Being bilingual ‘protects brain’

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Being fluent in two languages may help to keep the brain sharper for longer, a study suggests. Researchers from York University in Canada carried out tests on 104 people between the ages of 30 and 88. They found that those who were fluent in two languages rather than just one were sharper mentally. Writing in the journal of Psychology and Ageing, they said being bilingual may protect against mental decline in old age. Previous studies have shown that keeping the brain active can protect against senile dementia.

Education in general can bestow benefits on cognitive function in later life Professor Clive Ballard, Alzheimer’s Society Research has shown that people who play musical instruments, dance or read regularly may be less likely to develop the condition. Other activities like doing crosswords or playing board games may also help.

Language skills

This latest study appears to back up the theory that language skills also have a protective effect. Dr Ellen Bialystok and colleagues at York University assessed the cognitive skills of all those involved in the study using a variety of widely recognised tests. They tested their vocabulary skills, their non-verbal reasoning ability and their reaction time. Half of the volunteers came from Canada and spoke only English. The other half came from India and were fluent in both English and Tamil. The volunteers had similar backgrounds in the sense that they were all educated to degree level and were all middle class.

The researchers found that the people who were fluent in English and Tamil responded faster than those who were fluent in just English. This applied to all age groups. The researchers also found that the bilingual volunteers were much less likely to suffer from the mental decline associated with old age. “The bilinguals were more efficient at all ages tested and showed a slower rate of decline for some processes with aging,” they said. “It appears…that bilingualism helps to offset age-related losses.”

The UK’s Alzheimer’s Society welcomed the study. “These findings, that early development of second language may improve a specific aspect of cognitive function in later life, are very interesting,” said Professor Clive Ballard, its director of research. “It is a possibility that the acquisition of a second language in early childhood may influence the process of the development of neuronal circuits.

“However, the results of this particular study need to be interpreted cautiously as they were comparing groups of individual of different nationalities, educated in different systems. “It is also well recognised that education in general can bestow benefits on cognitive function in later life.”

 

Filed Under: Early education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Address by Deputy Prime Minister to Early Childhood Education Council Annual Conference

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This is not the time to give you a post-mortem on the Taranaki-King Country by-election.  That’s already been done by the so called “experts” in the media. We have learned some lessons from the by-election, and we are now focused on the future, with a commitment to continuing to deliver on our promises to the people of New Zealand. Next Thursday will see the delivery of the second Budget of this historic Coalition Government. Obviously no details can be given except it will be a big and exciting Budget – a Budget For The Times, and one geared to take us into the 21st Century.

We will tackle head-on the significant issues facing our society.  Issues like moing from dependence on the State to independence.  The Budget recognises that no-one wants to be permanently dependent on the State. For that reason the Budget will commit more money where it will have the biggest effect – more for Health, more for Education, more for Police and more to support the Coalition Government’s employment strategy.

There is good news for the economy and the business community, which will prove many of our critics wrong once again.  Critics like the Employers Federation which has criticised the Government for lacking vision, leadership and direction. They have claimed we have inhibited business growth, knowing full well that the Government has been actively working on lowering taxes, reforming employment and welfare, reducing compliance costs, reforming ACC and reducing bureaucracy.

The figures in the Budget will show that we have maintained a stable ship in a sea of uncertainty.  We have weathered the Asian storm well and we will prove the forecasters wrong. In short, the Budget will reinforce our message that New Zealand First, and the Coalition Government, is delivering on its promises and that includes early childhood education, but back to that in a minute. First, here’s a few of the things we’ve delivered since we formed the Government back in December 1996.

q    Low inflation.
q    A lower exchange rate to help farmers and exporters.
q    $1.752 billion dollars extra for public health over three years.
q    Free doctor

?s visits and prescriptions for children under six years
old.
q    $1.25 billion dollars extra for education over three years.
q    $55 million extra for early childhood education.
q    Pay parity for primary teachers.
q    Abolition of the superannuation surtax.
q    Removal of income & asset testing for senior citizens.
q    250+ extra police and 250 more to come.
q    Minimum wage increased to $7.00 with second increase to come.
q    Community wage and employment reforms.

That is a great record of achievements that would NOT have happened without New Zealand First, and we are going to build on these things in the Budget. Now back to early childhood education.  This is an area which we are committed to developing because our young children are our greatest resource. We intend to give our children a running start in life, by nurturing their education and health in the early years, as these are critical to their long-term success. Research shows quality education in the early years impacts on a child’s success at school, at university, in the work force and in society. As the late American clergyman Hosea Ballou (1771-1852) once said, “Education commences at the mother’s knee, and every word spoken within the hearing of little children tends towards the formation of character.”

It’s important that we lay down the right foundation for our children to build on.  It’s no good building a house on sand. That is why we have committed $872 million to early childhood education over three years, $55 million more than in the previous three years.  And that’s why we have introduced free doctors visits for children under six. Healthy bodies have, in turn, a healthy regard to the rigours of learning.

We know the formative years of a child’s life are vital to their future success. Take a walk through Paremoremo Prison and you will see what happens to children whose health and education needs are neglected.  You’ll find most prisoners share the common problems of hearing deficiency and illiteracy.

As a boy growing up in a country village in the far North I remember seeing other children at school with yellow gunk weeping from their ears because of untreated infections.  That is the kind of problem we are addressing now through our policies on health and early childhood education giving our children a running start in life. Some of the money we got for education will be used to buy more resources for special education for under sixes, and some will be used to develop new education centres and the teaching skills needed to run them properly, which is the type of work that most of you here are involved in.

Earlier this week New Zealand First MP and Associate Education Minister Brian Donnelly launched the Early Childhood Development Strategic Plan, which has the slogan “Right From The Start.” One of the main goals of that plan is to ensure a high level of quality in early childhood education and parenting. This will be achieved through various programmes such as “The Strengthening Families Strategy” which aims to break inter-generational cycles of poverty within families.

By co-ordinating better access to Health, Welfare and Education services, we can alleviate some pressure on families and help them to create a positive environment for their children. Strong families will result in less unemployment, less crime and a more cohesive society. The Awhina Matua parent education programme is another initiative aimed at promoting stronger families and parent involvement in educating children. Under this programme, a project worker works with families who have no access to early childhood education services by setting up parent groups and introducing them to mutual support networks  such as the local iwi, marae groups, the Maori Women?s Welfare League, early childhood services, community health workers and schools.

Awhina Matua is carried out in communities and brings together parents of similar backgrounds and needs.  When the group being helped becomes self-sustaining the project worker withdraws. The Code of Social Responsibility is another Government initiative aimed at strengthening our families. The Code is about addressing the cycle of poverty and abuse that affects many New Zealand families. We can no longer turn away from child abuse and crimes against children, in some spineless hand wringing disavowal of the facts. That’s why we have devised a Code that challenges us to face up to these realities and to promote the values that this country was founded on. Values like fairness and freedom to pursue a better life for ourselves and our children.

That’s what the code is about families with limited incomes aspiring for the same things for their children that all parents do regardless of race and socio-economic status. That is not only the basics like clothing on their backs, food on the table and a roof over their heads, but also a good education, future prosperity and personal happiness. We all want those things for our children and we freely acknowledge that for some families those things come easier than others.  Greater personal and financial sacrifice are demanded by some families to make these dreams a reality for their children.

Another initiative we have begun is the Family Start Service.  This initiative is one of the single most important initiatives undertaken so far by the Coalition Government. Under this programme Health, Education and Welfare agencies work together, sharing expertise and networks for the benefit of individual families. The Early Childhood Development Unit is also involved in the programme to ensure a focus on the well being of the child. Government has also turned its attention to increasing the participation rates of under represented groups such as Maori and Pacific Islanders in early childhood education.

Last year, the Early Childhood Development Unit established 16 playgroups for Maori in the Waikato and further playgroups were established for Arabic, Ethiopian and Korean ethic groups. Many of you here today will be interested in the Government’s commitment to continuous improvement and quality staff in early childhood education. We are reviewing the licensing points system for early childhood services. Currently the system is very complex and difficult to work. We are getting rid of some of the anomalies to make requirements for qualifications fairer.  Once the points system has been sorted out, we can move on to looking at ways to make those regimes better as well. Then there is PAFT, Parents as First Teachers, which is co-ordinated by the Early Childhood Education Unit.

PAFT is based on the belief that parents are their children?s first and most important teachers.  The programme helps parents to participate more effectively in their children?s educational development. These are just some of the many initiatives the Government is pursuing to nurture our children and these initiatives reflect the need to balance the objectives of access and quality in early childhood education. While we have provided the money and the platform for future development for early childhood education, we rely heavily on the commitment of professionals like you. It’s important that you as owners, managers and teachers in childhood education centres, do not underestimate the importance of your work in shaping the hearts and minds of future generations. In the words of William A. Ward: “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher
inspires.”

 

Filed Under: Early education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

State-by-State Comparison

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A review of compulsory attendance laws across the nation shows that requiring young children to attend school may be largely unnecessary. Only nine states require attendance of 5 year olds, and seven of those nine allow exemptions for parents to withhold their children from school until age 6. The other 41 states allow parents to wait until their children are 6, 7, or even 8 years old before beginning formal education.13

During the 2001 legislative session, nine states attempted to lower the school entrance age. Five of these bills would have lowered the age of entrance to 5. The District of Columbia even contemplated a bill which would have required a child to be enrolled in some type of school setting if the child turns 3 on or before December 31. Thus, even some 2 year olds would be subject to DC’s compulsory attendance law.

In any case, testimony in the 1998 Connecticut hearings estimated that only 3-9% of the state’s eligible children were kept out of kindergarten by their parents.14 It seems unnecessary for a state to spend so much time and money compelling attendance on what arguably may only be 3% of the state’s 5 and 6 year olds.

This is especially true when considered in the light of the results from recent National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) tests administered to school children in all 50 states. Scores of children from states that have low compulsory attendance ages (5-6) did not score any higher than children from the other states, and in some subjects their average was actually lower.15 The NAEP scores demonstrate that no real academic results have come from a lowered compulsory age, and therefore the higher cost of early education is not justified.

 

 

Filed Under: Early education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

DC Proposes Mandatory Schooling at Age 3

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

D.C. Council member Kevin P. Chavous (D-Ward 7) plans to introduce a bill today that would lower from 5 to 3 the age at which schooling is compulsory, part of a push among school and elected officials to expand early childhood learning. If the legislation passed, the District would be the first jurisdiction in the country to mandate school attendance or home learning for all children at such a young age, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

But although D.C. officials offered support yesterday for the concept behind Chavous’s bill, they said the hurdles in designing and funding a universal program for 3- and 4-year-olds would be significant. The bill would require a child to be enrolled in a public, private or parochial school or in “private instruction” if the child turned 3 before Dec. 31 in that academic year. Chavous, chairman of the council’s education committee, said that home schooling by parents would qualify as private instruction. But it is unclear in the bill what guidelines stay-at-home parents would be required to follow and how they would document those efforts to the school system.

Chavous said his proposal is consistent with national efforts to lengthen the school day and the academic year and with research demonstrating the cognitive benefits of early childhood intervention. “It would force the school system to take charge and responsibility for every 3- and 4-year-old in the city to make sure they are prepared for kindergarten,” he said. The bill envisions a pilot program in fall 2003 and full access to public schooling by 2004. But the source of funding — estimated by the school system at up to $51.6 million in the first year of full access and $32 million a year after that — is unclear.

Joan Logue-Kinder, communications director for Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), said the mayor agreed with the need for expanded early learning. But given limited resources, she said, “the primary purpose is to solidify our base and give the students we presently have the best possible education.” School officials estimated they would need to provide 10,000 slots for 3- and 4-year-olds, compared with the 4,200 slots they currently provide for children of that age enrolled in optional programs. City officials have long been worried about the low enrollment of low-income children in pre-kindergarten classes, Head Start and subsidized child care.

Superintendent Paul L. Vance said he supported the proposal, citing research pointing to the positive benefits linked to early childhood learning. “The earlier you can get these youngsters to make social and cognitive impressions, the better your chances of having productive learners,” he said. “I’d like to get all of these youngsters in school as early as possible.” But D.C. Board of Education President Peggy Cooper Cafritz raised the issue of funding. “Theoretically, it’s fabulous, but to enact such a piece of legislation without an appropriate appropriation is disingenuous and totally bamboozling us,” she said.

School officials said that in addition to increased operating costs, they would face higher capital costs associated with more classroom space. The long-range master plan for school facilities also would need to be revised. They also said they would need to provide transportation to 3- and 4-year-olds if Chavous’s proposal were enacted. The school system currently buses only special education students, and that service is often late and irregular.

Education analysts said the proposal also is likely to raise thorny questions of parental choice. School officials “would need to do some hard calculations and have to make sure they provide generous options for parents,” including home instruction, said Sharon Lynn Kagan, co-director of the Center for Children and Families at Columbia University’s Teachers College.

Barbara Willer, deputy executive director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, said her group supports expanding early childhood education programs, but she raised the question of whether such programs should be mandatory. She said that compulsory attendance would pose the specter of a “Big Brother-type approach” and could be seen by some families as an intrusion.

 

Filed Under: Early education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Data Tapes Available for the NHES:91 Early Childhood Education and Adult Education Data Files

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) announces the availability of data tapes and users manuals for the 1991 National Household Education Survey (NHES), the Early Childhood Education (ECE) component and the Adult Education (AE) component.  NHES:91 was a random-digit-dial telephone survey developed by NCES.  The sample for the NHES is drawn from the noninstitutionalized civilian population in households with a telephone in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The survey was conducted between late January and early May of 1991.

NHES:91 collected data on 3- to 8-year-old children’s experiences in a wide range of settings, including their homes, childcare arrangements, early education programs, and schools. A survey of participation in adult education among person 16 years of age and older was conducted simultaneously.  Data were collected on the level and characteristics of adult education participation. The files for these two general components of NHES:91 are described below.

Preprimary and Primary Files.  Data from the Early Childhood Education component are divided into two separate data files–the Preprimary File and the Primary File.  The Preprimary File contains responses from completed interviews with the parents of 7,655 children who have not yet enrolled in kindergarten.  The Primary File contains responses from completed interviews with the parents of 6,237 children enrolled in grades 1 and above. Users will be able to merge the Preprimary File with the Primary
File for the purposes of conducting analyses involving all 13,892 children.

Adult and Course Files.  During NHES:91, a sample of adults were questioned about their educational activities over the previous 12-month period.  Data from the Adult Education component are divided into two separate files–the Adult File and the Course File. The Adult File contains responses from each completed AE interview.  There is one record for each completed AE interview; thus, there are 12,568 records in this file.  The Course File contains a record for each part-time course reported by participants in the AE interview (up to four course were allowed).  The file is intended for analyses in which the course, rather than the individual, is the unit of analysis (aggregated course information is also included in the Adult File as part of the record of each adult).  The Adult and Course Files can be merged using a common identifier.

Ordering Information.  The NHES:91 files are available as magnetic tapes.  The ECE Component Files and the AE Component Files are sold separately.  In addition to the raw data files, each tape has SAS system files and SPSSX  and SAS control cards for converting the raw data to SPSSX and SAS formats.  These tapes can be purchased for $175 each, or $250 for both.

 

Filed Under: Adult Education, Early education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Administration Seeks Funds to Improve Early Reading

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Washington, DC — Vice President Gore announced today that the Administration will seek an additional $128 million in the FY2000 budget to help children learn to read well.

     This proposal, including an increase of $26 million for the Reading Excellence Act and $50 million for a new initiative to identify and address reading problems in young children, will help schools and communities respond to the President’s challenge that every child should be able to read well and independently by the end of the third grade.

     ”In an economy increasingly powered by information and technology, reading and the ability to learn are strategic skills,” Vice President Gore said.  ”We must help all of our children master the basics and learn to read well in order to help them succeed in the 21st century.”

     According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 60 percent of 4th graders read at the basic level or higher.  Research shows that students who fail to read well by the 4th grade are at greater risk of educational failure and that good reading skills provide an important foundation for subsequent learning and success. In order to address this need, the Clinton Administration launched the “America Reads” challenge and worked with Congress to pass the Reading Excellence Act last year to help more than 500,000 children in pre-kindergarten through third grade learn to read through expanded teacher training, family literacy programs, tutoring and other efforts.

     To expand on these efforts, the Vice President announced today that the Administration will propose:

     A $26 million increase in the Reading Excellence Act to help an additional 50,000 children learn to read through expanded teacher training, family literacy programs, tutoring, and other efforts.

     An increase of $10 million for the Even Start Family Literacy Program to support family-centered education projects helping parents learn literacy and parenting skills while supporting early childhood education for young children.

     $50 million for a new school-based primary education intervention program to identify and address reading problems for children aged 5-9.  While research demonstrates the effectiveness of early interventions to address reading problems and learning disabilities, 60% of children eventually placed in special education are identified too late to receive the full benefit from such interventions.  This initiative will help schools develop and implement research-based strategies to identify and address reading problems in the early grades to reach children earlier and give them the extra help they need to become good readers.

     A $7 million increase for initiatives to improve writing and reading skills, including an expansion of the National Writing Project and the creation of a new competitive grant program to develop and evaluate models of effective writing instruction. Improved writing skills provide an essential foundation for literacy and reading, and this proposal would double the level of funding for these initiatives.

     $35 million for new research on early childhood and early elementary reading, professional development for reading instruction, English language acquisition for limited English proficient children, and improvements in literacy for older children.

     Moreover, President Clinton and Vice President Gore have recently announced other major increased investments to help students learn to read and do well academically.  They recently announced a proposed increase of $400 million for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program to provide after-school and summer school programs for more than a million students around the nation.  In awarding these funds, the Education Department will give priority to school districts that end social promotion by requiring that students meet academic standards in order to move to the next grade — but use these funds to give students extra help after-school and in the summer to help them succeed.

     The Vice President also recently announced a $320 million proposed increase for Title I — the largest federal elementary and secondary education program — to help disadvantaged students master the basics like reading and reach high academic standards.  $200 million of this increase would be used by states to identify and intervene in low-performing schools.

 

Filed Under: Early education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Past Experiences

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Another aspect is also how the individual responds to whatever environment they find themself. I would conjecture that what results in later development problems for one child doesn’t necessarily imply another child will have the same or any difficulties. Of course one can list extreme conditions, and perhaps no one would argue about such extreme conditions.

KW replies: most of the resilience studies done here in Hawaii have shown that as long as the child has had at least one positive/loving person in their life ( coach, scout leader, clergy, next  door neighbor etc) the ability to express a strength to seemingly overcome trauma or impoverished early life, not free of symptoms, but able to be a “good person” is greatly inhanced.KW John Price wrote: I also wonder about the preception of ‘abuse’ as seen by ‘modern’ standards. What we would call ‘abuse’ these days, was often either taken as proper conduction of parents, or even if not done, was seen as parental failure. I’m mystified as to how the entire human race could survive long enough to come to the conclusion that its entire parenting history has been one of abuse. So, I’ll claim that most, essentially all, a predominant portion of the population has the resilience require to ‘survive’ a broad range of ‘abuse’ however that’s defined. KW replies: I agree with you here John; there is a lot to say about social judgements on behavior of others as shapeing the knife of what is moral and correct in our society. I also think that it is the interactions between us that will write the narratives of future moralities, beliefs, expectations etc. It has been shown in many of the postmodern therapies that how we experience ourselves and think about ourselves is a social construction. As one of my teachers used to say; ” get 10 people to investigate for you. Tell 5 of them to investigate how dangerous the world is and tell 5 to investigate how safe the world is. Five will return with information of how dangerous the world is, and five will return with information of how safe the world is; it is up to you to choose because both groups are correct; so what are you going to choose; safe or dangerous; the choice is up to you of how you want to live your life; as the world being dangerous or safe?”KWNorm mentioned that he thinks trauma affects people even if they are not damaged by it.  I cannot see how this is different than other, non-traumatic experiences.  Everything that happens to us affects us in some way.

While the story below makes an important point, I find the metaphor problematic.  Someone who experiences difficulties and overcomes them is usually strengthened by that experience and gains a larger repertoire of techniques for coping with adversity.  A vase that is broken and mended will be less strong and more likely to break again along the fault lines.  If someone were holding themselves together superficially but fragile underneath, I can see them “breaking” under stress.  If someone did undergo long term therapy and managed to reorganize their personality, I think they would be stronger and better able to withstand pressures of life.

When I was working with parents of gifted children, I researched coping skills and stress because it was so frequently implicated in situations of suicide and substance abuse.  The research I’ve seen about stress says that children who are subjected to repeated stresses without support or to multiple concurrent stresses are more likely to have difficulty coping than children who have less stress.  However, children who encounter stress with support or manageable stress (not overwhelming to their resources) are able
to develop increasingly more effective coping skills and wind up more resilient.  The suggestion is that parents should not routinely protect their children from all stress but should permit them to experience negative emotions (with support) and handle difficulties themselves as much as possible while being careful to ensure they do not become overwhelmed.  I have seen some research that suggests that kids most prone to substance abuse are those who believe themselves unable to cope with normal stresses, who are intolerant of strong emotion in themselves, and who have poor coping skills.

Filed Under: Early education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

HIKOI OF HOPE: Backgrounder No.5: Education

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Hikoi of Hope has identified that accessing high quality, affordable education is proving difficult for many New Zealanders. Education is more important than ever. It’s hard to get a job without a qualification, increasingly a tertiary education is needed. But children from poor families attending schools in poor communities aren’t doing as well at school as children from well-off families.

Income affects achievement

Children’s abilities and talents are randomly distributed among the New Zealand population but children from poor homes don’t do as well as others in terms of their educational performance. This year the Competent Children project found that it’s the level of family income that accounts for some differences in children’s performance.

Researcher Cathy Wylie says in her report on the project, “Children from low income homes will not approach life on a level playing field”. Low family income has enduring effects for children’s competencies – children from these families perform less well in subjects including mathematics, literacy and problem-solving.

Early childhood education

The most recent research on educational achievement shows that early childhood education makes a positive difference to learning. Children demonstrate more competency at primary school if they’ve started early childhood education before the age of three and if they’ve been taught by well-trained, reasonably-paid staff.

A briefing paper to Government states that early childhood services are seriously underfunded affecting the quality of the service that can be offered. Underfunding has a more severe impact on low-income families who are less able to pay. Children from low-income families are less likely to get early childhood education. A 1994 survey showed that only 57% of low-income families (earning less than $25,000 a year) were participating in early childhood education compared with 80% of those earning more than $50,000.

Funding for schools

Government funding for education does not meet school costs. By 1996, 12% of school spending had to be met by school fundraising and voluntary donations. A 1996 report to the United Nations stressed that students with wealthy parents experienced in decision-making are assured of access to better facilities, while students from poorer areas get the bare essentials. Schools serving poor children can raise much less money than others. The result is a growing gap between money available to schools in poorer communities and other schools. All children, regardless of ability or family income, need access to good educational experiences to ensure success in their education. To achieve this we need well qualified and experienced teachers and appropriate class sizes.

Adult Literacy

A Ministry of Education survey on adult literacy found a “high concentration of adults with poor literacy skills (around 1 in 5 New Zealanders). Three quarters of all unemployed were found to be in the two lowest literacy levels.” Poorer literacy was also found to be high among Maori and Pacific Island New Zealanders. These results come from a survey based on a random sample of 4223 New
Zealanders aged between 16 and 65.

Maori Education

Maori achievement and participation in education is improving. But compared to non-Maori, Maori are:
* less likely to participate in all levels of education
* less likely to remain to senior levels of secondary school. (Close to 40% of all Maori children leave school without a qualification.)
* less likely to go to university. (If they enrol for tertiary training it’s more likely to be second chance programmes.)

Schools that foster the learning of Maori language have a high retention rate for Maori students and a reduction in cases of truancy and suspension. An NZ Educational Institute briefing paper states that Maori education is under-resourced, affecting the achievement of Maori children. The paper also highlights the serious shortage of trained Maori speaking teachers.

Who takes up tertiary study?

* One in three students goes on to university from the wealthiest 20% of secondary schools, compared to
* One in sixteen from the poorest 20% of schools. Students from poorer school districts are more likely to go to a polytechnic than a university. School-leavers from private schools are the most likely to attend university.

Student Loans

* Four out of five tertiary students now use the loans scheme first introduced in 1992.
* Over $2.6 million [sic] was owed by about 250,000 borrowers at 31 March this year.
* This is forecast to reach $3 billion [sic] by the end of the year and $4 billion by the year 2000.
* Interest starts accruing immediately even while a student is studying.

The cost of tertiary education is going to keep thousands of New Zealanders in debt throughout their working lives. Even if the income is insufficient to require repayment, the interest – and so the debt – continues to accumulate.

Because of differences in income between men and women:
* 50% of women will still be repaying their loans by the age of 40 and
* 10% will still be repaying at age 64

Up to 35% of Maori women graduates will still be paying off their loans at 64.

A smart society

With the strong emphasis on the need for a high skilled workforce we must face the reality of our dismal lack of qualifications. The 1996 census indicates 895,209 New Zealanders (33.9%) aged 15 and over have no qualifications. This means as well as the educational needs cited above, many young people and workers will need to train and retrain on-the-job. Making that training affordable, accessible and relevant will offer them a way out of unemployment. Education and training are the keys to our children’s future. If we’re serious about becoming a “smart” society we cannot afford to let our children miss out on educational and training opportunities. But a good education shouldn’t depend on how much money parents can afford to spend on their children.

Sources:

Six Years Old & Competent, Cathy Wylie with Anne Else, NZ Council for Educational Research (1998); Think Education, a briefing paper for NZ Members of Parliament, NZEI Te Rui Roa; An Education, Training and Employment Policy for Young People, Interim Report of the Prime Ministerial task Force on Employment (October 1995); Self Managing Schools Seven Years On – What Have We Learnt? Wylie C, NZ Council for Educational Research (1997); Non Governmental Organisations Report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (1996); Adult Literacy in New Zealand: Results from the International Adult Literacy Survey, Ministry of Education; Progress Towards Closing Social and Economic Gaps Between Maori and Non-Maori: A report to the Minister of Maori Affairs, Te Puni Kokiri Ministry of Maori Development (1998); Maori Workload, Te Huarahi (PPTA) and Te Reo Areare NZEI Te Rui Riad (October 1997); The Myth of Equal Opportunity: Wealth of School-District as a Determinant of Tertiary Participation, APSU/NZUSA (1998); Ministry of Education, replies to Select Committee questions (1 May 1998).

 

Filed Under: Early education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Early Education – A MUST

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Two of their most surprising and profound discoveries are that the brain uses the outside world to shape itself and that it goes through crucial periods in which brain cells must have certain kinds of stimulation to develop such powers as vision, language, smell, muscle control and reasoning. ”It’s just phenomenal how much experience determines how our brains get put together,” Pierson, a neurobiologist, said.

”If you fail to learn the proper fundamentals at an early age, then you are in big trouble. You can’t suddenly learn to learn when you haven’t first laid down the basic brain wiring.  That’s why early education is so important, why Head Start is so important,” she said, referring to the federally funded program for preschoolers.

But what the brain can do depends on whether or not it is used. It is the ultimate use-it-or-lose-it machine, and it is eager to learn new skills. The ability to form abstract thoughts, for instance, is now seen as a consequence of the brain’s learning to read. ”In the same way that we evolved a certain cognitive abstract capability as a function of our capacity to read, there is every reason to believe that there are other untapped abstract capabilities of our brains that are not being developed by our traditional educational system.”

 Long thought to be a clean slate to which information could be added at any time, the brain is now seen as a super-sponge that is most absorbent from birth to about the age of 12. Thus, the brain can reorganize itself with particular ease early in life during crucial learning periods. Information flows easily into the brain through ”windows” that are open for only a short duration. Then the windows close, and the fundamental architecture of the brain is completed.

”A kind of irreversibility sets in,” Harvard’s Earls said. ”There is this shaping process that goes on early, and then at the end of this process, be that age 2, 3 or 4, you have essentially designed a brain that probably is not going to change very much more.” The best time to learn foreign languages, math, music and other subjects is between 1 and about 12 years of age, yet these years are usually put on pause, given over to youngsters to ”enjoy their childhood.” Faced with the new evidence about how the brain develops and functions, many scientists are concluding that society is wasting a tremendous amount of the brain power of its young, and creating a lot of unnecessary problems-including crime, aggression and depression-later on in their lives.

That’s not to say that all is lost if this early learning period is not optimized. Using the tools left over from shaping brain cells and their connections, the brain gives its owner a second chance. There is, however, a price to pay. Instead of being easy, learning becomes harder later on. ”If you want to significantly influence a child’s ability to think and to acquire knowledge, the early childhood years are very critical,” said neurobiologist Peter Huttenlocher of the University of Chicago, whose studies helped open the door to understanding the brain’s plasticity.

 

Filed Under: Early education Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Qualifications: Earned doctorate in Early Childhood Education with a specialization in reading and/or language arts; at least two years teaching experience in Early Childhood Education and/or Kindergarten; demonstrated commitment to teaching, research and scholarship, and service.  Preferred qualifications include experience in teaching students in culturally diverse settings and experience with instructional technology in education. Responsibilities include teaching, program and curriculum development, advising, and supervising students in field experiences and student teaching.

        SOCIAL WORK
Associate or Full Professor: Earned doctorate in Social Work or a closely related field; master’s degree in Social Work; at least two years postmaster’s practice  experience; successful record of teaching (especially research and human behavior courses), scholarship, and student advising; demonstrated ability to obtain external funding.  Working knowledge of CSWE Accreditation requirements will be viewed favorably.  Responsibilities include teaching, research, advising, and providing leadership in program and curriculum development.

Assistant Professor: Earned doctorate in Social Work or a closely related field (doctoral candidates with confirmed dates for completing all requirements may be considered); at least two years post master’s practice experience; demonstrated commitment to undergraduate generalist education in Social Work.  Responsibilities include teaching, research, advising.   Field coordination may also be an assigned responsibility.

        Application Procedures
Review of applications will be begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Persons interested in applying should send a letter of application specifying the faculty position of interest, curriculum vitae, official college transcripts, and the names and addresses of three references to: Office of the Dean, School of Professional Programs, Benedict College 1600 Harden Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29204.

Founded in 1870, Benedict College offers a high quality liberal arts education through 21 majors to over 2200 students. As one of the nation’s premier Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Benedict College is committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service. The College is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, ADA institution and encourages applications from persons who support its mission.

 

Filed Under: Early education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts