School | Jotup

Why many policies to lower migration actually increase it

Retrieved on:

Venerdì, Aprile 19, 2024

Corruption, Education, School, Intuition, Research, Hospital, Policy, Doctor of Philosophy, Poverty, Grammatical mood, Safety, World Bank, Family, Work, Refugee, Mining, Weather

Distressing photos and headlines dominate front pages, and politicians stoke negative narratives about migration.

Key Points:

Distressing photos and headlines dominate front pages, and politicians stoke negative narratives about migration.
Also popular is the “cash for migration control” approach, turning countries on the edges of Europe into, effectively, “border guards”.
One example is the EU’s recent deal with Tunisia, promising €150 million (£128 million) to boost Tunisia’s migration control efforts.
But there is not much consensus on what the root causes of migration actually are, and little evidence to show that addressing them actually reduces migration.

Tackling the root causes

But which ones are the most important drivers for people to take the enormous step of leaving home for somewhere new?
The problem in migration policymaking – which often relies on intuition and guesswork, rather than evidence – is a scatter-gun approach which lists a whole range of issues as root causes.
Corruption in hospitals, schools and police forces can be signs of low pay, inadequate management and a lack of accountability.
Tackling corruption, therefore, can improve lives and strengthen people’s confidence to build their futures locally, rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere.

Aid and migration control

Tackling the root causes of migration is not an easy, short-term fix to prevent migration.
Governments allocating aid must separate this from the issue of migration, so that this money can be channelled into what it’s actually meant for: addressing economic, humanitarian, political and security issues.

Jessica Hagen-Zanker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Asbestos in playground mulch: how to avoid a repeat of this circular economy scandal

Retrieved on:

Giovedì, Aprile 18, 2024

Element, Failure, Garden, Health, Certification, Waste management, Directory, Bed, Recycling, RMIT, Risk, Shock, Education, School, Research, History, CWL, Fear, Glass, Housing, Plastic, Safety, Green building council, Public works, Marketing, Legislation, Iron, Lumber

The source of contamination is believed to be timber waste from construction and demolition sites that was turned into mulch.

Key Points:

The source of contamination is believed to be timber waste from construction and demolition sites that was turned into mulch.
So far, 60 locations in Sydney and 12 in Melbourne have been identified as contaminated with asbestos to various degrees.
The severity, spread and impact of the issue convince us to call it the largest scandal in the history of Australia’s circular economy.
A circular economy recycles and reuses materials or products with the goal of being more sustainable.

Scandal is damaging for the circular economy

Unfortunately, this contaminated mulch raises concerns about the reckless implementation of circular economy principles in Australia.
More broadly, this scandal could undermine efforts to advance the circular economy in Australia.
It’s a reminder that the circular economy concept is based on a system-thinking approach, where all elements must work in harmony.

Regulations don’t go far enough

However, it isn’t mandatory for suppliers to test for contaminants in mulch.
The fact is existing policies and regulations, such as the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s Mulch Order 2016, failed to prevent mulch contamination.

Read more:
Buildings used iron from sunken ships centuries ago. The use of recycled materials should be business as usual by now

Why isn’t certification standard practice?

In 2022 and 2023, working with researchers from Griffith and Curtin universities and our industry partners, we explored the use of recycled product certification schemes.
We specifically asked for their views on certification schemes for these materials.

He added:
The cost of certification is a fraction of whatever their marketing budget might be in any single month, let alone a year.
If they can see that their certification becomes part of their marketing budget, then the cost of certification is a single-digit percentage of most marketing budgets.
If they can see that their certification becomes part of their marketing budget, then the cost of certification is a single-digit percentage of most marketing budgets.

What more can be done?

Our research identified seven major drivers for adopting certification schemes when procuring recycled materials, as shown below.
Read more:
Trash TV: streaming giants are failing to educate the young about waste recycling.
In addition, we stress the importance of directories of approved recyclers to ensure end users have access to quality, uncontaminated recycled materials.

Salman Shooshtarian receives funding from the Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre Australia Peter S.P. Wong, Professor - construction, RMIT University. He receives funding from Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre. He is affiliated with RMIT University, Australia. Tayyab Maqsood receives funding from the Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre.

Graduation rates for low-income students lag while their student loan debt soars

Retrieved on:

Giovedì, Aprile 18, 2024

Student, Education, School, Bankruptcy, Inequality, University, STEM, Nursing

Many start but don’t finish

Key Points:

Many start but don’t finish
The problem goes beyond the fact that students from lower-income households are entering higher education at a lower rate than high-income students.
One key factor is that low-income students of color tend to go to low-funded higher education institutions with low graduation rates.
The combination of low graduation rates and high debt can severely reduce the ability to pay off loans.
A significant part of student debt is generated by for-profit colleges that have low graduation rates.

Gaza update: the questionable precision and ethics of Israel’s AI warfare machine

Retrieved on:

Giovedì, Aprile 18, 2024

The IDF says it has been working on information gleaned from questioning Palestinian fighters captured in the fighting.

Key Points:

The IDF says it has been working on information gleaned from questioning Palestinian fighters captured in the fighting.
According to a report in the Jerusalem Post on April 17, the Palestinian fighters were hiding out in schools in the area.
The investigation, by online Israeli magazines +927 and Local Call examined the use of an AI programme called “Lavender”.

It’s important to note that the IDF is not the only military to be working with AI in this way.
But one function of the way the IDF is harnessing Lavender in this current conflict is its use alongside other systems.
Read more:
Israel accused of using AI to target thousands in Gaza, as killer algorithms outpace international law

The Iranian dimension

Away from the charnel house that is the Gaza Strip, the focus has been on the aftermath of Israel’s strike on the Iranian embassy in Baghdad on April 1.
As is his wont, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed revenge, declaring: “The Zionist regime will be punished by the hands of our brave men.
And this was very much how it was to turn out when Iran’s drones and missiles flew last weekend.
Read more:
Could Israel's strike against the Iranian embassy in Damascus escalate into a wider regional war?
Read more:
Why Iran's failed attack on Israel may well turn out to be a strategic success

The nuclear option?

One of the possibilities being widely canvassed is that Israel could mount some kind of attack on Iran’s nuclear weapons programme. This has been revitalised in the years since Donald Trump pulled the US out of the deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama.

He walks us through the history of Iran’s nuclear programme, a story littered with the bodies of Iranian nuclear scientists and the wreckage of its nuclear facilities thanks to fiendish cyberattacks such as the Stuxnet virus developed by Israel and the US that was launched against Iran in 2010.
Since Trump quit the nuclear deal, Iran has gone full-steam ahead in ramping up its nuclear weapons programme, while reportedly hiding its key installations in deep underground bunkers that are thought impossible to destroy from the air.

Online schooling is not just for lockdowns. Could it work for your child?

Retrieved on:

Giovedì, Aprile 18, 2024

During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone away. What are online schools doing now? What does the research say? And how do you know if they might be a good fit for your child? Online learning in AustraliaWhile learning in COVID lockdowns was extremely tough, it also showed schools, students and parents the potential benefits of online learning for a wider range of students.

Key Points:

During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone away. What are online schools doing now? What does the research say? And how do you know if they might be a good fit for your child?

Online learning in Australia

While learning in COVID lockdowns was extremely tough, it also showed schools, students and parents the potential benefits of online learning for a wider range of students.
This can include greater accessibility (learning from any location) and flexibility (personalised, self-paced learning).
This has prompted an expansion of online learning options in Australia.

Primary and high school options

For example, Monash University has a free virtual school with revision sessions for Year 12 students.
Read more:
Australia has a new online-only private school: what are the options if the mainstream system doesn't suit your child?

What about academic outcomes?

Research on the academic outcomes of distance education students is inconclusive.
A 2017 study of primary and high school students in Ohio found reduced academic progress in reading, maths, history and science.
Another 2017 US study also found online students had lower graduation rates than their in-person peers.

What about wellbeing?

This includes access to specialists such as psychologists, nurses and social workers.
Some research has noted concerns about online student engagement, social isolation, sense of belonging and social and emotional development.

Is online learning a good fit for your child?

However, if certain subjects are unavailable, or health, elite sport and distance to school make in-person learning difficult, learning online could be a viable option to consider.
Because online learning tends to be a mix of live lessons and self-paced learning, online students need to be independent, motivated and organised to succeed.

Brendon Hyndman is Senior Manager - Research, Innovation and Impact with Brisbane Catholic Education. Vaughan Cruickshank does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Earth Day: ‘Green muscle memory’ and climate education promote behaviour change

Retrieved on:

Giovedì, Aprile 18, 2024

This year, organizers of Earth Day are calling for widespread climate education as a critical step in the fight against climate change.

Key Points:

This year, organizers of Earth Day are calling for widespread climate education as a critical step in the fight against climate change.
A new report, released in time for global attention for Earth Day on April 22, highlights the impact of climate education on promoting behaviour change in the next generation.

How knowledge becomes ingrained

Teachers have become increasingly concerned about best practices for supporting their charges as young people express anxiety about environmental futures.
Similarly, Finnish researchers use biking as an analogy to describe the process by which knowledge becomes ingrained in people’s memory.
The bike model advocates ways of learning that consider knowledge, identity, emotions and world views.
More than half of the survey respondents were from Ontario (25 per cent) and Québec (29 per cent).

Challenges with climate education

However, inclusion of climate education in formal school curricula has come with its own set of challenges.
Educators in Ontario reported a lack of classroom resources as a barrier when integrating climate change education within the curriculum.
The United Nations has declared climate education “a critical agent in addressing the issue of climate change” as climate education increases across different settings and for various age groups.

Educators finding ways

More and more educators are taking steps to find ways to teach climate education in schools.
As an instructor for several undergraduate-level courses, Olsen focuses on equipping budding educators with the skills and knowledge to incorporate climate education in their classrooms.

All aspects of curricula

Embedding climate education into all aspects of curricula can take a variety of approaches in and outside of the classroom.
Environmental education has been packaged in different forms, including broadening school curricula with inclusion in science, but also subjects including English, math and art.

Preety Sharma is a public health and development consultant. As a freelance journalist, she covers climate change, public health and nutrition. Ayeshah Haque is a Clinical Content Specialist at the Association for Ontario Midwives.

Albanese government has ‘irreparably damaged’ Australia’s relations with Israel: Peter Dutton

Retrieved on:

Mercoledì, Aprile 10, 2024

She said the international community “was now considering the question of Palestinian statehood as a way of building momentum towards a two-state solution”.

Key Points:

She said the international community “was now considering the question of Palestinian statehood as a way of building momentum towards a two-state solution”.
On Wednesday, when asked if Australia was willing to recognise Palestine as a state, Wong said the government had made “no such decision”.
She stressed what needed to happen immediately was for Hamas to release the hostages and for a humanitarian ceasefire.
"A Coalition government is committed to seeing a prioritisation on reading, writing and maths, including through explicit instruction teaching.
“A Coalition government under my leadership will rebuild our national confidence and camaraderie by focusing on the things which unite us”.

Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

New York City greenlights congestion pricing – here’s how this toll plan is expected to improve traffic, air quality and public transit

Retrieved on:

Mercoledì, Aprile 10, 2024

New York City is poised to launch the first congestion pricing plan to reduce traffic in a major U.S. metropolitan area.

Key Points:

New York City is poised to launch the first congestion pricing plan to reduce traffic in a major U.S. metropolitan area.
Like many journeys in the Big Apple, this one has been punctuated by delays.
Once the system starts up, however, it’s expected to significantly reduce gridlock in Manhattan and generate billions of dollars to improve public transit citywide.
As an urban policy scholar, I’m looking forward to seeing New York’s plan go into effect.
But given the heavy costs that traffic imposes on public health and productivity, I’m encouraged to see a major U.S. city finally test this approach.

Nudging drivers

Congestion pricing is a response to externalities – costs or benefits that are generated by one party but incurred by another.
Clogged city streets and air pollution are externalities created by urban car users, many of whom live outside the city.
This approach is behind behavioral economics, the policy strategy of using “nudges” that preserve choice but encourage certain actions.

Public transit receives priority

The New York plan was presented to the board of the Metropolitan Transit Authority in November 2023 after years of study and a detailed environmental impact assessment, required by federal law.
It also would generate US$15 billion for capital improvements to the city’s public transit system, including making stations accessible for passengers with disabilities and buying new electric buses and commuter rail and subway cars.
More than 75% of all trips into the central business district are made by public transit.

Over several months of public hearings, the MTA heard both broad support for congestion pricing and thousands of requests for credits, discounts and exemptions, most of which were denied.
The limited number of exemptions includes private commuter buses, school buses and city-owned vehicles, including emergency vehicles.
New Jersey is suing the MTA, arguing among other things that the plan is unconstitutional because it burdens interstate commerce.

Starting the journey

And how will commuters respond when they find that trains and subways initially are more crowded, before capital upgrades improve the system?
But freedom for car users has imposed health and economic costs on millions of New Yorkers for many years.
But if New York’s experiment succeeds, it could provide a model and valuable insights for other traffic-clogged U.S. cities.

John Rennie Short does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Young people are getting unhappier – a lack of childhood freedom and independence may be partly to blame

Retrieved on:

Mercoledì, Aprile 10, 2024

Experts often highlight social media and harsh economic times as key reasons why young people are getting unhappier.

Key Points:

Experts often highlight social media and harsh economic times as key reasons why young people are getting unhappier.
Younger generations have less freedom and independence than previous generations did.
The lack of childhood freedom isn’t just a result of parental control.

Emotional, social and cognitive effects

Psychologist Jean Piaget emphasised the importance of exploration and experimentation in cognitive development in the 1950s.
By restricting children’s freedom to explore and take age-appropriate risks, we deprive them of opportunities for intellectual curiosity and innovation.
The decline in independence can have implications for social and emotional development.
Research highlights the importance of peer interactions in shaping social competence and emotional intelligence.
By orchestrating play dates and entertainment, parents may therefore inadvertently limit their children’s ability to navigate social dynamics.

Age-appropriate freedom

Evidence supports the idea that freedom and independence is crucial for the happiness and wellbeing of young people.
A five-year-old, for example, can be allowed and encouraged to butter their own toast, make their bed, or play on their own in the garden.
A 10-year-old, meanwhile, should be able to walk to and from school on their own, be responsible for their homework and keep their space tidy.

Fiorentina Sterkaj does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

‘It doesn’t matter where you come from’: regional youth orchestras help fight music education inequality

Retrieved on:

Mercoledì, Aprile 10, 2024

Face, Music, School, Ageing, Research, Student, Success, Australian World Orchestra

My recent study looked at the inequalities rural and regional young classical musicians face, which are unknown to their city-based counterparts.

Key Points:

My recent study looked at the inequalities rural and regional young classical musicians face, which are unknown to their city-based counterparts.
There are systemic music inequalities in Australia based on where you live and where you go to school.
Inner-city, private school kids are often the most likely to access music education.
These challenges compound and these students may be less likely to go on to tertiary education and careers in classical music.

‘Right from square one’

So, they were set up with amazing technique and they had the opportunity to go to schools that had an amazing music program.
To compare my journey to some of my peers who’ve grown up in the city, some of them learned from a teacher who had reached an elite level, a professional level, on the instrument […] right from square one.
My study participants often struggled to find a sense of belonging in communities where classical music was not visible or popular.
One musician reflected on their feelings of isolation and lack of understanding from their non-music peers:
I am really into classical music.

‘My first experience with a real orchestra’

One initiative to address music inequality is the Regional Youth Orchestra NSW, created by regional conservatoriums.
The NSW regional conservatoriums are located in diverse communities and aim to address disadvantage by offering inclusive music opportunities.
The youth orchestra program brings together young musicians from across rural and regional NSW several times a year for intensive residential music camps.
It was actually my first experience with a real orchestra […] I’m very fortunate for that, and I’m really glad I got to do that […] I’d never really even met an oboist before.

‘It doesn’t matter where you come from’

As one told me:
I’m determined to prove that it doesn’t matter where you come from.
I’m determined to prove that it doesn’t matter where you come from.
Read more:
Arts organisations say they want to be 'cultural leaders' – but are they living up to their goals?

Mandy Hughes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.