Philippine president stresses importance of technology and good education

BAGUIO CITY (PNA)—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday underscored the importance of technology and good education before the new graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), the country’s premiere military school.

Speaking at the 105th Commencement Exercises of the PMA “Masidlak” Class 2010 at the Borromeo Grounds here, the President stressed the importance of education as the foundation of the country’s progress. She also underscored the need for better communication skills and technology for a better future especially for the youth.

“'Education and technology are the twin pillars upon which the future of this nation rests,” she said.

The President said that the “'foundation of opportunity is education. It is the key to a better life; it opens minds and open doors.” Aside from good communication skills, she added, “we must recognize that a strong education must be accompanied by a strong backbone in technology to build the mind and connect to the world.”

For the PMA to be not just the training ground for officers of the Armed Forces but to be the center of academic excellence in the north, the President said she has ordered a curriculum review at PMA to be undertaken by a commission chaired by Dr. Consuelo Estefa of the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School.

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New Sulu teachers take oath; urged to be competitive and honest

ZAMBOANGA CITY (PNA)—Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Regional Director Senando Esteban extolled the new teachers in the island province of Sulu to be competitive and honest in their profession.

Esteban administered Monday the oath taking in Jolo, the capital of Sulu, of the 467 teachers who passed the licensure examination given on October 4, 2009 in the province.

Esteban said as they are molders of the youth and as teachers, they should continue to be a good model and most of all serve the public with dignity, honesty and integrity.

He also cited Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan for his role in bringing the licensure examination for teachers in the province.

Many of the teachers said the review they took last year helped them a lot in passing the licensure examination. It was also Tan who brought professional educators to Sulu to help the teachers in their review.

Previously, teachers would go to Zamboanga City and spend as much as P40,000 to review in private centers.

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State-owned development bank to support 420 scholars

MANILA (PNA)—State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) will send more than 420 students to agriculture, maritime, technical and vocational courses in the coming school year 2010-2011, DBP president and chief executive officer Reynaldo G. David said.

David said that the bank was stepping up its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts as it implemented the third year of its DBP Endowment for Education Program (DEEP) that provided college scholarships to brilliant but underprivileged youth.

The bank will also be tapping 12 new partner schools for the third batch of DEEP scholars. These include Palawan Polytechnic College; VMA Global College in Bacolod City; Don Bosco Training Center in San Jose, Nueva Ecija; In Touch Avail, Inc. in San Juan City; and Lighthouse Maritime School in Marinduque.

Also to be tapped as partner schools are Bicol Merchant Marine College in Sorsogon; Inter-Global College Foundation in Lucena City; Preston Institute of Management Sciences and Technology Colleges in Dagupan City; West Bay College in Muntinlupa City; Aklan Polytechnic College; Cebu State College of Science & Technology, and Holy Cross of Davao College.

DBP will also partner with two more principals—Magsaysay Shipping Lines and Klaveness—to assure employment for its DEEP graduates.

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In China, kindergarten costs more than college

BEIJING—It costs more to send your child to kindergarten in Beijing today than it does to put him or her through college. As outsiders pour into the capital looking for work, and parents try to give their offspring an ever-earlier competitive advantage, scarce preschool places are commanding record fees.

“There are just too many kids and too few kindergartens,” sighs Li Jia, sales manager at a lingerie company, as she rescues her 2-year-old son’s toy car from beneath the sofa.

“The private ones are too expensive, and it's really hard to get into a public one,” agrees her husband, Xing Jun. “I did not expect this when my son was born.”

It is almost impossible, according to parents and teachers, to find a reputable kindergarten in Beijing that charges less than 1,000 renminbi ($150) a month, which is a quarter of an average salary in the capital. Some charge five times that, putting intense strain on the budgets of even better-off young parents already burdened by heavy mortgages.

By comparison, tuition and accommodation at Peking University, the country’s best, costs only about 700 renminbi ($102) a month, thanks to heavy government subsidies.

And in Japan, another nation famously focused on a child’s education, two years of kindergarten on average costs 500,000 yen ($2,791 per year or $232 per month). But the price tag at elite schools can rise to 10 times that amount.

Still, the average Japanese worker makes about 10 times more than the average Chinese worker.

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A stunning makeover for China Daily

A year in the making, the redesigned China Daily made its debut on March 1—the biggest revamp in its 29-year history. The new China Daily has a cosmopolitan and sophisticated look to go with its rich content and its unique status as the country’s national English-language newspaper.

China Daily has set the goal of being a world-class newspaper commensurate with China’s global stature. Editor-in-Chief Zhu Ling sees the launch before the “Two Sessions” of the NPC and CPPCC as a great opportunity to better present China to the outside world. As the Chinese newspaper most quoted by foreign media, China Daily has set up its biggest team yet to cover this important event, which is drawing increasing international attention.

In terms of layout, the makeover is full-blown, including a new masthead. Using state-of-the-art design principles, it incorporates photographs, graphics, cartoons and other visual elements in a unified style that represents the cutting edge of the newspaper industry.

In terms of content, the new China Daily has fine-tuned its reporting mix, giving breaking news and instant updates to its website and beefing up in-depth investigations and analyses for its print version. The convergence has also enriched chinadaily.com.cn, making it the biggest English-language news site in Asia and creating platforms for public discourse on China topics.

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National English curriculum: what all children will learn

“What did you learn at school today?” That question, from harried parents to hurried children, has resonated through the ages.

Now, for the first time, a national curriculum in English, history, science and maths sets out the essential knowledge students will learn in each year of school.

The first curriculums for kindergarten to year 10 will be released on Monday (www.australiancurriculum.edu.au) for public consultation, with the senior syllabuses released in a few months.

Inquirer offers a snapshot of the English curriculum that will be adopted in schools from next year.

The subject of English differs widely between states and territories. A report by the Australian Council for Educational Research in 2007 found only 25 per cent of the nine English curriculums taught in schools was consistent across state and territory borders.

The national English curriculum mandates that students learning to read are taught the letter-sound relationships from their first year of school, a skill that has been missing in some classrooms. It brings literature back into primary schools, and students will again learn grammar and how it can improve their own writing.

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French group seeks to close language loophole

QUEBEC—The government body overseeing the protection of the French language in Quebec is recommending that the province extend the strict provisions in the province's language law to non-subsidized private schools to limit immigrant access to English language schools or face “social deconstruction.”

The Conseil supérieur de la langue française recommended in a report released today that the National Assembly send a “clear signal” by voting unanimously for changes to the language law that reinforces French as the common language of instruction for all immigrants in order to preserve “social cohesion” and “linguistic peace” in the province.

“Without appropriate reaction from the government this situation would leave Quebec without any recourse exposed to a dynamic of social deconstruction,” the report stated.

Last October the Supreme Court of Canada struck down provisions adopted in 2002 in Quebec’s language law that barred Quebec immigrants from using non-subsidized English language schools as a mean to circumvent the province's language law and get their kids into English schools.

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Britain plugs visa loopholes on students

KUALA LUMPUR—Britain is plugging loopholes in its rigorous points-based student visa system to prevent abuse by those intending to enter and work.

Tougher rules will be enforced from Wednesday on clauses governing English Language ability, the period a student is permitted to work and on entry of dependants.

Fees for international student visas are also being increased from £145 (RM913) to £199 (RM1253).

Britain introduced its points-based visa system last March to prevent the entry of bogus students and to crack down on illegitimate institutions operating there.

British High Commissioner to Malaysia Boyd McCleary said he expected the latest changes to have “minimal impact” on Malaysia, saying that the measures were introduced following abuses by students in other countries.

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English language course for Jaidah staff concludes

Jaidah group has announced the conclusion of its first literacy programme, organised in conjunction with Rota and aimed at improving the English language skills of low-skilled employees.

Rota’s literacy programme (RAEL) was held over three months at Jaidah’s headquarters, and some 40 participants from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Egypt and India benefitted from the course which began in November.

Officials also announced that following the success of this course, the second programme will take place this month.

One of RAEL’s trainers, Kevin Donohue, said: “Jaidah group has been an ideal partner for this programme, and by working together we’ve learned what will make this programme accessible to more people in the future.”

“The RAEL programme represents an opportunity for Jaidah’s low skilled employees to better their language and communication skills, which in turn will allow them to use their knowledge for personal and professional development,” he claimed, adding, “The participants showed a large improvement and they can now bring their new literacy skills home to their families, and ensure that the programme benefits not just one employee, but a community.”

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