Teach For Australia

This short article published on the April 22nd, in The Australian, documents new initiatives announced byt eh Australian governemnt to lift the standards of under privilages schools in the country.

FEDERAL Education Minister Julia Gillard yesterday announced Victorian not-for-profit group Teach for Australia had won the tender for the Council of Australian Governments’ New Pathway into Teaching initiative, starting in 2010.

The group’s model involves high achievers, called associates, committing themselves to disadvantaged high schools for two years, after which they are awarded a qualification of diploma standard or higher.

The Government is in final negotiations over which university will provide the scheme’s teacher training component. Associates can opt to remain in teaching or receive preferential treatment from recruiters for corporate partners.

TFA chief executive Melodie Potts Rosevear told the HES: “At the moment many choose not to enter teaching partly because we need to make it attractive to them. One of the ways we do this is to make sure that the business partnerships we have provide job opportunities at the conclusion.”

Data from Teach for America shows more than half of those who tried the arrangement stayed into a third year.

Yep. That’s the entire article.

I think the lack of detail is a credit to lack of new direction or a desire for just straight out reporting. Also, the lack of refrencing or information into the study done in America does not give creedit tot his article. It owuld have been good for more detail to build public support for this program. You’r enot even told how long the program will last for or  how many people it will encompass or effect.

I would definitly go into more research, especially the nature of the study done in America, and any similiarities or differences this would have in the Australian education system. It’s a totally different deographic that we;re dealign with. The sociological and cultural implications are not mentioned, neither is the cost of the program. These are all questions that could be raised and researched further.

Re-learning Afghanistan

This article published on the 26th of April on the web-based publication University World News details plans announced by the  Afghan government to rebuild the  higher-education system. The UN backed program is aimed at  equipping and quilifiing individuals to meet the needs of the nation’s reconstruction and economic growth:

Halim [Nazar Mohammad Halim, of the faculty of science of Kabul University] said there were complex and almost overwhelming pressing needs for Afghanistan to rebuild its higher education sector. There were critical shortages of professionals such as engineers, technicians, administrators, accountants, agriculturists, and business leaders to meet the needs of reconstruction and economic growth, as well as an urgent requirement for well-educated and trained leadership in all sectors of the economy.

The article builds the plans of reforms and progress in the Afghan educatrion system as a great thing, using active and emotive words such as “dramatic progress”. This fits in with the goals of the publiucation; who aim to keep scholars and the public updated with advancements in the higher education field.

Nineteen higher education institutions have reopened their doors and enrolment has jumped from 4,000 students in 2001 to 37,000 in the autumn of 2007.

The government, for the first time, has encouraged the establishment of good-quality private higher education institutions with proper incentives and quality control mechanisms.The American University of Afghanistan established in 2006 and located in the Karte Se area of Kabul, is the nation’s first private higher education institution. It offers three undergraduate degrees, as well as intensive English-language preparation courses and professional development training.

The article brings hope to readers when you consider the extent of how war-torn this nation is.

Quality quotes enforce this notion:

“These universities are good steps towards increasing capacity building and encouraging the return of Afghan scientists who migrated to Europe, the United States, and Pakistan during over decades of war,” Halim said. “As well as assisting Afghanistan to re-emerge from decades of war and civil strife.”