event titled “New Student Visa Rules & Scholarship Opportunities in UK” was organised by Falcon Education & Consultancy Services (Pvt) Ltd at a five star hotel in which students, academics, heads of educational institutions and people from various walks of life participated.
The educationalist, Syed Abidi said, “The new system if implemented in true spirit will weed out non-genuine students and facilitate bonafide students without the support of agents or consultants.”
He explained the basic concept of Points Based System (PBS) and the need for implementing this system by the UK Border Agency (UKBA).
He talked about different TIER structures and categories under the new PBS but focused on TIER 4 Student Visa. He said under the new TIER 4 the students would be awarded 40 points to be successful for an adult student visa, adding the universities/education providers in UK would now be known as sponsors and shall take full responsibility as a host for all overseas students.
“All students accepted by UK sponsors will be issued with CAS or a Visa letter which will carry 30 points and will be a must to apply for a visa”, he said adding, “However, the student will have to satisfy the Education Providers that he/she is a bonafide and genuine student both academically and financially”.
“The UKBA staff at country posts will then verify and conduct verification and authentication of the documents both academic and financial to award 10 points making it a total of 40 points”, he added.
Syed Abidi, who was awarded Tamgha-i-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan in 2008, also explained the responsibility and obligation of students when they arrived in the UK and stressed that the new PBS allowed the university and the UK Border Agency to monitor and keep a track of all overseas students. “Therefore, non-genuine students can be easily tracked “, he added.
The event also highlighted scholarship opportunities while a question-answer session was also held in the end in which the participants actively participated.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/default.asp
