EDUCONNECT: UPDATES FROM THE WORLD 14 April 2021

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HIGHLIGHTS

  • India: Amid mounting pressure to delay the CBSE Board exams scheduled for next month, the Education Ministry has postponed the Class 12 exams.
  • The ongoing second wave of Covid infections has postponed the reopening of schools and colleges in India. With India reporting approx. 0.15mn new cases each day, the active cases in India has more than doubled to 1.25mn from approx. 0.61mn at the start of April.
  • While the education sector in Asia is reeling under pressure due to the delay in reopening of schools, Asian countries are investing heavily in technological innovation to revive the education industry.
  • The African authorities are working towards capitalizing on the recent technological influx in Africa to revive and strengthen the education sector, which got severely affected post pandemic.

ASIA UPDATES: Silver Lining Amidst Second Wave of Covid?

Rising Covid cases in India, indicating the emergence of a second wave, has put an abrupt halt on plans of reopening schools and colleges across most places in India.  As compared to 6,500 active cases on 10 April 2020, the second wave of Covid has hit India hard with approx. 1.12mn active cases exactly a year later. Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Delhi and Bangalore are the worst hit cities by this second Covid wave, whereas Maharashtra, Gujarat and Punjab emerge as the states with the highest Covid infections.

Considering the sudden spike in cases, the Education Ministry has announced today that the Class 12 CBSE board examination is to be postponed. The ministry will review the situation on 1 June to decide on fresh dates. The Class 10 CBSE exams have been cancelled. This is in light of mounting pressure from parent’s bodies and with states like Maharashtra postponing their 10th and 12th board exams. Delhi government’s Directorate of Education also issued an order recently, prohibiting schools in the city from calling students of any grade for offline classes for the new academic session 2021-2022.

India’s Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has introduced a new online portal ‘MyNEP2020’ for inviting suggestions or inputs from teachers and other professionals to help prepare a draft for National Mission for Mentoring Program Membership (NMM) and National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST). This initiative is aimed at creating a sustainable and positive change in the teacher’s education sector.

Earlier this week, the Nepal government announced a temporary shutdown of all educational institutions for four days due to rising air pollution and its possible impact on children’s health.

Bangladesh and other South Asian countries may incur $1 trillion in lost earnings in the long run due to an education crisis as a result of the prolonged closure of schools, according to a World Bank report.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put additional pressure on Thailand’s ailing higher education system which is already reeling under major strain due to a variety of reasons: academic underperformance resulting from insufficient technological investment and educational innovation as well as changing demographics causing declining enrolments.

The Sri Lankan government announced the expansion of the university system by implementing its ‘City University’ concept, under which the government plans to set up 10 city universities in remote districts outside of Colombo. In its recent budget, the government had allocated US$5mn towards this cause. This initiative will enable institutions to make graduates job-ready to match the professional and industry needs of a specific district.

Many Vietnamese universities including the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), and the HCM City University of Technology and Education have inked MOUs (Memoranda of understanding) with Australian universities (University of Adelaide) for joint training programmes.

A new Asian Development Bank (ADB) study titled ‘Technical and Vocational Education and Training in the Age of Industry 4.0’ has recommended a serious reform of the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system in Philippines to meet fast-changing and dynamic industry needs.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is planning to launch two new graduate programmes in digital financial technology (FinTech). This is expected to help build a strong ecosystem of high-quality research talent and capabilities to aid Singapore’s dynamic financial industry.

AFRICA UPDATES: Digitization to Reimagine Education In Africa?

In a big boost for education in Africa, Nigerian Business Leader Samad Rabiu has pledged to dedicate $100mn yearly for four key areas critical to human development index (HDI) – Education, Health and Social Development sectors.

South Africa’s Department of Basic Education has successfully implemented the Presidential Youth Employment Stimulus which commenced in December 2020 to save over 25,950 School Governing Body (SGB) funded posts in public and government subsidised independent schools. These posts came under threat as a result of the economic destruction by COVID-19, as many parents were unable to pay school fees causing financial stress to schools.

In view of the surging global demand for digital data and online content, the World Bank has urged African governments and universities to bolster their broadband internet infrastructure for seamless connectivity and high speed. According to the World Bank, this will allow African researchers and academicians to forge and maintain strong academic partnerships globally.

To prepare future space scientists from various Egyptian universities, the country’s space agency EGSA plans to develop 35 educational cube satellites in collaboration with NASA.

The Zambian parliament has approved a resolution with an objective to introduce a two-tier curriculum in the country’s education system where young learners would be imparted both vocational and academic training.

To simplify the process of credit transfers and transform Kenya into an international education hub in the African continent, the country’s education authorities have started the process of implementing a Recognition of Prior Learning system. Once completed, this move will significantly benefit students from both Africa and other countries to join educational institutes in Kenya.

STUDY DESTINATIONS UPDATE

International Students Allowed To Return To Australian UniversitiesThe Australian Minister for Education and Youth has stated that international students could return to Australian universities by 2022. “Since the beginning of the pandemic we have followed the health advice from Australian medical experts, and while I would like to provide certainty and predict a time at which we can welcome back international students in large numbers…” said Tudge in a recent speech.


US Institutions Urge Government To Process Visas & Waive In-person Interview Requirements
Leaders from 17 higher education institutions have written a letter to US secretary of State and the secretary of Homeland Security, urging the government to open consulates for F-1 student visa appointments and processing  before the start of the fall 2021 semester. They also requested the government to allow officers to waive in-person interview requirements or allow interviews through online mode.

NEWS & EVENTS

With increasing uncertainty and escalating questions from international students on their arrival process in Canada, quarantining, and all necessary measures amid the Covid, Maple Assist is hosting an exclusive Instagram Liveto answer queries of students this Friday, 16 April at 7pm IST/9.30am ET.

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EDUCONNECT: UPDATES FROM THE WORLD 30April 2021EduConnect: Higher Education News