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The world is changing, which means that the way we study and learn in order to thrive in the world has to change, too. For a long time, education has involved us spending a good chunk of our early years sitting in a classroom absorbing information before heading out to put it to use. But the pace of change today means that what we learned one day might be redundant the next.

This means that the way we learn has to change - embracing technology and concepts such as life-long learning to ensure that we are better equipped for the fast-changing world of today. So, here's my rundown of the most important trends that will drive this change over the next 12 months and beyond.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI), described as the most transformative technology of the 21 st century, is reshaping every industry and field of human activity, including education. In the classroom, it is found in the form of virtual assistants that can help both students and teachers to manage their time and complete their assignments; tutoring systems that can provide personalized learning experiences for students of all ages and abilities; powering remote and online learning systems where it can adapt the pace of teaching to match students' needs; language translation in educational settings where pupils speak a wide variety of languages, and many other applications. It's even been reported that some schools in China have implemented facial recognition technology using computer vision systems to monitor whether or not students are paying attention in class!

According to UNESCO, AI has the potential to help tackle some of the toughest challenges in education today, including addressing inequalities in the way schooling is provided around the world and improving access to knowledge globally. However, it also creates challenges of its own - with effort required to ensure that the rollout of this highly disruptive technology is done in a way that is fair and doesn't itself contribute to those inequalities.
Remote, Online, and Hybrid Learning
The global Covid-19 pandemic forced schools, universities, and course providers to develop the capabilities to deliver education at a distance. But even before this, a revolution was taking place in the domain of online learning, with massive online open courses (MOOCs) exploding in popularity. In schools, remote and online learning means that educators can reach students no matter how isolated their communities are. This could mark a huge step forward in providing equality of access to education in a world where nearly 270 million children do not go to school due to living in remote or rural locations.

Even for those living in cities, the rise of online and remote learning facilities provides an opportunity for us to continue with education even when our busy adult lives mean it would be difficult for us to regularly attend classes in person. This is driven by the emergence of online education technology (ed-tech) platforms such as Udacity, Coursera, Udemy, and EdX. These platforms are designed to enable the "lifelong learning" approach, which is likely to become prevalent thanks to the accelerating pace of technological advancement, which will require skills to be frequently updated and "topped up" through new models such as micro-learning or nano-learning. One trend that has recently emerged within the field of online learning is courses taught by celebrities and renowned practitioners. The Masterclass and Maestro platforms (the latter created by the BBC) offer opportunities such as learning children's writing from Julia Donaldson, filmmaking from Martin Scorsese, or business from Bob Iger.
Not Just College
In 2023, high schools will increase resources dedicated to preparing students for future paths that lead to places other than traditional college courses. Vocational and technical courses teaching a diverse range of skill sets are likely to become more popular as schools work with employers to develop new solutions to problems caused by the skills gap. In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that 43 percent of high school graduates go on to study at college. Nevertheless, a disproportionate amount of school resources are focused on preparing this minority group, while less teaching focuses on students who plan to continue their education in less traditional ways, such as apprenticeships or on-the-job training. As the demands of the new labor market shift away from seeking purely college-educated graduates and towards developing a workforce with the necessary skills, we can expect to see this change in the future. In Europe, 2023 has been designated the European Year of Skills. This recognizes that a focus on vocational education and training alongside traditional academic, subject-based training may be the key to developing new drivers of economic growth in the face of global slowdown or recession.
Virtual and Augmented Reality
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are two forms of extended reality (XR) that are becoming increasingly important within education systems. VR allows users to step into a virtual world, and there are a vast and growing number of "experiences" that let us do everything from step back in time and experiencing history through our own eyes to training for difficult and dangerous tasks such as conducting repairs in hazardous environments. Other use cases which will grow in popularity during 2023 include virtual classrooms, which allow remote learning and class activities to be delivered in a more immersive and experiential setting. In healthcare training, VR is already being used for everything from enabling nursing students to experience delivering emergency care to training doctors to perform surgery.

Augmented reality still requires a device (e.g., a phone, tabled, or a headset) but is different from VR, as it involves superimposing computer-generated images onto what the user is actually seeing. The advantage here is that it can provide real-time information - for example, warning a trainee in a manufacturing environment that a piece of machinery may be dangerous. This is possible thanks to computer vision algorithms that analyze the images captured by cameras in the headset. In schools, AR textbooks are becoming available that contain images, and models that "come alive" when looked at through a smartphone camera, enabling students to get a closer, more in-depth look at anything from ancient Roman architecture to the inner workings of the human body. Museums and sites of historical or scientific interest are also increasingly adding AR to their environment and exhibits to create more immersive education opportunities.
Soft Skills and STEM
Soft skills include communication skills, teamworking, creative thinking, interpersonal problem-solving, relationship management, and conflict resolution. In other words, they are human skills that are unlikely to be replicated by machines anytime soon. They will become increasingly important in a world where AI takes on many of our routine and mundane technical responsibilities. This means that these skills will increasingly be taught as part of technical education as they become more highly valued by employers and industry. According to HR experts, soft skills are increasingly important to company success but far harder to measure and assess than "hard skills" such as mathematics, engineering, and computer programming.

In 2023 we will see STEM education placing a growing emphasis on these vital skills, as well as increased efforts when it comes to measuring and assessing organizational capabilities in this area.

To stay on top of the latest on new and emerging business and tech trends, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and check out my books ' Future Skills: The 20 Skills And Competencies Everyone Needs To Succeed In A Digital World' and ' Business Trends in Practice, which won the 2022 Business Book of the Year award.

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Education is evolving all the time. Here, we look at the most important education trends for the year.

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Measures adopted during the pandemic do not address the root causes of the problems facing higher education.

Institutions need to undertake true reform, moving towards active learning, and teaching skills that will endure in a changing world.

Formative assessment is more effective than high-stakes exams in equipping students with the skills they need to succeed.

Since the onset of the recent pandemic, schools and universities have been forced to put a lot of their teaching online. On the surface, this seems to have spurred a series of innovations in the education sector. Colleges around the world embraced more flexibility, offering both virtual and physical classrooms. Coding is making its way into more school curricula, and the SAT exam for college admission in the US has recently been shortened and digitized, making it easier to take and less stressful for students.

These changes might give the illusion that education is undergoing some much-needed reform. However, if we look closely, these measures do not address the real problems facing higher education. In most countries, higher education is inaccessible to the socio-economically underprivileged, certifies knowledge rather than nurtures learning, and focuses on easily-outdated knowledge. In brief, it is failing on both counts of quality and access.

Higher Education Trends

In the last year, we have started to see examples of true reform, addressing the root causes of the education challenge. Below are four higher education trends we see taking shape in 2022.

1. Learning from everywhere

There is recognition that as schools and universities all over the world had to abruptly pivot to online teaching, learning outcomes suffered across the education spectrum. However, the experiment with online teaching did force a reexamination of the concepts of time and space in the education world. There were some benefits to students learning at their own pace, and conducting science experiments in their kitchens. Hybrid learning does not just mean combining a virtual and physical classroom, but allowing for truly immersive and experiential learning, enabling students to apply concepts learned in the classroom out in the real world.

So rather than shifting to a "learn from anywhere" approach (providing flexibility), education institutions should move to a "learn from everywhere" approach (providing immersion). One of our partners, the European business school, Esade, launched a new bachelor's degree in 2021, which combines classes conducted on campus in Barcelona, and remotely over a purpose-designed learning platform, with immersive practical experiences working in Berlin and Shanghai, while students create their own social enterprise. This kind of course is a truly hybrid learning experience.

2. Replacing lectures with active learning

Lectures are an efficient way of teaching and an ineffective way of learning. Universities and colleges have been using them for centuries as cost-effective methods for professors to impart their knowledge to students.

However, with digital information being ubiquitous and free, it seems ludicrous to pay thousands of dollars to listen to someone giving you information you can find elsewhere at a much cheaper price. School and college closures have shed light on this as bad lectures made their way into parents' living rooms, demonstrating their ineffectiveness.

Education institutions need to demonstrate effective learning outcomes, and some are starting to embrace teaching methods that rely on the science of learning. This shows that our brains do not learn by listening, and the little information we learn that way is easily forgotten (as shown by the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, below). Real learning relies on principles such as spaced learning, emotional learning, and the application of knowledge.

Higher education is beginning to accept that traditional methods of teaching are ineffective - as demonstrated by the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve

The educational establishment has gradually accepted this method, known as 'fully active learning'. There is evidence that it not only improves learning outcomes but also reduces the education gap with socio-economically disadvantaged students. For example, Paul Quinn College, an HBCU based in Texas, launched an Honors Program using fully active learning in 2020, combined with internships at regional employers. This has given students from traditionally marginalised backgrounds the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained at university in the real world.

3. Teaching skills that remain relevant in a changing world

What we need to teach are skills that remain relevant in new, changing, and unknown contexts. For example, journalism students might once have been taught how to produce long-form stories that could be published in a newspaper; more recently, they would have been taught how to produce shorter pieces and post content for social media. More enduring skills would be: how to identify and relate to readers, how to compose a written piece; how to choose the right medium for your target readership. These are skills that cross the boundaries of disciplines, applying equally to scientific researchers or lawyers.

San Francisco-based Minerva University, which shares a founder with the Minerva Project, has broken down competencies such as critical thinking or creative thinking into foundational concepts and habits of mind. It teaches these over the four undergraduate years and across disciplines, regardless of the major a student chooses to pursue.

Many people gain admission to higher education based on standardized tests that skew to a certain socio-economic class Image: Fairtest, College Board

4. Using formative assessment instead of high-stake exams

If you were to sit the final exam of the subject you majored in today, how would you fare? Most of us would fail, as that exam did not measure our learning, but rather what information we retained at that point in time. Equally, many of us hold certifications in subject matters we know little about.

Many people gain admission to higher education based on standardized tests that skew to a certain socio-economic class, rather than measure any real competency level. Universities then try to rectify this bias by imposing admission quotas, rather than dissociating their evaluation of competence from income level. Many US universities are starting to abandon standardized tests, with Harvard leading the charge, and there have been some attempts to replace high-stake exams with other measures that not only assess learning outcomes but actually improve them.

Formative assessment, which entails both formal and informal evaluations through the learning journey, encourages students to actually improve their performance rather than just have it evaluated. The documentation and recording of this assessment includes a range of measures, replacing alphabetical or numerical grades that are uni-dimensional.

The International School in Geneva just launched its Learner Passport that includes measures of creativity, responsibility and citizenship. In the US, a consortium of schools have launched the Mastery Transcript Consortium that has redesigned the high school transcript to show a more holistic picture of the competencies acquired by students.

Education reform requires looking at the root cause of some of its current problems. We need to look at what is being taught (curriculum), how (pedagogy), when and where (technology and the real world) and whom we are teaching (access and inclusion). Those institutions who are ready to address these fundamental issues will succeed in truly transforming higher education.

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4 trends that will shape the future of higher education

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Higher education needs to reform by moving towards active learning, teaching skills that will endure in a changing world, and adopting formative assessment. Here are 4 higher education trends to watch out.

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ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it

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The narrative around cheating students doesn't tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.

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Affirmative action: US Supreme Court overturns race-based college admissions

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The landmark decision strikes down decades-old policies defended as a way to boost diversity.

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Isabel Bysiewicz

Jayanti Owens - an assistant professor of organizational behavior at the Yale School of Management - recently published research that finds that a student's race and school culture play a factor in how teachers respond to misbehavior.

The study, titled "Double Jeopardy: Teacher Biases, Racialized Organizations, and the Production of Racial/Ethnic Disparities in School Discipline" focused on identifying the source of the racial disparities in school punishment with an innovative approach. Although racial disparities in disciplinary actions in the education system have been documented, the fundamental causes of why students are treated differently have not been adequately examined. Owens' approach showed teachers videos of teens from different racial and ethnic backgrounds misbehaving through behaviors such as slamming a door and texting during a test.

The research included 1,339 teachers in 295 U.S. schools, taking into account the schools' racial/ethnic and socioeconomic composition. The experiment sought to determine how factors such as teacher bias and school climate drove discrepancies in student discipline. The research focused on teenage boys, since Owens found that boys are disciplined more frequently than girls, particularly in high school.

"We find that black boys face a double jeopardy in that they are both perceived as being more blameworthy for the exact same behavior as their white and Latino counterparts, and also that they're more likely as our Latino students to attend schools where teachers perceive students from all racial, ethnic backgrounds as being more blameworthy than do their counterparts in predominantly white schools," Owens said. "There's this sort of double disadvantage that is faced by black students in particular."

Through this method of showing video vignettes of students engaging in the same behavior, Owens concluded when Black actors behaved the same as white actors, teachers were more likely to refer them to the principal's office - demonstrating the pivotal role of the teacher's decision-making in the impact that this has on a particular student.

These findings suggest the various causes for higher referral rates of minority students, which can lead to unfavorable outcomes for the student, such as detentions, suspensions and expulsions. The dynamic between the student and the teacher is vital in understanding how and why there are disproportionate outcomes in student punishment.

"People jump to the conclusion that just because there are disparities, that there is, in fact, racial bias in disciplinary decisions," Owens said in highlighting the importance of this study. "In order to be able to claim that there's racial bias at play, one needs to understand that you have students from different racial, ethnic backgrounds engaging in the exact same behavior."

Another point that the research demonstrates is that the school environment is an important factor in determining how likely a student is to be disciplined for their behavior. Teachers' reactions to misbehavior varied from school district to school district - teachers were more likely to place blame for misbehavior on all students, regardless of race or ethnicity, when there were a disproportionate number of students from underrepresented groups in their schools.

Owens emphasized the importance of reconsidering current discriminatory practices in the administration of school discipline punishments. Although teachers play an important role in disciplinary processes, blaming teachers for being biased towards students should not be the case in resolving issues related to school discipline, he said. Instead, he advocated for adopting a holistic approach to work towards mitigating the ramifications of racial biased disciplinary practices.

"I think that we need to take a systems-based approach to thinking about how we can reduce these racially biased sort of incidents within classrooms by thinking about the structure of schools overall," Owens said. "Other districts have actually tried to reform discipline processes altogether through the use of things like restorative justice practices, that are aimed at trying to mediate conflict when it arises between students and teachers or between students themselves."

Mira Debs, Executive Director of the Education Studies Program, spoke about the importance of this research's findings and how disparities in school punishment outcomes can have long-term consequences for students. In all cases, the relationship between a student and a teacher should strive for conflict resolution and ensure that the teacher is empowering the student, Debs said. Nonetheless, students in school environments where disciplinary processes disproportionately impact them may experience the negative consequences of these measures.

"When a student is frequently being disciplined it can negatively impact their sense of self as a learner," Debs said. "It can also make them feel like they're going to act in opposition to school because there's no point in continuing to try. This often gets talked about as being part of the school to prison pipeline. So students who start getting referred into the disciplinary system continue to be progressively referred more and more and that can lead directly into students going into the juvenile justice system."

Richard Lemons, executive director for the Connecticut Center for School Change and lecturer in education studies, and Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, superintendent of Hartford Public Schools (HPS) are co-teaching a course this semester titled "Educational Design: The Form and Function of Schooling and Learning."

"I think we're still struggling with exactly how to do this, how to deal with this because I think [these kinds of studies] reveal that it's inside people's judgment call these thousands of moments a day where an adult is making a decision, is drawing inferences reaching a conclusion about something that involves a child and and what are the negative consequences on the child's - it's a really complicated issue," Lemons said.

Lemons spends most of his time running a nonprofit that collaborates with school districts to help them achieve instructional improvement and addressing issues of equity. There are always opportunities and ways to improve public education through research and supporting the next generation of educational leaders, emphasized Lemons. His time as a visiting professor through the Yale Education Studies program has been rewarding as he aspires to teach his courses with the central vein of equity.

"The course that I'm teaching this spring along with my colleague who happens to be the superintendent of Hartford Public Schools, similarly has a main vein. An explicit tenant running through the entire course, is around equity," Lemons said. "So we're asking questions all the time about what are the needs of the end user, students and parents? How do we know what the problem is that we're trying to solve? And how do we prototype ideas? How do we develop creative ways of solving them and then test those ideas?"

Torres-Rodriguez leads HPS, one of the largest urban school districts in Connecticut, and aims to ensure that her school district can provide the best education to all students. Like most issues within education, school discipline is complex and requires Torres-Rodriguez to foster a school culture that meets the needs of students, staff and families.

"HPS utilizes a Restorative Practices approach to disciplinary practices in all schools," Torres-Rodriguez wrote to the News. "HPS believes that students need to learn specific skills in order to positively resolve an issue or appropriately respond to a peer or staff member. The reason for the targeted learning and practice is not only to model, but so students build their toolbox of responses."

Although the challenge surrounding school punishment and discipline requires numerous individuals and stakeholders collaborating, Torres-Rodriguez said, "Building positive relationships with our HPS students is at the core of our work, and should be in any organization that serves young people."

Owens' research paper can be found here .

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Yale researcher highlights racial ethnic bias in school disciplinary practices - Yale Daily News

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Isabel Bysiewicz Jayanti Owens - an assistant professor of organizational behavior at the Yale School of Management - recently published research that finds that a student's race and school culture play a factor in how teachers respond to misbehavior.

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Bantu Education Act, South African law, enacted in 1953 and in effect from January 1, 1954, that governed the education of Black South African (called Bantu by the country's government) children. It was part of the government's system of apartheid, which sanctioned racial segregation and discrimination against nonwhites in the country.

1976 Soweto Uprising AP Images

From about the 1930s the vast majority of schools serving Black students in South Africa were run by missions and often operated with state aid. Most children, however, did not attend these schools. In 1949 the government appointed a commission, headed by anthropologist W.W.M. Eiselen, to study and make recommendations for the education of native South Africans. The Eiselen Commission Report (1951) urged the government to take charge of education for Black South Africans in order to make it part of a general socioeconomic plan for the country. In addition, the report stated that the schooling should be tailored toward the needs and values of the cultures of the communities in which the schools were located. The prescriptions of the commission were generally followed by the Bantu Education Act.

Under the act, the Department of Native Affairs, headed by Hendrik Verwoerd, was made responsible for the education of Black South Africans; in 1958 the Department of Bantu Education was established. The act required Black children to attend the government schools. Teaching was to take place in the students' native tongue, though the syllabus included classes in English and Afrikaans. Instruction was mandated in needlework (for girls), handcraft, planting, and soil conservation as well as in arithmetic, social studies, and Christian religion. The education was aimed at training the children for the manual labour and menial jobs that the government deemed suitable for those of their race, and it was explicitly intended to inculcate the idea that Black people were to accept being subservient to white South Africans. Funding for the schools was to come from taxes paid by the communities that they served, so Black schools received only a small fraction of the amount of money that was available to their white counterparts. As a result, there was a profound shortage of qualified teachers, and teacher-student ratios ranged from 40-1 to 60-1. An attempt by activists to establish alternative schools (called cultural clubs because such schools were illegal under the education act) that would give children a better education had collapsed by the end of the 1950s.

High schools were initially concentrated in the Bantustans, reserves that the government intended as homelands for Black South Africans. However, during the 1970s the need for better-trained Black workers resulted in the opening of high schools in Soweto, outside Johannesburg. Nonwhite students were barred from attending open universities by the Extension of University Education Act (1959). The Bantu Education Act was replaced by the Education and Training Act of 1979. Mandatory segregation in education ended with the passage of the South African Schools Act in 1996, but decades of substandard education and barriers to entrance to historically white schools had left the majority of Black South Africans far behind in educational achievement by the beginning of the 21st century.

Bantustans Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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Patricia Bauer

Learn More in these related Britannica articles:

South Africa: The National Party and apartheid

The Bantu Education Act (1953) took black schools away from the missions, and more state-run schools-especially at the elementary level-were created to meet the expanding economy's increasing demand for semiskilled black labour. The Extension of University Education Act (1959) prohibited the established universities from accepting black...

South Africa, the southernmost country on the African continent, renowned for its varied topography, great natural beauty, and cultural diversity, all of which have made the country a favoured destination for travelers since the legal ending of apartheid (Afrikaans: "apartness," or racial separation) in 1994. South...

Apartheid, (Afrikaans: "apartness") policy that governed relations between South Africa's white minority and nonwhite majority and sanctioned racial segregation and political and economic discrimination against nonwhites. The implementation of apartheid, often called "separate development" since the 1960s, was made possible through the Population Registration Act of 1950, which classified all...

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Bantu Education Act | Definition, Summary, & Facts

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Bantu Education Act, South African law, enacted in 1953, that governed the education of Black South African children. It was part of the government's system of separate development (apartheid) for different racial groups and was aimed at training Black children for menial jobs. Learn more about the law and its effects.

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Bolsonaro tries to censor school curriculums to manipulate history | FairPlanet

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In an effort to censure the youth’s education, the Bolsonaro administration purposefully removes or alters content in educational programs and exams.

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Germany to restrict influence of China’s Confucius Institute – DW – 06/29/2023

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Germany’s education minister has called for “clear limits” to be imposed on the Confucius Institute, which promotes Chinese language and culture.

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Singapore's educational reforms toward holistic outcomes | Brookings

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Dennis Kwek, Jeanne Ho, and Hwei Ming Wong discuss the results of Singapore's education systems' policy reforms

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NEED FOR MORE SOCIAL MIXING

Efforts have been made to improve social mixing through policies such as the provision of financial aid to ensure affordability of school fees for low-income. In addition, opportunities for interaction have also been made available through co-curricular activities and values-in-action projects.

Essentially, social mixing benefits low-income students by increasing their exposure to positive influences and role models. Similarly, it provides the opportunity for the rest of the student body to understand situations in life to which they would not have been exposed.

However, a 2018 report by OECD noted that almost half of Singapore's low-income students are concentrated in the same schools.

This followed a 2017 Institute of Policy Studies' (IPS) Study On Social Capital In Singapore, which suggested the presence of a class divide among Singaporeans. The authors of the study called for more efforts by the government and community to create structures that will encourage social mixing.

Therefore, school admission policies must be tweaked further to ensure that the proportion of low-income students are more spread out across all schools in Singapore.

ENHANCING PARENTS' SOCIAL NETWORKS

Children's learning can also be enhanced by their parents' social networks.

Research has shown that parents who form ties with other parents will likely become one another's sources of knowledge. Through social networks, well-connected parents can exchange information and seek advice on ways to help their children.

Unfortunately, this resource is out of reach for low-income parents, who often have weak social networks.

Schools could do more to reach out to these parents and introduce them to social networks comprising other mums and dads, such as their Parent Support Groups (PSG).

Understandably, participation requires time and sacrifice, especially from parents who are bound by less flexible work schedules or loaded with caring responsibilities. Necessary provisions could be made by schools to incentivise them, whilst emphasising the importance of commitment to their children's educational journey.

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Commentary: How can Singapore lessen the impact of SES on educational achievements?

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Hard work and talent are not the only determinants of educational success. The challenge is greater for students from humbler backgrounds, say the Institute of Policy Studies' Dr Shamsuri Juhari and Jeanne Tan.

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The Big Read: Special needs education has come a long way but true inclusiveness still a work in progress

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SINGAPORE: During his first year in a mainstream primary school, Ms Annette Chua’s nephew was unable to adapt to his new surroundings. Then eight, he had been diagnosed with mild autism and felt “overwhelmed” by the noise in his classroom.&nb

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The article "ChatGPT Is Going to Change Education, Not Destroy It" by Will Douglas Heaven, published in MIT Technology Review, explores the transformative impact of ChatGPT and similar generative AI tools on education. While initial reactions to ChatGPT's release in late 2022 included concerns about cheating and academic integrity, the article highlights how educators are finding innovative ways to integrate AI into teaching and learning processes.

Background:

ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is a large language model capable of generating human-like text based on user prompts. Its release sparked debates in educational circles, with some institutions implementing bans due to fears of misuse. However, as understanding of the technology deepened, many educators began to see its potential as a teaching aid rather than a threat.

Significance:

The article underscores a shift in perception: from viewing ChatGPT as a tool for academic dishonesty to recognizing its potential to enhance education. Educators are leveraging ChatGPT to:

- Assist students in brainstorming and organizing ideas.

- Provide instant feedback on writing.

- Facilitate personalized learning experiences.

- Encourage critical thinking by having students assess AI-generated content.

This evolution signifies a broader trend of integrating AI into educational practices to support and enrich student learning.

Implications:

- Curriculum Development: Educators may need to redesign curricula to incorporate AI tools effectively.

- Assessment Methods: Traditional assessment techniques might evolve to account for AI-assisted work, emphasizing critical analysis over rote memorization.

- Digital Literacy: Students will require guidance to use AI responsibly, understanding its capabilities and limitations.

- Equity and Access: Ensuring all students have access to AI tools is crucial to prevent widening educational disparities.

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what is this article about?

this article delves into the racial bias in disciplinary actions taken against students in schools.

How is this seen/ observed?

Teachers from different districts and states were shown students from different races showcasing the same negative behaviour such as slamming doors or cheating during a test. They then concluded that the teachers were more likely to blame the students from underrepresented racial groups, particularly black students. This causes those who get blamed to face negative impacts on their sense of self as a learner and lead to a prison- pipeline

Why does it occur?

Implicit bias, structural racism, school culture and climate double jeopardy

Significant issues/ concepts

Racial disparity especially among black and Hispanic males are more likely to be disciplined harshly as compared to their white peers for showcasing the same behaviour

Implications

Contributes to the school to prison pipeline, damages the students self perception and academic success and reflects deeper systemic inequalities

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Intro/Background/Content:

The article from the World Economic Forum explores four major trends reshaping higher education: lifelong learning, remote learning, demand for soft skills, and stronger industry-academic links.

How is this seen/observed?:

Universities are adopting online platforms, integrating micro-credentials, and partnering with industries to stay relevant.

PROCESSES:

Digital transformation, curriculum redesign, flexible learning models, and increased collaboration with employers are central to these changes.

Why does it occur: REASONS

Technological advancements, evolving job market demands, and the need for continuous skill upgrades are key drivers.

Significant issues/concepts:

This shift highlights power shifts in education, growing inequality in digital access, tensions between traditional and modern models, and the need for educational continuity amidst rapid change.

Implications:

Education systems must adapt to remain inclusive, relevant, and future-ready.

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Intro/Background/Context:

discussing top 5 education trends in 2023 emphasising how technological advancement and evolving societal needs are reshaping the educational landscape. The identified trends are:

1. AI

2. Remote, online, and hybrid learning

3. alternative pathways beyond traditional college

4. virtual and augmented reality

5. emphasis on soft skills alongside STEM education

How is this seen/observed? :PROCESSES/Behaviours/Actions/Initiatives/Policies/Mindsets

1. Integration of AI in classrooms through virtual assistants, adaptive learning platforms

2. the proliferation of online education platforms like Coursera, Udemy, EdX facilitates lifelong learning

3. Increased emphasis on vocational technical education, apprenticeships, and on the job training

4. Use of VR and AR technologies to create immersive learning experiences

5. incorporate soft skills training like communication teamwork and problem solving

WHY does it occur: REASONS

rapid technological advancements necessitate continuous learning and adaptation

covid-19 pandemic highlighted the need for flexible and accessible education models

shifting job market

Significant issues/concepts (Power, Tension/conflict, discrepancy, change & continuity, Inequality, etc)

Balancing technological integration while preserving human elements like teacher student interaction.

Educational system is undergoing significant transformation while the goal of education still remains the same

Consequences/Implications/ SO WHAT?

educational institutions must adapt to these trends to remain relevant

policymakers and educators need to address potential inequalities in access to emerging educational technologies

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Intro/ Background/ Content (What is this article about):

Research has shown that children from humbler homes and communities have lower academic performance than their classmates from higher socioeconomic backgrounds.

How is this seen/observed?:

Average across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, disadvantaged students are 2.7 times more likely than advantaged students not to attain the minimum level of proficiency in reading

Education Minister Chan Chun Seng said in response to a parliamentary question that of the Primary 4 students who failed two or more subjects over the past five years, an average of 12.6 per cent lived in public rental flats. Of the Primary 4 students who passed all four subjects, 0.8 per cent lived in public rental flats.

Why does it occur:

Parents with the financial means can provide resources such as tuition to enhance their children’s learning, and better provide them with a head-start in life. Conversely, parents from the lower-income brackets tend to lack the resources to augment their children’s learning

Students often do not have role models who can advise them on the pathways to educational success. This often affects their ability to make sound decisions, due to a lack of awareness of the implications that their choices may have on their future

When students from humbler families lag their higher SES classmates in academic performance, this can have larger implications on social mobility as well, as national exams determine the type of education these children will go on to receive, the future friends and connections they make, and their eventual jobs

Significant issues/concepts (Power, Tension/Conflict, Discrepancy, Change & Continuity, Inequality, etc.)

Implications :

Social mixing benefits low-income students by increasing their exposure to positive influences and role models. Similarly, it provides the opportunity for the rest of the student body to understand situations in life to which they would not have been exposed

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context:

The Bantu Education Act was enacted in 1953 and took effect in 1954. It brought the education of Black South Africans under direct government control, ending the relative autonomy of mission-run schools and extending the apartheid system into Black schools.

how it’s observed:

The Act mandated racially segregated schools and curricula. Black children were required to attend government schools with instruction in their native languages, but the curriculum was designed to prepare them only for manual labor and subservient roles in society.

why it occurs:

To consolidate Bantu education so that discriminatory educational practices could be uniformly implemented across South Africa.

significant issues:

severe underfunding and poor conditions in Black schools

widespread resistance, including boycotts and the closure of many mission schools

implications:

The Act entrenched educational inequality, leaving lasting damage to Black South Africans’ access to quality education and economic opportunity. Its effects persisted long after apartheid ended, contributing to ongoing disparities in South Africa.

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Intro/ Background/ Content (WHAT is this article about):

HOW is this seen/observed?: PROCESSES/ Behaviours/ Actions/ Initiatives/ Policies/ Mindsets

WHY does it occur: REASONS

Significant issues/concepts (Power, Tension/Conflict, Discrepancy, Change & Continuity, Inequality, etc.)

Consequences/Implications/ SO WHAT?

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Intro/Background

The article examines former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s efforts to censor and rewrite school curricula. Particularly historical narratives about Brazil’s 1964–1985 military dictatorship. This aligns with his broader ideological campaign to reshape national memory. By omitting topics like dictatorship-era violence from Brazil’s 2021 national high school exam (Enem).

Content (What is this article about?)

Bolsonaro’s administration sought to support the Escola sem Partido (School Without Party) movement, which aims to purge "political" content (eg, communism, gender studies) from curricula .

Despite pushback, the 2021 Enem included questions on racism and indigenous rights, signaling partial resistance to censorship .

How is this seen/observed?: PROCESSES

1. Textual Alterations: Direct changes to terminology (e.g., "coup" → "revolution") in official materials .

2. Exam Censorship: Systematic exclusion of dictatorship-related questions from national tests .

3. Legislative Efforts: Bills to ban "ideological" content, often targeting gender, sexuality, and critical history .

Why does it occur?: REASONS

1. Ideological Control Bolsonaro’s nostalgia for the dictatorship and desire to legitimize authoritarianism and to also delegitimize leftist opposition .

3. Religious and Conservative Alliances Appealing to evangelical and far-right bases by opposing "Marxist" education and gender discourse .

4. Distraction from Crises Deflecting attention from economic inequality and pandemic failures by waging culture wars .

Significant Issues/Concepts

- Tension/Conflict: Clashes between academic consensus and government revisionism .

- Inequality: Education gaps widen as marginalized histories (e.g., indigenous, LGBTQ+ experiences) are erased .

- Change & Continuity Bolsonaro’s tactics mirror global far-right trends (e.g., Trump’s "MAGA") .

Implications/SO WHAT?

1. Democratic Erosion: Undermines critical thinking and civic education, fostering authoritarian nostalgia .

2. Historical Amnesia: Risks normalizing dictatorship-era violence and silencing victims .

3. Global Parallels: Reflects broader attacks on education by populist leaders (e.g., Hungary, India) .

The article underscores how historical revisionism isn’t just about the past—it’s a tool to manipulate the present and future .

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Intro/ Background/ Content (WHAT is this article about): despite the growth in special needs education in singapore, there is room for improvement in awareness and inclusivity

HOW is this seen/observed?: more schools are advocating for inclusivity and equipping more teachers with special needs education training.

WHY does it occur: there is a shortage of manpower for SEN teachers and there have been cases of bullying in schools as well

Significant issues/concepts: many parents are afraid that their children with special needs may not get jobs and the public is still not accepting of special needs people integrating in society

Consequences/Implications: hopefully more peopel will be understanding and accepting and inclusive in society

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Since gaining independence in 1965, Singapore has built a strong, centrally planned education system focused on human capital development due to its lack of natural resources. A defining feature is the close collaboration between the Ministry of Education (MOE), the National Institute of Education (NIE), and schools, which allows for effective system-wide reforms and continuous improvement.

While the government retains central control, schools have been granted increasing autonomy to innovate in curriculum and teaching. Education has shifted from a narrow focus on economic and academic outcomes to a more holistic approach that includes character development, well-being, and 21st-century competencies. Key reforms include the move from streaming to Full Subject-Based Banding (FSBB) and the introduction of frameworks for socioemotional learning and citizenship education.

To support these changes, Singapore has invested in teacher development through professional learning communities and school clusters. The system’s flexibility was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a smooth shift to home-based and blended learning.

Despite the official emphasis on holistic education, a strong societal focus on academic performance remains, reflected in the growth of a shadow education system of tuition and enrichment centers. Singapore’s education continues to evolve, balancing centralized efficiency with school-level innovation and student well-being.