Donnelly, K. The Independent (5 April 2012)
Budget cuts are forcing students “in some schools [to face] the loss of important Leaving Certificate subjects such as physics and chemistry next autumn…” This article highlights how two-out-of-three schools are considering dropping one or more subjects for fifth or sixth years as schools face tighter budgets. The last budget “cut the extra hours allocation that schools get to provide guidance counselling, resulting in the loss of 700 posts, or an average loss of 0.8 teachers in each school, next September.” Many schools will have to pay for guidance counselling out of their general allocation of teaching hours, resulting in less funds for instructors who teach Leaving Cert subjects. In addition to physics and chemistry, other leaving certs schools will likely drop include accountancy and economics.
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 
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