Latest news with #education
Zawya
38 minutes ago
- Business
- Zawya
Al Ain English Speaking School welcomes new principal
Al Ain, United Arab Emirates: Al Ain English Speaking School (AAESS), one of Abu Dhabi's most established and respected British curriculum schools, proudly announces the appointment of Mr Ian Temple as its new Principal, effective from the start of the 2025/2026 academic year. Renowned for its long-standing tradition of academic excellence, inclusive values, and forward-thinking approach, AAESS continues to lead the way in delivering outstanding education in the region. Mr. Temple brings over 30 years of experience in education and academic leadership with a proven track record of driving meaningful progress and achieving significant milestones in schools across the world. Having held senior leadership roles in the UK, Europe, Malaysia, and the Middle East, he most recently served as Principal at Nobel Algarve British International School in Lagoa, Portugal. With a wealth of leadership experience, Mr. Temple has developed deep expertise in multiple frameworks of the English National Curriculum, including GCSE, IGCSE, CIE, A Levels, and the IB. His strategic focus on student progress and attainment has consistently led schools to achieve outstanding ratings, particularly in the areas of academic growth and performance. Recipient of a master's degree in education and the UK's National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), Mr Temple is deeply passionate about supporting students to excel in their areas of interest, tracking their progress, and celebrating their achievements within an inclusive and nurturing environment. A strong believer in the power of collaboration between educators and families, he places significant emphasis on the continuous professional development of teaching staff to sustain excellence. Commenting on his appointment as Principal of Al Ain English Speaking School, Mr. Ian Temple said: 'I am honoured to be joining Al Ain English Speaking School as Principal and lead a community with such a proud legacy of excellence. I look forward to working closely with the students, families and education team to build on the school's achievements and drive its next chapter of success. Together we will cultivate and grow the inclusive environment that is already known at AAESS where every student is empowered to thrive, excel and contribute meaningfully to their communities.' Mr. Glen Radojkovich, Chair of Governors, added: 'We are delighted to welcome Mr. Temple as Principal of Al Ain English Speaking School. With his extensive leadership experience and commitment to academic excellence and holistic student development, Mr. Temple is exceptionally well-positioned to lead the school into its next chapter of growth. As the school approaches its 50-year anniversary, his vision will ensure AAESS continues to build on its proud legacy of empowering students to reach their fullest potential.' This new chapter follows the successful decade-long tenure of Principal Mr. Andrew Thomas under whose leadership, the school earned a "Very Good" rating from the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK). The school has also achieved many academic milestones including students who have been honoured with prestigious awards for their remarkable performance in the Cambridge and Pearson Board examinations. In 2024, these included the highest mark in the UAE for iGCSE Chemistry and A/S Psychology, plus the highest mark in the world for A/S Psychology, reflecting the school's commitment to academic excellence. Recognised as a school for cultivating an environment where students are nurtured to become the best version of themselves, both academically and personally, the appointment of Mr. Temple marks a new exciting chapter for the school and its community. About Al Ain English Speaking School Founded in 1978, Al Ain English Speaking School (AAESS) is a premier educational institution in Al Ain, UAE, and one of the city's oldest private British curriculum schools. With a strong emphasis on academic excellence, holistic development, and community engagement, AAESS provides a nurturing and inclusive environment where students are encouraged to reach their full potential. The school's experienced teaching staff and comprehensive extracurricular programmes ensure that every student receives a well-rounded education, preparing them for success in an ever-changing global landscape. About Cognita Launched in 2004, Cognita is an extraordinary community of schools that span 17 countries and share one common purpose: to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. With over 100 schools in Europe and the US, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia, Cognita employs over 18,000 teaching and support staff in the care and education of more than 90,000 students. Together, Cognita schools provide a uniquely global education that goes beyond grades, to develop all-round academic excellence – equipping young people with the agency, adaptability and positive attitudes that prepares them to grow, thrive and find their success in a rapidly evolving world.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Worried parents demand national childcare watchdog
Parents could be forced to monitor the quality and safety of their kids' childcare providers unless the industry's fragmentation is addressed. The federal government on Wednesday fast-tracked the introduction of a bill that could strip public funding from childcare operators that fail to meet safety standards, among other measures. Though parent and children's advocacy groups have welcomed the bill, there are also calls for a national early-childhood commission to ensure consistent oversight and accountability across Australia. "Parents deserve to know that their child is safe in care," The Parenthood chief executive Georgie Dent said. "Without a national leader to oversee, monitor and regulate quality and safety, the onus is still on parents - many of whom have little choice around their reliance on child care." This national watchdog is particularly important for those outside the capital cities as one of Labor's big second-term promises was to expand universal access to early education. "For rural, regional and remote communities, this stewardship is absolutely critical," said Jacqui Emery, chief executive of country children's charity Royal Far West. "Every Australian child, regardless of where they live, deserves access to safe, high-quality early learning." Labor expedited its bill and introduced it to the House of Representatives on Wednesday after a Victorian childcare worker was charged with dozens of sex offences involving children in early July. State regulators can already shut a centre on the spot if there is an imminent threat to safety, but Education Minister Jason Clare said the Commonwealth should also try to lift standards through its available levers. "We have to do everything that we can to ensure the safety of our children when they walk or when they're carried through the doors of an early education and care service," he told parliament. "Funding is the big weapon that the Australian government has to wield here. "The real purpose of this legislation isn't to shut centres down but to raise standards." Childcare operators that fail to meet quality, safety and compliance standards could be prevented from opening new centres and might be cut off from receiving government subsidies, which typically cover a large proportion of parents' fees. Providers would be issued with a formal notice requiring an explanation within 28 days with the Department of Education able to cancel or suspend an operator's approval. "Providers that can improve their services to meet the standard will get the chance to do that," Mr Clare said. The bill also expands commonwealth powers to publish information about providers that are sanctioned for non-compliance. Information on centres for which childcare subsidy approvals have been suspended or cancelled can already be viewed on the department's website. But the legislation would also allow for information to be made public when compliance action is taken against providers, like when an infringement notice is issued. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said dealing with the safety of children in childcare was above politics. "I can't think of many issues in my time in this parliament that have made me feel as physically sick as this one has, and I know this feeling is shared by members across the aisle," she told parliament. "That these criminals have found their way into our centres and into the lives of our precious, innocent children is just appalling. So we do stand ready to continue to make sure that we get this right." There were still issues with sharing information on working-with-children checks between jurisdictions, Mr Clare said, and more work would be done at an upcoming meeting of state and federal attorneys-general. State, territory and federal ministers are also expected to meet in August to discuss other changes, including mandatory CCTV in childcare centres, establishing a national worker registry and mandatory child-safety training. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
American mother living in the UK reveals the things she finds 'wild' about the British school system
An American mother living in the UK has revealed three things that she finds shocking about the British school system. Molly, who goes by @strangecapers on TikTok, where she has almost 50,000 followers, moved to Birmingham, England, from Texas, US, and frequently posts about the cultural differences between the two countries. In a recent post, the mother identified three features of UK schooling that she finds 'wild' as an American. Taking to TikTok, the US-born mother was shocked that 'free' schools in the UK might be religious, expressed surprise at the 'formal' uniforms worn by children and noted that far more pupils are able to walk to school than in the States. Molly's first 'shock' was that, in the UK, 'schools the public can attend for free can be religious'. Clarifying that 'state schools' in the UK are the equivalent of 'public schools' in the US, she said: 'A school that's designated for the public - not a private school - can give priority to students based on religion.' She added: 'The idea that If you want to go to school in your neighbourhood but you can't get in because kids from further away will have priority because they belong to the faith of the school blows my American mind.' Branding faith schools 'fascinating', Molly appeared to believe that such institutions 'discriminate on the basis of religion', something that would never happen in her home country. The American mother was also surprised by the prevalence of school uniforms in the UK. She acknowledged: 'I know the statistics are overwhelming - like 95 per cent of schools in the UK wear school uniforms - and it's so embedded in the culture to wear school uniform.' Yet, it's 'much less normalised' to wear a uniform in the US, she added. Laughing, she joked: 'Smart shoes... the very formal nature of going to school is new to me.' The third thing in Molly's list was, however, something that she said she's 'really excited' about. She elaborated: 'The number of children in the UK that can walk to school is just so much higher than in the US. 'The idea that you could walk to school is just, like, so exciting to me.' Adding that she was genuinely 'thrilled' that her child will have the opportunity to walk to school, Molly ended the video on a positive note. For the most part, TikTok users failed to share in the American mother's excitement, instead focusing on her two previous points. TikTokers largely disagreed with Molly's characterisation of faith schools in the UK A number of TikTokers took the opportunity to share their own experience of attending faith schools, defending this particular feature of the British school system. One commenter said: 'Don't worry Mrs American, if you're in a religious school they will still accept people not of that faith. 'I went to a Christian school and only around 20 per cent of the students were Christian.' Another said: 'When we see US kids pledging allegiance every morning, that blows our UK minds.' A third person sought to give further insight into the British school system, adding: 'They can be religious. They aren't really, though. There is a school near me called the "Church" in "place name". Not a single person who attends is religious.' A fourth said: 'They don't really discriminate based on religion though - you will see children of all faiths at a Christian-based school. Sometimes, it's the only choice in the catchment area.' A fifth recalled: 'I went to a Christian school while not being religious. Most of my friends weren't religious. I'd say it was 50/50.' Someone else sought to reassure Molly by writing: 'My kids both went to a Catholic school. We are atheist - no issue getting either [child] into this school'. Other people were more sympathetic to Molly's critique of the UK school system Others, however, appeared to share the American mother's dismay that some state schools in the UK have a religious leaning. One person said: 'Really hate how they're allowed to indoctrinate children. Even state schools in Scotland have mandatory religious observance that has to be opted out of.' While a second agreed: 'I completely agree that it's insane that in a basically secular country, we have state-funded religious schools. Religion has no place in education full stop.' A third person was more lighthearted when they commented: 'Also, many non-Church schools still have hymn practice at assembly in the morning - which I've never thought of as weird but upon reflection, it probably is a little!' Others still sought to defend the UK's uniform policy, with one person explaining: 'Uniform stops kids with less money standing out from kids that have expensive designer clothes, so they're less likely to be made fun of.' The same TikTok user added: 'Also good for discipline and standards'. A second person agreed: 'I was always told that one of the reasons we had to wear uniforms was to stop discrimination against people who are poorer based on their clothes'.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Africa to be hit hard as UK foreign aid cuts revealed
The government has revealed details of its plans to cut foreign aid, with support for children's education and women's health in Africa facing the biggest reductions. The government said in February it would slash foreign aid spending by 40% - from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3% - to increase defence spending to 2.5% after pressure from the US. A Foreign Office report and impact assessment show the biggest cuts this year will come in Africa, with less spent on women's health and water sanitation with increased risks, it says, of disease and death. Bond, a UK network of aid organisations, said women and children in the most marginalised communities would pay the highest price. As well as less support for Africa, including big cuts in children's education, funding for the Occupied Palestinian Territories will fall by 21% despite promises to the contrary. But the government said spending on multilateral aid bodies - money given to international organisations like the World Bank - would be protected, including the Gavi vaccine alliance, and it said the UK would also continue to play a key humanitarian role in hotspots such as Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. Baroness Chapman, minister for development, said: "Every pound must work harder for UK taxpayers and the people we help around the world and these figures show how we are starting to do just that through having a clear focus and priorities." The government said the cuts follow "a line-by-line strategic review of aid" by the minister, which focused on "prioritisation, efficiency, protecting planned humanitarian support and live contracts while ensuring responsible exit from programming where necessary". The Foreign Office said bilateral support - aid going directly to the recipient country - for some countries would decrease and multilateral organisations deemed to be underperforming would face future funding cuts. It has not yet announced which countries will be affected. Bond said it was clear the government was "deprioritising" funding "for education, gender and countries experiencing humanitarian crises such as South Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia, and surprisingly the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Sudan, which the government said would be protected". "It is concerning that bilateral funding for Africa, gender, education and health programmes will drop," Bond policy director Gideon Rabinowitz said. "The world's most marginalised communities, particularly those experiencing conflict and women and girls, will pay the highest price for these political choices. "At a time when the US has gutted all gender programming, the UK should be stepping up, not stepping back." Foreign aid has come under intense scrutiny in recent years, with the one cabinet minister admitting the public no longer supports spending on it. One organisation that escaped the cuts was the World Bank. The Foreign Office confirmed that the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's fund for the world's lowest income countries, would receive £1.98bn in funding from the UK over the next three years, helping the organisation benefit 1.9 billion people. The Labour governments under Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown committed to increasing the overseas aid budget to 0.7% of national income. The target was reached in 2013 under David Cameron's Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, before being enshrined in law in 2015. However, aid spending was cut to 0.5% of national income in 2021 under the Conservatives, blaming the economic pressures of Covid. Overseas aid cut dereliction of duty, says charity Government struggles to cut foreign aid spent on asylum hotels We've lost the argument on aid, says minister Ex minister 'fundamentally disagreed' with aid cut
SBS Australia
2 hours ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
'Big weapon' wielded to strengthen childcare safety
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . The first two bills introduced in to the 48th Parliament both focused on education. One fulfils Labor's election promise to cut student debts by 20 per cent - the other a response to shocking allegations of child abuse in Melbourne. "I think the whole country has been sickened and shocked by the revelations that have come out of Victoria in the last few weeks. A lot of work is needed to rebuild trust in a system that parents rely on every single day." That's Education Minister Jason Clare, referring to alleged abuse by 26 year old childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown, who is accused of abusing eight children aged between five months and two years old, with thousands of children possibly exposed to infectious diseases. The government since accelerating its plan to address safety and quality issues in childcare centres. The bill would give the Commonwealth powers to cut off childcare subsidy payments to centres. "The biggest weapon that the Commonwealth has to wield here is the funding that we provide that enables childcare centers to operate. It's something like $16 billion a year, and that covers about 70% of the cost of running the average child care centre." It also expands the Education Department's ability to monitor centres, and enter without notice or a warrant. "This gives more power to our officers to be able to do spot checks without a warrant or without the AFP on board." And would allow details about breaches to be published by the department. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the coalition will closely examine the proposal. But Nationals Frontbencher Bridget McKenzie says more needs to be done. "Is it enough? No, will it fix the problem? No. There is much more to be done in this space, and I we've acted in a bipartisan way. We'll continue to do so, but we do believe that much more urgent action needs to be taken. The education ministers aren't getting together till October, and the Attorneys General aren't getting together till next month. This needs to be solved. Now, get on the blower. Get them up. You can have a teams meeting, but let's get the solutions on the table and enacted so that our children are." The meeting next month will consider proposals like mandating CCTV in centres, establishing a National Educator Register, and mandatory child safety training. Children's commissioner Anne Hollonds says the split responsibilities can make it a challenging issue to address. "And it's often the case with all areas of policy to do with children that the responsibilities are divided between the Commonwealth and the States and Territories. And what we see is a bit of handballing of responsibility when a negative event occurs, like the really horrendous situation we're dealing with right now." The Commissioner is calling for a single person to hold the final responsibility for child safety in Australia. "There's a lot of questions being asked about, why has it taken 10 years for us to now be taking seriously a lot of these measures that we were told by the Royal Commission are required to keep children safe. And, you know, it really it has to be something about the fact that there is no minister for whom child safety and wellbeing is their number one priority. Unlike for women, we've had ministers for women for decades. There are good reasons why we have a Minister for Women. There's also a good reason why we have women's safety as a key priority for national cabinet, which is where the Prime Minister and the heads of the states and territories work together on issues of national significance. And a lot of viewers would be surprised to hear that child safety and wellbeing is not listed as a priority for national cabinet. So I think both of those issues need to be looked at that we're missing some key accountability mechanisms."
