British Columbia’s Ministry of Education (30 March 2012)
The newly launched EdChat program “offers an informal way for small groups of students to gather in person or online, discuss British Columbia’s Education Plan and share their vision for the future of education. Participants work within the five themes of the plan: personalized learning for every student, quality teaching and learning, flexibility and choice, high standards and learning empowered by technology.” (Find EdChat’s “Face to Face Tool Kits” here.) When speaking with members of BC Student Voice, Minister of Education George Abbott said he hopes to hear from students because they “have the greatest stake in our education system and we want to hear from them about what we are doing well, what we can improve and what they would like to see done differently. By participating in EdChats or joining the discussion online, students have a chance to be actively involved in the decisions that affect their future.”
Recently, the government has “thrown out the old syllabus” to institute a new system of education in England. This editorial challenges the government to change the ways that computer technology is taught in schools, ensuring that students know more than typing in a word processor and downloading an app for the iPhone. The editors want students to understand that computers are tools that can be programmed and critiqued. They also want students to learn programming skills in schools. But, the editors remind governmental leaders that effective change is more than rhetoric: “Ultimately, as anyone who has worked in education knows, fine intentions count for little without the human resources to back them. In this sense, bringing technological innovation and best practice to the classroom is much like the art of building a successful syllabus: the result should set good teachers free to teach, and enable the best possible use to be made of their time and attention.” Furthermore, the editors remind readers that digital technology has been important for economic growth and political movements (e.g., the Arab Spring), thus providing compelling reasons to continue to teach about computer technology in schools.
After 25 years assessing the school system, there are no indicators that those assessments have produced any kind of improvement, according to Hugo Aboites, an education specialist at the Autonomous Metropolitan University in Mexico City. As Mexico prepares for another round of 
International Education News 
Austria
Der Standard (5 April 2012)
The usual starting time for schools in Austria is 8 a.m. Education expert Andreas Salcher, also a former Austrian politician, argues that children cannot concentrate at such an early time and demands a later start. However, a recent poll among Austrian citizens reveals that 69 percent are against postponing the start of the school day to 9 a.m. and the president of the school inspectors points to the fact that working parents will face severe problems if school starts later. The Minister of Education indicates that the idea can be discussed among school partners, but for the time being is not being addressed in the Ministry.
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Posted in Opinion/Commentary
Tagged Austria