Categories
-Top News Tech Lite UK News

UK govt bans smartphones in schools

The proliferation of smartphones in schools – Ofcom data says 97% of children have one by the age of 12 – has brought concerns about not just distraction but the potential for bullying or other social pressure…reports Asian Lite News

Ministers have confirmed plans to ban the use of mobile phones in English schools, releasing guidance for headteachers that some unions said included practices that had already been widely adopted.

However, one headteacher welcomed the Department for Education (DfE) plan, saying it would help give schools the confidence to make a change that would benefit pupils but could meet resistance from parents.

The guidance is not statutory, and offers schools a variety of ways to implement the ban, ranging from an order to leave all phones at home, to handing them in on arrival or keeping them in inaccessible lockers, or allowing students to keep them on condition they are not used or heard.

The proliferation of smartphones in schools – Ofcom data says 97% of children have one by the age of 12 – has brought concerns about not just distraction but the potential for bullying or other social pressure.

In interviews on Monday about the plan, Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, said the DfE had consulted headteachers and believed the guidance would “empower” those yet to fully ban phones, and “would send a clear message about consistency”.

“You go to school, you go to learn, you go to create those friendships, you go to speak to people and socialise and you go to get educated – you don’t go to sit on your mobile phone or to send messages whilst you could actually talk to somebody,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

There is also wider concern about phone use by children and the harmful content they can access. Esther Ghey, mother of the murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, has called for tech companies to do more on this, and for under-16s to be stopped from accessing social media.

Ghey has also argued for phone manufacturers to make specific products for under-16s that prevent them from accessing harmful content, after it emerged that her daughter’s killers viewed violent material before the murder.

Keegan told Today that while ministers would discuss the idea with Ghey, “it’s not something that we have actually looked at or considered and those conversations will take place”.

The 13-page DfE guidance says the policy on phones should be clearly communicated to pupils, with the reasons for it also explained. It adds that teachers should not be seen in schools using a phone except when necessary for work.

Parents also needed to be involved in the ban, it says, with a reminder that they should contact students via the school office rather than directly.

ALSO READ-Watchdog opens probe over Sunak’s TV appearance

Categories
Education UAE News

Back to school in UAE

The number of transported students from universities, colleges and other educational institutions stands at more than 16,000, with more than 800 buses and 800 drivers allocated to provide them with services…reports Asian Lite News

Over a million students have returned to school on Monday after UAE has ended most of the Covid-19-related restrictions.

In updated Covid-19 protocols, authorities clarified that periodic PCR tests would not be required starting from tomorrow. Symptomatic students, however, will need to test.

However, masks remain mandatory in closed spaces, but social distancing is no longer mandatory inside schools and buses.

Earlier, Hazza Al Mansouri, Official Spokesman of the UAE’s Education Sector, stressed that all students can attend classes regardless of their vaccination status, while university students who are unvaccinated for medical reasons and those with vaccination exemption can present the PCR tests required for the green pass system on the Al Hosn app to enter the university premises.

Meanwhile, Emirates Transport (ET), the largest provider of school transport services in the UAE, announced its full readiness to transport nearly 241,000 male and female school and university students for the academic year 2022-2023 using 7,217 busses equipped with high safety and security systems.

As part of its intensive preparations to welcome the new school year, ET has concluded the activities of its annual initiative “School Transport Week”, which featured the implementation of a package of training programmes, awareness talks and accompanying events at stations and locations associated with the regions at the state level and in collaboration with a group of public and private agencies.

Emirates Transport explained that the initiative sought to ensure a successful and efficient launch of the school transport service for all students on the first day of school, whether in schools or universities, where drivers, transport and safety managers and assigned work crews are fully prepared to perform the required tasks and ensure the delivery of all school transport requirements.

Faryal Tawakul, Acting CEO of Emirates Transport, said ET would provide school transport services for 170,000 students studying in 504 government schools, using 4,161 buses, including 100 buses for students of determination, 4,200 drivers and 4,155 bus supervisors. It will also transport 54,794 students studying in 122 private schools, using 2,256 buses and 2,256 drivers.

Additionally, the number of transported students from universities, colleges and other educational institutions stands at more than 16,000, with more than 800 buses and 800 drivers allocated to provide them with services.

For public and private schools, Jasim Al Marzouqi, Executive Director of School Transport at ET, said 6,417 buses would be ready to make daily school trips for more than 225,000 students attending 625 public and private schools.

ALSO READ-Schools to welcome students for new academic year

Categories
Business

Covid relaxations to boost two-wheeler sales

“Dealership inventory decreased further to 25-30 days in January 2022. A2W export sales grew 3 per cent MoM and declined 3 per cent YoY in January 2022.”…reports Asian Lite News

Re-opening of offices as well as educational institutions is expected to give a boost to two-wheeler sales volume on a sequential basis.

Accordingly, the sequential improvement is expected to sustain in February 2022, supported by a gradual easing of the supply-side constraints, re-opening of offices and colleges, as well as relaxation in travel restrictions and the measures announced in the FY23 Union Budget.

However, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the segments’ sales were dented in January 2022 due to lower rural demand, staggered state-wise restrictions amid the third wave of Covid-19 and production constraints in the premium two-wheeler segment.

“While domestic ‘2W’ sales volume continued to be 21 per cent YoY lower in January 2022, it grew 12 per cent MoM sequentially after declining for three consecutive months, with growth noted across scooters and motorcycles,” India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) said.

“Scooters outperformed motorcycles in January 2022. mainly due to a lower base in December 2021.”

Besides, it pointed out that limited impact of the third covid wave on economic activities and relatively relaxed restrictions compared to prior waves also supported the MoM growth.

“Dealership inventory decreased further to 25-30 days in January 2022. A2W export sales grew 3 per cent MoM and declined 3 per cent YoY in January 2022.”

“Ind-Ra expects the sequential improvement to sustain in February 2022, supported by a gradual easing of the supply-side constraints, re-opening of offices or colleges, relaxation in travel restrictions coupled with a likely improvement in rural offtake due to better crop production and the measures announced in the FY23 Union Budget.”

ALSO READ-Ind-Ra revises India’s banking sector improving for FY23

Categories
Books Lite Blogs

Seema Malik unlocks ‘effective leadership’

In this context, she noted that an important step taken by the New Education Policy (NEP) is making school clusters which can go a long way in improving learning standards in schools in rural and remote areas…writes Vishnu Makhijani.

One of the primary factors determining the strong foundation of a nation is effective educational leadership and schools need to adapt to the changing environments “for which we need leaders who can guide and motivate the students and teachers to evolve intellectually, socially and emotionally — in a continuous process,” says Seema Malik, a school teacher for over three decades and author of the path-breaking book “Unlocking Leadership” (Konark).

“Every leader evolves her/his leadership pattern. What we all need to develop as leaders is the nuance that is required to lead everyone to a higher goal of education. When the schools are driven at all times to reach their vision and mission, both the students and the teachers rise to their highest potential,” Malik, who has studied at Cambridge University and has been associated with prestigious institutions like Delhi Public School, Salwan Public School and Cambridge School, told IANS in an interview.

How did the book come about?

“Having been a researcher in the field of education for more than a decade, I was intrigued by a lot of research done by the western countries, in particular, UK, Australia, New Zealand and USA. I noticed a lot of gap about educational research in India which I have addressed in this book. A huge body of research has been used for writing this academic work in a style that is more easily understandable, with due credit given to the authors and researchers,” Malik said.

The main fields of research that have gone into this book are leadership models practiced in schools and what impact they lead to, strategies for school improvement, and moral as well as ethical responsibilities of leaders.

“Most of this research is used in the western democracies, which has led to the higher standards of educational attainment in these countries, for example in OECD countries,” she said.

What are the five main take-aways from this book?

1. Leadership is the single most important factor affecting quality of education in schools.

2. Collaborative and distributed models of leadership builds teams in schools.

3. Teachers are leaders in their own right and it is the responsibility of the school head to give them decision-making powers.

4. Great leaders develop mutuality and reciprocity among various stakeholders in the school to take them all towards achieving the organisational vision.

5. One of the most salient features of any leadership is their sense of moral imperative.

The book is essentially aimed at schools in the private sector. What about schools in the government sector and in the semi-urban and rural areas? How are they to address this issue?

“Schools in the government sector as well as the rural and remote areas need to work on infrastructural development to provide at least the minimum required facilities for learning. The ‘twinning of schools’ has already started taking place where a few government schools are attached with the public schools to develop synergies of operations and develop better systems of assessments. Public schools are involving these less privileged schools in teacher training opportunities,” Malik explained.

In this context, she noted that an important step taken by the New Education Policy (NEP) is making school clusters which can go a long way in improving learning standards in schools in rural and remote areas.

The NEP, she pointed out, also “lays a great emphasis on teacher empowerment through continuous professional development opportunities. It also aims to create national professional standards for teachers. School leaders and teachers are being encouraged now to undertake research in emerging pedagogies for improved learning outcomes. It is time that school education becomes an integral part of public conversation and it should get the focus that it deserves,” Malik elaborated.

What next? What’s her next project?

“I am writing my memoirs of studying in Cambridge University. Life was very different there and every student experiences difficulties in the beginning which slowly ease away. However, as an older and mature student, besides being observant and reflective, my experiences were very different. I learnt a lot there but also saw traces of racism in the society.”

“A University, like any other part of the society is like a reflection of its ethos. There were many positives as well as some negatives that I noticed that left an indelible impression on my mind. However, what I have taken away from there as a student is the rich and intellectual very stimulating culture of learning provided to each student.”

“Cambridge changed my life forever and there are reasons for that, which I am currently writing for my next book. It was sad that such a reputed university of the world could treat a meritorious student so shabbily. Not disclosing much right now, the book would be thought provoking as well as shocking, once read by the people,” Malik concluded.

ALSO READ-Samta finds peace in books

READ MORE-CBI Books Prannoy, Radhika

Categories
-Top News Abu Dhabi UAE News

Abu Dhabi approves ‘blue schools’ initiative

Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee has approved the ‘blue schools’ initiative, which supports all Abu Dhabi schools to relax measures and return to normal operations based on vaccination rates…reports Asian Lite News

To be implemented from the second term of the current academic year, the ‘blue schools’ initiative recognises vaccination as the key path to recovery, re-emphasises transparency, and enhances the learning and social experience of students.

Schools will be tiered based on student vaccination rates. Higher vaccinated schools will be able to gradually relax measures, including reduced social distancing requirements, relaxed mask-wearing protocols, increased classroom and school transport capacity, and a return to extra-curricular activities, in-school events and field trips.

Abu Dhabi

The four tiers are ‘orange’ for schools with less than 50 percent of students vaccinated; ‘yellow’ for schools with 50-64 percent of students vaccinated; ‘green’ for schools with 65-84 percent of students vaccinated; and ‘blue’ for schools with 85 percent and above students vaccinated.

Free vaccines are available for children at various vaccination centres across Abu Dhabi, including the dedicated children’s vaccination centre at ADNEC. Pfizer-BioNTech is available for children aged 12 and over, and Sinopharm is available for children aged 3 and over.

Categories
-Top News UK News

‘3.1m kids in England going to schools in areas with toxic air’

On average, PM2.5 concentrations were a third (33 per cent) higher at schools in London than in the rest of England…reports Asian Lite News.

Children in London are four times more likely to go to school in areas with high levels pollution levels that exceed World Health Organization (WHO) limits, than children in the rest of England, reveals New City Hall analysis.

According to the new analysis, the poor air quality stunts the growth of children’s lungs and worsens chronic illnesses, such as asthma, lung and heart disease. It has found 3.1m English children are attending schools in areas exceeding WHO limits for PM2.5.

The new analysis of the national Government data for annual average PM2.5 in 2019 also shows that, before the pandemic, more than 1.2 million children in London attended schools in areas that exceeded WHO limits for PM2.5 – more than 700,000 of them are of primary school age

Also, 98 per cent of state primary and secondary schools in London were in areas that exceeded WHO limits, compared with 24 per cent outside of London.

On average, PM2.5 concentrations were a third (33 per cent) higher at schools in London than in the rest of England.

This is having a real impact on children’s health. A landmark study of the impact of London’s air pollution found children growing up in polluted parts of the capital showed significantly smaller lung volume, with a loss of approximately five per cent in lung capacity – equivalent to two large eggs – compared to their peers in the rest of England.

Research shows that those exposed to the worst air pollution are more likely to be deprived Londoners and from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. The ULEZ expansion in combination with the Mayor’s other air quality policies will help reduce the exposure gap between the most and least deprived areas by 71 per cent by 2030.

 The difference in exposure between areas with the highest and lowest proportion of BAME residents will decrease by up to 85 per cent. There is also emerging evidence linking air pollution with an increased vulnerability to the most severe impacts of COVID.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “For too long it has been accepted that children growing up in London will breathe more polluted air than their friends and family outside this great city. But I don’t accept this. I’m doing everything in my power to stop young Londoners breathing air so filthy that it damages their lungs and causes thousands of premature deaths every year. This is why I’m expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone later this year.

“I want to make sure all of London meets the World Health Organization limits for particulate matter. But I can’t do it alone and I want to work with Government to achieve this goal. That’s why I’m asking for the new Environment Bill to include legally binding WHO recommended limits to be achieved by 2030. We can’t sleep walk from the health crisis of COVID back into complacency over the major impact of toxic air on everyone’s health.”

 Harriet Edwards, Senior Policy and Projects Manager, Air Quality, at Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, said: Each year, the capital’s poor air quality contributes to around 1,000 emergency hospital admissions for children with asthma and other respiratory conditions. Children should feel safe when they are at school, but instead they are being exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution which could be damaging their lungs and future prospects. For the tens of thousands of children living with existing lung conditions, breathing dirty air could trigger a life-threatening asthma attack or exacerbation. That’s why we welcome the expanded ULEZ to help make more of London’s schools safer and more inclusive for children with all types of lung disease.”

ALSO READ-UK’s online education provider expands into India

READ MORE-Uni leaders go to India to promote UK education

Categories
Education India News

‘Classroom in bus’ provides free education to deprived children

Parents of these children are very poor and belong to labour class like rickshaw puller, household worker and rag-picker etc…reports Mohammad Suaib Khan

Eight-year-old Nirmal has started thinking about his career and now he is very serious about studies. “I want to be a police officer,” he said, talking about his future plan sitting in a moving classroom in a bus.

Not only Nirmal, several underprivileged children who were deprived of the studies now join him in the ‘Classroom Bus’ for study.

Every day four buses that have been converted into moving classrooms ply on Delhi’s roads to provide education to the children living in slums. These buses aim to provide education to such children who have not been to schools.

Presently, about 50 children are studying in these classroom buses and most of them are rag-pickers. These four buses go to different locations in Delhi for this nobel cause.

There is a driver, a helper and two teachers in every bus. A black board is installed in the bus and children are also provided with slate and chalk. Besides, food is also available for children.

Non-government organisation ‘Tejasia’ has named these vehicles “Hope Buses”. Tejasia is involved in social works since last 10 years and it has taken responsibilities of these children.

This project was started many years ago with a single bus and now the number has reached to four.

A team of the NGO does survey of a particular area to find out if number of children who need to be educated are more. Then a bus is sent to that area. Presently, the buses are visiting eight such locations in the national capital. In the last several years, many children who studied in these buses got enrolled in government schools.

Besides basic education, the children also learn social etiquette — like how to live, talk or behave.

Ebna Edwin, working with the NGO, said, “We are teaching children in Kamala Nagar, a colony in R.K. Puram and Gurugram.”

It starts at 9 a.m., the bus reaches all the locations in an hour, after which a class is held from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

After that the same bus goes to another location to teach other children from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

According to the NGO, 80 per cent of the children are those who have never attended school. There are also some children who are school drop-outs.

Parents of these children are very poor and belong to labour class like rickshaw puller, household worker and rag-picker etc.

Though there is a small school in addition to the bus, but due to Covid, it is closed these days.

About 40 volunteers are associated with this NGO, while about 900 children have been provided education so far. There are more than 20 teaching teams.

Teachers prepare children for admission in government schools. The NGO also helps children in getting the documents for the admission.

Interestingly, the teaching teams also include teachers who lost their jobs due to Covid and now they work with the NGO on a token amount.

ALSO READ-Girls without smartphones quitting schools in UP

READ MORE-Poor enrolment prompts Odisha govt to shut rural schools

Categories
Education UK News

‘School disruption during pandemic worst since WWII’

Schools in the UK have faced their most disruptive period due to the coronavirus pandemic, the worst since World War II, a British think-tank said in a report…reports Asian Lite News.

In the report published on Wednesday, the Institute for Government, an independent think-tank which aims to improve government effectiveness through research and analysis, said the government’s failure to make contingency plans for schools and exams in the summer of 2020 was the most “unforgivable aspect” of its handling of education during the pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency.

“Schools closed only to be opened, closed, and then re-opened again. Exams were cancelled, not once but twice, with knock-on effects to university admissions that will be felt for years to come.

“Parents, heads and teachers struggled — with access to laptops for home schooling, with the home schooling itself, and with coronavirus testing regimes for pupils and staff. At times it felt as though the school system was in chaos,” said the report.

The report, based on interviews with government insiders and education experts, said the government deserves some credit, such as for its swift decision on the definition of key workers whose children could remain in school and, if after a slow start, delivering more than 1 million laptops to disadvantaged pupils.

“But across 2020 and 2021, pupils, parents and teachers were too often left bewildered by last-minute, poorly communicated U-turns on school closures and exams.

“Lessons were not learnt from the first lockdown, with the result that, for both school closures and exams, the story from July 2020 to January 2021 was a case of pause, rewind, repeat,” it added.

ALSO READ-Canada Day eclipsed by graves found at indigenous school

READ MORE-Akshay gifts 1cr for school building construction in Kashmir