Latest news with #education system
CNN
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Should Indians feel ‘ashamed' for speaking English?
India's ruling government is questioning the country's reliance on English, igniting debates over identity, inclusion, and opportunity. It comes as the government is working to erase remnants of colonial history, from renaming school textbooks to changing street name. Yet, some warn that sidelining English could undermine the nation's future, even as language politics continue to fuel tensions.
The National
3 days ago
- Business
- The National
How to enrol your child at school in the UAE
The UAE is home to some of the best private school brands in the world. That will soon include two campuses of the UK's renowned Harrow School. But as the UAE experiences an influx of residents, particularly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, securing places for children at the best schools has become competitive. Whether you're new to the Emirates' education system and don't know where to start, or looking to switch your child's school, here's everything you need to know about getting a place. How has demand changed over the past year? There has been a significant increase in enrolments, driven by the high number of families moving to the UAE, notably from the UK, said Victoria Lumby, senior vice president of growth at Gems Education. 'Year on year, our total enrolments have risen by approximately 5 per cent.' To meet this rising demand, Gems Education has expanded capacity at some of its schools across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It also opened Gems Education Founders School – Masdar City and Gems Education Founders School – Dubai South last year, with Gems Education School of Research and Innovation to follow next month. Nikki Holman, head of admissions of UK curriculum schools at Taaleem, reported a similar increase. 'Over the past year, we have experienced accelerating demand across our school portfolio,' she said. 'New campuses such as Dubai British School Jumeira have reached high utilisation within their first year, and DBS Mira, set to open in August 2025, is already enrolling over 700 students, a record for a premium school in Dubai.' How do I know if a school is good? In Dubai, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) rates schools regularly with six rankings, from 'very weak' to 'outstanding'. The rankings are available to the public in the Education Directory on its website. The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) does the same, and these ratings are also available on its website. Inspection criteria include students' achievement and progress, teaching and learning quality, curriculum and resources, leadership, management, environment, and safety. The KHDA also measures well-being and inclusion. 'We advise families to visit schools, speak with leadership teams, try to meet parents already at the school and review KHDA or Adek inspection reports to understand the unique strengths of each school,' said Ms Holman. How do I choose the right curriculum? It's important to consider your children's learning needs, said Ms Holman. 'For families who may return to their home country, choosing a familiar curriculum often supports continuity. Although the British curriculum is by far the most popular among families, the International Baccalaureate is widely recognised as a highly transportable curriculum for globally mobile families,' she added. There are several curriculum frameworks to choose from in the UAE. Taaleem schools also offer American and French curriculums, while Gems Education also offers an Indian curriculum. How much are fees? Education institutions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi can vary widely when it comes to fees. In May, the KHDA announced that private schools in Dubai will be allowed to increase tuition fees by up to 2.35 per cent in the 2025-2026 academic year. The fees can be found on each school's website. For example, following the price rise, at Kings' School Al Barsha in Dubai, Foundation Stage 1 costs Dh57,999, while Year 13 is Dh105,873. Brighton College Abu Dhabi charges Dh50,830 for nursery and Dh80,780 for Year 13. When should parents start the admissions process? The earlier the better. 'Choosing the right school for your child is a significant decision and one that should be made with careful consideration and time to explore all aspects of the school,' said Luke Steward, director of admissions and marketing at Swiss International Scientific School Dubai. 'Our admissions for the 2026/27 academic year will open once the current school year is under way, while we continue to accept applications for the current year where space is available.' Most schools open admissions in January for the academic year beginning the following September, said Ms Holman. At Gems Education, schools accept applications a full year in advance and they are open during the summer for tours and support with applications, added Ms Lumby. What is the admissions process? The process is similar across schools. It often includes an online application form, an application fee and the submission of documents, such as passport copies, visa pages, Emirates ID and school reports, depending on the year group you're applying for. An assessment appointment will follow and, if successful, an offer letter will be issued. The place will be reserved with a signed offer and deposit. What should my child expect from the admissions test? Tests depend on the grade and curriculum. They typically cover key subjects such as science, maths and English. In Abu Dhabi, children are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and the tests are used to help determine their grade level. In Dubai, assessments are often prerequisites for elite schools and some carry a non-refundable fee of up to Dh1,000 What happens if we are put on the waiting list? For many schools, being placed on a waiting list is common because year groups fill up fast, particularly in transitional years such as Foundation Stage or Year 1. For example, Gems Education schools such as Jumeirah Primary School, Jumeirah College and Gems Education Wellington International School have waiting lists across all year groups. Others, such as Gems Education International School, only have them in some year groups. Finding yourself on the waiting list can be unsettling for families, said Mr Steward of Swiss International Scientific School Dubai. 'While there is often movement as family plans shift, we can never guarantee when a place will become available,' he added. 'We always recommend that families check in with our admissions office as early as possible to understand current availability. Staying in regular contact ensures you're well positioned if a space becomes available.' At Gems Education, application fees need to be paid and assessments completed even if you're on the waiting list. 'Wait-listed families are then updated on a termly basis, but will need to reapply if they've been on the wait-list for over two years,' said Ms Lumby. 'When a seat becomes available, students with siblings already attending the school are given priority; otherwise, it's first come, first served.' What are common documentation issues? One of the most important documents is a transfer certificate from your child's current school. 'Depending on your country of origin, this may need to be attested,' said Mr Steward. 'If this step is missed or not completed properly, it can cause delays in final enrolment.' Beyond this, teacher recommendations are often required, which can be difficult to obtain during summer holidays. 'School reports are occasionally submitted in informal formats which can lead to delays,' added Mr Steward. 'Wherever possible, we kindly ask families to provide official, signed and dated academic records.' Remote assessments may also be required if the student cannot attend in person. 'These require appropriate invigilation to be considered valid, which can be a challenge if your current school is closed or teachers are unavailable during holidays,' said Mr Steward. Ms Holman also advised families to bring original birth certificates, immunisation records and previous school reports for the last two academic years. What support do schools offer families who are new to the UAE? Everything from personalised school tours to transition support, admissions consultations and a step-by-step onboarding process are offered, said Ms Holman. 'Our community-focused schools provide induction programmes for both students and parents, including orientation events, communication guidance and resources about life in the UAE.' What should I do if my child has additional needs? While inclusion services for children with physical or intellectual disabilities are mandatory as per the KHDA and Adek, provision widely varies, so parents should carry out detailed research to find the right fit, said Victoria McKeown, a neurodiversity specialist known as The Diverse Mind Coach. 'Try to get the school to offer a trial session. Very often, when they see what the child's needs are, they realise they can accommodate them because their needs aren't significant enough to need a huge amount of support,' she said. If a school is insisting on a learning support assistant (LSA), which comes at an extra cost, parents need to advocate for themselves, Ms McKeown added. 'Ask: what would the LSA be used for? How do you know my child will need this LSA, and also what would a phasing-out plan look like? How will we know when we don't need an LSA any more?' Above all, it's important to decide whether the school will be able to meet your children's needs, said Ms McKeown.
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Mahathir at 100: evaluating the man of the century
Our indomitable two-time ex-prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad turned a hundred years old recently. Amazingly, even at a hundred, he's out and about with more energy than I can muster on the best of days, even though I'm only as old as one of his children. I extend my heartiest congratulations to Tun. I hope he's recovering well from the recent birthday exertions. And I hope he'll share with me the real secrets of his longevity – something other than the one about the need to stop eating before one is full! Regardless of people's opinions on Tun, you must agree he's been the most significant political figure in Malaysia's modern history, a factor in the life of a vast majority of Malaysians since the 1960s, if not earlier. And it seems like he's not going anywhere any time soon. I remember when he was appointed Malaysia's education minister in the 1970s. Young people were quite excited about it. Being an education minister in those days was a sign of one's political star rising, as it certainly was in Tun's case. Tun was certainly popular with young people: they saw in him a rebel and a fearless man. He went on to bigger political jobs, but the state of our current education system is certainly a part of his legacy, for better or for worse. It is a constant source of annoyance to me that many old people whinge about how good education used to be in the 'good old days' when, apparently, we all loved each other regardless of race or religion and ate off each other's plates and drank off each other's cups without a care in the world. Even if that had been so, it was true only for the elite and the lucky ones from the urban areas. The rest, meaning most of us in the villages and backwaters, could only dream of having a good education, had we dared to dream about anything at all. Luckily, opportunities are now available to everyone to become sufficiently educated to be able to function and earn a living in our society. That's certainly something to be grateful for, and that's certainly one of Tun's legacies. Missed opportunity Unfortunately, we missed the opportunity where we could have turned our schools into instruments to create a sorely-needed Malaysian culture, one that binds the disparate cultures of the various communities. That moment has passed. I, for one, don't blame the switch to Bahasa Malaysia as the main language of instruction as being a major factor in this failure. I believe we could've done that and still made schools the unifying factor for all Malaysians regardless of the medium of instruction. The problem was to please the more conservative part of Malay politics. Mahathir let into our schools those who championed race, religion and language, to the extent that I often wonder whether there's now any difference between normal schools and actual religious schools. Stuffing more religious material into school curricula didn't work. Malaysians aren't more moral, honest and law abiding because of it. All it did was give way too much unearned resources and power to the politicians to do even more of what they have been doing. Another problem was that we neglected English because of the increasingly chauvinistic and insular attitudes of many Malays. I don't think Tun was the instigator of this neglect but he certainly opened the door for many to politicise this excessively. Even today many Malaysians, especially Malays, don't see being multilingual as an asset. That's unfortunate, because there's no sin in being greedy about acquiring and accumulating the wealth of languages. To be fair, the other problem then and now is that there are many equally chauvinistic non-Malays, especially Chinese, who insist on clinging to their own culture – especially language and schools – as a critical part of their identity and preservation of their own little corner of the old homeland. Malays and non-Malays, whether through nationalism or chauvinism, must both share the blame for where we are now, which is that our education system is nowhere near helping us fulfil our potential as a nation. Tun himself certainly played the nationalism card hard, especially against the more laid-back attitudes of Tunku Abdul Rahman and his cohort. Doing it, his way While Tun wasn't the worst of the nation's leaders, his impact has certainly been the longest lasting, and the most consequential. You can't try to make sense of Tun without having the word 'ego' in the explanation somewhere. Tun has this 'ego' in spades. But that's understandable because you certainly can't lead a nation unless you have some strong belief in your own self and your destiny. But in Tun's case it was a strong but also a wounded ego. He has a big chip on his shoulder, one that made him focus more on his own paths and his own grievances and on pointing fingers at others – the British, the West in general, the non-Malays and basically anybody who isn't in sync with his thinking and vision. Unfortunately such an ego robbed him of self-awareness and introspection, and the priceless ability to step back, listen, and make the occasional apology and compromise and move on to a better trajectory. Tun never backed down from a fight. In fact, he started many of them. Some of the fights that he won – such as the fight against the judiciary, the fight to privatise many public assets and services – unfortunately saddled us with systemic corruption and big financial losses. Even many of the fights he supposedly won, such as industrialising the country through heavy industries and the national car projects, didn't turn out to be much of a victory after all. Many of them cost the rakyat lots of money, whether directly or indirectly, for years and even decades later. It's the fights he didn't pick, such as taking the agricultural sector into the 21st century, that we rue the most. In his haste to leapfrog and match the West, he forgot that agriculture is where the Malays have more advantages, by reason of history, culture and land ownership, as opposed to heavy industries. Adding business-savvy practices and high tech to areas where we're already familiar with – food production, cash crops etc – would've elevated the Malays' economic status more successfully. The current global concerns about food security show that it would've been the correct strategic thing to do too. Ups and downs After becoming prime minister at 56, an age when most people retire, he was to surprise the nation 22 years later by voluntarily retiring from office. He didn't quite retire gracefully – remember that 'ego' thing – and when in 2018 he got back to Putrajaya for the second time, he had a long to-do list. Unfortunately, that didn't include being the elder statesman who had chosen to rise above petty political games and machinations and becoming the one who stabilises the nation during a time of momentous change. He fought his battles, but he lacked a strong political base. He lost and had an ignominious second, and involuntary, retirement. Since then, he's been seething with bitterness against those who stood against him. I would argue that the bitterness is made worse because deep down he knows he's failed. I think he knows he missed the chance to be more than just a politician but a true statesman, the 'Father of Malaysian Recovery' righting the Malaysian ship that by then had strayed badly off course. Credit where credit is due Enough of the bashings. Credit must also be given where credit is due. He led Malaysia into building outstanding infrastructure in highways, ports, airports, and telecommunications. Even though all these projects carried some baggage of corruption, they have also been critical in helping with our economic growth. He made Malaysia a respected name in the world, especially among developing countries. He was bold in taking on the powerful interests of the West, which required a lot of courage. With his 'ego', he literally succeeded in putting Malaysia on the world map. During many of my travels, I found that being a Malaysian was a big deal , especially in remote places in the 'third world' such as Africa or Central Asia. A Malaysian flag patch on your clothing guaranteed a thumbs-up from the locals, who were especially respectful and even quite knowledgeable of our most well-known leader, the good Tun. Tun is intelligent, too, well read on a huge array of subjects, and comfortable with the big picture as well as the details. I may not agree with everything he said and did, but I was never worried about being embarrassed when he opened his mouth, especially on the world stage. So, it's not that easy to evaluate Tun's impact on Malaysia. It's politics, after all, and Tun is quite a polarising figure. People either love him or hate him, with not many people in the middle. But without a doubt his impact is huge, and through sheer willpower, perhaps driven by the desire to outlast all his enemies, he's still here among us, looking way healthier and alert than his age would suggest. Perhaps there's something in his advice about not cleaning up your plate at mealtimes after all. But that is incredibly hard to do, and if Tun was to claim that as his most important life achievement, I would probably not argue against him. Meanwhile, happy belated birthday Tun, and may you have many more healthy years ahead of you. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
South China Morning Post
17-07-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
14 years of DSE: how Hong Kong has performed in its university entrance exams
Students in Hong Kong have received their results for the Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (DSE) – the local university entrance exam taken after six years of secondary schooling. This year's exams saw 16 students with perfect scores, a record since the DSE's launch in 2012. It included the second-ever 'ultimate top scorer', who achieved the highest marks among all top candidates. He was also the first cross-border high-flyer. While 129 students have achieved top marks over the past 14 years, there are also thousands who score 'zero' every year. South China Morning Post examined the exams, taking a look at its history and a little trivia behind the DSE. DSE 2025: 11 of 16 top scorers plan to study medicine in Hong Kong 1. Why was the DSE launched? Before 2012, the city's students took two major university entrance exams: the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) for Form Five pupils and the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE), also known as the A-levels, for Form Seven students. The last HKCEE was held in 2011, and the final HKALE in 2012 – the same year as the first DSE exams. This marked a transition from a British-style education system to a new model, commonly known as the '3+3+4' academic structure: three years of junior secondary education, three years of senior secondary education and four years of university education. The change was also made to reduce students' stress by consolidating the two exams into one. Most DSE subjects are graded on a seven-level scale, from level 1 to 5**. Students who achieve level 5 in a subject are graded as 5, 5* or 5**. Audrey Wong (centre), the Diocesan Girls' School top scorer, with her parents. Her father, Albert Wong, was also a top scorer in the HKCEE, achieving 10 As in 1992. Photo: Elson Li 2. Which schools have the most top scorers? From 2012 to 2025, a total of 129 top scorers were recorded across 43 schools. Before 2024, top scorers referred to students who attained a perfect score of 5** in all seven subjects that most students take, namely the core subjects of Chinese, English, mathematics, liberal studies and three other electives. Since 2024, top scorers refer to those who also received the 'attained' status for citizenship and social development alongside perfect scores in the other six subjects. From 2012 to this year, the top three schools with the most top scorers were St Paul's Co-educational College, with 22 students, followed by the Diocesan Girls' School and Queen's College, both tied at 15 top scorers each. DSE 2025: What to do if you're disappointed with your results Super scorers refer to students who receive the maximum mark in all subjects and an additional 5** in one of the two optional extended modules of maths. There are at least 48 such students in the history of the exam, with St Paul's Co-educational College again taking the crown, with 13 of its students earning the title. It is followed by Queen's College and Diocesan Girls' School, tied at five each, and four from Diocesan Boys' School. Under normal circumstances, students are only allowed to take a maximum of eight papers in the DSE. But some apply to take nine papers instead of the usual six to seven and have managed to get perfect scores. Throughout the history of the DSE, there have been two 'ultimate top scorers' achieving this academic feat – one in 2018 from La Salle College and another this year at the Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club College. The ultimate top scorer this year was Wang Haibo, a student from Hong Kong Chinese Women's Club College in Sai Wan Ho. He achieved perfect scores of 5** in all eight papers and an attained grade in citizenship and social development. Photo: May Tse 3. What about those who score poorly? Candidates who score less than level 1 will get 'UNCL' on their report cards – 'unclassified', commonly known as 'a zero score'. The DSE's 2012 launch year recorded the highest percentage – 5.9 per cent – of candidates who scored zero marks in the four core and 19 elective academic subjects. This number was followed by 5.6 per cent this year and 5.3 per cent in 2013. 4. Who are the oldest and youngest exam takers? The oldest exam takers were aged 71 – one sat the DSE in 2023 and another took it this year. The youngest candidate was Bryan Leung Chi-yan, a nine-year-old student who took the mathematics and mathematics extended part module 2 (algebra and calculus), which is commonly known as M2 in the city. In 2024, Leung got 5* in the compulsory part and a 5** in the extended module. How to mentally prepare yourself for results day 5. Which subjects have the highest and lowest university entry rates? The South China Morning Post analysed core and elective academic subject data from the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority over a decade, from 2015 to 2024. Citizenship and social development was excluded from the calculation as it did not offer grades and was only established in 2024. The core subject with the highest rate of passing university entry requirements was the compulsory component of maths, with an average of 81.3 per cent of candidates attaining level 2 or above in the subject. This year, the passing rate was 83.4 per cent. Queen's College students are handed their DSE results. Photo: Eugene Lee In contrast, English language was the biggest hurdle, as only an average of 52.6 per cent could cross the threshold at level 3 between 2015 and 2024. The rate this year was 53.6 per cent. For academic elective subjects, an average of nearly 96 per cent of candidates across the decade could attain level 2 in chemistry, followed by music at 95 per cent and history at 94 per cent. Only 87.3 per cent passed chemistry this year, almost 10 percentage points lower than the decade average. About 93.4 per cent passed history, and around 98.3 per cent of candidates passed music this year.
South China Morning Post
17-07-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's DSE 14 years in: pupils' best subjects, worst performers and top schools
Students in Hong Kong have received their results for the Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (DSE), the local university entrance exams that pupils take after six years of secondary schooling. This year's exams produced 16 students with perfect scores, a record since the DSE's launch in 2012, including the second 'ultimate top scorer', who achieved the highest marks among all top candidates and the first cross-border high-flier. While about 130 students have achieved top marks over the past 14 years, there are also thousands who score 'zero' every year. The Post takes a look at the history and some trivia behind the exams. 1. How did the DSE come to be? Before the DSE was launched in 2012, students took two major university entrance exams: the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) for Form Five pupils and the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE), also known as the A-levels, for Form Seven students. The last HKCEE was held in 2011 and the final HKALE in 2012, the same year as the first DSE exams. This marked a transition from a British-style education system to a new model, commonly known as the '3+3+4' academic structure – three-year junior secondary, three-year senior secondary and four-year university education. The change was also made to lessen students' stress as two exams were consolidated into one. Most DSE subjects are graded on a seven-level scale, from level 1 to 5**. Students who achieve level 5 in a subject are graded as 5, 5* or 5**.
