As universities roar back to life with renewed expectations, students head to institutions that will shape their lives both now and in the future. At university, students are presented with various opportunities to participate in the governance of these communities. They may be asked to answer surveys, vote or — if they are confident enough […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
Universities can foster more deliberative democracy — starting by empowering students
The power of swearing: how obscene words influence your mind, body and relationships
Swearing was long dismissed as a topic of serious research because it was assumed to be simply a sign of aggression, weak language proficiency or even low intelligence. We now have quite a lot of evidence that challenges this view, prompting us to reconsider the nature – and power – of swearing. Whether we are fans of […] … learn more→
Student grants: how to correct the inequalities of the French system?
Exceptionally, perhaps unprecedented, the number of scholarship students fell by 3.9% in French higher education in 2021-2022. Sign, again that in France, this system responsible for allowing access to higher education for the working classes is at the end of its rope, struggling to fill the inequalities it is supposed to correct? It should be noted that the […] … learn more→
Miguel, decent work and the importance of guidance
Miguel lives in Argentina, he is 22 years old. School has always cost him and he hasn’t finished high school yet. He dreamed of being a footballer, he tried but it couldn’t be. He works fewer days than he would like and the money he earns is not enough. He lives for the day, he doesn’t know if tomorrow […] … learn more→
“Quiet quitting”: Beyond buzz , what “quiet quitting” reveals
Last September, the Gallup polling institute suggested that 50% of full-time or part-time employees over the age of 18 in the United States would be “quiet quits”, which would designate people who ” don’t outdo themselves at work and just live up to their job description. Immediately, the term “quiet quitting” imposed itself in the public debate […] … learn more→
University fees are poised to change – a new system needs to consider how much courses cost and what graduates can earn
One key change to universities under the Morrison government was the Job-ready Graduates program. Starting in 2021, this significantly increased student fees for humanities degrees, slashed them for nursing and teaching, and moved many other courses up and down. University enrolment figures suggest it has not achieved its goal: to steer students into certain fields of study and away from […] … learn more→
“The other side of words”: Bifurcating
The term “bifurcate” has been widely used in recent months in the French media space, especially during graduation ceremonies from several major engineering and business schools. Pointing to the “ravages” on society and the planet in which technologies would participate, young graduates have said loud and clear their refusal to participate in a capitalist economic model deemed responsible for […] … learn more→
‘I feel guilty about not being good enough’: why all Australian schools need teaching material banks
School education in Australia needs a circuit-breaker. Student performance continues to stagnate and teachers report excessive workloads and alarming rates of stress. Our new report from the Grattan Institute, Ending the Lesson Lottery: How to Improve Curriculum Planning, looks at how teachers could be much better supported. Rather than tinkering at the edges of the education system, we should be looking […] … learn more→
Socio-emotional education at school and the challenge of improving children’s mental health
13% of children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 have a diagnosed mental disorder, according to the UNICEF report on the state of the world’s children . This report also points out that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among adolescents aged 15 to 19 years. In Spain, anxiety, depression , suicidal ideation, self-harm, eating […] … learn more→
Does tutoring work? An education economist examines the evidence on whether it’s effective
With reading and math scores plummeting during the pandemic, educators and parents are now turning their attention to how kids can catch up. In the following Q&A, Susanna Loeb, an education economist at Brown University, shines a light on the best ways to use tutoring to help students get back on track. 1. How much money is […] … learn more→
