· July, 2012

Stories about Education from July, 2012

St. Lucia: The Power of Words

  31 July 2012

David Cave writes a tribute to his mentor, the Saint Lucia poet Kendel Hippolyte: “Indeed, Kendel showed me first hand that there is real power in words.  Words evoke emotions, conjure images, analyse, interrogate, bring back memories, experiences and transport and even return a student to his mentor and friend.”

Guatemala: Microsoft and the University of San Carlos

  30 July 2012

Blogger Josue Ortega [es] attended a university event which invited students to develop a project to help communities with very little access to technology. However, students were told to develop the project using only Microsoft technology. One of Ortega's friends inquired about using open licenses, but the idea was immediately...

Kenya: Schoolgirl Skirts-How Short is Too Short?

  26 July 2012

Kenyan Education Minister Mutula Kilonzo defense of schoolgirls who want the length of their skirts reduced has sparked a debate about culture, modernity and morality in Kenya. Kenyan media quoted the minister saying, "These girls do not want to be nuns; they want to be modern like Mutula!"

Colombia: Scientific Community Concerned Over Resignation of Top Official

  23 July 2012

The resignation of Jaime Restrepo Cuartas, director of the Administrative Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Colciencias, has raised concern among the scientific community about the future of Colciencias (the main source of funding for most Colombian scientists) and the future of research in general in the country.

Mexico: Combating Water Crisis by Climbing Mountains

  22 July 2012

The Challenge is to raise awareness about the water and sanitation crisis all over the world and raise money to ensure safe water for people. The founder of Challenge 21, Jake Norton, means to do this by climbing the top of the 3 highest peaks in each continent. A couple of videos allow us to look into how he's doing, including the climb up Mexico's Pico de Orizaba.

Colombia: A Lab for Social Sciences

  22 July 2012

Blogger Luis Ángel Pérez writes about wanting to create a lab for Social Sciences, just like there are labs for chemistry or physics. He imagines the lab [es] with many sofas and good music. “Social Sciences are about our home and its history,” he concludes.

Greece: Fake Dyslexia Certificates for Children

  21 July 2012

In ‘Where Everything Is Possible‘ [el], blogger Theodoris Georgakopoulos criticizes the news that Children's Hospital employees in Athens, Greece, have been involved into issuing fake documents certifying dyslexia. He mainly puts the blame on those parents who labelled their children with a disability to facilitate their final high school exams. @Haris_Nk...

Tajikistan: Young People Learn to Blog

Matrix [ru], a Central Asian youth TV project focusing on Internet and new technologies, has produced a video [ru] about bloggers in Tajikistan. While few Tajiks presently run blogs, some local organizations teach young people how to start blogging.

Chile: Citizen Campaign Seeks to Eliminate Tax on Books

  11 July 2012

A citizen campaign to remove the value added tax ("IVA" for its initials in Spanish) on books in Chile has sparked an online debate. Netizens are sharing their views in favor and against the campaign through blogs, and on Twitter they are discussing the issue with the hashtag #LibrosSinIVA.

Puerto Rico: Bilingual Schools Revive Debate on Language

  9 July 2012

The government of Puerto Rico wants to gradually replace Spanish with English as the official language of education in the country's public schools. The measure has provoked strong reactions from supporters as well as critics, reviving the old debate on language and culture in Puerto Rico.

Hong Kong: New “Red” Elementary School Curriculum Flames Concern

  8 July 2012

Under pressure from mainland China, Hong Kong's elementary schools have to start a new curriculum on "national education." Recently revealed, its module on the "China model" is full of political propaganda, such as the claim that one party dictatorship is more effective than any other democratic political system.