The row over school buildings in the UK is escalating. The UK prime minister Rishi Sunak is under pressure with some accusing him of ignoring the repairs when Sunak was serving as the UK Chancellor. According to some former officials at the Department of Education in 2020 and 2021 a request to fund the work of more than 300 schools was slashed down to below the 100 Mark and the decision was taken by Sunak's treasury officials.

UK PM Rishi Sunak accused of cutting back repair efforts

More than 150 British schools have been ordered to close numerous facilities on the eve of the start of a new term after they were judged unsafe, irritating parents and teachers and presenting further problems for the government. To know more watch this interview with author and senior journalist Andrew Whitehead.

UK: Schools and colleges to shut over collapse fears

More than 150 British schools have been ordered to close numerous facilities on the eve of the start of a new term after they were judged unsafe, irritating parents and teachers and presenting further problems for the government.

More than 100 schools in England ordered to close buildings

The US state of Oklahoma on Monday approved the country's first publicly funded religious charter school where Catholic teachings will be imparted into lessons. The Oklahoma State Virtual Charter School Board passed the proposal by 3-2 in a vote, setting the stage for a constitutional battle on whether taxpayers' money can be used to directly fund such schools.

The US state of Oklahoma on Monday approved the country's first publicly funded religious charter school where Catholic teachings will be imparted into lessons. The Oklahoma State Virtual Charter School Board passed the proposal by 3-2 in a vote, setting the stage for a constitutional battle on whether taxpayers' money can be used to directly fund such schools. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa will run the charter school named St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. The curriculum would have religious teachings embedded. Notably, a charter school is a type of public school that is independently managed but funded by taxpayer dollars. They comprise a small fraction (8 per cent) of the US school system. The decision was not welcomed by the state attorney general who called the approval 'unconstitutional' and warned of legal action as it was "contrary to Oklahoma law". "It's extremely disappointing that board members violated their oath in order to fund religious schools with our tax dollars. In doing so, these members have exposed themselves and the state to potential legal action that could be costly," said Attorney General Gentner Drummond. WATCH | WION Pulse: Seattle schools file lawsuit against four tech giants × Prepared for legal battle: Catholic Church However, St. Isidore’s administration said they were prepared for the legal challenges coming their way. "We are elated that the board agreed with our argument and application for the nation's first religious charter school," said Brett Farley, the executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma which represents the Church on policy issues and is behind the proposal. “We invite the challenge, for the sake of the country and answering that question,” she added. Meanwhile, Republican Governor Kevin Stitt who had made the appointments for the school board celebrated the approval, calling it "a win for religious liberty and education freedom in our great state". "Oklahomans support religious liberty for all and support an increasingly innovative educational system that expands choice," he said. Also read | 'Propaganda' vs 'bullying': Groups of parents clash at anti-LGBTQ protest outside Los Angeles school The US Supreme Court's position on religious schools The proposal will most certainly be challenged in the courts but shows an increasing trend across the US where conservatives are batting for more religious schools. The US Supreme Court, which now has a 6-to-3 conservative majority has already thrown its weight behind directing taxpayer money to religious schools. In separate rulings in 2020 and 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that the states of Montana and Maine could not exclude religious schools from state programmes that allowed parents to use government-financed scholarships. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the court's rulings did not mean states had to support religious education but if a state was issuing subsidies to any private schools, the religious ones may not be discriminated against. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

USA: First taxpayer-funded religious charter school approved in Oklahoma in controversial move

Schools are supposed to prepare us for our future, and yet a majority of them don’t teach us how to manage our personal finances. Only 17% of Indian teenagers are financially literate. Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas Plus: Are you financially literate?

LAUSD Strike: LAUSD stands for Los Angeles Unified School District. It is the second-largest school district in the United States. However, the LAUSD will shut down 1,000 campuses from Tuesday, March 21, as the teachers and school staff unions strike for three days.

LAUSD Strike: LAUSD stands for Los Angeles Unified School District. It is the second-largest school district in the United States. However, the LAUSD will shut down 1,000 campuses from Tuesday, March 21, as the teachers and school staff unions strike for three days. The Union representing staff, including bus drivers, custodians, and teacher assistants, will lead the LAUSD strike. The parents and LAUSD struggle to care for and feed some 420,000 children. On Wednesday, the Union leaders announced a three-day LAUSD strike would shut down Los Angeles public schools, followed by a downtown rally by LAUSD's two largest employee groups. Around 65,000 staff workers will participate in the LAUSD strike, making it the United States' second-largest school system disruption since the six-day teachers' strike of 2019. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming three-day LAUSD strike. Why are LAUSD teachers going on strike? LA Unified has rarely witnessed strikes in its history. Thus, the LAUSD strike of 2023 is unusual because of the coordination between the two unions. The LAUSD strike is over Local 99's allegations that the school district has illegally interrupted the union-related activities of its fellows. Leaders of Local 99 declared an impasse in bargaining and moved through the mediation and fact-finding process. However, the Union seeks a 30 per cent increase for all members with an additional boost for the lowest-wage workers. LAUSD also has to settle wage issues dating to the 2020-21 school year. How to survive the three-day LAUSD strike? As 80 per cent of students hail from low-income families, the school system plays a crucial role in giving breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner on weekdays. The meals will continue but in a limited way. Families can pick up prepackaged meals from about two dozen locations around the school system on Tuesday from 07:30 to 10:30 AM. Each family will receive six meals per student.

LAUSD Strike: Here's everything you need to know about Los Angeles teachers union and SEIU 99 three-day strike

The schools reopened in Afghanistan on Tuesday for the new academic year but classes were not held because students were unaware and thousands of girls were not allowed to enter. Afghanistan is the sole country where girls have been barred from attending secondary school and university.

No public announcement regarding the reopening of schools was made by the education ministry, parents and teachers said to CBS News, and since the date was marked as the beginning of the new year under the Persian tradition of Nowruz, many people assumed that the public holiday was still going on.&nbsp;

As per reports, the official celebrations of the holiday were stopped by the Taliban but the families of students were not notified about starting of classes in schools.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-overtakes-afghanistan-as-country-with-most-terror-attacks-report-572748">Pakistan overtakes Afghanistan as country with most terror attacks: Report</a>

"A letter issued by the minister of education was given to us by our principal to reopen the school today, but since no public announcement was made, no students came," stated Mohammad Osman Atayi, who works as a teacher at the Saidal Naseri Boys High School in Kabul.

"We did not send children to school in Kabul today because it's the new year holiday," said Ranna Afzali, a TV journalist who lost her job after the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan. "In the past, the new year used to be a public holiday all over Afghanistan, but the Taliban terminated the holiday, so the schools were open but attendance was almost nil," Afzali added.&nbsp;

Schools were also re-opened in other provinces including Ghazni, Badakhshan Kunduz and Herat but no classes were held there either, AFP reported.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, thousands of teenage girls remained barred from entering secondary school.

"The Taliban have snatched everything away from us," said Sadaf Haidari, a 15-year-old resident of Kabul. "I am depressed and broken," she added.&nbsp;

The government imposed a ban on female students attending schools in March last year, hours after the schools were reopened for both girls and boys by the education ministry.

WATCH | Gravitas: The Taliban attends India's IIM Kozhikode's online programme

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Earlier this month on International Women's Day, the UN mission to Afghanistan in a statement criticised the Taliban regime's "singular focus on imposing rules that leave most women and girls effectively trapped in their homes."

"It has been distressing to witness their methodical, deliberate, and systematic efforts to push Afghan women and girls out of the public sphere," said Roza Otunbayeva, special representative of the UN secretary-general and head of the UN mission to Afghanistan, in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The schools reopened in Afghanistan on Tuesday for the new academic year but classes were not held because students were unaware and thousands of girls were not allowed to enter.

The schools reopened in Afghanistan on Tuesday for the new academic year but classes were not held because students were unaware and thousands of girls were not allowed to enter. Afghanistan is the sole country where girls have been barred from attending secondary school and university. No public announcement regarding the reopening of schools was made by the education ministry, parents and teachers said to CBS News, and since the date was marked as the beginning of the new year under the Persian tradition of Nowruz, many people assumed that the public holiday was still going on. As per reports, the official celebrations of the holiday were stopped by the Taliban but the families of students were not notified about starting of classes in schools. ALSO READ | Pakistan overtakes Afghanistan as country with most terror attacks: Report "A letter issued by the minister of education was given to us by our principal to reopen the school today, but since no public announcement was made, no students came," stated Mohammad Osman Atayi, who works as a teacher at the Saidal Naseri Boys High School in Kabul. "We did not send children to school in Kabul today because it's the new year holiday," said Ranna Afzali, a TV journalist who lost her job after the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan. "In the past, the new year used to be a public holiday all over Afghanistan, but the Taliban terminated the holiday, so the schools were open but attendance was almost nil," Afzali added. Schools were also re-opened in other provinces including Ghazni, Badakhshan Kunduz and Herat but no classes were held there either, AFP reported. Meanwhile, thousands of teenage girls remained barred from entering secondary school. "The Taliban have snatched everything away from us," said Sadaf Haidari, a 15-year-old resident of Kabul. "I am depressed and broken," she added. The government imposed a ban on female students attending schools in March last year, hours after the schools were reopened for both girls and boys by the education ministry. WATCH | Gravitas: The Taliban attends India's IIM Kozhikode's online programme Earlier this month on International Women's Day, the UN mission to Afghanistan in a statement criticised the Taliban regime's "singular focus on imposing rules that leave most women and girls effectively trapped in their homes." "It has been distressing to witness their methodical, deliberate, and systematic efforts to push Afghan women and girls out of the public sphere," said Roza Otunbayeva, special representative of the UN secretary-general and head of the UN mission to Afghanistan, in a statement. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Afghanistan: Schools start without classes as students remain unaware, girls barred

In the last 10 days or so, multiple mutilated cat carcasses have ben found in Japan’s Saitama City sparking&nbsp;fear&nbsp;among its residents and prompted authorities to ramp up security measures in schools to protect young students from the potential cat killer.

According to a report by CNN, the first carcass of a brown-speckled cat was found along the Arakawa River in the city where a woman found a severed head and paws while the rest of the body was found on a nearby road. In mid-February, the police found a cat’s jaw on the grounds of an elementary school tied with a piece of string and hanging from the playground bars, reported VICE World News.&nbsp;

Furthermore, by the end of the month, residents found two more mutilated cat carcasses, one on the field and another one on a&nbsp;road in Saitama City. While there is no indication that these gruesome acts may also involve human victims, the city has been on edge because of its history with these kinds of killings.&nbsp;

In recent years, the Japanese city also&nbsp;jailed a killer who would torture animals like cats and post videos of his actions online. Similarly, in the late 1990s, another Japanese city Kobe witnessed children being murdered after a 14-year-old boy with a history of animal cruelty killed a 10 and 11-year-old and injured three others.&nbsp;

In reference to the case, an official who has coordinated patrol efforts on behalf of the Saitama educational board told VICE World News, that this has particularly raised concerns&nbsp;among the parents and said “that was a dark time in Japanese history”. He also said how children have been asked to alert their teachers if they notice anything out of the ordinary.

An 80-year-old woman speaking to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK&nbsp;said that she felt "scared and uncomfortable" after hearing about the cat killings&nbsp;and that her concerns went beyond animal welfare, reported CNN.

Since these carcasses have also been found near schools, teachers have been asked&nbsp;to escort children home and walk in large groups, reported NHK. Meanwhile, the city’s police have stepped up patrols and are investigating the cat murders as violations of Japan’s animal protection law.&nbsp;

In Japan, it is a crime to kill or injure animals which is punishable by up to five years in prison or fines of up to five million yen ($36,600). The country’s police detained at least 170 people, in 2021, for suspected animal abuse which was the highest since the records began in 2010.&nbsp;

A barrister who founded the Hong Kong Animal Law and Protection Organisation, Kim J. McCoy told CNN how some cases of animal cruelty have “evolved into more serious offences against humans.” He added, “There is empirical evidence to support the direct correlation between those who commit animal abuse and those that commit other more violent crimes on people.”

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

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In the last 10 days or so, multiple mutilated cat carcasses have ben found in Japan’s Saitama City sparking fear among its residents and prompted authorities to ramp up security measures in schools to protect young students from the potential cat killer.

In the last 10 days or so, multiple mutilated cat carcasses have ben found in Japan’s Saitama City sparking fear among its residents and prompted authorities to ramp up security measures in schools to protect young students from the potential cat killer. According to a report by CNN, the first carcass of a brown-speckled cat was found along the Arakawa River in the city where a woman found a severed head and paws while the rest of the body was found on a nearby road. In mid-February, the police found a cat’s jaw on the grounds of an elementary school tied with a piece of string and hanging from the playground bars, reported VICE World News. Furthermore, by the end of the month, residents found two more mutilated cat carcasses, one on the field and another one on a road in Saitama City. While there is no indication that these gruesome acts may also involve human victims, the city has been on edge because of its history with these kinds of killings. In recent years, the Japanese city also jailed a killer who would torture animals like cats and post videos of his actions online. Similarly, in the late 1990s, another Japanese city Kobe witnessed children being murdered after a 14-year-old boy with a history of animal cruelty killed a 10 and 11-year-old and injured three others. In reference to the case, an official who has coordinated patrol efforts on behalf of the Saitama educational board told VICE World News, that this has particularly raised concerns among the parents and said “that was a dark time in Japanese history”. He also said how children have been asked to alert their teachers if they notice anything out of the ordinary. An 80-year-old woman speaking to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK said that she felt "scared and uncomfortable" after hearing about the cat killings and that her concerns went beyond animal welfare, reported CNN. Since these carcasses have also been found near schools, teachers have been asked to escort children home and walk in large groups, reported NHK. Meanwhile, the city’s police have stepped up patrols and are investigating the cat murders as violations of Japan’s animal protection law. In Japan, it is a crime to kill or injure animals which is punishable by up to five years in prison or fines of up to five million yen ($36,600). The country’s police detained at least 170 people, in 2021, for suspected animal abuse which was the highest since the records began in 2010. A barrister who founded the Hong Kong Animal Law and Protection Organisation, Kim J. McCoy told CNN how some cases of animal cruelty have “evolved into more serious offences against humans.” He added, “There is empirical evidence to support the direct correlation between those who commit animal abuse and those that commit other more violent crimes on people.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Mutilated cat carcasses found across this Japanese city have sparked fear among residents: Reports

There are protests outside schools in Tehran. People are protesting against their supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, over the reports of 'Poisoning' in multiple girls school.

Parents protest against supreme leader in Iran over reports of 'Poisoning'

As the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to grow and evolve with time, universities across Australia are being forced to change the way they conduct exams and other assessments. This comes amid fears that students are using software to write essays and evade anti-plagiarism software. Therefore, students have been told there will be more “pen and paper” exams this year to ensure that their work is not generated by the software.&nbsp;

However,&nbsp;some industry experts in Canberra have also highlighted the need to embrace the opportunities this technology provides. This comes months after Elon Musk founded San Francisco-based, non-profit research firm OpenAI, which launched its first publicly accessible text generator on any subject in response to a query, ChatGPT.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-is-chatgpt-an-ai-chatbot-that-have-taken-internet-by-storm-can-it-replace-humans-540182">What is ChatGPT, an AI chatbot that has taken internet by storm? Can it replace humans?</a>

Notably, AI software launched in November by the US-based company last year has already been banned in several public schools across New York over concerns of its “negative impact” on learning and potential plagiarism, reported the Guardian.&nbsp;

What prompted Australian universities to take action?

Major institutions across Australia have implemented new rules after students were caught using AI-based ChatGPT and similar technologies to write their academic papers and essays. Additionally, the universities as a part of the aforementioned rules deemed the use of such software as cheating, said a report by the Guardian.&nbsp;

Several media reports indicate that university students in Australia began using AI-based software to finish their essays which were able to evade anti-plagiarism software that most institutes use in order to check the authenticity of students’ academic writing. This prompted the Group of Eight leading universities in the country to develop new strategies to combat the use of AI starting this academic year which includes taking more pen and paper tests, supervised exams, and tests for “units with low integrity risks”.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-is-ai-going-to-replace-your-brain-551233">Gravitas: Is AI going to replace your brain?</a>

What do these universities plan on doing?

Since these instances have come to light, it has sparked concerns and criticism over students using AI programs to write papers who then use submit the work as their own. “Using AI in this way undermines academic integrity and is a significant issue facing all education and training institutions, nationally and internationally,” said a spokesperson for the University of New South Wales, Sydney, as per the Guardian.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Executive, Dr Matthew Brown, of the eight leading research-intensive universities in Australia said that the institutions will revise the way assessments are conducted. He also spoke about how they are tackling the issue through staff training, student education, detection strategies, changing the assessments, and so on, for the upcoming year.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/open-ais-point-e-turns-text-prompts-into-3d-models-heres-what-you-need-to-know-545673">Open AI’s Point-E turns text prompts into 3D models: Here's what you need to know</a>

Institutes like the University of Sydney have deemed the use of AI to generate content as a form of cheating in its latest academic integrity policy. According to their spokesperson, there have been a few instances of cheating but not anything noteworthy and went on to acknowledge the benefits of AI in students’ learning. Therefore, the institute said that it will be a part of the kind of tools we use at work but after it teaches the students how to use it “legitimately.”

Additionally, the Australian National University has also redesigned its assessment design which would rely more on fieldwork and lab activities as well as timed exams and include more oral presentations. Meanwhile, Flinders University, which was also the first one to implement a specific policy against this type of cheating and described maintaining academic integrity in the era of technology as an “ongoing challenge”, as per the Guardian.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/how-ai-and-automation-will-impact-jobs-in-the-future-518820">How AI and Automation will impact jobs in the future</a>

However, even Flinders University, while expressing concern, said that instead of banning such programs their aim is to assist staff as well as students to “use digital tools to support learning,” said their Deputy Vice-chancellor, Romy Lawson.&nbsp;

Integration of AI in academics?

As universities move to figure out how to incorporate AI as a learning tool instead of it being used as a “cheating” one. A professor of artificial intelligence at the UNSW, Toby Walsh,&nbsp;during an interview with&nbsp;the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) said that he actually was quite impressed by the AI-based software’s ability to write essays on any question one might have.&nbsp;

He added, “I think it will be as significant as the introduction of a calculator and how we teach mathematics…and perhaps we are going to look backwards in 10 years and see how we teach and what we teach and how we measure what we’ve taught is going to be different.”&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/in-a-historic-first-an-ai-powered-robot-lawyer-set-to-defend-human-in-us-court-550342">In a ‘historic’ first, an AI-powered ‘robot lawyer’ will defend a human in US court</a>

The UNSW professor also said that with the arrival of more advanced programs in the field, banning the platform would be unrealistic. He added, “It’s an arms race that’s never going to finish, and you’re never going to win.”&nbsp;

Walsh also sees the introduction of AI technology as having a profound effect on the education sector and reiterating the calculator example he questioned, “We don’t want to destroy literacy, but did calculators destroy numeracy?” Similarly, he noted, that teachers also hate marking essays and with suitable AI prompts they can do that and provide feedback which they do not have time or patience to do otherwise.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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As the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to grow and evolve with time, universities across Australia are being forced to change the way they conduct exams and other assessments.

As the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to grow and evolve with time, universities across Australia are being forced to change the way they conduct exams and other assessments. This comes amid fears that students are using software to write essays and evade anti-plagiarism software. Therefore, students have been told there will be more “pen and paper” exams this year to ensure that their work is not generated by the software. However, some industry experts in Canberra have also highlighted the need to embrace the opportunities this technology provides. This comes months after Elon Musk founded San Francisco-based, non-profit research firm OpenAI, which launched its first publicly accessible text generator on any subject in response to a query, ChatGPT. ALSO READ | What is ChatGPT, an AI chatbot that has taken internet by storm? Can it replace humans? Notably, AI software launched in November by the US-based company last year has already been banned in several public schools across New York over concerns of its “negative impact” on learning and potential plagiarism, reported the Guardian. What prompted Australian universities to take action? Major institutions across Australia have implemented new rules after students were caught using AI-based ChatGPT and similar technologies to write their academic papers and essays. Additionally, the universities as a part of the aforementioned rules deemed the use of such software as cheating, said a report by the Guardian. Several media reports indicate that university students in Australia began using AI-based software to finish their essays which were able to evade anti-plagiarism software that most institutes use in order to check the authenticity of students’ academic writing. This prompted the Group of Eight leading universities in the country to develop new strategies to combat the use of AI starting this academic year which includes taking more pen and paper tests, supervised exams, and tests for “units with low integrity risks”. ALSO WATCH | Gravitas: Is AI going to replace your brain? What do these universities plan on doing? Since these instances have come to light, it has sparked concerns and criticism over students using AI programs to write papers who then use submit the work as their own. “Using AI in this way undermines academic integrity and is a significant issue facing all education and training institutions, nationally and internationally,” said a spokesperson for the University of New South Wales, Sydney, as per the Guardian. Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Executive, Dr Matthew Brown, of the eight leading research-intensive universities in Australia said that the institutions will revise the way assessments are conducted. He also spoke about how they are tackling the issue through staff training, student education, detection strategies, changing the assessments, and so on, for the upcoming year. ALSO READ | Open AI’s Point-E turns text prompts into 3D models: Here's what you need to know Institutes like the University of Sydney have deemed the use of AI to generate content as a form of cheating in its latest academic integrity policy. According to their spokesperson, there have been a few instances of cheating but not anything noteworthy and went on to acknowledge the benefits of AI in students’ learning. Therefore, the institute said that it will be a part of the kind of tools we use at work but after it teaches the students how to use it “legitimately.” Additionally, the Australian National University has also redesigned its assessment design which would rely more on fieldwork and lab activities as well as timed exams and include more oral presentations. Meanwhile, Flinders University, which was also the first one to implement a specific policy against this type of cheating and described maintaining academic integrity in the era of technology as an “ongoing challenge”, as per the Guardian. ALSO WATCH | How AI and Automation will impact jobs in the future However, even Flinders University, while expressing concern, said that instead of banning such programs their aim is to assist staff as well as students to “use digital tools to support learning,” said their Deputy Vice-chancellor, Romy Lawson. Integration of AI in academics? As universities move to figure out how to incorporate AI as a learning tool instead of it being used as a “cheating” one. A professor of artificial intelligence at the UNSW, Toby Walsh, during an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) said that he actually was quite impressed by the AI-based software’s ability to write essays on any question one might have. He added, “I think it will be as significant as the introduction of a calculator and how we teach mathematics…and perhaps we are going to look backwards in 10 years and see how we teach and what we teach and how we measure what we’ve taught is going to be different.” ALSO READ | In a ‘historic’ first, an AI-powered ‘robot lawyer’ will defend a human in US court The UNSW professor also said that with the arrival of more advanced programs in the field, banning the platform would be unrealistic. He added, “It’s an arms race that’s never going to finish, and you’re never going to win.” Walsh also sees the introduction of AI technology as having a profound effect on the education sector and reiterating the calculator example he questioned, “We don’t want to destroy literacy, but did calculators destroy numeracy?” Similarly, he noted, that teachers also hate marking essays and with suitable AI prompts they can do that and provide feedback which they do not have time or patience to do otherwise. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Explained: AI assisted ‘cheating’ fears make Australian varsities go back to ‘pen and paper’ tests

In an increasingly multi-lingual and multicultural classroom where learners come from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, conventional academic learning must be complemented with social-emotional learning for students. Otherwise, their education remains incomplete and they remain under-prepared, if not unprepared, to take on the challenges of the real world in the future.

Need for social-emotional learning in schools!

Heavy snow and ice are now covering parts of the UK and will last for days. Due to the weather, there have been delays in trains, and accidents on the highway. On Sunday morning, flights from Heathrow were cancelled. Snow has covered the whole nation, signalling the start of winter. Further precipitation is expected in several areas of the UK, where yellow warnings of fog and snow are now in effect.

The Met Office predicts that today's temperature will hover around 0C, which means that the snow will quickly convert to ice. In northeast Scotland, nighttime lows of -15C (5F) are possible. If confirmed, it would be the coldest it has been in the UK since last February. Many people are unable to get to work. Due to worries about the safety of the staff and students, several schools will remain closed and courses will be delivered online. Be sure to check the website of your school before you depart if it is not listed among those that shut early or open late. Check the full list here:&nbsp;

Cambridgeshire schools closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Barrington Primary School 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Castle Camps Primary School 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Comberton Village College 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Granta Special School 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Great and Little Shelford CE (A) Primary School 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Linton Heights Junior School 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Linton Village College 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Fen Drayton Primary School 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Meadow Primary School, Balsham 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Castle School 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Linton CE Infant School 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Parkside Community College 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Philips CE Primary School (opening at 11.00am)

Cornwall schools closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Altarnun Primary School - 9.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Beacon ACE Academy - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Berrycoombe School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Biscovey Academy – 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Biscovey Infant and Nursery School – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Bishop Cornish CE VA Primary School - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Blisland Primary Academy - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Bodmin College – 11.15am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Boskenwyn School - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Brunel Primary Academy - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Bugle School – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Callington Primary School – 9.45am; the register will remain open until 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Camborne Science &amp; International Academy (CSIA) - 10.15am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Camelford Primary School - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Cape Cornwall School - 10.15am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Carclaze School – 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Cardinham School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Charlestown Primary School – 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;CHES Academy (Glynn House) - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Constantine Primary School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Coverack School - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Crowan Primary School - opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Cubert School – 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Curnow School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Darite Primary Academy - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Delabole School – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Delaware Primary Academy - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Devoran School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Doubletrees School – 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Duchy College (Stoke Climsland Campus) – CLOSED lessons will be delivered online. The planned parents evening will be a virtual event 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Duloe Academy - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Egloskerry Primary School - 9.30am, to be in school by 10:15am at the latest (if safety allows). Children travelling in the school taxi will be collected from 9:30am. There will be no wrap around care before school 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Falmouth Area Resource Base - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Falmouth Primary Academy - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Fowey River Academy - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Foxhole Learning Academy - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Garras CP School – 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Germoe School - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Gerrans School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Godolphin Primary School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Grade Ruan School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Grampound Road School - 9.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Grampound with Creed C of E School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Gunnislake Primary Academy - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Gwinear School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Hayle Academy - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Helston Community College - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Humphry Davy School - 10.45am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Indian Queens Primary School – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kea Preschool - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kea School – 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kehelland Village School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kennall Vale Primary School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Ladock C of E School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Landewednack C P School - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Landulph School - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Launceston College - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Launceston Primary School - 9.30am, in by 10.15am at latest (if safety allows). Collection is 3.15pm as normal, with wrap around care finishing at 4.00pm. 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Lewannick Primary School – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Looe Community School - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Looe Primary Academy - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Lostwithiel School – 10.00am NB the nursery will open at 8.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Luxulyan School – 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mabe Primary School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Madron Daniel C of E School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Manaccan School - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Marazion Primary School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mawgan in Pydar Primary School – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mawnan School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Menheniot Primary School - 11.00am - children are requested to bring a packed lunch 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mount Charles Primary School (including the Area Resource Base) – 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mount Hawke Academy – 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mousehole School – 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mullion Community Primary School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Mullion School - 10.40am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Nancealverne School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Nancledra School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Nansledan School - opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Nansloe School – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Nine Maidens Academy - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;North Cornwall AP Academy - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Oak Tree School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Otterham Primary School - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Padstow School – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Parc Eglos School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Pelynt Primary Academy - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Pencalenick School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Pencoys School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Penponds Primary School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Penrice Academy - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Penryn Primary Academy – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Pensans School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Pensilva School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Penwith Academy - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Perran-ar-Worthal School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Polperro Primary School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Polruan Primary Academy - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Poltair School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Pondhu Primary School – 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Port Isaac School - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Porthleven School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Red Moor School – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Redruth School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Restormel AP Academy - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Rosemellin School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Sandy Hill Academy – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Shortlanesend School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Sir James Smith’s School - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Sir Robert Geffery's School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Sithney CP School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;South Petherwin School - opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Breock Primary School - opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Catherine's C of E School - 9.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Cleer Primary Academy - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Columb Major Academy - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Day and Carharrack School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Dennis Primary Academy – 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Dominic School - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Issey C of E School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Ives Infant School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Ives Junior School – 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Ives School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Just Primary School - 10.15am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Keverne School - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Kew ACE Academy - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Mary's C of E School (Penzance) - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Mary's C of E School (Truro) - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Mary's RC Primary School (Bodmin) - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Mawes Primary School – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Mellion CE Primary School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Meriadoc Infant School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Meriadoc Junior School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Merryn School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Mewan School – 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Michael's C of E School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Minver School – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Neot C P School - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Newlyn East Learning Academy - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Petroc's CE School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Stephen Churchtown Academy – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Stephens Community Academy (Launceston) - 9.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Teath CP School - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Wenn School - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Stithians Community Primary School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Stoke Climsland School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Stratton Primary School - open for pupils who need to come in, inc Breakfast Club; we ask all other pupils to come in between 9:30 and 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Summercourt Academy – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The Bishop’s CofE Learning Academy – 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The Roseland Academy - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Tintagel Primary School – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;TPlus Centres - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Treleigh School - 10.00am NB breakfast club is cancelled 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Trannack School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Trenode Primary School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Treverbyn Academy – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Trevisker Primary School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Trevithick Learning Academy - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Trewidland Primary School - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Troon Community Nursery and Primary School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Truro Learning Academy - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Truro Nursery School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Upton Cross ACE Academy - 11.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Veryan CE School - 10.00am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Wadebridge School - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Wadebridge Primary Academy - 10.15am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Warbstow Primary Academy – CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Whitemoor Academy – opening late 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Windmill Hill Academy - 10.00am

Devon schools closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Lady Modiford’s Church of England Primary School - 10am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Rumon’s Church of England (VC) Infants School - 10am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Peter’s Church of England (VA) Junior School - 10am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Highgate Hill House School - CLOSED 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Okehampton College - 10am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;South Tawton Primary School - 10am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Parracombe Church Of England Primary School - 11am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Kentisbury Primary School - 11am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St James Church of England Primary and Nursery School - 10am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;West Down School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Holsworthy Community College - 10am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Berrynarbor Church Of England Primary School - 10.30am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Tavistock College - 10am 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Bridestowe Primary School - 10am

Essex schools closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Boreham Primary school - closed today due to adverse weather conditions and the safety of staff and families 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Chigwell Primary Academy - closed. Providing online learning for part of the day 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Doddinghurst Infant School - closed due to the current adverse weather 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Dr Walker's Church of England - closed due to unsafe roads 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Epping Upland Church of England Primary School - closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Limes Farm Junior School - closed due to the adverse weather overnight 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Longwood Primary Academy - closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;South Green Junior School - closed due to the adverse weather conditions 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Andrew's Church of England (Voluntary Aided) - closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St Anne Line Catholic Junior School and St Anne Line Junior and St. Anne Line Infant and Nursery - closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St James' Church of England Primary School - closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The Alderton Infant School - closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The Billericay School - plan to open as a late start. Students should be onsite for 11am pending a review 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Upshire Primary Foundation School - closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Waltham Holy Cross Primary School - closed due to the adverse weather 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery - closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;William Martin Church of England Junior School - closed

Gloucestershire schools closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Abbey View School - closed due to adverse conditions local to school 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Berry Hill Primary School - closed due to snow and freezing conditions 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Catholic School of St. Gregory The Great - closed due to snow and ice 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Cam Woodfield Junior School - closed on 12 December due to snow and ice 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Hatherley Infant School - closed due to dangerous road conditions 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;John Moore Primary School - closed - learning will be shared via Class Dojo 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Rodborough Community Primary School - closed due to snow and ice 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Longlevens Infant School - closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Naunton Park Primary School - closed all day 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Sharpness Primary School will be closed on December 12. 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St James CofE Junior School - closed on Monday 12 December 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;St. John's C of E Primary School in Cheltenham will be closed on 12 December because of the snow and ice. 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Stow-on-the-Wold Primary School - closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Tewkesbury School - open from 9.30am on Monday 12 December 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Woodfield Nest Pre-School &amp; OOSC - closed on Monday 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Woodmancote School - closed on 12 December

Hertfordshire schools closed 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Lea CE Primary School 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Gorsley Goffs Primary School 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Laureaute 
•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Crabtree Infants

Heavy snow and ice are now covering parts of the UK and will last for days. Due to the weather, there have been delays in trains, and accidents on the highway. On Sunday morning, flights from Heathrow were cancelled.

Heavy snow and ice are now covering parts of the UK and will last for days. Due to the weather, there have been delays in trains, and accidents on the highway. On Sunday morning, flights from Heathrow were cancelled. Snow has covered the whole nation, signalling the start of winter. Further precipitation is expected in several areas of the UK, where yellow warnings of fog and snow are now in effect. The Met Office predicts that today's temperature will hover around 0C, which means that the snow will quickly convert to ice. In northeast Scotland, nighttime lows of -15C (5F) are possible. If confirmed, it would be the coldest it has been in the UK since last February. Many people are unable to get to work. Due to worries about the safety of the staff and students, several schools will remain closed and courses will be delivered online. Be sure to check the website of your school before you depart if it is not listed among those that shut early or open late. Check the full list here: Cambridgeshire schools closed • Barrington Primary School • Castle Camps Primary School • Comberton Village College • Granta Special School • Great and Little Shelford CE (A) Primary School • Linton Heights Junior School • Linton Village College • Fen Drayton Primary School • Meadow Primary School, Balsham • Castle School • Linton CE Infant School • Parkside Community College • St Philips CE Primary School (opening at 11.00am) Cornwall schools closed • Altarnun Primary School - 9.30am • Beacon ACE Academy - 10.00am • Berrycoombe School - 10.00am • Biscovey Academy – 10.30am • Biscovey Infant and Nursery School – opening late • Bishop Cornish CE VA Primary School - CLOSED • Blisland Primary Academy - 11.00am • Bodmin College – 11.15am • Boskenwyn School - CLOSED • Brunel Primary Academy - 11.00am • Bugle School – opening late • Callington Primary School – 9.45am; the register will remain open until 10.30am • Camborne Science & International Academy (CSIA) - 10.15am • Camelford Primary School - CLOSED • Cape Cornwall School - 10.15am • Carclaze School – 10.00am • Cardinham School - 10.30am • Charlestown Primary School – 11.00am • CHES Academy (Glynn House) - 11.00am • Constantine Primary School - 10.00am • Coverack School - 11.00am • Crowan Primary School - opening late • Cubert School – 11.00am • Curnow School - 10.30am • Darite Primary Academy - 10.00am • Delabole School – opening late • Delaware Primary Academy - 10.30am • Devoran School - 10.00am • Doubletrees School – 11.00am • Duchy College (Stoke Climsland Campus) – CLOSED lessons will be delivered online. The planned parents evening will be a virtual event • Duloe Academy - 10.00am • Egloskerry Primary School - 9.30am, to be in school by 10:15am at the latest (if safety allows). Children travelling in the school taxi will be collected from 9:30am. There will be no wrap around care before school • Falmouth Area Resource Base - 10.00am • Falmouth Primary Academy - 10.00am • Fowey River Academy - CLOSED • Foxhole Learning Academy - 10.30am • Garras CP School – 10.00am • Germoe School - CLOSED • Gerrans School - 10.30am • Godolphin Primary School - 10.00am • Grade Ruan School - 10.30am • Grampound Road School - 9.30am • Grampound with Creed C of E School - 10.00am • Gunnislake Primary Academy - 10.30am • Gwinear School - 10.00am • Hayle Academy - 10.30am • Helston Community College - 10.30am • Humphry Davy School - 10.45am • Indian Queens Primary School – opening late • Kea Preschool - 11.00am • Kea School – 11.00am • Kehelland Village School - 10.30am • Kennall Vale Primary School - 10.30am • Ladock C of E School - 10.00am • Landewednack C P School - 11.00am • Landulph School - 11.00am • Launceston College - 11.00am • Launceston Primary School - 9.30am, in by 10.15am at latest (if safety allows). Collection is 3.15pm as normal, with wrap around care finishing at 4.00pm. • Lewannick Primary School – opening late • Looe Community School - CLOSED • Looe Primary Academy - 10.00am • Lostwithiel School – 10.00am NB the nursery will open at 8.00am • Luxulyan School – 10.00am • Mabe Primary School - 10.30am • Madron Daniel C of E School - 10.30am • Manaccan School - 11.00am • Marazion Primary School - 10.00am • Mawgan in Pydar Primary School – opening late • Mawnan School - 10.30am • Menheniot Primary School - 11.00am - children are requested to bring a packed lunch • Mount Charles Primary School (including the Area Resource Base) – 10.00am • Mount Hawke Academy – 10.30am • Mousehole School – 10.00am • Mullion Community Primary School - 10.00am • Mullion School - 10.40am • Nancealverne School - 10.30am • Nancledra School - 10.30am • Nansledan School - opening late • Nansloe School – opening late • Nine Maidens Academy - 10.30am • North Cornwall AP Academy - 10.30am • Oak Tree School - 10.30am • Otterham Primary School - CLOSED • Padstow School – opening late • Parc Eglos School - 10.00am • Pelynt Primary Academy - 10.00am • Pencalenick School - 10.30am • Pencoys School - 10.30am • Penponds Primary School - 10.00am • Penrice Academy - 10.00am • Penryn Primary Academy – opening late • Pensans School - 10.30am • Pensilva School - 10.30am • Penwith Academy - 10.30am • Perran-ar-Worthal School - 10.00am • Polperro Primary School - 10.00am • Polruan Primary Academy - 10.00am • Poltair School - 10.00am • Pondhu Primary School – 10.00am • Port Isaac School - CLOSED • Porthleven School - 10.00am • Red Moor School – opening late • Redruth School - 10.00am • Restormel AP Academy - 10.30am • Rosemellin School - 10.00am • Sandy Hill Academy – opening late • Shortlanesend School - 10.30am • Sir James Smith’s School - CLOSED • Sir Robert Geffery's School - 10.00am • Sithney CP School - 10.00am • Sky Primary and Eden Project Nursery - 10.30am • South Petherwin School - opening late • St Breock Primary School - opening late • St Catherine's C of E School - 9.30am • St Cleer Primary Academy - 10.00am • St Columb Major Academy - 10.30am • St Day and Carharrack School - 10.30am • St Dennis Primary Academy – 10.30am • St Dominic School - 11.00am • St Issey C of E School - 10.00am • St Ives Infant School - 10.00am • St Ives Junior School – 10.00am • St Ives School - 10.30am • St Just Primary School - 10.15am • St Keverne School - 11.00am • St Kew ACE Academy - 11.00am • St Mary's C of E School (Penzance) - 10.30am • St Mary's C of E School (Truro) - 10.00am • St Mary's RC Primary School (Bodmin) - 11.00am • St Mawes Primary School – opening late • St Mellion CE Primary School - 10.00am • St Meriadoc Infant School - 10.00am • St Meriadoc Junior School - 10.00am • St Merryn School - 10.00am • St Mewan School – 10.00am • St Michael's C of E School - 10.00am • St Minver School – opening late • St Neot C P School - CLOSED • St Newlyn East Learning Academy - 10.00am • St Petroc's CE School - 10.30am • St Stephen Churchtown Academy – opening late • St Stephens Community Academy (Launceston) - 9.30am • St Teath CP School - CLOSED • St Wenn School - CLOSED • Stithians Community Primary School - 10.30am • Stoke Climsland School - 10.30am • Stratton Primary School - open for pupils who need to come in, inc Breakfast Club; we ask all other pupils to come in between 9:30 and 10.00am • Summercourt Academy – opening late • The Bishop’s CofE Learning Academy – 10.30am • The Roseland Academy - 10.30am • Tintagel Primary School – opening late • TPlus Centres - CLOSED • Treleigh School - 10.00am NB breakfast club is cancelled • Trannack School - 10.00am • Trenode Primary School - 10.00am • Treverbyn Academy – opening late • Trevisker Primary School - 10.30am • Trevithick Learning Academy - 10.00am • Trewidland Primary School - 11.00am • Troon Community Nursery and Primary School - 10.00am • Truro Learning Academy - 10.30am • Truro Nursery School - 10.00am • Upton Cross ACE Academy - 11.00am • Veryan CE School - 10.00am • Wadebridge School - CLOSED • Wadebridge Primary Academy - 10.15am • Warbstow Primary Academy – CLOSED • Whitemoor Academy – opening late • Windmill Hill Academy - 10.00am Devon schools closed • Lady Modiford’s Church of England Primary School - 10am • St Rumon’s Church of England (VC) Infants School - 10am • St Peter’s Church of England (VA) Junior School - 10am • Highgate Hill House School - CLOSED • Okehampton College - 10am • South Tawton Primary School - 10am • Parracombe Church Of England Primary School - 11am • Kentisbury Primary School - 11am • St James Church of England Primary and Nursery School - 10am • West Down School - 10.30am • Holsworthy Community College - 10am • Berrynarbor Church Of England Primary School - 10.30am • Tavistock College - 10am • Bridestowe Primary School - 10am Essex schools closed • Boreham Primary school - closed today due to adverse weather conditions and the safety of staff and families • Chigwell Primary Academy - closed. Providing online learning for part of the day • Doddinghurst Infant School - closed due to the current adverse weather • Dr Walker's Church of England - closed due to unsafe roads • Epping Upland Church of England Primary School - closed • Limes Farm Junior School - closed due to the adverse weather overnight • Longwood Primary Academy - closed • South Green Junior School - closed due to the adverse weather conditions • St Andrew's Church of England (Voluntary Aided) - closed • St Anne Line Catholic Junior School and St Anne Line Junior and St. Anne Line Infant and Nursery - closed • St James' Church of England Primary School - closed • The Alderton Infant School - closed • The Billericay School - plan to open as a late start. Students should be onsite for 11am pending a review • Upshire Primary Foundation School - closed • Waltham Holy Cross Primary School - closed due to the adverse weather • William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery - closed • William Martin Church of England Junior School - closed Gloucestershire schools closed • Abbey View School - closed due to adverse conditions local to school • Berry Hill Primary School - closed due to snow and freezing conditions • Catholic School of St. Gregory The Great - closed due to snow and ice • Cam Woodfield Junior School - closed on 12 December due to snow and ice • Hatherley Infant School - closed due to dangerous road conditions • John Moore Primary School - closed - learning will be shared via Class Dojo • Rodborough Community Primary School - closed due to snow and ice • Longlevens Infant School - closed • Naunton Park Primary School - closed all day • Sharpness Primary School will be closed on December 12. • St James CofE Junior School - closed on Monday 12 December • St. John's C of E Primary School in Cheltenham will be closed on 12 December because of the snow and ice. • Stow-on-the-Wold Primary School - closed • Tewkesbury School - open from 9.30am on Monday 12 December • Woodfield Nest Pre-School & OOSC - closed on Monday • Woodmancote School - closed on 12 December Hertfordshire schools closed • Lea CE Primary School • Gorsley Goffs Primary School • Laureaute • Crabtree Infants

Today's UK Weather Update: Heavy snowfall in London, full list of schools to remain shut today

Following a wave of complaints from concerned parents, the Chinese education ministry shot down a proposal by the lawmakers that seeks to undermine learning English at schools in favour of promoting Chinese culture.

The proposal was made last month by members of the National People’s Congress to further reduce the amount of time spent studying English.

The draft is part of a decade-long call to minimise Western influence by reducing the amount of time spent on studying foreign languages.

The proposal was in response to the suggestions sought by the ministry of education about “increasing cultural confidence” and “reducing the proportion of English teaching”.

As per a South China Morning Post report, one of the suggestions made by lawmakers said, “Studying English is necessary, but it should take less time.”

While another asserted, “Reform English teaching methods and switch to grading-based teaching to emphasise oral communication and real-life applications.”

Even though the ministry has rejected these suggestions, it has also vowed to work toward promoting traditional Chinese culture.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-approves-domestically-made-jet-to-compete-with-boeing-airbus-521703" hreflang="en">China certifies domestically-manufactured jet, to compete with Boeing, Airbus</a>

The government reasoned that English only takes up eight per cent of the whole curriculum, which is less than one-third of the time spent studying Chinese languages.

The move by the ministry came in response to a wave of concerns raised on social media platforms where netizens expressed apprehension that English language teaching might be further marginalised and that this could hurt future career prospects of students.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-cultural-genocide-how-regime-is-trying-to-relabel-tibet-as-xizang-521612">China’s cultural genocide: How regime is trying to relabel Tibet as ‘Xizang’</a>

“It is very important to let students learn English from an early age, most of the prominent academic journals in the world are in English, can you simply rely on a translation tool to read them?” one post on Weibo read.

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Following a wave of complaints from concerned parents, the Chinese education ministry shot down a proposal by the lawmakers that seeks to undermine learning English at schools in favour of promoting Chinese culture.

Following a wave of complaints from concerned parents, the Chinese education ministry shot down a proposal by the lawmakers that seeks to undermine learning English at schools in favour of promoting Chinese culture. The proposal was made last month by members of the National People’s Congress to further reduce the amount of time spent studying English. The draft is part of a decade-long call to minimise Western influence by reducing the amount of time spent on studying foreign languages. The proposal was in response to the suggestions sought by the ministry of education about “increasing cultural confidence” and “reducing the proportion of English teaching”. As per a South China Morning Post report, one of the suggestions made by lawmakers said, “Studying English is necessary, but it should take less time.” While another asserted, “Reform English teaching methods and switch to grading-based teaching to emphasise oral communication and real-life applications.” Even though the ministry has rejected these suggestions, it has also vowed to work toward promoting traditional Chinese culture. Also read | China certifies domestically-manufactured jet, to compete with Boeing, Airbus The government reasoned that English only takes up eight per cent of the whole curriculum, which is less than one-third of the time spent studying Chinese languages. The move by the ministry came in response to a wave of concerns raised on social media platforms where netizens expressed apprehension that English language teaching might be further marginalised and that this could hurt future career prospects of students. Also read | China’s cultural genocide: How regime is trying to relabel Tibet as ‘Xizang’ “It is very important to let students learn English from an early age, most of the prominent academic journals in the world are in English, can you simply rely on a translation tool to read them?” one post on Weibo read. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Chinese lawmakers’ proposal for learning local culture instead of English in schools leads to outcry

Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has appealed the Taliban to reopen girls' high schools. He has also applauded the protests of female students in Paktia province which, the residents say are against the measure of closure of the schools.

"The voice of Paktia's female students is the voice of all our girls and of Afghanistan," said Karzai, who remained in Kabul after the Taliban took over just over a year ago, on Twitter.

"We ask the acting Islamic government to open the schools," he said.

Taliban had initially said that they would open girls' schools, but then made a U-turn in March this year.

Authorities in Paktia said this week that girls' high schools had re-opened, though the move had not been officially approved.

On Saturday, the head of Paktia's information department told journalists any suggestion schools were closed was "propaganda".

Reuters quoted three residents and three Taliban officials who said that schools were shut on Saturday. All of them declined to be named. Reuters said that one of the three residents was a teacher who said that closure of schools prompted some girls to protest.

Video footage shown by local broadcaster Tolo on its website and Twitter account showed dozens of girls in school uniform marching down a street while chanting.

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Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has appealed the Taliban to reopen girls' high schools. He has also applauded the protests of female students in Paktia province which, the residents say are against the measure of closure of the schools.

Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has appealed the Taliban to reopen girls' high schools. He has also applauded the protests of female students in Paktia province which, the residents say are against the measure of closure of the schools. "The voice of Paktia's female students is the voice of all our girls and of Afghanistan," said Karzai, who remained in Kabul after the Taliban took over just over a year ago, on Twitter. "We ask the acting Islamic government to open the schools," he said. Taliban had initially said that they would open girls' schools, but then made a U-turn in March this year. Authorities in Paktia said this week that girls' high schools had re-opened, though the move had not been officially approved. On Saturday, the head of Paktia's information department told journalists any suggestion schools were closed was "propaganda". Reuters quoted three residents and three Taliban officials who said that schools were shut on Saturday. All of them declined to be named. Reuters said that one of the three residents was a teacher who said that closure of schools prompted some girls to protest. Video footage shown by local broadcaster Tolo on its website and Twitter account showed dozens of girls in school uniform marching down a street while chanting. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Afghanistan: Ex-president Karzai openly supports protesting female students

More than two years after the pandemic began, the classrooms in the Philippines welcomed students for their first in-person classes on Monday. Incessant lockdowns, prompted by the frequent rise in Covid cases kept students, both in primary and secondary classes out of the classrooms.

However, the country is now willing to weather the storm and allow the students back. In the first phase, only 24,000 public schools will open their gates for the students for in-person classes, five times a week.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the remaining schools will seek to use a hybrid structure of in-person and virtual classes to teach the students. This arrangement is expected to continue till November 2, after which, all private and public students will need to conduct only in-person classes.&nbsp;

While the news is joyous for the students and parents, the school&nbsp;administrators are having a tough time readying the infrastructure. Reportedly, after a powerful earthquake rocked the Philippines last month, more than 1,000 schools have suffered structural damages.&nbsp;

As reported by WION, the 7.1 magnitude earthquake had jolted northern Philippines island. The tremors were so strong that they were felt in the capital Manila city, which is almost&nbsp;more than 400 kilometres away from the epicentre, where&nbsp;the city's metro rail systems had been halted at rush hour after the quake

Read More<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/71-magnitude-earthquake-jolts-northern-philippines-501005">:&nbsp;7.1 magnitude earthquake jolts northern Philippines</a>

Such has been the situation that authorities are mulling plans of using a single classroom for three batches, throughout the day, to avoid overcrowding.&nbsp;

“We always say that our goal is maximum of two shifts only but there will be areas that would have to resort to three shifts because they’re really overcrowded,” Education spokesperson told the media.&nbsp;

It is pertinent to note that it was former President Rodrigo&nbsp;Duterte that clung to his directive of keeping the schools closed, fearing a spurt in the cases.

Read more:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/philippine-president-ferdinand-marcos-visits-earthquake-hit-area-vows-to-help-victims-501539">&nbsp;Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos visits earthquake-hit area, vows to help victims</a>

However,&nbsp;Duterte's decision has led to learning poverty in the country, according to&nbsp;UNICEF Philippines. Many students under the age of 10 are unable to read and understand a simple text passage.&nbsp;

“Vulnerable children such as children with disabilities, children living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, and children living in disaster and conflict zones fare far worse,” said the UN agency.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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More than two years after the pandemic began, the classrooms in the Philippines welcomed students for their first in-person classes on Monday. Incessant lockdowns, prompted by the frequent rise in Covid cases kept students, both in primary and secondary classes out of the classrooms.

More than two years after the pandemic began, the classrooms in the Philippines welcomed students for their first in-person classes on Monday. Incessant lockdowns, prompted by the frequent rise in Covid cases kept students, both in primary and secondary classes out of the classrooms. However, the country is now willing to weather the storm and allow the students back. In the first phase, only 24,000 public schools will open their gates for the students for in-person classes, five times a week. Meanwhile, the remaining schools will seek to use a hybrid structure of in-person and virtual classes to teach the students. This arrangement is expected to continue till November 2, after which, all private and public students will need to conduct only in-person classes. While the news is joyous for the students and parents, the school administrators are having a tough time readying the infrastructure. Reportedly, after a powerful earthquake rocked the Philippines last month, more than 1,000 schools have suffered structural damages. As reported by WION, the 7.1 magnitude earthquake had jolted northern Philippines island. The tremors were so strong that they were felt in the capital Manila city, which is almost more than 400 kilometres away from the epicentre, where the city's metro rail systems had been halted at rush hour after the quake Read More: 7.1 magnitude earthquake jolts northern Philippines Such has been the situation that authorities are mulling plans of using a single classroom for three batches, throughout the day, to avoid overcrowding. “We always say that our goal is maximum of two shifts only but there will be areas that would have to resort to three shifts because they’re really overcrowded,” Education spokesperson told the media. It is pertinent to note that it was former President Rodrigo Duterte that clung to his directive of keeping the schools closed, fearing a spurt in the cases. Read more: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos visits earthquake-hit area, vows to help victims However, Duterte's decision has led to learning poverty in the country, according to UNICEF Philippines. Many students under the age of 10 are unable to read and understand a simple text passage. “Vulnerable children such as children with disabilities, children living in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, and children living in disaster and conflict zones fare far worse,” said the UN agency. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Schools reopen in Philippines for the first time after two years of Covid lockdowns

Beijing&nbsp;on Saturday said it would allow primary and secondary schools to resume in-person classes and Shanghai's top party boss declared victory over COVID-19 after the city reported zero new local cases for the first time in two months.

The two major cities were among several places in China that implemented curbs to stop the spread of the Omicron wave during March to May, with Shanghai imposing a two month-long city-wide lockdown that lifted on June 1.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/millions-tested-in-beijing-amid-24-hour-bar-emerging-as-covid-epicentre-488114">Millions tested in Beijing amid 24-hour bar emerging as Covid epicentre</a>

The efforts, part of China's adherence to a zero-Covid&nbsp;policy that aims to eradicate all outbreaks, have brought case numbers down but many of the heavy-handed measures have fuelled anger and even rare protests and taken a heavy toll on the economy.

Beijing&nbsp;shut its schools in early May and asked students to move to online learning amid a spike in locally transmitted COVID-19 cases. Senior year students at middle and high schools were allowed to return to classrooms from June 2.

On Saturday, with case numbers trending lower in recent days, the capital's education commission said all primary and secondary school students in the capital can return to in-person classes from Monday. Kindergartens will be allowed to reopen from July 4.

The&nbsp;Beijing&nbsp;Municipal Bureau of Sports said separately that sports activities for the young can resume at non-school locations on June 27 in areas where no community cases have been reported for seven consecutive days, with the exception of basement venues, which will remain shut.

The Universal&nbsp;Beijing&nbsp;Resort, which had been closed for nearly two months, reopened on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Shanghai reported no new local cases - both symptomatic and asymptomatic - for June 24, the first time the Chinese economic hub had done so since Feb. 23.

Watch |&nbsp;The BRICS Summit: Beijing hosts meeting of BRICS emerging economies

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Shanghai Communist Party chief Li Qiang said at the opening at the city's party congress on Saturday that authorities had "won the war to defend Shanghai" against COVID-19 by implementing the instructions of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and that&nbsp;Beijing's epidemic prevention decisions were "completely correct".

The city, however, remains on edge. Most students have not been allowed to resume in-person classes and dining indoors is still banned. It also plans to continue conducting mass PCR testing for its 25 million residents every weekend until the end of July.

And underscoring continued difficulties in stamping out Omicron, the southern city of Shenzhen, which implemented a week-long lockdown in March, said on Saturday it would shut all cinemas and parks as well as suspend public events in Futian district, after six local cases were discovered there on Friday.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beijing-bar-epicentre-of-covid-outbreak-loses-license-488716">Beijing bar, epicentre of COVID outbreak, loses license</a>

Restaurants in the district, that has a population of around 1.55 million people and houses the headquarters of Chinese insurance giant Ping An and the city government's headquarters, will also be limited to 50% of their usual diner capacity, authorities said.

The city also now requires residents to show a negative COVID-19 test to enter public venues taken within the last 24 hours, shortened from 48 hours previously, which in essence requires people to test daily to enter places such as malls or take public transport.

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Beijing on Saturday said it would allow primary and secondary schools to resume in-person classes and Shanghai's top party boss declared victory over COVID-19 after the city reported zero new local cases for the first time in two months.

Beijing on Saturday said it would allow primary and secondary schools to resume in-person classes and Shanghai's top party boss declared victory over COVID-19 after the city reported zero new local cases for the first time in two months. The two major cities were among several places in China that implemented curbs to stop the spread of the Omicron wave during March to May, with Shanghai imposing a two month-long city-wide lockdown that lifted on June 1. Also read | Millions tested in Beijing amid 24-hour bar emerging as Covid epicentre The efforts, part of China's adherence to a zero-Covid policy that aims to eradicate all outbreaks, have brought case numbers down but many of the heavy-handed measures have fuelled anger and even rare protests and taken a heavy toll on the economy. Beijing shut its schools in early May and asked students to move to online learning amid a spike in locally transmitted COVID-19 cases. Senior year students at middle and high schools were allowed to return to classrooms from June 2. On Saturday, with case numbers trending lower in recent days, the capital's education commission said all primary and secondary school students in the capital can return to in-person classes from Monday. Kindergartens will be allowed to reopen from July 4. The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports said separately that sports activities for the young can resume at non-school locations on June 27 in areas where no community cases have been reported for seven consecutive days, with the exception of basement venues, which will remain shut. The Universal Beijing Resort, which had been closed for nearly two months, reopened on Saturday. Meanwhile, Shanghai reported no new local cases - both symptomatic and asymptomatic - for June 24, the first time the Chinese economic hub had done so since Feb. 23. Watch | The BRICS Summit: Beijing hosts meeting of BRICS emerging economies Shanghai Communist Party chief Li Qiang said at the opening at the city's party congress on Saturday that authorities had "won the war to defend Shanghai" against COVID-19 by implementing the instructions of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and that Beijing's epidemic prevention decisions were "completely correct". The city, however, remains on edge. Most students have not been allowed to resume in-person classes and dining indoors is still banned. It also plans to continue conducting mass PCR testing for its 25 million residents every weekend until the end of July. And underscoring continued difficulties in stamping out Omicron, the southern city of Shenzhen, which implemented a week-long lockdown in March, said on Saturday it would shut all cinemas and parks as well as suspend public events in Futian district, after six local cases were discovered there on Friday. Also read | Beijing bar, epicentre of COVID outbreak, loses license Restaurants in the district, that has a population of around 1.55 million people and houses the headquarters of Chinese insurance giant Ping An and the city government's headquarters, will also be limited to 50% of their usual diner capacity, authorities said. The city also now requires residents to show a negative COVID-19 test to enter public venues taken within the last 24 hours, shortened from 48 hours previously, which in essence requires people to test daily to enter places such as malls or take public transport. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Beijing to reopen schools, Shanghai declares victory over Covid

Road traffic noise outside schools can harm primary school children’s attention span and stunt their cognitive development, a new study has shown.

The study, which forms part of the BREATHE project, included 2,680 children between 7 and 10 years of age across 38 schools in Barcelona.

They based their research by measuring the noise coming from the outside before lessons began. This was repeated six months later to calculate an average baseline level of noise pollution at each site.

Using online cognitive tests, the team tested the children’s short-term memory and attentiveness every three months for a year.

The study found that these children with higher average indoor noise levels – defined as above 30 decibels,&nbsp;about the volume of whispering&nbsp;– saw a slower improvement in attentiveness, measured by comparing their performance on tests at the start of the year with those at the end of the year.

It was further found that children exposed to higher average classroom noise levels over the course of the year performed worse than students in quieter classrooms only on the attention test, but not on the working memory tests.

"This finding suggests that noise peaks inside the classroom may be more disruptive to neurodevelopment than average decibel level," said lead researcher Maria Foraster, from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.

"This is important because it supports the hypothesis that noise characteristics may be more influential than average noise levels, despite the fact that current policies are based solely on average decibels."

"Our study supports the hypothesis that childhood is a vulnerable period during which external stimuli such as noise can affect the rapid process of cognitive development that takes place before adolescence," said co-author Jordi Sunyer.

Watch WION's live TV here:

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Road traffic noise outside schools can harm primary school children’s attention span and stunt their cognitive development, a new study has shown. The study, which forms part of the BREATHE project, included 2,680 children between 7 and 10 years of age across 38 schools in Barcelona.

Road traffic noise outside schools can harm primary school children’s attention span and stunt their cognitive development, a new study has shown. The study, which forms part of the BREATHE project, included 2,680 children between 7 and 10 years of age across 38 schools in Barcelona. They based their research by measuring the noise coming from the outside before lessons began. This was repeated six months later to calculate an average baseline level of noise pollution at each site. Using online cognitive tests, the team tested the children’s short-term memory and attentiveness every three months for a year. The study found that these children with higher average indoor noise levels – defined as above 30 decibels, about the volume of whispering – saw a slower improvement in attentiveness, measured by comparing their performance on tests at the start of the year with those at the end of the year. It was further found that children exposed to higher average classroom noise levels over the course of the year performed worse than students in quieter classrooms only on the attention test, but not on the working memory tests. "This finding suggests that noise peaks inside the classroom may be more disruptive to neurodevelopment than average decibel level," said lead researcher Maria Foraster, from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health. "This is important because it supports the hypothesis that noise characteristics may be more influential than average noise levels, despite the fact that current policies are based solely on average decibels." "Our study supports the hypothesis that childhood is a vulnerable period during which external stimuli such as noise can affect the rapid process of cognitive development that takes place before adolescence," said co-author Jordi Sunyer. Watch WION's live TV here:

Road traffic noise can stunt cognitive development, reduce attention span of kids, says study

A number of International schools in China are facing a drop in foreign students enrollment and mass resignation by International teachers, this is because of the stringent zero covid-19 policy our next report has more on this.

Foreign students and teachers drop out of Chinese schools amid stringent covid-19 curbs

Indian Government's Union Ministry of Education has encouraged schools to start courses early in the morning and decrease work hours to enable children cope with the heatwave sweeping throughout the country.

The announcement comes as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts another heat wave in Delhi starting on Friday. High temperatures are causing problems in most sections of north, central, northwest, and east India.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/heatwave-hit-indian-states-ready-with-plans-says-official-476886">&nbsp;India: 23 states, hundreds of cities, districts at risk due to heatwave, says official</a>

According to the Ministry's guidelines, school hours may begin early and end before noon. It stated that the start time might be as early as 7:00 a.m., and the amount of school hours per day could be reduced.&nbsp;

According to the Ministry, sports or other outside activities that expose students to direct sunlight should be altered in the early morning. It was suggested that school assemblies be held in a covered location or in classrooms with shorter intervals.&nbsp;

According to the Ministry, comparable precautions may be used during dispersal after school has ended.

In an advisory the ministry, urged school officials to limit outside activities and ensure that student stay hydrated during the school hours. It further stated that teaching and non-teaching staffs to be trained to administer first aid in case a student suffers of mild heat-stroke.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Earth could heat up at alarming levels in 5 years

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The guidelines also recommended&nbsp;schools to relax its uniform policies like neck ties and allow students to wear light coloured cotton clothes and allow students to wear Canvas shoes instead of leather.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-india-reels-under-heat-wave-kashmir-temperatures-at-below-20-degrees-476926">As India reels under heat wave, Kashmir temperatures at below 20 degrees</a>

The guidelines even&nbsp;had&nbsp;specified instructions related to food, advising teachers to check quality of the mid-day meals before serving it to students. It said, “Heat can spoil food therefore hot-cooked meals under PM POSHAN must be served hot and fresh. Children carrying tiffins may be advised not to carry food that can turn stale quickly… in every period, teachers should remind students to sip water from their water bottles.”

Schools are told to prepare strong first-aid facilities and ensure proper availability of oral rehydration solutions and plan for a speedy access to health centres nearby in emergency. &nbsp;

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(With inputs from agencies)

Indian Government's Union Ministry of Education has encouraged schools to start courses early in the morning and decrease work hours to enable children cope with the heatwave sweeping throughout the country.

Indian Government's Union Ministry of Education has encouraged schools to start courses early in the morning and decrease work hours to enable children cope with the heatwave sweeping throughout the country. The announcement comes as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts another heat wave in Delhi starting on Friday. High temperatures are causing problems in most sections of north, central, northwest, and east India. Also read | India: 23 states, hundreds of cities, districts at risk due to heatwave, says official According to the Ministry's guidelines, school hours may begin early and end before noon. It stated that the start time might be as early as 7:00 a.m., and the amount of school hours per day could be reduced. According to the Ministry, sports or other outside activities that expose students to direct sunlight should be altered in the early morning. It was suggested that school assemblies be held in a covered location or in classrooms with shorter intervals. According to the Ministry, comparable precautions may be used during dispersal after school has ended. In an advisory the ministry, urged school officials to limit outside activities and ensure that student stay hydrated during the school hours. It further stated that teaching and non-teaching staffs to be trained to administer first aid in case a student suffers of mild heat-stroke. Watch | Gravitas: Earth could heat up at alarming levels in 5 years The guidelines also recommended schools to relax its uniform policies like neck ties and allow students to wear light coloured cotton clothes and allow students to wear Canvas shoes instead of leather. Also read | As India reels under heat wave, Kashmir temperatures at below 20 degrees The guidelines even had specified instructions related to food, advising teachers to check quality of the mid-day meals before serving it to students. It said, “Heat can spoil food therefore hot-cooked meals under PM POSHAN must be served hot and fresh. Children carrying tiffins may be advised not to carry food that can turn stale quickly… in every period, teachers should remind students to sip water from their water bottles.” Schools are told to prepare strong first-aid facilities and ensure proper availability of oral rehydration solutions and plan for a speedy access to health centres nearby in emergency. WATCH WION LIVE HERE: (With inputs from agencies)

India's deadly heat wave: Govt issues guidelines for schools, asks to modify timings

A little known but century-old ban on jazz in schools in a US city has been reversed unanimously, an AP report said.&nbsp;

The move was taken by the school board of New Orleans. The city seems to have played a major role in developing jazz. It is still played at many venues nightly.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-marines-announce-uniform-changes-permit-longer-hair-different-socks-more-nail-colours-465652" hreflang="en">US Marines announce uniform changes, permit longer hair, different socks, more nail colours</a>

During the meeting on Thursday night, Orleans Parish School Board President Olin Parker told AP, “I’m very glad that we can rescind this policy. I want to acknowledge it. It was rooted in racism.” &nbsp;&nbsp;

“And I also want to acknowledge the tremendous contributions of our students and especially of our band directors, whose legacy continues from 1922 through present day,” added Parker. &nbsp;

Ken Ducote, executive director, Greater New Orleans Collaborative of Charter Schools, had brought the policy to the board’s attention after reading about it in Al Kennedy’s book “Chord Changes on the Chalkboard: How Public School Teachers Shaped Jazz and the Music of New Orleans.” &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;US, allies discuss further oil release due to the rise in gas prices worldwide

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“We’re glad that the policy was ignored by our schools, because our schools played a major role in the development of jazz,” said member Katherine Baudouin.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On March 24, 1922, the earlier board's vote was passed without “prior policy development, analysis, or debate,” and the proposal had not been on the agenda, the current board noted. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A little known but century-old ban on jazz in schools in a US city has been reversed unanimously, an AP report said. The move was taken by the school board of New Orleans.

A little known but century-old ban on jazz in schools in a US city has been reversed unanimously, an AP report said. The move was taken by the school board of New Orleans. The city seems to have played a major role in developing jazz. It is still played at many venues nightly. Also Read: US Marines announce uniform changes, permit longer hair, different socks, more nail colours During the meeting on Thursday night, Orleans Parish School Board President Olin Parker told AP, “I’m very glad that we can rescind this policy. I want to acknowledge it. It was rooted in racism.” “And I also want to acknowledge the tremendous contributions of our students and especially of our band directors, whose legacy continues from 1922 through present day,” added Parker. Ken Ducote, executive director, Greater New Orleans Collaborative of Charter Schools, had brought the policy to the board’s attention after reading about it in Al Kennedy’s book “Chord Changes on the Chalkboard: How Public School Teachers Shaped Jazz and the Music of New Orleans.” Watch: US, allies discuss further oil release due to the rise in gas prices worldwide × “We’re glad that the policy was ignored by our schools, because our schools played a major role in the development of jazz,” said member Katherine Baudouin. On March 24, 1922, the earlier board's vote was passed without “prior policy development, analysis, or debate,” and the proposal had not been on the agenda, the current board noted. (With inputs from agencies)

US city reverses century-old ban on jazz in schools unanimously  

School in Kashmir Valley opened on Wednesday after a gap of 32 months. Children were seen donning school uniforms and rushing for classes early in the morning. The happiness on their faces was apparent.

The schools were shut after the abrogation of Article 370 on 5th August 2019 and later due to the Covid pandemic. Students were reunited with their friends and teachers after a long gap.&nbsp;

"I am extremely happy and excited that the schools have finally opened again. We missed it so much. The online classes were not as good as offline classes. I am so happy to be back in our classrooms. Meeting my friends and teachers after months is a feeling I can't explain," said Aayat, a student.&nbsp;

The government of Jammu and Kashmir has made it mandatory for all students to follow Covid protocols. Masks are important in the school premises and thermal scanners have been put at the school gates. Sanitisers have been provided in every classroom and other facilities. There would be a health team in every school monitoring the health of students, teachers, and administrative staff.

"Everyone is happy to be back in school. The students, teachers, and parents are so excited for the opening of schools. You can see for yourself how happy these children look today. The schools were completely sanitised before the opening, and we are taking care of all Covid protocols. Today during the assembly, we explained to all the students about what to do and how to maintain social distance, wearing masks, and using sanitisers," said Sumaiya, A teacher.&nbsp;

Moreover, the students at colleges and universities have been asked to carry their vaccination certificates with them. The long closure of institutions in Kashmir Valley has badly affected education. Parents and teachers are expecting situation to improve.

School in Kashmir Valley opened on Wednesday after a gap of 32 months. Children were seen donning school uniforms and rushing for classes early in the morning. The happiness on their faces was apparent.

School in Kashmir Valley opened on Wednesday after a gap of 32 months. Children were seen donning school uniforms and rushing for classes early in the morning. The happiness on their faces was apparent. The schools were shut after the abrogation of Article 370 on 5th August 2019 and later due to the Covid pandemic. Students were reunited with their friends and teachers after a long gap. "I am extremely happy and excited that the schools have finally opened again. We missed it so much. The online classes were not as good as offline classes. I am so happy to be back in our classrooms. Meeting my friends and teachers after months is a feeling I can't explain," said Aayat, a student. The government of Jammu and Kashmir has made it mandatory for all students to follow Covid protocols. Masks are important in the school premises and thermal scanners have been put at the school gates. Sanitisers have been provided in every classroom and other facilities. There would be a health team in every school monitoring the health of students, teachers, and administrative staff. "Everyone is happy to be back in school. The students, teachers, and parents are so excited for the opening of schools. You can see for yourself how happy these children look today. The schools were completely sanitised before the opening, and we are taking care of all Covid protocols. Today during the assembly, we explained to all the students about what to do and how to maintain social distance, wearing masks, and using sanitisers," said Sumaiya, A teacher. Moreover, the students at colleges and universities have been asked to carry their vaccination certificates with them. The long closure of institutions in Kashmir Valley has badly affected education. Parents and teachers are expecting situation to improve.

Schools re-open after a gap of 32 months in Kashmir Valley

Hong Kong is struggling to cope as COVID-19 cases rises to record highs and overwhelms its hospitals. Daily infections have multiplied 13 times over the past two weeks from about 100 cases at the start of February to over 1300 on February 13th, authorities are scrambling to control the deepening outbreak.

Hong Kong's daily covid-19 cases multiply 13 times in last two weeks

Bangladesh has decided to extend its decision to keep schools shut amid a rise in Covid-19 cases, driven by the Omicron variant. The move has triggered a debate among parents and teachers on whether these closures will have a long-term impact on children. Mariam Wardak tells you more.

South Asia Diary | Bangladesh school closure triggers debate

In view of the dip in the daily confirmed cases of coronavirus, the government of Indian national capital has decided on Friday to reopen schools for all classes from nursery onwards. &nbsp;

The gyms will also open shutters with certain restrictions. The drivers travelling alone in cars&nbsp;will also be exempted from wearing masks. &nbsp;

The announcement of relaxation of Covid restrictions was made by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/younger-population-infected-more-in-third-wave-says-icmr-450374" hreflang="en">Younger population infected more in third wave, says ICMR</a>

The teachers, who are not vaccinated, will not be allowed to come to schools, Sisodia said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The night curfew will continue for now, but will begin from 11 pm instead of 10 pm, the government said. &nbsp;

The restaurants have been allowed by the DDMA to remain open till 11 pm. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"A number of key decisions were taken during the DDMA meeting on Friday. The decisions were taken keeping in mind the decline in coronavirus cases in Delhi. These decisions will help in ensuring that people's lives and businesses can come back on track," Sisodia said. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fresh-spell-of-snowfall-greets-tourists-in-kashmir-valley-450194" hreflang="en">Fresh spell of snowfall greets tourists in Kashmir Valley</a>

At an online briefing, Sisodia added, "Schools will reopen for classes 9-12 from February 7 and for nursery to 8 from February 14. The classes will continue to be in a hybrid mode." &nbsp;

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has also decided to reopen higher education institutions and coaching centres from February 7. "However, colleges will be discouraged to hold online classes and should start offline teaching," he said. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In view of the dip in the daily confirmed cases of coronavirus, the government of Indian national capital has decided on Friday to reopen schools for all classes from nursery onwards.

In view of the dip in the daily confirmed cases of coronavirus, the government of Indian national capital has decided on Friday to reopen schools for all classes from nursery onwards. The gyms will also open shutters with certain restrictions. The drivers travelling alone in cars will also be exempted from wearing masks. The announcement of relaxation of Covid restrictions was made by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Also Read: Younger population infected more in third wave, says ICMR The teachers, who are not vaccinated, will not be allowed to come to schools, Sisodia said. The night curfew will continue for now, but will begin from 11 pm instead of 10 pm, the government said. The restaurants have been allowed by the DDMA to remain open till 11 pm. "A number of key decisions were taken during the DDMA meeting on Friday. The decisions were taken keeping in mind the decline in coronavirus cases in Delhi. These decisions will help in ensuring that people's lives and businesses can come back on track," Sisodia said. Also Read: Fresh spell of snowfall greets tourists in Kashmir Valley At an online briefing, Sisodia added, "Schools will reopen for classes 9-12 from February 7 and for nursery to 8 from February 14. The classes will continue to be in a hybrid mode." The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has also decided to reopen higher education institutions and coaching centres from February 7. "However, colleges will be discouraged to hold online classes and should start offline teaching," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

With dip in Covid cases on mind, India's national capital orders reopening of schools, colleges, gyms

After a religious school in Australia sent families enrolment agreements to indicate that transgender students will only be recognised by "biological sex", the human rights commissioner of the state said that schools cannot use contracts to avoid responsibilities under anti-discrimination law. &nbsp;

The incident happened at Citipointe Christian College in Queensland state of the country. &nbsp;

Citipointe’s contract or the “statement of faith”, which is required for enrolment, lists “homosexual acts” alongside bestiality, incest and paedophilia as "immoral" and "offensive to God". &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-to-host-quad-meeting-of-foreign-ministers-449154" hreflang="en">Australia to host 'Quad' meeting of foreign ministers</a>

It also said that each person should identify “with the gender that God bestowed”. &nbsp;

After encountering media reports over the contract, Queensland human rights commissioner, Scott McDougall, released a statement on Wednesday. &nbsp;

“Schools cannot contract out of their duties under discrimination laws by asking parents or students to agree to discriminatory terms,” McDougall said. &nbsp;

The Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act does not permit religious schools to refuse enrolment based on gender identity or sexuality or discriminate against existing students, McDougall said. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thailand-beach-declared-disaster-area-after-50000-litres-of-oil-spilt-448843" hreflang="en">Thailand beach declared disaster area after 50,000 litres of oil spilt</a>

“Expelling, disciplining or otherwise treating a student unfavourably because of these characteristics is unlawful discrimination in Queensland,” added McDougall. &nbsp;

“A school policy that requires a trans or gender diverse young person to be treated as their sex assigned at birth, or that requires a young person to hide or deny their sexuality, is likely to amount to unlawful discrimination,” McDougall further added. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

After a religious school in Australia sent families enrolment agreements to indicate that transgender students will only be recognised by "biological sex", the human rights commissioner of the state said that schools cannot use contracts to avoid responsibilities under anti-discrimination law.

After a religious school in Australia sent families enrolment agreements to indicate that transgender students will only be recognised by "biological sex", the human rights commissioner of the state said that schools cannot use contracts to avoid responsibilities under anti-discrimination law. The incident happened at Citipointe Christian College in Queensland state of the country. Citipointe’s contract or the “statement of faith”, which is required for enrolment, lists “homosexual acts” alongside bestiality, incest and paedophilia as "immoral" and "offensive to God". Also Read: Australia to host 'Quad' meeting of foreign ministers It also said that each person should identify “with the gender that God bestowed”. After encountering media reports over the contract, Queensland human rights commissioner, Scott McDougall, released a statement on Wednesday. “Schools cannot contract out of their duties under discrimination laws by asking parents or students to agree to discriminatory terms,” McDougall said. The Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act does not permit religious schools to refuse enrolment based on gender identity or sexuality or discriminate against existing students, McDougall said. Also Read: Thailand beach declared disaster area after 50,000 litres of oil spilt “Expelling, disciplining or otherwise treating a student unfavourably because of these characteristics is unlawful discrimination in Queensland,” added McDougall. “A school policy that requires a trans or gender diverse young person to be treated as their sex assigned at birth, or that requires a young person to hide or deny their sexuality, is likely to amount to unlawful discrimination,” McDougall further added. (With inputs from agencies)

Schools cannot use contracts to avoid responsibilities under anti-discrimination law, says Australian official

Hong Kong has suspended kindergarten and primary schools until next month to slow the spread of Covid-19. All in-person classes and playgrounds will remain shut until the beginning of the Lunar New Year break after which the city administration will start its vaccination program for children above the age of five.

Hong Kong: Kindergarten and primary schools shut until next month to slow Covid-19 spread

Evelyn Forde hoped that January would bring some relief.

As the head teacher at Copthall School in north London, she spent the final weeks of 2021 dealing with major staffing shortages as the omicron variant of the coronavirus began tearing across the city. But Tuesday, as the all-girls secondary school reopened its doors, 13 of 120 teachers were absent.

One day later, another teacher tested positive.

“We were just hanging on for dear life and just thinking, ‘It’s going to be fine when we come back in January,’” Forde said, “only for the variant to kind of just spread like wildfire.”

Such scenes were repeated across London last week amid a record surge in coronavirus infections, even as the government has held back from imposing a national lockdown, choosing instead to “ride out” the wave.

The calculus in London, as in the rest of England and much of the United States, appears to be the same. Many parents, politicians and school administrators are desperate to keep schools open after two years of chaotic openings and closures. But the variant is raising questions about those hopes, at least in the short term.

In England, worries about staffing are dire enough that retirees — often older and therefore more vulnerable to severe illness from the coronavirus — have been urged to return to duty. Schools have been advised to merge classes to plug staffing gaps. And in a country that has long resisted the types of precautions taken in countries like Germany, secondary schools are now required to test all their students twice a week — adding to the burden of smaller staffs.

Even then, some parents question whether students should be back at all, given what they fear are inadequate precautions and promised changes in ventilation systems that they say are both too little and too late.

But in England, unlike in the United States, the national government can decree the rules for all public schools, and although teachers unions continue to voice concerns about a lack of protections, they have generally been compliant. Parents also have little choice but to go along; they can be fined for keeping their children at home over COVID worries.

In some ways, the latest days of uncertainty feel like a repeat of last January, when another coronavirus wave, driven by the alpha variant, shuttered schools for weeks after they had opened for just one day. Still, there is more hope this time that the seemingly milder omicron variant will not wreak the same havoc and that schools can muddle through with just a few changes.

And for many people, any risks are outweighed by indications that children not only fell behind in school but that many also suffered devastating mental health issues.

Beyond the new testing requirements, the government is now requiring secondary school students to wear masks not only in the hallways but also in classes. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi also promised to begin distributing ventilation systems to thousands of schools and to increase funding to help pay for substitute teachers.

Still, the challenges are clear.

Education staff were more likely than other workers to test positive for the coronavirus late last year and have to isolate, according to numbers from the Office of National Statistics, and in London, many schools had struggled just to make it to the holidays amid staff absences.

Since many schools reopened last week, more than one-third of about 2,000 schools surveyed in England had 10% of their staff absent on the first day back, according to a poll by NAHT, the school leaders union. And 37% of schools polled said they were unable to find enough substitute teachers to fill in for those who were ill.

Most schools had just two days to get the new government guidance implemented before students began to return to school, which led many to stagger their return to allow for testing their entire student bodies.

Trade unions representing most education staff in England have called for additional government support. Their demands include ventilation systems for all of the nearly 25,000 schools — a far greater number than the 8,000 pledged — as well as more people to help with tests and more money to pay for substitutes.

“Schools and colleges cannot on their own reduce the threat posed by the virus, and they need from the Westminster government more than rhetoric about the importance of education,” the organizations said in a statement last week.

Philippe Sibelly, an art teacher at a small international school in central London, said the school had to close two days early for the holidays because of so many staff and student absences.

When school restarted Tuesday, Sibelly said there were no staff absences, pointing out that most teachers had contracted COVID last month or over the Christmas holidays. But now many students are out sick or isolating at home after testing positive.

During earlier waves of the pandemic, the school had gone beyond the measures recommended by the government, remaining closed to in-person teaching for a longer period of time and installing better ventilation systems. But Sibelly said that those decisions had often been met with pushback from some parents.

“From the beginning of COVID anyway, whatever we do, well, we can’t win because it’s a very polarizing issue,” he said, though he added that most parents seemed to be on board with the current approach.

Some educators are hopeful that the worst may be behind them. Nick Soar, executive principal of the Harris Federation of Schools, who oversees two state-funded schools in central and north London, said they had staggered toward the holidays with many staff and student absences.

He credited school staff with making heroic efforts to keep the school open, including having some teachers who had been exposed to the virus or had asymptomatic cases deliver classes remotely from their homes to full classrooms with a supervising adult.

But, he said, it seems like things have turned a corner, with testing so far revealing just a handful of cases and far fewer absences than December.

“It feels like the ghost of Christmas COVID has gone, even though we are crossing our fingers,” Soar said. “We’ve learned if we pull together, we cannot overreact, and make sure that great teaching and exciting teaching takes place, even while everything else around you might seem to be falling apart.”

Public health experts, however, have cautioned that the full effect of social mixing over the holidays has yet to be seen.

That — and what they consider a haphazard government approach — is enough to add to some parents’ pandemic worries.

Kirsten Minshall, who lives in southeast England, questioned the government’s reactive approach and the last-minute testing guidance that meant some schools, including his children’s, suddenly delayed openings, posing challenges for working parents.

“It doesn’t feel like really anything is ever adequately put in place to deal with what is happening at the moment,” he said. He pointed out that a full year after schools opened and shut in one day, the country’s leaders are still having the same conversations about masking, ventilation and distancing in schools, when better precautions could have already been put in place.

Now he fears it is only a matter of time before someone in his family catches the virus.

“We have this clash of a desire for everything to be as it always had been, versus the new reality,” he said.

Chaela Cooper, whose children go to school in the southeast of England, said she is also frustrated, and frightened. She would like to see mandatory masking at all age groups since most children under 12 years old are not yet able to get vaccinated, as well as better ventilation systems.

“If we have to live with this virus, we have to mitigate for it,” she said. “Otherwise what you are actually saying is live with death and illness.”

Evelyn Forde hoped that January would bring some relief. As the head teacher at Copthall School in north London, she spent the final weeks of 2021 dealing with major staffing shortages as the omicron variant of the coronavirus began tearing across the city.

Evelyn Forde hoped that January would bring some relief. As the head teacher at Copthall School in north London, she spent the final weeks of 2021 dealing with major staffing shortages as the omicron variant of the coronavirus began tearing across the city. But Tuesday, as the all-girls secondary school reopened its doors, 13 of 120 teachers were absent. One day later, another teacher tested positive. “We were just hanging on for dear life and just thinking, ‘It’s going to be fine when we come back in January,’” Forde said, “only for the variant to kind of just spread like wildfire.” Such scenes were repeated across London last week amid a record surge in coronavirus infections, even as the government has held back from imposing a national lockdown, choosing instead to “ride out” the wave. The calculus in London, as in the rest of England and much of the United States, appears to be the same. Many parents, politicians and school administrators are desperate to keep schools open after two years of chaotic openings and closures. But the variant is raising questions about those hopes, at least in the short term. In England, worries about staffing are dire enough that retirees — often older and therefore more vulnerable to severe illness from the coronavirus — have been urged to return to duty. Schools have been advised to merge classes to plug staffing gaps. And in a country that has long resisted the types of precautions taken in countries like Germany, secondary schools are now required to test all their students twice a week — adding to the burden of smaller staffs. Even then, some parents question whether students should be back at all, given what they fear are inadequate precautions and promised changes in ventilation systems that they say are both too little and too late. But in England, unlike in the United States, the national government can decree the rules for all public schools, and although teachers unions continue to voice concerns about a lack of protections, they have generally been compliant. Parents also have little choice but to go along; they can be fined for keeping their children at home over COVID worries. In some ways, the latest days of uncertainty feel like a repeat of last January, when another coronavirus wave, driven by the alpha variant, shuttered schools for weeks after they had opened for just one day. Still, there is more hope this time that the seemingly milder omicron variant will not wreak the same havoc and that schools can muddle through with just a few changes. And for many people, any risks are outweighed by indications that children not only fell behind in school but that many also suffered devastating mental health issues. Beyond the new testing requirements, the government is now requiring secondary school students to wear masks not only in the hallways but also in classes. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi also promised to begin distributing ventilation systems to thousands of schools and to increase funding to help pay for substitute teachers. Still, the challenges are clear. Education staff were more likely than other workers to test positive for the coronavirus late last year and have to isolate, according to numbers from the Office of National Statistics, and in London, many schools had struggled just to make it to the holidays amid staff absences. Since many schools reopened last week, more than one-third of about 2,000 schools surveyed in England had 10% of their staff absent on the first day back, according to a poll by NAHT, the school leaders union. And 37% of schools polled said they were unable to find enough substitute teachers to fill in for those who were ill. Most schools had just two days to get the new government guidance implemented before students began to return to school, which led many to stagger their return to allow for testing their entire student bodies. Trade unions representing most education staff in England have called for additional government support. Their demands include ventilation systems for all of the nearly 25,000 schools — a far greater number than the 8,000 pledged — as well as more people to help with tests and more money to pay for substitutes. “Schools and colleges cannot on their own reduce the threat posed by the virus, and they need from the Westminster government more than rhetoric about the importance of education,” the organizations said in a statement last week. Philippe Sibelly, an art teacher at a small international school in central London, said the school had to close two days early for the holidays because of so many staff and student absences. When school restarted Tuesday, Sibelly said there were no staff absences, pointing out that most teachers had contracted COVID last month or over the Christmas holidays. But now many students are out sick or isolating at home after testing positive. During earlier waves of the pandemic, the school had gone beyond the measures recommended by the government, remaining closed to in-person teaching for a longer period of time and installing better ventilation systems. But Sibelly said that those decisions had often been met with pushback from some parents. “From the beginning of COVID anyway, whatever we do, well, we can’t win because it’s a very polarizing issue,” he said, though he added that most parents seemed to be on board with the current approach. Some educators are hopeful that the worst may be behind them. Nick Soar, executive principal of the Harris Federation of Schools, who oversees two state-funded schools in central and north London, said they had staggered toward the holidays with many staff and student absences. He credited school staff with making heroic efforts to keep the school open, including having some teachers who had been exposed to the virus or had asymptomatic cases deliver classes remotely from their homes to full classrooms with a supervising adult. But, he said, it seems like things have turned a corner, with testing so far revealing just a handful of cases and far fewer absences than December. “It feels like the ghost of Christmas COVID has gone, even though we are crossing our fingers,” Soar said. “We’ve learned if we pull together, we cannot overreact, and make sure that great teaching and exciting teaching takes place, even while everything else around you might seem to be falling apart.” Public health experts, however, have cautioned that the full effect of social mixing over the holidays has yet to be seen. That — and what they consider a haphazard government approach — is enough to add to some parents’ pandemic worries. Kirsten Minshall, who lives in southeast England, questioned the government’s reactive approach and the last-minute testing guidance that meant some schools, including his children’s, suddenly delayed openings, posing challenges for working parents. “It doesn’t feel like really anything is ever adequately put in place to deal with what is happening at the moment,” he said. He pointed out that a full year after schools opened and shut in one day, the country’s leaders are still having the same conversations about masking, ventilation and distancing in schools, when better precautions could have already been put in place. Now he fears it is only a matter of time before someone in his family catches the virus. “We have this clash of a desire for everything to be as it always had been, versus the new reality,” he said. Chaela Cooper, whose children go to school in the southeast of England, said she is also frustrated, and frightened. She would like to see mandatory masking at all age groups since most children under 12 years old are not yet able to get vaccinated, as well as better ventilation systems. “If we have to live with this virus, we have to mitigate for it,” she said. “Otherwise what you are actually saying is live with death and illness.”

London schools are determined to stay open. Staff illnesses make it hard.

The omicron surge threatens to upend any sense of peace in the nation’s education system.

After a holiday break that saw COVID-19 cases spike unrelentingly, a small but growing list of districts — including Newark, New Jersey; Atlanta; Milwaukee; and Cleveland — moved temporarily to remote learning for more than 450,000 children.

Districtwide closures, even those that last for a week or two, are a step backward after months in which classrooms largely remained open, even during a fall surge of the delta variant.

And although politicians, including Mayor Eric Adams of New York and Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, vowed to keep schools open, there were growing fears from parents and educators that more districts would soon turn to remote learning — even though in-school transmission of COVID-19 has been limited.

Those decisions could, in turn, radiate through the country, affecting child care, employment and any confidence that the pandemic’s viselike grip was loosening.

“It’s chaos,” said Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, which has polled families throughout the pandemic. “The No. 1 thing that parents and families are crying out for is stability.”

Some families were given just a few days or even hours of notice about school closures, leading to the all-too-familiar pandemic scramble to adjust child-care arrangements and work schedules. Atlanta Public Schools, for instance, announced Saturday that classes would be online for the first week of January, just days after saying that classes would be held in person.

Rodrigues’ own sons were home Monday morning after their schools, in Somerville, Massachusetts, announced Saturday a two-hour delayed start to test staff and distribute KN95 masks.

The continued burden on parents nationwide is unacceptable, Rodrigues said, given that a winter surge of the virus was predictable and that policymakers had months to secure and distribute tests and masks.

“No grace is extended to us,” she said of parents who would have to go out to work, whether or not their children’s schools were open.

The academic, social and emotional toll of school closures has been enormous, and well-documented. During the first year of the pandemic, before vaccines were available, the question of whether children should be in classrooms was one of the most divisive in American life. Today, politicians, labor leaders and teachers overwhelmingly say they want classrooms to remain open.

A vast majority of the nation’s school districts — including most of the largest ones — appear to be operating relatively normally. Still, the closures this week appeared to be concentrated in regions, such as the Northeast and upper Midwest, where Democratic Party policymakers and teachers unions have taken a more cautious approach to operating schools throughout the pandemic.

The nation is averaging more than 400,000 new cases a day for the first time in the pandemic, though hospitalizations are growing at a much slower rate. Many principals have reported large numbers of staff members calling in sick, because they are infected with COVID-19 or other illnesses, caring for sick family members or fearful of the conditions within school buildings.

Several of the shuttered districts serve predominantly Black, Hispanic and low-income students, raising concerns about the educational gaps that widened during previous phases of the pandemic.

“There is a casualness with which some have approached closing schools that I find deeply concerning, precisely because of the severe harms we’ve seen accumulate over the past year when schools were closed,” said Joseph Allen, a Harvard University professor who studies indoor environmental quality, including in schools.

Still, in New York City, where schools were open, about one-third of the students did not show up, suggesting significant parental hesitation.

And there are signs that some unions are becoming more resistant to in-person teaching. Members of the Chicago Teachers Union are preparing to vote Tuesday on whether to refuse to report to schools starting Wednesday. The union, which has repeatedly clashed with Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration, had demanded that every student be tested for the virus before returning from winter break, a step the district did not take.

The district, one of the largest in the country, instead gave tens of thousands of students optional take-home PCR tests before winter break, which parents were supposed to bring to a FedEx drop box.

On Monday, it became clear that the testing effort had largely failed. Of 35,590 tests recorded by the district in the week ending Saturday, 24,843 had invalid results. Among the minority of tests that did produce results, 18% were positive.

A district official said test vendors were looking into the reasons for the inconclusive results.

At a news conference Monday, the union’s vice president, Stacy Davis Gates, expressed her anger at having “to continuously fight for the basic necessities, the basic mitigations.”

In Florida, DeSantis reiterated Monday that officials would not allow the state’s public schools to close, despite a major spike in coronavirus cases.

“You have worse outcomes by closing schools,” said DeSantis, a Republican who has increased his national profile by rejecting coronavirus lockdowns and mandates for much of the pandemic. “Kids need to be in school.”

Furthermore, DeSantis said, children “do not need to be doing any crazy mitigation” such as testing or wearing masks, unless their parents want them to. He added: “Just let them be kids.”

In the New York area, there was a growing divide between the city, where nearly all schools opened Monday morning with beefed-up virus testing protocols, and the surrounding region, where a growing list of smaller districts shifted to remote learning, generally citing the surging number of COVID-19 cases within the community — not specific instances of in-school spread of the virus.

The school board president in Newark, Dawn Haynes, said in a statement, “The lives of all of our students mean more to me than anything else, especially since three of them are actually mine.”

In New Rochelle, New York, the school superintendent, Jonathan P. Raymond, wrote in a Dec. 31 letter that a week of remote learning would allow the district to await a shipment of rapid tests from the state, and sign up more students for in-school surveillance testing.

Some schools announcing their decision to temporarily close cited the closing of other districts — adding to an uneasy sense of falling dominoes. When the superintendent in Mount Vernon, New York, announced a two-week period of remote learning, he pointed to the closure of some schools in Maryland, where, on Dec. 17, Prince George’s County became the first major district to announce an extended shift to virtual teaching.

While omicron is more contagious than previous iterations of the virus, early indications are that it is also less severe. Allen, from Harvard, said the existing recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still allowed schools to operate safely, especially because children were at such low risk of serious complications from COVID-19. Those measures include vaccination, masking, hand-washing, the use of portable air filters and cracking windows.

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s vaccine boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds, but child and teenage vaccination rates have been disappointing in many places.

The CDC also recommends a strategy called test to stay, in which close contacts of positive virus cases are given frequent rapid tests; only those who test positive must stay home.

But many schools still lack the number of rapid antigen tests they need.

Allen acknowledged that rapid tests were in short supply.

“We’ve been calling for rapid testing for a year and a half,” he said. “I find it stunning that the country has so failed to prioritize kids.”

Still, many parents said that despite the difficulties of closures, they trusted their children’s schools to make the right call.

Lorenzo Spencer, whose son is a freshman at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, said he was not surprised by the district’s announcement of a three-day closure — without remote learning — to test its 8,000 employees.

“There’s no playbook for what we’re going through,” Spencer said. “As long as they’re doing what they can do to stay safe, I’m all for it.”

The omicron surge threatens to upend any sense of peace in the nation’s education system. After a holiday break that saw COVID-19 cases spike unrelentingly, a small but growing list of districts — including Newark, New Jersey; Atlanta; Milwaukee; and Cleveland — moved temporarily to remote learning for more than 450,000 children.

The omicron surge threatens to upend any sense of peace in the nation’s education system. After a holiday break that saw COVID-19 cases spike unrelentingly, a small but growing list of districts — including Newark, New Jersey; Atlanta; Milwaukee; and Cleveland — moved temporarily to remote learning for more than 450,000 children. Districtwide closures, even those that last for a week or two, are a step backward after months in which classrooms largely remained open, even during a fall surge of the delta variant. And although politicians, including Mayor Eric Adams of New York and Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, vowed to keep schools open, there were growing fears from parents and educators that more districts would soon turn to remote learning — even though in-school transmission of COVID-19 has been limited. Those decisions could, in turn, radiate through the country, affecting child care, employment and any confidence that the pandemic’s viselike grip was loosening. “It’s chaos,” said Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, which has polled families throughout the pandemic. “The No. 1 thing that parents and families are crying out for is stability.” Some families were given just a few days or even hours of notice about school closures, leading to the all-too-familiar pandemic scramble to adjust child-care arrangements and work schedules. Atlanta Public Schools, for instance, announced Saturday that classes would be online for the first week of January, just days after saying that classes would be held in person. Rodrigues’ own sons were home Monday morning after their schools, in Somerville, Massachusetts, announced Saturday a two-hour delayed start to test staff and distribute KN95 masks. The continued burden on parents nationwide is unacceptable, Rodrigues said, given that a winter surge of the virus was predictable and that policymakers had months to secure and distribute tests and masks. “No grace is extended to us,” she said of parents who would have to go out to work, whether or not their children’s schools were open. The academic, social and emotional toll of school closures has been enormous, and well-documented. During the first year of the pandemic, before vaccines were available, the question of whether children should be in classrooms was one of the most divisive in American life. Today, politicians, labor leaders and teachers overwhelmingly say they want classrooms to remain open. A vast majority of the nation’s school districts — including most of the largest ones — appear to be operating relatively normally. Still, the closures this week appeared to be concentrated in regions, such as the Northeast and upper Midwest, where Democratic Party policymakers and teachers unions have taken a more cautious approach to operating schools throughout the pandemic. The nation is averaging more than 400,000 new cases a day for the first time in the pandemic, though hospitalizations are growing at a much slower rate. Many principals have reported large numbers of staff members calling in sick, because they are infected with COVID-19 or other illnesses, caring for sick family members or fearful of the conditions within school buildings. Several of the shuttered districts serve predominantly Black, Hispanic and low-income students, raising concerns about the educational gaps that widened during previous phases of the pandemic. “There is a casualness with which some have approached closing schools that I find deeply concerning, precisely because of the severe harms we’ve seen accumulate over the past year when schools were closed,” said Joseph Allen, a Harvard University professor who studies indoor environmental quality, including in schools. Still, in New York City, where schools were open, about one-third of the students did not show up, suggesting significant parental hesitation. And there are signs that some unions are becoming more resistant to in-person teaching. Members of the Chicago Teachers Union are preparing to vote Tuesday on whether to refuse to report to schools starting Wednesday. The union, which has repeatedly clashed with Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration, had demanded that every student be tested for the virus before returning from winter break, a step the district did not take. The district, one of the largest in the country, instead gave tens of thousands of students optional take-home PCR tests before winter break, which parents were supposed to bring to a FedEx drop box. On Monday, it became clear that the testing effort had largely failed. Of 35,590 tests recorded by the district in the week ending Saturday, 24,843 had invalid results. Among the minority of tests that did produce results, 18% were positive. A district official said test vendors were looking into the reasons for the inconclusive results. At a news conference Monday, the union’s vice president, Stacy Davis Gates, expressed her anger at having “to continuously fight for the basic necessities, the basic mitigations.” In Florida, DeSantis reiterated Monday that officials would not allow the state’s public schools to close, despite a major spike in coronavirus cases. “You have worse outcomes by closing schools,” said DeSantis, a Republican who has increased his national profile by rejecting coronavirus lockdowns and mandates for much of the pandemic. “Kids need to be in school.” Furthermore, DeSantis said, children “do not need to be doing any crazy mitigation” such as testing or wearing masks, unless their parents want them to. He added: “Just let them be kids.” In the New York area, there was a growing divide between the city, where nearly all schools opened Monday morning with beefed-up virus testing protocols, and the surrounding region, where a growing list of smaller districts shifted to remote learning, generally citing the surging number of COVID-19 cases within the community — not specific instances of in-school spread of the virus. The school board president in Newark, Dawn Haynes, said in a statement, “The lives of all of our students mean more to me than anything else, especially since three of them are actually mine.” In New Rochelle, New York, the school superintendent, Jonathan P. Raymond, wrote in a Dec. 31 letter that a week of remote learning would allow the district to await a shipment of rapid tests from the state, and sign up more students for in-school surveillance testing. Some schools announcing their decision to temporarily close cited the closing of other districts — adding to an uneasy sense of falling dominoes. When the superintendent in Mount Vernon, New York, announced a two-week period of remote learning, he pointed to the closure of some schools in Maryland, where, on Dec. 17, Prince George’s County became the first major district to announce an extended shift to virtual teaching. While omicron is more contagious than previous iterations of the virus, early indications are that it is also less severe. Allen, from Harvard, said the existing recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still allowed schools to operate safely, especially because children were at such low risk of serious complications from COVID-19. Those measures include vaccination, masking, hand-washing, the use of portable air filters and cracking windows. On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer’s vaccine boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds, but child and teenage vaccination rates have been disappointing in many places. The CDC also recommends a strategy called test to stay, in which close contacts of positive virus cases are given frequent rapid tests; only those who test positive must stay home. But many schools still lack the number of rapid antigen tests they need. Allen acknowledged that rapid tests were in short supply. “We’ve been calling for rapid testing for a year and a half,” he said. “I find it stunning that the country has so failed to prioritize kids.” Still, many parents said that despite the difficulties of closures, they trusted their children’s schools to make the right call. Lorenzo Spencer, whose son is a freshman at Cass Technical High School in Detroit, said he was not surprised by the district’s announcement of a three-day closure — without remote learning — to test its 8,000 employees. “There’s no playbook for what we’re going through,” Spencer said. “As long as they’re doing what they can do to stay safe, I’m all for it.”

‘It’s chaos’ as schools confront omicron

Several school districts across the US were shut after there were shooting threats made using the social media platform TikTok. The social media company said that it has found no evidence of such and is working to remove videos.&nbsp;

Schools in states including California, Missouri, Texas and Minnesota cancelled classes while schools in Arizona, New York, Illinois, Connecticut and Pennsylvania increased police presence.&nbsp;

A statement issued by Tooele country district school said, "We have been made aware of another nation-wide trend, where students post a threat regarding gun violence in schools on social media. The school district is taking each threat that has been reported seriously and is involving law enforcement to help investigate each situation."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/michigan-school-shooting-15-year-old-student-ethan-crumbley-charged-as-an-adult-433393">Also read |&nbsp;Michigan school shooting: 15-year-old student, Ethan Crumbley, charged as an adult</a>

These threats come at a time when US school have been a target of such shootings. According to a report by Education Week, there have been 32 shootings on school campuses in 2021. Such threats have been a major cause of anxiety among parents, students and educators.&nbsp;

In order to ensure safety and keep the people updated, TikTok took to its official Twitter handle and said, "Local authorities, the FBI, and DHS have confirmed there's no credible threat, so we're working to remove alarmist warnings that violate our misinformation policy. If we did find promotion of violence on our platform, we'd remove and report it to law enforcement."

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We handle even rumored threats with utmost seriousness, which is why we're working with law enforcement to look into warnings about potential violence at schools even though we have not found evidence of such threats originating or spreading via TikTok.
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) <a href="https://twitter.com/TikTokComms/status/1471572096111239175?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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(With inputs from agencies)

Several school districts across the US were shut after there were shooting threats made using the social media platform TikTok. The social media company said that it has found no evidence of such and is working to remove videos.

Several school districts across the US were shut after there were shooting threats made using the social media platform TikTok. The social media company said that it has found no evidence of such and is working to remove videos. Schools in states including California, Missouri, Texas and Minnesota cancelled classes while schools in Arizona, New York, Illinois, Connecticut and Pennsylvania increased police presence. A statement issued by Tooele country district school said, "We have been made aware of another nation-wide trend, where students post a threat regarding gun violence in schools on social media. The school district is taking each threat that has been reported seriously and is involving law enforcement to help investigate each situation." Also read | Michigan school shooting: 15-year-old student, Ethan Crumbley, charged as an adult These threats come at a time when US school have been a target of such shootings. According to a report by Education Week, there have been 32 shootings on school campuses in 2021. Such threats have been a major cause of anxiety among parents, students and educators. In order to ensure safety and keep the people updated, TikTok took to its official Twitter handle and said, "Local authorities, the FBI, and DHS have confirmed there's no credible threat, so we're working to remove alarmist warnings that violate our misinformation policy. If we did find promotion of violence on our platform, we'd remove and report it to law enforcement." We handle even rumored threats with utmost seriousness, which is why we're working with law enforcement to look into warnings about potential violence at schools even though we have not found evidence of such threats originating or spreading via TikTok. — TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) December 16, 2021 × (With inputs from agencies)

US schools cancel classes due to shooting threats on TikTok

David C Banks began his first morning as New York City’s schools chancellor-in-waiting with a warning to the city’s educational bureaucracy: The nation’s largest school system had betrayed too many of its students by paying the salaries of administrators who did not improve the lives of children, funded by a bloated budget that produced abysmal results for too many Black and Latino students.

Speaking at a packed, celebratory outdoor news conference at Public School 161, the elementary school he attended as a child in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Banks thundered: “I have a message for a lot of folks who are down at Tweed who think they know me,” referring to the Department of Education’s downtown headquarters.

To laughter and cheers, he issued a rhetorical question to administrators: “If you left, and your job disappeared tomorrow, would that change anything that’s going on in any of our schools?”

Banks, a longtime friend and adviser to Eric Adams, is the mayor-elect’s first commissioner-level appointment, and his remarks, along with Adams’, were feisty opening salvos that signal their plans for major changes in the sprawling system.

Saying that “65% of Black and brown children never achieve proficiency” on state standardized exams, Banks said that statistic reflected “a betrayal,” adding: “Think about if everybody in the Department of Education went home and all the kids went to school, you could get those same results,” he said.

But Mayor Bill de Blasio’s three schools chancellors all made similar promises. While test scores and graduation rates have risen citywide during the current mayor’s tenure, profound problems remain, from entrenched racial segregation to lack of support services for the city’s roughly 100,000 homeless students. Bringing sweeping change to a system that commands a $38 billion annual budget and employs 150,000 adults inside schools alone has always been more aspiration than reality for chancellors.

Adams said there was no alternative to bold action. “Let me tell you something, if 65% of white children were not reaching proficiency in this city, they would burn the city down,” he said. The mayor-elect said there has been “no urgency” about improving schools, in what appeared to be a veiled swipe at the de Blasio administration.

Banks created a network of all-boys public schools, the Eagle Academy for Young Men, that helps demonstrate just how challenging it is to improve performance on standardized exams among the city’s neediest children.

The network, which has five schools in each New York City borough and one in Newark, New Jersey, stands apart from neighboring public schools by employing many male teachers of color, instituting a strict discipline code and holding longer school days and gatherings on Saturdays. The schools encouraged students to have frequent discussions about racial identity and cultural pride long before culturally responsive education was a subject of national debate.

But while two of the schools have done well on standardized tests, three have extremely low test scores and are considered some of the lowest-performing schools in the state.

The lowest scores are concentrated in the middle school grades, when students are new to the Eagle schools. The schools, which serve students in grades 6 through 12, have relatively high graduation rates, indicating that many students improve over their years there.

Banks spoke broadly about exams and accountability Thursday, without mentioning his own schools’ struggles. “The very fabric of how we’re actually measuring our children, and measuring progress for our schools, is fundamentally flawed,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that test scores don’t mean anything; they do. They just don’t mean everything.”

The lagging standardized test performance in some Eagle schools — despite their strong leadership and focus on structure — shows just how much work Banks has ahead of him as he seeks to improve hundreds of schools that have struggled for decades.

How Banks and Adams will actually go about addressing the segregation, discrimination and a long list of failed initiatives that have helped create the city’s extremely uneven school system is an open question.

Adams has immense power to change any aspect of the sprawling school district, with its nearly 1 million children and 1,600 schools. But he pledged Thursday to empower Banks and to disagree only behind closed doors.

What was left unsaid during Thursday’s news conference was that fundamental changes to city schools typically require at least tacit approval from the United Federation of Teachers. The union did not endorse Adams during the Democratic primary, and the mayor-elect’s support for charter schools and skepticism toward education bureaucracy do not bode well for the union.

Michael Mulgrew, the UFT’s president, who is a constant presence at major announcements, did not attend Thursday’s news conference. The leader of the city’s principals’ union, which has had a good relationship with Banks since he was himself a principal, was in the crowd.

As messages of support for Banks poured in from various organizations and advocacy groups Wednesday evening, the union was quiet. After the news conference, the union issued a statement that said, “We have worked well with David in the past, and we look forward to continuing that relationship as he takes on the challenge of running 1,600 schools still suffering from the effects of the pandemic.”

The UFT, which is encountering an unusual moment of political pressure as parents in New York and across the country raise questions about school closures during the pandemic, already knew it would not have a strong ally in City Hall.

But union officials are especially concerned about the appointment of Daniel Weisberg, a top official under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, to first deputy chancellor. Weisberg helped lead Bloomberg’s push to move weak teachers out of the system and has become something of a villain at the UFT. His appointment is a signal that the incoming administration, which owes the union nothing politically, intends to focus on teacher quality in ways that may prove uncomfortable for the UFT.

Other statements were much more effusive, including from the leaders of organizations focused on supporting children with disabilities and key figures in the city’s charter school movement. De Blasio has wavered between ambivalence and straightforward hostility toward charters.

Basil Smikle, a professor of public policy and longtime Democratic strategist, said Banks’ support for charters aligned with his mission at Eagle. “He is very understanding of the history, that communities of color seeking equity have always found alternatives to traditional public schools,” he said.

Adams, acknowledging the sky-high expectations and lofty promises he and his chancellor were making, said it would be fair to judge his track record on education only at the end of his full first term.

“We’re not going to win every war,” he said, “but, darn it, we’re not going to lose at trying.”

Adams and Banks did not speak much about specific policies during Thursday’s event, and Banks went so far as to ask reporters not to ask about hot-button issues like the future of the city’s gifted and talented program, since the day’s message was intended to be broader than any one policy.

David C Banks began his first morning as New York City’s schools chancellor-in-waiting with a warning to the city’s educational bureaucracy: The nation’s largest school system had betrayed too many of its students by paying the salaries of administrators who did not improve the lives of children, funded by a bloated budget that produced abysmal results for too many Black and Latino students.

David C Banks began his first morning as New York City’s schools chancellor-in-waiting with a warning to the city’s educational bureaucracy: The nation’s largest school system had betrayed too many of its students by paying the salaries of administrators who did not improve the lives of children, funded by a bloated budget that produced abysmal results for too many Black and Latino students. Speaking at a packed, celebratory outdoor news conference at Public School 161, the elementary school he attended as a child in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Banks thundered: “I have a message for a lot of folks who are down at Tweed who think they know me,” referring to the Department of Education’s downtown headquarters. To laughter and cheers, he issued a rhetorical question to administrators: “If you left, and your job disappeared tomorrow, would that change anything that’s going on in any of our schools?” Banks, a longtime friend and adviser to Eric Adams, is the mayor-elect’s first commissioner-level appointment, and his remarks, along with Adams’, were feisty opening salvos that signal their plans for major changes in the sprawling system. Saying that “65% of Black and brown children never achieve proficiency” on state standardized exams, Banks said that statistic reflected “a betrayal,” adding: “Think about if everybody in the Department of Education went home and all the kids went to school, you could get those same results,” he said. But Mayor Bill de Blasio’s three schools chancellors all made similar promises. While test scores and graduation rates have risen citywide during the current mayor’s tenure, profound problems remain, from entrenched racial segregation to lack of support services for the city’s roughly 100,000 homeless students. Bringing sweeping change to a system that commands a $38 billion annual budget and employs 150,000 adults inside schools alone has always been more aspiration than reality for chancellors. Adams said there was no alternative to bold action. “Let me tell you something, if 65% of white children were not reaching proficiency in this city, they would burn the city down,” he said. The mayor-elect said there has been “no urgency” about improving schools, in what appeared to be a veiled swipe at the de Blasio administration. Banks created a network of all-boys public schools, the Eagle Academy for Young Men, that helps demonstrate just how challenging it is to improve performance on standardized exams among the city’s neediest children. The network, which has five schools in each New York City borough and one in Newark, New Jersey, stands apart from neighboring public schools by employing many male teachers of color, instituting a strict discipline code and holding longer school days and gatherings on Saturdays. The schools encouraged students to have frequent discussions about racial identity and cultural pride long before culturally responsive education was a subject of national debate. But while two of the schools have done well on standardized tests, three have extremely low test scores and are considered some of the lowest-performing schools in the state. The lowest scores are concentrated in the middle school grades, when students are new to the Eagle schools. The schools, which serve students in grades 6 through 12, have relatively high graduation rates, indicating that many students improve over their years there. Banks spoke broadly about exams and accountability Thursday, without mentioning his own schools’ struggles. “The very fabric of how we’re actually measuring our children, and measuring progress for our schools, is fundamentally flawed,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that test scores don’t mean anything; they do. They just don’t mean everything.” The lagging standardized test performance in some Eagle schools — despite their strong leadership and focus on structure — shows just how much work Banks has ahead of him as he seeks to improve hundreds of schools that have struggled for decades. How Banks and Adams will actually go about addressing the segregation, discrimination and a long list of failed initiatives that have helped create the city’s extremely uneven school system is an open question. Adams has immense power to change any aspect of the sprawling school district, with its nearly 1 million children and 1,600 schools. But he pledged Thursday to empower Banks and to disagree only behind closed doors. What was left unsaid during Thursday’s news conference was that fundamental changes to city schools typically require at least tacit approval from the United Federation of Teachers. The union did not endorse Adams during the Democratic primary, and the mayor-elect’s support for charter schools and skepticism toward education bureaucracy do not bode well for the union. Michael Mulgrew, the UFT’s president, who is a constant presence at major announcements, did not attend Thursday’s news conference. The leader of the city’s principals’ union, which has had a good relationship with Banks since he was himself a principal, was in the crowd. As messages of support for Banks poured in from various organizations and advocacy groups Wednesday evening, the union was quiet. After the news conference, the union issued a statement that said, “We have worked well with David in the past, and we look forward to continuing that relationship as he takes on the challenge of running 1,600 schools still suffering from the effects of the pandemic.” The UFT, which is encountering an unusual moment of political pressure as parents in New York and across the country raise questions about school closures during the pandemic, already knew it would not have a strong ally in City Hall. But union officials are especially concerned about the appointment of Daniel Weisberg, a top official under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, to first deputy chancellor. Weisberg helped lead Bloomberg’s push to move weak teachers out of the system and has become something of a villain at the UFT. His appointment is a signal that the incoming administration, which owes the union nothing politically, intends to focus on teacher quality in ways that may prove uncomfortable for the UFT. Other statements were much more effusive, including from the leaders of organizations focused on supporting children with disabilities and key figures in the city’s charter school movement. De Blasio has wavered between ambivalence and straightforward hostility toward charters. Basil Smikle, a professor of public policy and longtime Democratic strategist, said Banks’ support for charters aligned with his mission at Eagle. “He is very understanding of the history, that communities of color seeking equity have always found alternatives to traditional public schools,” he said. Adams, acknowledging the sky-high expectations and lofty promises he and his chancellor were making, said it would be fair to judge his track record on education only at the end of his full first term. “We’re not going to win every war,” he said, “but, darn it, we’re not going to lose at trying.” Adams and Banks did not speak much about specific policies during Thursday’s event, and Banks went so far as to ask reporters not to ask about hot-button issues like the future of the city’s gifted and talented program, since the day’s message was intended to be broader than any one policy.

New NYC schools chancellor vows to tackle education bureaucracy

With the conversion of restrooms into gender-neutral on mind, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is asking all schools in the district to adopt a new signage. &nbsp;

Regarded as a "big step for gender equity," the initiative tells the schools to display a sign outside restrooms to inform students, whether male or female, that they may use the restroom, which aligns with their gender identity. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gaffe-prone-us-president-joe-biden-now-confuses-six-day-war-with-yom-kippur-battle-433691" hreflang="en">Gaffe-prone US President Joe Biden now confuses Six-Day War with Yom Kippur battle</a>

In a tweet announcing the change, CPS wrote, "We’re requiring all schools to adopt new signage to make our restrooms more inclusive. This is a big step forward for gender equity for our students and staff." &nbsp;

The new directive will affect the schoolchildren and the staff. &nbsp;

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ICYMI: We’re requiring all schools to adopt new signage to make our restrooms more inclusive. This is a big step forward for gender equity for our students and staff. <a href="https://t.co/4JPBdd1jQy">pic.twitter.com/4JPBdd1jQy</a>
— CPS - Chicago Public Schools (@ChiPubSchools) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChiPubSchools/status/1465742664163287052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
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In a video shared on social media, CPS Title IX Officer Camie Pratt said, "All CPS students and staff will have fair and equitable access to bathroom facilities that align with their gender identity." &nbsp;&nbsp;

The signage will "make it clear that all restrooms are open for use by anyone who feels comfortable," said Pratt. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/parents-protest-introduction-of-porn-in-schools-seek-boards-resignation-in-us-county-433826" hreflang="en">Parents protest introduction of 'porn in schools', seek board’s resignation in US county</a>

The move is a step to "increase gender equity for all," she said. &nbsp;

An example of signage, which will be displayed at schools, reads, "This is a gender-neutral restroom with multiple stalls. It is open to users of any gender identity or expression." &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

With the conversion of restrooms into gender-neutral on mind, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is asking all schools in the district to adopt a new signage. Regarded as a "big step for gender equity," the initiative tells the schools to display a sign outside restrooms to inform students, whether male or female, that they may use the restroom, which aligns with their gender identity.

With the conversion of restrooms into gender-neutral on mind, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is asking all schools in the district to adopt a new signage. Regarded as a "big step for gender equity," the initiative tells the schools to display a sign outside restrooms to inform students, whether male or female, that they may use the restroom, which aligns with their gender identity. Also Read: Gaffe-prone US President Joe Biden now confuses Six-Day War with Yom Kippur battle In a tweet announcing the change, CPS wrote, "We’re requiring all schools to adopt new signage to make our restrooms more inclusive. This is a big step forward for gender equity for our students and staff." The new directive will affect the schoolchildren and the staff. ICYMI: We’re requiring all schools to adopt new signage to make our restrooms more inclusive. This is a big step forward for gender equity for our students and staff. pic.twitter.com/4JPBdd1jQy — CPS - Chicago Public Schools (@ChiPubSchools) November 30, 2021 × In a video shared on social media, CPS Title IX Officer Camie Pratt said, "All CPS students and staff will have fair and equitable access to bathroom facilities that align with their gender identity." The signage will "make it clear that all restrooms are open for use by anyone who feels comfortable," said Pratt. Also Read: Parents protest introduction of 'porn in schools', seek board’s resignation in US county The move is a step to "increase gender equity for all," she said. An example of signage, which will be displayed at schools, reads, "This is a gender-neutral restroom with multiple stalls. It is open to users of any gender identity or expression." (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: For gender equity, schools in US district eliminate sex-specific restrooms

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