Latest news with #pre-COVID
Hamilton Spectator
8 hours ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Students' gambit: Calgary foundation builds connection through chess
Team sports like soccer play fundamental parts of childhood development and signing up is a no-brainer for most parents. Generally, chess is not mentioned in the connection and world-building context with other, more physical team sports. However, a local organization is trying to change that narrative, beginning with brain-teasing Calgarians. The Checkmate Foundation , a Calgary-based not-for-profit, focuses on making chess accessible for everyone through tournaments, workshops and structured programming in schools and the community. While most events are open to everyone, they also run separate events focused on vulnerable, underrepresented, or marginalized groups. Muhammad Saim, the president of the Checkmate Foundation and UCalgary student, said in his experience, chess has helped build community connection, make friendships and positively impact mental health. 'For a lot of people, (chess) can help them build resilience,' he said. Beginning in the late pandemic, Checkmate was founded out of the need for connection. Initially, the foundation ran a virtual summer camp in partnership with Calgary charity Closer to Home to engage families and children in the sport. In the return to pre-COVID normalcy, the foundation has begun offering in-person classes, open to rook-ies and experienced players, all cost-free to attend. 'We first started off running our library sessions, where we provided places where people could come and learn chess, open to anyone. A lot of our sessions were tailored to beginners,' Saim said. After initial workshop success, the foundation began expanding sessions, with some focused on higher-level chess lessons and free play, an approach Saim said worked well. In addition to library classes, the foundation is involved with the Trellis Society , hosting games during their after-school program. Since its 2022 creation, Canada's only chess-based non-profit has taught more than 3,000 individuals, hosted more than 8,000 games and run more than 60 events, according to a foundation-made press release. The program has made progress aside from students, as they have taught in places like the Kerby Centre . 'A lot of seniors were really excited to learn chess, one of them even told us that he's learning chess because he wants to play with his grandson,' Saim said. 'It's a way to bridge those gaps and really allow people to make meaningful connections with each other.' The foundation has 65 active volunteers and a total of 200 volunteers in what Saim calls their 'volunteer pool.' In addition to chess knowledge, volunteers receive orientation and training to meet the specific needs of the groups they work with. Saim said that like him, most volunteers are University students within the 16-24 age range. This fall, the foundation has plans to work with the Calgary Dream Centre, an opportunity to teach the skills of chess to a new demographic, this time people who are recovering from homelessness and addiction. Saim said that he hopes that Checkmate volunteers can help make a positive difference in the lives of people who are struggling. They will host an eight-week program, with weekly chess sessions to be held in the centre's cafeteria. 'While many already know the basics of the game, the structured environment encourages reflection, focus, and social connection,' their media release reads. Without looking too far ahead, the foundation's next event is Saturday, June 7 at the Nose Hill Library. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Chronic Absenteeism's Post-COVID ‘New Normal': Data Shows It Is More Extreme
The percentage of students with good attendance fell sharply between 2019 and 2023, while the share of chronically absent students more than doubled, offering further evidence of the pandemic's shattering effect on the nation's classrooms. A new analysis of data from three states — North Carolina, Texas and Virginia — shows that prior to COVID, 17% of students were chronically absent, meaning they missed at least 10% of the school year. By 2023, long after schools had to cope with new variants and hybrid schedules, that figure hit 37%. 'Absences are both more common for everybody, but they are also more extreme,' said Jacob Kirksey, an associate professor of education policy at Texas Tech University. Additional new research shows that while post-pandemic chronic absenteeism lingers across the board, rates were substantially higher for low-income students. In North Carolina, for example, the chronic absenteeism rate for students in poverty before the pandemic was 9.2 percentage points higher than for non-poor students. By 2023, the gap increased to 14.6 percentage points. 'The income gap really was the main driver that showed up over and over again,' said Morgan Polikoff, an education researcher at the University of Southern California. But it's hard for schools to make a dent in the problem, he said, if they aren't investigating the reasons for chronic absenteeism. 'There's a big difference between the kid [who] has an illness and is chronically sick versus the kid [who] is super disengaged.' Kirksey and Polikoff were among several researchers who shared their findings Friday at an American Enterprise Institute event focused on facing what Kirksey called the 'under-the-hood dynamics' of chronic absenteeism in the post-COVID era. Since 2022, when the national average peaked at 28%, the rate has dropped to 23% — still much higher than the pre-COVID level of about 15%, according to the conservative think tank's tracker. 'I have a question that keeps me up at night. That question is 'What's the new normal going to be?' ' said Nat Malkus, the deputy director of education policy at AEI. 'We see this rising tide, but I think that it's incumbent on us to say that chronic absenteeism still affects disadvantaged students more.' The research project began in September with the goal of offering guidance to districts in time for students' return to school this fall. The researchers stressed that those most likely to be chronically absent this school year — low-income, highly mobile and homeless students — are the same ones who will frequently miss school next year. 'Absenteeism should seldom come as a surprise,' said Sam Hollon, an education data analyst at AEI. 'It's hard to justify delaying interventions until absences have accumulated.' One new finding revealed Friday contradicts a theory that gained traction following the pandemic — that students were more likely to be absent if their teachers were also out. As with students, teacher absenteeism increased during the pandemic and hasn't returned to pre-COVID levels. The relationship between teacher absences and student absences, however, is 'pretty negligible,' said Arya Ansari, an associate professor of human development and family science at The Ohio State University. 'These absences among teachers don't actually contribute to the post-COVID bump that we've seen in student absences,' he said. 'Targeting teacher absences isn't going to move the needle.' Related The researchers discussed how even some well-intentioned responses to the COVID emergency have allowed chronic absenteeism to persist. States, Malkus said, made it easier to graduate despite frequent absences and missing school doesn't necessarily prevent students from turning in their work. 'In my day, you had to get a packet and do the work at home' if you were absent, Polikoff said. In interviews with 40 families after the pandemic, 39 said it was easy to make up work because of Google Classroom and other online platforms. 'How many said, 'Let's make it harder'? Zero.' In another presentation, Ethan Hutt, an associate education professor at the University of North Carolina, estimated that chronic absenteeism accounts for about 7.5% of overall pandemic learning loss and about 9.2% for Black and low-income students — a 'nontrivial, but modest' impact. He stressed that missing school also affects student engagement and relationships with teachers. While technology has made it easier for students to keep up, 'there may be other harms that we want to think about and grapple with,' he said. Related The new research comes as states are mounting new efforts to more closely track chronic absenteeism data and share it with the public. In 2010, only one state — Maryland — published absenteeism data on its state education agency website. Now, 49 states — all but New Hampshire — report rates on an annual, monthly or even daily basis, according to a new report released Tuesday by Attendance Works, an advocacy and research organization. The systems allow educators and the public to more quickly identify which students are most affected and when spikes occur. Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Washington D.C. post rates even before the end of the school year. Rhode Island offers real-time data, while Connecticut publishes monthly reports. The New Hampshire Department of Education doesn't monitor chronic absenteeism, but has a statewide 92.7% attendance rate, a spokesperson said. The report highlights states that have taken action to reduce chronic absenteeism. In Virginia, bus drivers ensure their routes include students who might be more likely to struggle with transportation. With state funds, Fauquier County, west of Washington, D.C., opened a center for students on short-term suspension to minimize the absences that tend to pile up when a student is removed from the classroom. Overall chronic absenteeism in the state declined from 19.3% in 2022-23 to 15.7% in 2023-24. To Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, such improvement proves 'we can still get things done in our country and in education, despite all of the culture wars and binary thinking.' Some district and school leaders have looked to their peers for ideas on how to get kids back in school. After participating in a six-month program with 16 other districts across the country organized by the nonprofit Digital Promise, Mark Brenneman, an elementary principal in New York's Hudson City Schools, started interviewing families about their challenges. He learned that Hispanic parents often keep their children home when it rains because they're worried they're going to catch a cold. Several had transportation challenges. His school, Smith Elementary, even contributed to the problem, he said, by holding concerts, award ceremonies or other family events in the morning. Parents would come to celebrate their children's accomplishments, then take them out for lunch and not return. Related Hudson, about 40 miles south of Albany, has undergone significant change since the pandemic, added Superintendent Juliette Pennyman. Some families leaving New York City have settled in Hudson, driving up the cost of housing. 'Our families are being priced out of the community,' she said. 'Housing insecurity was … affecting families' and students' ability to focus on school.' As a result of the intense focus on the issue, Smith, which had a 29% chronic absenteeism rate last year, has seen an about a 15% increase in the number of students with good attendance. 'It's not like we're down to like 10% chronically absent,' Brenneman said. 'But we've hammered away.'
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Jim Chalmers resorting to new taxes is a misguided attempt to ‘purchase prosperity' as private investment in the Australian economy crashes
Earlier this month, a collapsed high-voltage wire near Strathfield Station brought Sydney's entire railway network to a halt, forcing commuters to endure days of chaos and delay. The State Government and rail officials scrambled to apologise, offering a fare-free travel day as compensation. But no number of free rides can repair the ancient cabling, rigid work practices, and flawed design that make the city's rail system so fragile. Sydney's rail meltdown is more than a transport failure - it is a metaphor for Australia's broader political and economic malaise. A system that appears to function smoothly on the surface is merely running on inertia. Beneath the facade lies decay: decades of short-termism, underinvestment, and complacency. This week's news that business investment is falling confirms the rot has spread to the foundations of the national economy and that the current government has little appetite for structural reform. Non-mining investment contracted by 1.6 per cent nationally in the March quarter, while private capital expenditure dropped by 5.3 per cent in Victoria in the three months to March. Yet private investment is the engine of job creation, productivity, and wage growth. Without it, the reverse holds: business shrinks, employment stagnates, and economic momentum falters. Capital - the lifeblood of any economy - flows to where it is welcomed and where returns are reliable. Under Treasurer Jim Chalmers, businesses are increasingly wary of investing in Australia, deterred by high costs, regulatory burdens, and policy uncertainty. The Albanese government's Future Made in Australia strategy risks remaining a slogan unless it can reverse this investment drought. But rising energy costs and an increasingly unreliable power supply are driving manufacturers offshore. On top of that, Australia's high labour costs and complex industrial relations system deter new ventures. CSL Chairman Brian McNamee captured the mood when he said businesses were reacting to 'an accumulation of hostile policies and government crowding out of enterprise'. Investment capital, he warned, 'will find homes elsewhere that are more welcoming and reward risk-taking'. These cracks in our economic edifice didn't appear overnight. Like Sydney's ageing power lines and outdated rolling stock, the deterioration has been years in the making. Australia's GDP per capita has now declined for seven consecutive quarters - a sign that, were it not for population growth through immigration, the country would be in recession. Productivity, the key driver of long-term prosperity, has flatlined. Over the past two decades, it has grown at just 0.7 per cent per year. In the last year, growth was a mere 0.5 per cent. Small wonder that living standards have been slipping since the pandemic. Whatever growth the economy shows is increasingly the product of government spending - now at 27 per cent of GDP, up two points from pre-COVID levels. But governments cannot purchase prosperity any more than they can restore a rail system with free travel days. Eventually, they resort to new taxes. Mr Chalmers' proposal to tax unrealised capital gains in superannuation is one such example - a measure that will discourage long-term savings and further undermine private investment. Self-managed super funds, often used to back small business and start-ups, will be particularly affected. For a cautionary tale, we need only look to Germany, a country long admired for its engineering excellence and export-driven economy. But as Wolfgang Münchau explains in 'Kaputt: The End of the German Miracle ' , complacency and underinvestment have taken their toll. Germany's efficiency endured as a reputation long after it disappeared as a rea lity. The nation failed to keep pace with the digital era, relying instead in analogue infrastructure and unreliable energy sources. Dependence on Russian gas and costly renewables sent electricity prices soaring - now among the highest in Europe. Meanwhile, Germany's vaunted rail system has become a symbol of national decline. Deutsche Bahn, once synonymous with precision and quality, is now plagued by delays, technical faults, and overcrowding. In 2024, just 62 per cent of long-distance trains arrived on time. In April, Swiss operator SBB cut two cross-border services, fearing Germany's dysfunction would spill over into their own network. The parallels with Australia are sobering. Both nations rode waves of prosperity driven by commodity exports while neglecting the need for reform. Both now face the consequences: rigid regulatory systems, soaring power prices, stagnant productivity, and eroded competitiveness. And in both countries, the signs of decline were ignored until something broke. Germany kept betting against the digital age. Australia, too, risks believing its own myth of resilience and economic strength, long after the underlying conditions have shifted. If we don't act now to address structural weaknesses, the next broken wire, literal or metaphorical, will leave more than just a railway in chaos. Nick Cater is a senior fellow at Menzies Research Centre and a regular contributor to Sky News Australia
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
These cities are prime areas to rent for recent college graduates
Many college graduates are figuring out where to live as they finish their time in academia, and renting is a common route for them to take. In its newly released "Top Rental Markets for Recent College Grads" report, looked at more than 300 places across the U.S., identifying the most "grad-friendly" cities that could serve them best as they embark on the newest chapter in their lives. The real estate marketplace took information such as the rent-to-income ratio, the time it takes to get to work, social amenities and projected unemployment rates into account when doing the formulation. These States See The Most All-cash Home Purchases These are cities at the top of ranking of rental markets for recent college graduates. Austin's rent-to-income ratio and proportion of entry-level jobs that grads could land, 18.9% and 29.4%, respectively, helped it earn the No. 1 spot, the report said. The city also held the position last year. Read On The Fox Business App More than 30% of jobs in the Raleigh area require a bachelor's degree but no previous experience, more than any other city, according to The city is the capital of the Tar Heel State. Overland Park is located just south of Kansas City. It boasts a rental vacancy rate of 9.2%, per the report. The average time it takes to get to work there was also comparatively low, at 22 minutes. pegged Minneapolis' share of recent college graduates – people aged 25 to 29 with a college degree – at 6.3%, higher than any of the other states in the top 10. People in the city typically use 19.7% of their income on rent. St. Louis, famous for its Gateway Arch, has seen its number of job openings rise 14% compared to the pre-COVID era, reported, citing the Indeed Hiring Index. The area has 8% of its rentable housing available for occupancy. Behind those markets, dubbed Richmond, Virginia, as No. 6, Pittsburgh as No. 7, Scottsdale, Arizona, as No. 8, Richardson, Texas, as No. 9 and Atlanta as No. 10 for college graduates. Looking To Purchase A Home And Live In These Areas? They Require The Highest Income "This year's rankings reflect a rental landscape shaped by falling rents and potentially shifting job markets," chief economist Danielle Hale said in a statement. "These markets aren't just affordable areas with relatively more abundant rental options, they're full of energy, opportunity, and a sense of community, everything a recent grad could want." Median rent cost $1,699 nationwide in April, according to a separate mid-May report from Studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units all saw the median cost of rent go down year over year last month, with studios and one-bedrooms posting a 1.9% decline; for two-bedrooms, the drop was 1.7%. America's Housing Crisis: Ceo Says There Is A Way To Solve ItOriginal article source: These cities are prime areas to rent for recent college graduates
Gulf Today
24-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
India's hospitality sector poised for considerable growth in 2025
V Nagarajan The year 2024 unfolded as a powerful reminder of the world's dynamic nature, a blend of geopolitical shifts, climate extremes, and economic recalibrations. While India's inbound tourism recovery remained slower than expected, the hotel sector performed strongly across all key performance metrics. The sector closed the year with a nationwide occupancy of 63-65 per cent, average room rates (ARR) ranging between Rs7,800-8,000, and revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the range of Rs5,000–5,200, reflecting a 27–29 per cent increase over pre-COVID benchmarks, according to Anarock survey. Encouraged by this growth, hoteliers accelerated development activity, resulting in a historic high in hotel brand signings, surpassing previous records, with a sharp focus on Tier-2, Tier-3, and emerging leisure markets. The outlook for India' s hospitality sector in 2025 is not just optimistic; it's electric. The year kicked off with momentum as C oldplay's sold-out concerts in Mumbai and Ahmedabad drew fans from across the country and abroad, highlighting India's growing prominence on the global live events circuit. Soon after, the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, which welcomed 66 crore visitors over just 45 days, showcased the unmatched scale of India's religious tourism segment, emphasising the country's capacity to host some of the largest gatherings in the world. This momentum is expected to continue driven by vibrant calendar of cultural and sporting events, and the continued influx of travellers to spiritual destinations such as Ayodhya, Kedarnath, and Varanasi, and the growing appeal of wellness and medical tourism. At the same time, the branded economy hotel segment, which accounts for just 5–7% of total supply, is emerging as a high-potential growth. Encouraged by the current momentum, it is expected that the nationwide occupancy may reach 70% and average room rates (ARR) to cross the Rs10,000 mark in 2026. However, to fully capitalise on this growth trajectory, long-awaited policy reforms must be prioritised. Granting industry and infrastructure lending status to hospitality projects, irrespective of investment size, is crucial to unlocking new development in underserved and emerging markets. With rising domestic demand, increasing global visibility, and a new era of experiential travel, India's hospitality sector is no longer just growing, it's gearing up to lead the world. India's hotel sector is poised for considerable growth in 2025, building upon the strong momentum of the two previous years. This expansion is driven by a thriving domestic tourism market, the rise of niche travel segments, a steady revival in inbound tourism, and significant infrastructure enhancements. With domestic travel continuing its upward trend, increased spending and demand are set to accelerate the sector's development, further solidifying India's standing in the global hospitality industry. FY26 Union Budget, the government announced an outlay of Rs2,541.06 crore for tourism initiatives for FY26 and is also planning to establish 50 new tourism destinations within the country. In parallel, India's commercial office space market is experiencing a notable upswing, contributing significantly to hospitality growth. In 2024, gross leasing reached 89 million sq. ft., with net absorption at 50 million sq. ft. across major cities. The momentum continues into 2025, with leasing activity up 14-16 per cent year-on-year in the top seven cities. Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are emerging as key demand drivers, alongside the continued strength of the IT/ITeS sector and rapid expansion of startups in fintech, health-tech, and e-commerce. That said, the evolving global trade and tariff landscape could influence cross-border travel sentiment and is a factor to monitor in the near term. Sustained collaboration between the government and private sector will be critical to navigating these dynamics and securing India's place as a leading global travel destination. I have inherited a property from my uncle in Pune. What are the tax implications while selling it and repatriating the sale proceeds? Santosh Rane, Sharjah. As per regulations, there is no tax on inheritance of property in India by NRIs. As regards taxation, if the holding period exceeds 24 months it will be long-term gain and taxed at 12.5 per cent without indexation benefits. While selling the property, the buyer is required to deduct TDS at 12.5 per cent. If the actual tax liability is lower than 12.5 per cent, you can apply to the assessing officer for a lower TDS. You are permitted to repatriate upto $1 million per financial year on submission of required documents. Can I invest in a residential property along with a resident relative in India? Are there any restrictions? Sunil Abraham, Dubai. There are no restrictions for joint investment but there are certain ground realities you should follow. If you are paying your share through forex, you should make direct payments to the builder as clubbing it with your co-owner in India would pose formidable challenges to convince the concerned authorities while repatriating at a later date.
