A look at creativity in public and private schools

This research study investigated the perspectives of teachers on student creativity. A group of 15 teachers from public schools and 24 teachers from private schools completed an Early Childhood Creativity Rating Scale (ECCRS) on four of their students. A total of 156 students were rated on this ECCRS. The major question asked in this study was: How do teacher perspectives of student creativity differ in public and private schools, between kindergarten and grade 3, and are these perspectives influenced by teacher characteristics. Results found that private school teachers rated their students higher on creativity, third grade students were rated lowest on creativity, and teachers who perceived themselves as most creative also rated their students as most creative.     

The equity impact of public finance of private education provision in Côte d’Ivoire

The equity effects of public subsidization of private schools in Côte d’Ivoire are analyzed. The subsidy per student in private (and public) schools increases as one goes to higher household per capita expenditure groups. Students from families in the highest expenditure quartile receive twice the subsidy received by students from families in the lowest quartile, compared to four times more in the case of students attending public schools. However, the subsidy system is relatively progressive in the case of private school attendance as there is a clear tendency for the share of family education expenditure covered by subsidies to decline as one goes to higher quartiles.     

Diversification in Argentine higher education: Dimensions and impact of private sector growth

Private education is a remarkably dynamic area of change in post-secondary education, particularly in Latin America. Evidence of growth in the number of private institutions and enrollment suggests that higher education is becoming increasingly diversified into two sectors – public and private. While this appears to be true throughout Latin America, and much of the developing world, recent evidence from Argentina casts doubt on the degree to which private sector growth trends may actually translate into a significant increase in the impact of private institutions in higher education, where impact is proxied by the relative share of student enrollment and graduates. This study explores the dimensions and impact of private expansion in Argentina, and places the findings in a comparative (regional) and theoretical framework. The analysis shows that, despite unprecedented growth in the number of private universities, the public sector remains the dominant provider of university education. Private institutions, while certainly more numerous and training a growing number of students, do not account for a larger share of university enrollment. They have, however, developed specific niches (e.g., in graduate level training and in urban areas). Significantly, following a pattern of institutional proliferation found throughout Latin America, some private universities offer elite alternatives to prestigious public institutions. The findings serve to qualify apparent `gains' in private higher education and to underscore the need for further research into the relevant intrasectoral (public and private) dimensions of change in post-secondary education.     

The views of Nigerian teachers in public and private primary schools on the teaching of early literacy in English

Drawing on the bilingual policies and biliteracy programmes of African nations, this paper discusses the context of literacy education in Nigeria and examines Nigerian early literacy teachers’ attitudes to teaching literacy and literacy teaching practices as informed by the National Policy on Education, Primary English Language Curriculum and the teaching–learning milieu. The paper also reports the findings of a survey in which respondents to a questionnaire expressed their views and understanding of the primary English curriculum and their own relations and experiences with it, as well as their own competencies and self‐concept as literacy teachers. Results indicated the need to train Nigerian teachers to adopt a much wider perspective in literacy, which recognises the opportunities for developing the interrelated strands of literacy. Governments should also consider practising teachers’ professional identities and growth in decision‐making and curriculum development. This will enhance their understanding of ideologies in policy and practice.     

The determinants and impact of private tutoring classes in Vietnam

Private tutoring is a widespread phenomenon in many developing countries, including Vietnam. Using the Vietnam Living Standards Surveys 1997–1998 and 1992–1993 for analysis, this paper finds evidence that private tutoring in Vietnam is a necessity in the household budget for both primary students and lower secondary students, and the trend to attend private tutoring is stronger at higher education levels. There is no evidence of gender discrimination in expenditure on private tutoring. Ethnic minority students spend less on private tutoring at the primary level but not at the lower secondary level, as do students living in rural areas. However, spending on private tutoring would fall significantly if the qualifications of primary school teachers are increased. Private tutoring is found to have significant impact on a student's academic performance, but the influence is larger for lower secondary students. This paper contributes to the available estimation techniques by extending the simultaneous Tobit model of Amemiya [(1974). Multivariate regression and simultaneous equation models when the dependent variables are truncated normal. Econometrica, 42(6), 999–1012] to a joint Tobit-ordered probit econometric model to address the possible endogeneity of household spending on private tutoring.     

The impact of COVID-19 on A Level exams in England: Students as consumers

The recent global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges for society, not least for education. England went into lockdown in March 2020; following this, A Level exams were cancelled and the Department for Education announced that results were to be determined by teacher-assessed grades. This paper draws upon research conducted during this time with A Level students. It is based on a total of 53 Skype interviews with students who had their A Level exams cancelled, most of whom had ambitions to start university in September 2020. A number of striking findings emerged from the study. Students were well-informed about the changes to the A Level exam assessment and the impact structural inequalities were likely to have on assessed grades. White students and those from independent fee-paying schools were consistently more satisfied with the measures put in place to assess their grades compared to students from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds. However, all students—regardless of their background—identified patterns of unfairness which were based on structural inequalities. We conclude that these findings point to students adopting some of the attributes of the ‘student as consumer’, not by concentrating on choices associated with free market economies such as ‘good value’, but rather by identifying more ethical ‘values’ within education.     

The impact of legacy status on undergraduate admissions at elite colleges and universities

In this paper, I examine the impact of legacy status on admissions decisions at 30 highly selective colleges and universities. Unlike other quantitative studies addressing this topic, I use conditional logistic regression with fixed effects for colleges to draw conclusions about the impact of legacy status on admissions odds. By doing so, I eliminate most sources of outcome bias by controlling for applicant characteristics that are constant across colleges and college characteristics that are constant across applicants. I estimate that the odds of admission are multiplied by a factor 3.13 due to legacy status. My results also suggest that the magnitude of this legacy admissions advantage depends greatly on the nature of the familial ties between the applicant and the outcome college, and, to a lesser extent, the selectivity of the outcome college and the applicant's academic strength.     

Cultural congruence and unbalanced power between home and school in rural Ghana and the impact on school children*

This ethnographic inquiry examines the cultural congruence between home and school in rural Ghana, exploring the cultural norms of child-rearing practices within families and the institution of schooling. The data illustrate both the agreement between home and school in regard to discipline practices and instruction in morality, while simultaneously highlighting a power differential between home and school. The authors highlight the power dynamics between home and school, and discuss the burden children bear in managing the home–school relationship in rural Ghana.     

对后奥运时代我国高校“体教结合”培养模式的再认识

要使我国竞技体育在2008年奥运会之后得到可持续发展,就必须探索新时期具有中国特色的竞技体育后备人才的培养模式。北京奥运会的成功举办为我国高校“体教结合”培养模式创造了机遇。分析后奥运时代“体教结合”在竞技体育和高校人才培养中扮演的角色和起到的作用,研究我国竞技体育体制改革和高校培养高水平运动员,探讨竞技体育实现多维、多渠道培养优秀运动员人才的途径。     

An analysis of the reach and effectiveness of distance learning in India during school closures due to COVID-19

In India, more than 276 million children and youth were out of school for extended periods since March 2020 due to school closures in response to COVID-19. A key challenge has been how to measure the impact of responses to continuity of learning both to ensure more effective responses in the event of further disruptions, but also to help the education community conceptualize more creative and effective approaches to learning, through blended and flexible approaches. This study reflects on the findings from a UNICEF survey targeting parents and adolescents across 6 states in India, and identifies lessons learned for addressing learning inequities during future school closures. We focus on measuring three key variables – access to technology, their utilization, and perceived learning for different profiles of children. As students began learning from home, technology access rates in households were initially used to determine the estimated maximum reach of different distance learning modalities during school closures. Beyond access, we find significant variations in adolescents’ use of technology for learning purposes and their perceptions of learning, linked to the type of remote learning modality, gender, location and type of school. We discuss the implications for government strategies and policies to ensure better utilization of technologies which are available in households and to address equity gaps in learning opportunities.     

The impact of COVID-19 on teachers' transition practices for students with disabilities in Illinois,USA

Transition services are central in preparing youth with disabilities for opportunities in postsecondary education, employment and independent living. The life skills education acquired in school may be the only resources they receive to help them with this transition. With COVID-19, educational systems were interrupted, including the access of students with disabilities to service provision and transition services. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on teachers' transition practices for students with disabilities in the State of Illinois, United States and to identify factors associated with the differences in teachers' practices across eight domains of transition. Results indicated statistical significant differences in transition practices before and during COVID-19 in all eight domains. Gender, Race, School Closings & Type of School did not show significant associations with any of the eight domains. Emotional Disability was found to have a significant association with all eight domains, whereas Intellectual Disability did not show significant association with any of the eight domains. Grade level and teachers' educational level showed significant associations with certain domains. Future investigations into how COVID-19 changed teachers' transition practices for students with disabilities and the long-term impact that these changes will have on students' post-secondary outcomes are needed.     

战“疫”期间大规模在线教育实践的效果和潜在影响因素分析——以湖北省孝感市为例

战“疫”期间的“停课不停学”是一场全社会协同的大规模在线教育实践,会对未来在线教育产生重大影响。对湖北省孝感市开展大规模调查,从组织管理、平台与工具、资源应用、教学内容、家校共育和满意度等方面调查实践效果,发现经过一段时间的探索和实践,战“疫”期间大规模在线教育实践在教育行政部门指导与引领、学校落实与行动、师生探索与适应、教育信息化企业支持与服务、家庭合作与参与等方面取得了一定成效,但在线教育的理念、在线教育的保障与供给、师生素养与能力、教育信息化企业服务水平与质量、家校共育等仍是影响在线教育发展的潜在因素。     

基于教育哲学对中国高等院校分类的思考

在学习型社会的背景下,追寻一个合乎社会与人类发展的高等教育院校分类的视角有着应然的现实意义。教育哲学是一门探寻教育价值的学科,通过教育哲学的角度来思考高校的分类,能深刻地揭示此角度是否符合教育的本真,是否符合人类发展的根本意义。本文从教育哲学理论的角度来分析高等教育院校分类现状,并提出了当今高等教育院校分类的走向。     

Graduating in uncertain times: The impact of COVID-19 on recent graduate career prospects,trajectories and outcomes

This article examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on recent UK graduates' initial employment outcomes and how they experience the transition into a challenging labour market context. We draw on longitudinal survey and interview data, collected from recent graduates who had mainly graduated during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in summer 2020 that examines graduate perception of the labour market, impacts on labour market entry impacts and early career progression and effects of periods of unemployment or under-employment. The article shows some of the main impacts of the recent pandemic-affected labour market, including: widespread concerns about job opportunities and employer support, the perceived employment impacts of the pandemic and early signs of scarring and labour market disorientation amongst those who were struggling to find employment of their choice. Such experiences are clearly intensified during the specific COVID-19 context, but the policy implications they raise have wider relevance for supporting graduates during future periods of labour market volatility.     

How to link geography,cross-curricular approach and inquiry in science education at the primary schools

Pupil research in school lessons in the sense of Inquiry-Based Education (IBE) is one of the constructivist approaches to education. Inquiry strengthens the positive approach of pupils to natural science subjects, encouraging them to study phenomena and processes taking place in the natural environment around them and use the acquired knowledge in their practical life. Geography as a school subject, due to the multidisciplinary nature of geography as a science, is close to natural sciences as well. This is because of the broadness of the subject of geographical studies, the complex (natural and cultural) landscape. The close links of geography to all cross-sectional themes make it a good support for teaching classical science subjects at schools such as mathematics, physics, chemistry or biology, environmental education. Moreover, the field teaching is one of the strong assets of the implementation of IBE in the school geography. Presented case study on the ‘effect of noise on the surroundings’ explores the facts mentioned above, in geography teaching. It verifies the pupils’ knowledge and skills to adopt the basic principles of IBE in the practice. At the same time, it presents the concrete experiences how the children master the individual stages of IBE during the process of education.     

基于组合神经网络模型的新冠疫情传播预测分析

在全球抗击新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）疫情的过程中,合理的疫情传播预测对于疫情防控有重要参考意义。为了对病毒传播进行合理预测,针对传统疫情传播预测模型存在的不足,提出一种组合式神经网络的疫情传播预测模型,并将其应用于湖北省1月29日-3月15日每日新增确诊人数预测及湖北省每日累计确诊人数预测。预测结果分析显示,该神经网络预测模型预测结果可靠有效。模型性能分析结果表明,组合式神经网络预测模型平均相对误差（MRE）不超过0.16,均方误差（MSE）不超过0.1,均方根误差（RMSE）为0.262 9,性能明显优于其它几种神经网络预测模型。基于武汉市与广东省疫情传播预测的实证结果显示模型具有较好的适用性及准确性。     

To vocationalise or not to vocationalise? Perspectives on current trends and issues in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Africa

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the dichotomy of vocational education versus general education. This is more so as political pronouncements in many countries across the globe have taken on knowledge and skills as the key aim of the desire to improve access to education at all levels. Nowhere is this debate more tested, fiercely debated and gained controversy as in Africa. However, given recent developments in which knowledge and skills have become more acceptable terms in economically more developed nations, in which both are seen to go hand in hand, what is happening in Africa where development is highly sought but has proven to be more elusive? This has brought back to the forefront one of the dilemmas which has pre-occupied many African countries for a long time: whether to concentrate investment in general education or in vocational education. In this paper, I reflect on current trends and issues in TVET in Africa.     

From poverty to prosperity: the impact of socio-economic change on finnish elementary education in the late 18th and early 19th centuries

This paper considers the role and the aim of education in Rousseau's thinking generally. The position of education is a search between nature and society. Education is the medium between nature and society, and its aim is to undermine the threat of the natural intentions of man's actions to preserve his being and seeking for happiness turning into pathologies of society, which was the main target of Rousseau's critic of society. Achievement of this aim means the recovery of the natural harmony of man. The main concern of this paper is to discuss the solution to this as introduced in E´mile. This is autarchy, where a man's desires and capacities to fulfil those desires are in equilibrium.     

Education and skills for development in South Africa: Reflections on the accelerated and shared growth initiative for South Africa

In July 2005, President Mbeki announced the launch of the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA), a new development strategy designed to help the South African state meet the ANC's 2004 election pledges, namely:

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halve unemployment;