Half the world’s mobile students from Asia
The latest Education at a Glance report produced by the OECD shows that Asian students represented over half of all international students enrolled in tertiary education. The report also notes that higher numbers of international students in OECD countries are enrolled in the more advanced degree programmes. Australia, the UK, Switzerland, Austria and New Zealand are benefiting most, eighteen per cent of tertiary students in Australia are internationals. Click here for full article.
Asian universities on the rise
Asian universities dominate the top spots on the recently released GS University Rankings’ Top 50 Under 50. The Nanyang Technological University in Singapore took the top spot for the second consecutive year. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University all made the top ten. Bill Sowter, head of division at the QS Intelligence Unit, attributed the strength of technological institutions to the success of Asian universities in these rankings. Click here for full article.
Immigrants at Australian schools top OECD averages
Roughly three-quarters of immigrant children report a sense of belonging in Australian schools, a value above the OECD average. Results from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show immigrant students in Australia are outperforming immigrants in all OECD nations bar Canada. Immigrant students of East Asian backgrounds have higher academic results than other groups. Click here for full article.
Turnbull goes back to Gonski
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull put the Gonski funding plan back on the agenda recently saying that everyone agrees “we need more resources into education and it needs to be needs-based”. Improving education outcomes, especially for disadvantaged students, is a key factor in the Prime Minister’s aim to develop an agile and innovative economy. Click here for full article.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull talks to meets school children, “Turnbull hints at return to egalitarian education”, The Age 8-11-2015
Robots will get young people back on farms
ABS figures show the number of people working in Australian agriculture has declined by 40 per cent since 1980. The decline has been partially attributed to young people growing up on farms electing not to continue their family business. Robert Finch, from the University of Sydney, suggests that the adoption of robotics and other new technologies will reinvigorate the sector and buck the current trend, as young people are attracted back to the farm with the promise of higher skilled jobs. Click here for full article.