Latest news with #studentwelfare
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
‘Treated like a criminal': fury over Hong Kong student's swift Australian deportation
The mother of a 16-year-old Hong Kong girl studying in Australia is considering legal action after her daughter was deported from the country less than eight hours after a quarrel with her homestay family led to the teen's eviction from her accommodation. Advertisement The mother told the Post in late May about her follow-up action regarding the incident in March, even as Australian authorities said the welfare of international students was their top priority after concerns were raised over the lack of emergency accommodation for the student following her eviction from the homestay. Jessie* said her 16-year-old daughter Maggie*, who was a high school student studying Grade 11 in a public school in Perth, had moved into the home of the Australian family in February this year and had her own room. But after a month, Cheung said the hostess became emotionally unstable on the afternoon of March 3. She repeatedly slammed her daughter's door at around 5.30pm and demanded she come out immediately. Cheung was on a video call with her daughter at the time and recorded the hostess's words, which the Post has reviewed. Advertisement 'I want you, this is my notice, you are not accepted in this household any more for all of your behaviour,' the hostess said, lambasting her daughter's daily routines, including working late at midnight, which impacted other people in the house.
CNA
23-05-2025
- General
- CNA
Longer hours, better grades? China pushes weekend breaks for high school students, parents push back
SINGAPORE: The school day begins just after 7.30am and ends past 9.40pm, well after nightfall. Two breaks punctuate the gruelling 14-hour study stretch - a two-hour lunch recess and a one-hour dinner break. This is the rhythm of academic life for Nian Nian (not her real name), a second-year high school student in China's Yichun city in south-eastern Jiangxi province. "My days in school are spent doing almost nothing but studying,' the 17-year-old told CNA. But she has a welcome reprieve for two days each week, being given the full weekend off. On paper, all high schools in China are supposed to put in place this practice of 'shuangxiu', as it is called in Chinese. The term literally means double rest. That hasn't been the case. And now, the matter has come under the spotlight after recent enforcement efforts by education authorities ahead of the gaokao, the fiercely competitive national college entrance examination held in early June. But it's also garnered mixed reactions, laying bare the challenges in balancing student welfare and academic performance, especially with the gaokao widely seen as a gatekeeper of opportunity. SCHOOLING ON WEEKENDS China's push for a five-day school week dates back decades. A 1995 circular by the State Council stipulated that all primary and secondary schools should implement a five-day school week. Fast forward to 2022, when the education ministry stated that high schools should not organise classes or tutoring sessions during weekends. Since mid-April this year, the ministry has publicly punished some high schools for having classes on weekends. According to local news reports, three high school administrators in Henan have been removed from their posts, four schools in Jiangsu have had their honorary titles removed, and several schools in Hebei have been excluded from receiving awards for three years. Still, the reality is that many high schools across China continue to hold weekend classes, especially for final-year students preparing for the gaokao. It is common for these students to have just one rest day a week, or even one every fortnight. 'No school is alike, even schools in the same districts have different practices,' said Nian Nian. The gaokao is widely seen in China as a make-or-break exam. Do well, and you have a high chance of entering a prestigious university, forging a pathway to a bright career. Do badly, and you're seen as second-rate, with limited college and job prospects. Justified or not, this often results in a pressure-cooker environment - not just for the students, but for parents and teachers too. A record 14.4 million students will sit for the test this year. Intense academic pressure and overly long study hours have led to insufficient sleep and leisure time for students, and even academic burnout and psychological issues, Liu Changming from the Chinese Society of Education, also a former high school principal, told local news site The Paper. More than 40 per cent of high school students in China experience depression, according to a 2023 mental health report cited by state broadcaster CCTV. WORKING FOR STUDENT WELFARE The renewed push to enforce a full weekend off for high school students has sparked debate. Students and educators have welcomed the move in providing high school students with much-needed rest. Yu (not her real name), 19, from Guangdong province, sat for the gaokao last year. She told CNA that as a third-year student, she only had one rest day a week. Twelve-hour school days were also the norm. Even then, there would still be students returning to school on rest days to study, Yu said. Out of the 55 students in her class, 10 on average would head to school to study, citing unconducive home environments or 'passion about learning', Yu said. Yu was not among them, instead opting to stay home and occasionally listen to online classes. "I needed rest," she said. Her experience echoes accounts in local media, which have cited examples of high school students welcoming full weekends off. "With more rest on weekends, I am now more energetic during weekdays," Long Qianxun, a 16-year-old freshman in Changsha, Hunan, told local news outlet China Daily. Retired high school teacher Li Shengli is also a strong proponent of shuangxiu. 'It allows the students to get proper rest. If they have classes from Monday to Saturday without a break, they get no breathing space,' Li, who taught politics in a high school in Shenzhen's Futian district, told CNA. 'In my view, effective learning depends on students' self-discipline,' said the 61-year-old, who retired last year after 40 years of teaching. With a two-day weekend break, Li said students can identify their weaker subjects and make up for the gap. They can also use the break to review or consolidate what they have learned during the week. 'I think this approach is quite good. I don't really agree with exhaustion-based learning strategies,' he said. At the same time, Li acknowledged that from the perspective of a parent, there would be the fear of their child 'missing out' on their studies with a two-day weekend break. 'I would have to consider that my own child is relaxing, but other children aren't, which means my child is missing out. Parents do have that mindset,' he said. 'Third-year students do require breaks, they want the breaks. But from what I see, there's still a difficulty in eliminating classes on Saturdays, and the pressure mainly comes from the parents.' Li shared how, during the winter break, especially during the pandemic, classes would be cancelled. Yet, some anxious parents would contact the school requesting remedial classes for their children. 'As teachers, we hope that the children get to rest,' Li said. 'It's heartbreaking to see the children exhausted … they may be physically present, they're not fooling around, but their learning efficiency is plummeting.'
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- RNZ News
Police remain at Auckland primary school after lockdown
File image. Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro Auckland's Peninsula Primary School says all students staff and others on site are safe after earlier going into lockdown "because of a concern to student welfare". "Everyone did extremely well and responded to instructions," it said on its website. The school said its gates will remain locked during playtime. "Police are still onsite and keeping us all safe. We would like to thank you for your support."
BBC News
15-05-2025
- BBC News
Bolton teacher who drank cider in classroom banned by regulator
A teacher who walked into a door after drinking cider in his classroom from cans and a school-branded water bottle has been banned from the Downs admitted consuming alcohol at Westhoughton High School in Bolton, Greater Manchester, and that it was unacceptable professional conduct.A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel hearing on 25 April considered that Downs had "put pupils at risk of harm by consuming alcohol on the school site and being under the influence whilst having pupils in his care".He was banned from teaching indefinitely, subject to a review after two years, after the panel noted the 36-year-old had acknowledged wrongdoing and shown "some insight and remorse". 'Cans in the bin' In a written statement, a worker at the school said she "could smell alcohol" coming from Downs on 3 July employee, referred to as Individual B, said she "discreetly removed his wastepaper bin [from his classroom] to review the contents and she saw three cider cans at the bottom".The witness also said Downs "admitted that he had three cans of cider in his classroom when no students were there, and he put the cans in the bin".Individual B said another member of staff came to her the following day to raise concerns about alcohol being found in a school-branded plastic said it had been found in Downs' classroom, at the far edge of his review, she said it contained "around 3cm of cider at the bottom". 'Maintaining public confidence' Another school employee, Individual A, noted that Downs was not speaking in his usual manner on 3 July 2023, adding that the teacher had "walked into the main building door".On behalf of the Education Secretary, TRA decision-maker Marc Cavey said: "I have considered whether a two-year review period reflects the seriousness of the findings and is a proportionate period to achieve the aim of maintaining public confidence in the profession."In this case, factors mean that allowing such a review period is sufficient."He said Downs needed "necessary time to develop full insight into his behaviour and, in doing so, demonstrate that he does not pose a risk to the wellbeing of pupils in the future". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
