St. Stanislaus College, Guyana

A Historical Perspective

Schools in rich countries are making poor progress

Even before the pandemic, test scores in Reading, Maths and Sciences were showing alarming downward trends in the OECD (rich world) countries.This July 7, 2024 Economist article describes two possible explanations and makes a strong case that developing "brainiacs" is the most reliable and lasting way to stoke economic growth.

Efforts to teach Character bring promise and perils

The concept of “social and emotional learning” (SEL) is popular among educators who believe that teachers should focus more on attributes such as optimism, empathy and emotional stability. However, critics consider these fuzzy ideas to be a distraction from the basic principles of academic learning. The July 7, 2024 Economist article describes tests (in maths, reading and science) carried out by the OECD  to show which character traits best predict higher test scores.

Research shows that Universities are failing to boost Economic Growth

Conventional thinking is that Universities produce intellectual and scientific breakthroughs that are placed in the public domain, hence available to all. In theory, therefore, universities should be an excellent source of productivity growth. However, this Feb 5th, 2024 Economist article,  shows that currently, the great expansion of higher education has coincided with a productivity slowdown. Perhaps, with time, universities and the corporate sector will work together like they did in the post-war period, and beef up their internal research.

Latest research shows that Charter Schools work

This Feb 1st, 2024 Economist article presents new evidence that the publicly funded, tuition-free Charter schools actually produce superior results over traditional public schools. Rather than being part of a public school district, which dictates curriculum and standards in all schools, charters have more flexibility to operate autonomously through individual agreements, or charters, with state or local governments that set rules and student performance standards. Through these agreements, individual charter schools can tailor their curriculum, academic focus, staffing ratios, discipline policies and other matters to achieve results comparable to private fee-paying schools.

A to Z of Economics

The March 4th, 2023 issue of the Economist has made a profound statement: There is a limit to the amount of information that a person can absorb. This means that choices which they believe to be informed and rational can look irrational to someone with greater knowledge. As any behavioural economist worth their salt could tell you, this theory of decision-making is known as “bounded rationality”. To help folks navigate the complexities of Economics, they created an A to Z of Economics. It is well worth reading.

Sierra Leone is betting big on schools to Transition out of Poverty

This Dec 8th, 2022 Economist article describes a bold experiment to reform a failing education system. The Sierra Leone govt. is allowing charitable  organizations to spend up to $36 per child on things like coaching for teachers or catch-up classes for children who have fallen behind. Most of this will be paid only after the work has been done and the exact amount will depend on how successful the organisations are at improving scores.

What is the Best Age to Learn to Read?

A truly thought-provoking BBC Future article which shows how difficult it is to craft a one-size-fits-all policy which will produce the best outcome for a very diverse population of children. Perhaps the best approach for developing economies is to focus on the development of healthy physical and social skills as a low-cost foundation for developing all other educational skills.

The Booker Prize to stimulate Reading and Discussion

We all remember how British Guiana (B.G.) was often referred to as Bookers Guiana, due to their extensive business interests in Guyana. This historical account of the Booker Prize makes this claim: ‘The Booker Prize can trace its origin, through quirks of history and the imaginativeness of one individual, to James Bond and the attainment of political freedom in Guyana’

Virtuous Cycles of Learning (VCoL)

Unlike conventional study skills - which are designed primarily to help students learn factual information well enough to pass academic tests - VCoLs are designed to build the knowledge, deep understanding, and skills we need to navigate the complexity and ambiguity of our lives. It illustrates that real learning - learning that changes the way we think and behave - takes time and effort.

Young Children may benefit from having more Male Teachers

This June 30th, 2022 Economist article is based on research conducted on 811,000 children who entered Finnish primary schools between 1988 and 2000. The authors surmised that men may simply have been better at the job than women, adding that men were more into mathematics. The authors did not address the career advantage of STEM qualifications.

Google

Coursera Inc supports a program Coursera for Campus whose Mission is to Provide world-class, job-relevant online learning for students, faculty, and staff. They provide access for Educators and Students to over 5,000 courses from leading universities and companies. With Covid driving us more towards distance learning, this program should be especially welcome in developing countries.

Google makes Tech Training free to every U.S. business

This May 2, 2022 "Breaking News" should be of interest to any employed person who is seriously thinking of enhancing their technical skills. The courses, designed by Google and sold through online education service Coursera Inc, each typically cost students about $39 a month and take three to six months to finish. Grow with Google is the company unit overseeing certificates.

Defining and Measuring Intelligence

Chapter 9.1 of the textbook Introduction to Psychology (University of Saskatchewan) is written by Charles Stangor and Jennifer Walinga. It provides an excellent account of the various factors involved in Intelligence and how it is measured.

How can a distracted generation learn anything?

A 20 February 2019 BBC article addresses a problem with smartphones: If smartphones are harming our ability to focus, how should teachers change their methods to give children the skills they need? It may be of interest to developing countries which are rapidly acquiring smartphones.

The Future of Education in Guyana

Presented on August 6, 2018 by the Chairman of the Board of Governors of St. Stanislaus College at the University of Guyana Education Reform Roundtable Discussion: ‘2018 Green Economy Workshop’

TVET UK Mexico to generate commercial opportunities for UK Training Providers

TVET UK Mexico is a joint venture with Enermex, which offers professional development training programmes for the Mexican oil, gas and renewables industries.

Which country really has the cleverest students?

The OECD tested literacy skills among graduates - and the high-flyers were not in the US or UK, but in Japan and Finland.

University of the People - Online 'university of anywhere' opens to refugees

The University of the People (UoPeople), is one of a growing number of online universities which are opening new doors to people, particularly in the developing world. By Sean Coughlan, Global education editor, 19 July 2016.

University opens without any teachers

A university without any teachers has opened in California this month. There are no tuition fees and accommodation is free. It's called 42. The US college, is a branch of an institution in France with the same name. By Matt Pickles, 26 October 2016.

London is most educated city in Europe.

Where in Europe would you expect to find the highest concentration of graduates? The answer - by a considerable distance - is London. Sean Coughlan, Education correspondent, 24 August 2016

Modern Day Schooling on Trial

In this Video, the Plaintiff's argument attacks the concept of One Size Fits All when it is applied to Education. He makes the case for customizing our educational programs to suit the needs and abilities of the students; and by comparing education with medical practice, argues that the failure to do so amounts to Educational Malpractice.

Understanding Memory

Memory is often defined as application of learning over time. How does memory work? How much do we remember? etc. This 5-Day Lesson Plan provides answers to these questions.

Brain-Based Education

The overall goal of brain-based education is to attempt to bring insights from brain research into the arena of education to enhance teaching and learning. This article addresses:       Principles of Brain-Based Research and Critiques of Brain-Based Education.