The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reports that in 36 countries, only 39 per cent of bachelor’s degree students graduate within the expected duration of their program. Another 28 per cent do so in the following three years. According to the World Bank, students abandoning advanced or “tertiary” studies — everything from university to […] … learn more→

Before I came into higher education I had a brief stint as a civil service strategic planner. I got pretty interested in the process of scenario planning – that’s where you develop a narrative about something that could happen in the future. Or better still multiple narratives. The point of scenario planning is to identify ways […] … learn more→

You’re not the only person who has done something you wish you hadn’t. By the time we reach adulthood most, if not all, of us have. People cheat, lie, hurt others, or fail. It’s part of the human condition. Many people have cheated in exams. For example, nearly 30% of university students who responded to a 2012 UK […] … learn more→

Tuition continues to skyrocket, and always this is justified because the schools need more money to educate students. For most schools, the lie here is transparent for a variety of reasons: If the student base is increasing, economies of scale should drive overhead per student down…but it does not. If the school has been around […] … learn more→

Chicago’s teachers went on strike in October, suspending instruction for the city’s public school students for 11 days. Educators in the nation’s third-largest school district were seeking higher pay and improved benefits. But they also wanted to reduce the number of classrooms with large numbers of students. The deal the union representing Chicago’s teachers struck with the city […] … learn more→

The recent student-led climate protests reflect the need for schools to provide opportunities to nurture their students’ global, environmentally conscious minds. Modern education isn’t only about teaching kids the traditional concepts of say, English and Mathematics – it is also about helping to develop confident adults and informed citizens. The curriculum goes some way to doing this. […] … learn more→

There are so many derangements on our campuses today that it’s hard for me to cover even the most egregious of them with any regularity. One I’ve neglected is the kangaroo campus court system a quasi-court system where basically admin can do whatever they wants, with a thin veneer of legitimacy attached to it. Words […] … learn more→

“All the children of our world will know his name,” prophesies Professor McGonagall at the beginning of Harry Potter . More than 20 years after the appearance in bookstore of the hero imagined by JK Rowling, it is clear that fiction has become reality. The series in seven volumes that traces the path of initiation of the young orphan was published more than […] … learn more→

1. Will this measure bring new opportunities for student athletes? I think that remains to be seen. For the few college superstars in football and mens’ basketball, there will potentially be more marketing opportunities at the large-scale level, such as national and international endorsement deals, camp appearances and apparel contracts. For others, there may be […] … learn more→

On US students’ college-prep checklist, nothing looms larger than college admission tests. That’s why recently announced changes to the ACT might seem like a windfall to students who are concerned that a single test score could determine their whole futures. Starting next fall, students will be able to retake any of the ACT’s five sections […] … learn more→