In the classic John Ford western Stagecoach, a group of travellers have to make a decision about whether to continue their journey through Apache territory. They decide to settle the issue with a vote, but with one important proviso: that the women have their say first. This kind of chivalry may seem outdated, but the idea […] … learn more→

There is no doubt that technology has made a huge impact on how humans work, communicate and survive. Today, technology is utilized in every facet of life. In fact, it is not unusual for someone to spend most of the day connected to some type of electronic devices, such as the computer, cellphone, laptop, iPad, […] … learn more→

Twice a year, a body of accreditation experts known as NACIQI–the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity–gathers in a windowless conference space to debate the finer points of accreditation. And for the last two years, NACIQI members have come prepared with data on student outcomes to ask accreditors why some of their institutions […] … learn more→

As rector of Leiden University, I am sometimes buttonholed by concerned individuals on Twitter, at alumni events and even at the local market about some recent controversial statement that one of our scholars has made in the media. These individuals are typically embarrassed by the comments, and ask me what I am going to do about […] … learn more→

The opioid crisis is taking the lives of around 115 Americans each day—and is taking over the lives of millions of others. Although the problem is more common in rural than urban areas, the fact that doctors have in recent years over-prescribed opioid painkillers means that anyone can be at risk for abusing these powerful […] … learn more→

Despite all the time and effort invested desegregating the nation’s schools over the past half century, the reality is America’s schools are more segregated now than they were in 1968. Keep that statistic in mind as the nation marks the 64th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education – the 1954 Supreme Court decision that famously mandated the […] … learn more→

It was a quiet evening in the bucolic foothills of academia. I had just finished updating my lecture for the following morning – checking that the various theories expounded hadn’t been discredited since last term, and that the embedded web links didn’t redirect to sites of a pornographic nature – and uploaded the file to my […] … learn more→

The issue of mother tongue education has been fiercely but sporadically debated in South Africa since 1994. In the past two and a half years, student protests at universities across the country have breathed new life into the discussions. Proponents of mother tongue education tend to argue that children should be taught in the language […] … learn more→

Hooray for fantastic and lofty goals focused on early childhood educators attaining four-year degrees that enhance and challenge their joyful work with children and their families! … But then, BANG! Rainbows don’t appear across the sky because we hit the wall and reality of our nation. While the horizon recedes, though, the dream remains … […] … learn more→

Early childhood is an important and instrumental part of a child’s life, with these years seeing a tremendous amount of growth in toddlers. From birth until about eight years old, a child undergoes many physical and psychological changes, and many of these revolve around their cognitive development. So much of this time relies heavily on […] … learn more→