2007 OECD Education at a Glance

Posted by Ingrid Thomson | 28 Sep, 2007

The 2007 edition of the OECD's Education at a Glance has just been published.   (Links to Full Version of the edition - 451 pages)   Link to home page with summaries.

From the Executive summary: 

"annual round-up of data and analysis on education, providing a rich, comparable and up-to-date array of indicators on education systems in the OECD’s 30 member countries and in a number of partner economies. The main areas covered are:

  • Participation and achievement in education
  • Public and private spending on education
  • The state of lifelong learning
  • Conditions for pupils and teachers

The 2007 edition investigates the effects of expanding tertiary education on labour markets. Graduation rates from higher education have grown significantly in OECD countries in recent decades, but has the increasing supply of well-educated workers been matched by the creation of high-paying jobs? Or will everyone with a university degree some day work for the minimum wage? Using recent data and indicators comparable among OECD countries, Education at a Glance 2007 finds that the expansion of tertiary education has had a positive impact for individuals and national economies, and that there are, so far, no signs of an inflation of the value of qualifications."

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Research Essays for PGCEs

Posted by Ingrid Thomson | 27 Sep, 2007

It's that time of the year again when the PGCEs are starting to look at research essays which need to be in by the end of October.  

There are examples of research essays from previous years in short loan in the Chancellor Oppenheimer Library.  Ask the short loan staff for the research essays for education - they'll know what you want! Smile

Having trouble finding information for your research essay? Please contact Ingrid at the Humanities Reference Desk in the Chancellor Oppenheimer Library to set up a time to consult.   

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eLearning Africa Conference 2008 Call for Papers

Posted by Ingrid Thomson | 25 Sep, 2007

eLearning Africa 2008 : 3rd International Conference on ICT for Development, Education and Training May 28 to 30, 2008

www.elearning-africa.com

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eLearning Africa 2008 Opens Call for Proposals

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The 3rd eLearning Africa conference, which will take place from May 28 to 30, 2008, in Ghana's capital Accra, has opened its Call for Proposals.

The event, organised by ICWE GmbH and Hoffmann & Reif, focuses on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for Development, Education and Training in Africa. Serving as a Pan-African platform, eLearning Africa links a network of decision makers from governments and administrations with universities, schools, governmental and private training providers, industry, and important partners in development cooperation.

Suggestions for sessions, presentations, workshops and discussions can be submitted until December 7 via an online form at http://www.elearning-africa.com/proposals.php.

The organising committee invites all those who are actively engaged in education, training and development for or in African countries, to submit their ideas. Themes of eLearning Africa 2008 are as follows:

· Unleashing the Capabilities of Universities Through Information and Communication Technologies

· Corporate eLearning in Africa and Beyond

· Introducing eLearning into the School System

· Designing and Delivering eLearning

· Building the Infrastructure for Education in the 21st Century

· Open Source and Open Content

· eLearning in Medical Education and the Fight Against HIV and AIDS

· Advanced Technology Developments

· eLearning Supported by Development Partners

· Empowering Women Through ICT and eLearning

· Improving the Quality and Outreach of Technical and Vocational Education

· Libraries as Access Providers to Resources and Expertise

· Quality Development and Quality Assurance

· Achieving Inclusivity Through eLearning

· eLearning for the Public Sector

· Policy Issues and Large-Scale Take-Up of eLearning

Detailed information on the topics and the call can be found at www.elearning-africa.com.

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Lesson plans from Enviromental Health Perspectives

Posted by Ingrid Thomson | 14 Sep, 2007

The EHP Science Education Program offers science and interdisciplinary lessons based on selected articles and scientific research published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Lessons cover biology, chemistry, environmental science, geology, and physical science, and are targeted at students in grades 9 through 12.  All lessons and corresponding news articles can be downloaded for free. 

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Intute Education Gateway access to free resources on the web

Posted by Ingrid Thomson | 12 Sep, 2007

Intute provides access to quality internet resources for Education.

There are links to the following categories:-

  • General Education
  • Adult Education 
  • Educational Policy 
  • Educational Technology 
  • Educational Theory 
  • Further Education 
  • Higher Education 
  • International Education 
  • Pre-school Education 
  • Primary Education
  • Secondary Education 
  • Special Education
  • Teaching Methods
  • Training of Teachers and Educators 
  • Vocational Education

 

 

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Community Radios to provide virtual matric revision classes (Media statement)

Posted by Ingrid Thomson | 12 Sep, 2007

Media Statement from Western Cape Education Department

Media Release

Tuesday 11 September 2007

Community radios to provide virtual matric revision classes - Statement by Western Cape Education MEC Cameron Dugmore

Eleven community radio stations will start providing virtual matric revision classes tonight, in conjunction with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) and the Government Communication and Information Service (GCIS).

Earlier I have initiated a meeting with community radio stations to discuss support for the Matric 2007 Revision Programme of the WCED. Eleven community stations have agreed to take part in the project.

They will link up with revision classes organised by the WCED at the parliamentary studios of the GCIS in Cape Town. The live broadcasts will take place between 6 and 7pm from Monday to Thursday every week, until late in October. The dates of the final programmes are still being finalised.

Some radio stations will broadcast the sessions live, while others will record them for separate programming and will announce the times of the sessions on air.

The Matric 2007 Revision Programme marks an important moment in learner support. It is the first time that the WCED has organised this kind of support on this scale, which amounts to a virtual classroom on air, covering almost the whole province.

Subject advisers and other specialists will guide revision on key matric subjects for about half an hour before dealing with questions.

Learners and teachers can email questions to matric07@pgwc.gov.za, or phone in to a toll-free line, 0800-314-446 during broadcast times, from 6 to 7pm from Monday to Thursday each week.

The WCED will provide details to schools on the schedule, which is expected to continue for eight weeks.

Tonight subject specialists, Phumla Satyo and Rugaya Jakoet will kick off with English Paper 1.

The sessions will cover Afrikaans Vraestel 1 on Wednesday, 12 September, and English Paper 2 on 13 September. Other subjects covered during the following weeks will include Biology, Geography, Mathematics, Business Economics, isiXhosa, History, Physical Science, Accounting, Economics, Mathematics, and Geography.

The participating radio stations are: Radio 786 (100.4); Voice of the Cape (95.8/100.4); Bush Radio (89.5); Radio CCFM (96.7/107.5); Radio Zibonele (98.2); Radio Tygerberg (104); Radio Atlantis (107.9); Radio West Coast (92.3); Valley FM (88.8); Radio KC (107.7); Eden FM (90.1/103.6) and Klein Karoo (87.8).

We thank the community radio stations for being so willing to join us in this project and for all the support of the GCIS. We are also very grateful for all the work that our subject specialists are putting into the revision classes. This is a great example of people pulling together to provide opportunities for learning by the young people of the Western Cape.

Meanwhile, the WCED has published the final matric exam timetable on its web site at http://wced.wcape.gov.za. The site also includes copies of previous exam papers and marking memos.

 

For enquiries, contact Paddy Attwell 083 261 7699, or Gert Witbooi: 082 550 3938, or gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za.

Gert Witbooi

Media Liaison Officer

Office of the MEC for Education

Western Cape

Tel: 021 467 2523

Fax: 021 425 5689

Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za

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All schools to get school libraries?

Posted by Ingrid Thomson | 7 Sep, 2007

A report in the Cape Argus (6 September) says that all schools in the Western Cape will soon have well-stocked libraries, if Parliament passes the Education Laws Amendment Bill. According to the story, if the bill was approved, the definition of a school would change, defining schools as institutions that have classrooms, libraries and laboratories.

The story says nothing about the staffing of these libraries, though.

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International Literacy Day 8 September 2007

Posted by Ingrid Thomson | 7 Sep, 2007
Tomorrow is International Literacy Day.

Literacy is a cause for celebration since there are now close to four billion literate people in the world. However, literacy for all – children, youth and adults - is still an unaccomplished goal and an ever moving target. A combination of ambitious goals, insufficient and parallel efforts, inadequate resources and strategies, and continued underestimation of the magnitude and complexity of the task accounts for this unmet goal. Lessons learnt over recent decades show that meeting the goal of universal literacy calls not only for more effective efforts but also for renewed political will and for doing things differently at all levels - locally, nationally and internationally.

 (More)

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Environmental Education Website: SEED

Posted by Ingrid Thomson | 5 Sep, 2007

SEED (School's Enviromental Education and Development) is a registered NPO which attempts to integrate Permaculture into teaching practice. There are teaching resources available on their webpage.

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