Technical Education

The week of January 22-28 has been declared “National School Choice” week by, well,…National School Choice Week.  NSCW is a coalition of organizations, mostly private schools and charter school operators, whose mission is “..effective education options for every child.”  This mission sounds good, but when it comes to education reform groups words are often misleading.

Baltimore Education Reform Examiner Morna McDermott studied the partners of NSCW and found them to consist largely of profit-driven interests seeking a share of the billions of dollars spent on public education every year.  As she said, “A rose by any other name still spells privatizing education.”  

McDermott noted that many of the organizations associated with NSCW are also associated with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).  ALEC is a billionaire-backed group that also includes countless far-right legislators; and authors legislation for them to introduce in states across the country.  With no excep

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Oxford University’s Professor Andrew Hamilton was the top-earning vice-chancellor but his pay rise was less than 0.5%. Grant Faint/Getty Images

The heads of elite universities were awarded an average pay rise of £9,700 last year, taking their average earnings beyond £333,000, the Guardian can reveal.

Analysis of 13 top university leaders’ pay packets has prompted calls for the prime minister’s clampdown on executive pay to reach beyond banks and big business to include universities as well, although the average rise of 3.9% is below the rate of inflation.

An examination of the universities’ most recent financial statements, from 2010-11, shows the vice-chancellors of Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Nottingham, Bristol and Southampton were all given a pay rise, despite a squeeze on many university budgets.

Hamilton was closely followed by Birmingham University’s Professor David Eastwood whose earnings reached £419,000, comprised of a £323,000 salary, £29,000 bonus, £16,000 for other expenses and £51,000 for pension contributions.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the lecturers’ trade union – the University and College Union – argued that the findings meant the government’s crackdown on excessive executive pay should extend to universities.

All three of the main political parties are vying to lead calls for a crackdown on executive pay. In the pas

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Securing the security of life is what every logic-driven person intends to do. Future is uncertain and may be this is the reason why we need to make hay when the sun shines. Good education is an effective means to ensure our future security. Having a higher degree under the belt brings us confidence that we can reach the peak of success and make a solid financial base. Such is the drive for enjoying security that we do not think twice to go abroad for further education. Australia, a Prosperous South Asian Pacific Ocean, is becoming a global hunt for quality education. As the trend shows, Education Australia is offering a myriad of opportunities to help the students unleash their hidden potentials. The world class education environment along with eminent professors and cultural ambience has made this beautiful country a must-visit for unique scholastic experience.

Even a few couples of years ago, such craze were not witnessed.

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Credit: GettyThat sinking feeling: separate agreements for teaching and research cash may lead to the fragmentation of higher education

The government is facing a “very important policy choice” over whether to separate agreements on teaching and research funding for English universities that could lead to a fragmentation of the sector and the partial privatisation of some institutions.

As academics await ministers’ final proposals for next year’s higher education bill, it has been suggested that the government could opt to split the funding “contracts” with universities for their two main areas of activity.

Currently, universities receiving public money enter into one binding agreement – the financial memorandum – with the Higher Education Funding Council for England regardless of whether they receive mainly teaching or research cash.

The government’s higher education White Paper made clear that the shift from grants to tuition fees backed by student loans meant that there would be different agreements in the future depending on what types of teaching funding each institution accessed.

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On December 5, 2011, Mr. Peter Giacalone (third from left), Garden City Public Schools’ coordinator of World Languages and Vice President of FLACS (Foreign Language Association of Chair people and Supervisors), along with other FLACS board members met with State Senator John J. Flanagan (far right) to discuss various topics of concern and how current changes within the State Education Department are affecting World Languages in the public school setting.

“It was a pleasure to have an open discussion with State Senator Flanagan. He truly believes in the importance of learning a World Language so our students are well prepared for the global workplace,” explained Mr. Giacalone.