EDUCONNECT ASIA 11 November 2020

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INDIA: LATEST UPDATES

Covid-19 cases have continued to rise in India, albeit at a slower pace than in most countries across the world that are declaring more cases every day now than during the first wave of the pandemic. India reported 44,000 new cases on Tuesday, with the tally of active cases falling below half a million mark for the first time.

The country has extended a ban on scheduled international commercial flights till 30 November. Those looking to travel internationally will have to depend on air bubble arrangements. To date, India has entered into air bubble or transport corridor agreements with 19 countries.

On the Education front, the Government has taken several initiatives:
 

  • The University Grants Commission has issued new guidelines for the opening of universities and colleges. A few higher education institutions will allow in-person classes from 16 November. Universities need to ensure that 50% of the total students are present at any time and that only a limited number of hostels are open.
  • In most states, the phased reopening of schools began from 15 October for Grade 9 to 12 students. The timing and manner of reopening has been left to individual states to decide depending on the local COVID-19 situation.
  • The Education Ministry is considering making it mandatory for Indian universities to obtain prior permission from the Government before signing any Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with educational institutions of countries that share land borders with India.
  • UNESCO New Delhi recently launched a publication, ‘Minding our Minds during COVID-19: a guide to help foster positive mental health for students in India’, an effort to respond to challenges posed by COVID-19 on the education system and students.
  • On the occasion of World Accountant’s Day, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India has launched the ‘Global Management Development Programme: Leadership Beyond Boundaries’. The program was well received and had participation from all over the world including Australia, Singapore and countries of the Middle East.

SUBCONTINENT & SOUTHEAST ASIA UPDATES

Pakistan: With a continuous spike in the number of new cases, the Government has called a meeting of all provinces to discuss the possibility of school closures and winter vacations. Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) will conduct the National Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) on 15 November. PMC uploaded a new syllabus for this year’s exams on its website with additional subjects and topics.

Bangladesh: The Government has extended the closure of educational institutions to 14 November. In the absence of annual examinations, the 30-day long concise syllabus for the country’s secondary school students started from 1 November. Students from Grade 6 to 9 will be able to collect their assignments from their respective schools, TV classes and the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) website. Data from the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Technical Education Board shows that a total of 1.09 million seats would be available for the coming academic session against 1.36 million candidates.

Nepal:  The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) have expanded the U.S. CPA Exam testing internationally to include the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. The National Examination Board of Nepal has introduced a new procedure to conduct exams and assess students. Students will be required to sit for just 40% of the evaluation scheme, while the other 40% will be calculated based on their previous year’s score in the same subject. Finally, schools will be authorized to evaluate the students for the remaining 20%. The Examination Board has also released the schedule for the regular and partial exams of Grade 12 which will be conducted from 24 November 2020.

Sri Lanka: Schools are expected to close for the third term holidays on Christmas Eve. The GCE Ordinary Level Examination 2020 will be held from 18 – 28 January 2021.

Vietnam: Unify Smart Tech has recently launched AskNow – a tutoring app that supports Vietnamese students in the new normal of education in Vietnam. AskNow offers connections with tutors in subjects such as English, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.

Philippines: The University of the Philippines (UP) has decided against holding college entrance examinations for the next academic year 2021-2022, citing logistical problems posed by the pandemic. n students have enrolled this year, in about 47000 public schools nationwide. The Community Learning Hub program was formally launched, which provides the students with alternative learning spaces to access important learning tools and gadgets.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: TOP STUDY DESTINATIONS

USA

  • President-elect Joe Biden plans to increase H1-B visa limits and remove country quota for green cards. He is expected to reverse the move of the Trump administration to revoke the work rights of spouses of H1-B visas. These measures are expected to benefit thousands of Indian professionals and attract Indian students.
  • US institutions of higher education are looking to regain their place as the favored study destination for international students under the new administration.

UK

  • The London Interdisciplinary School, a new institution in the UK, has been given degree awarding powers and will compete with Russell Group universities by providing an innovative syllabus that cuts across several disciplines. 
  • UCAS is set to announce reforms in the coming weeks, which could mean that university offers at UK institutions would be based on actual grades rather than predicted scores for domestic students. However, it remains unclear how this could affect international students. Certain universities are considering delaying the new academic year to January 2021.
  • As per the IHE 2020 Policy, the UK Government wishes to increase the number of international higher education students in the country, with a target of attracting 600,000 international students by 2030.

Australia

  • The University of Newcastle in Australia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with international pathway provider Kaplan to create a pathway into universities for international students.
  • La Trobe has partnered with online education provider Wiley Education Service to enhance its current online course offerings. This partnership will commence with 5 postgraduate courses in public health, mental health, mental health nursing, health administration and business.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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