Making Of Better Future: Initiative To Reduce Literacy Gap Among Rich And Poor Students

Education the is the most important component of human life. It's so because knowledge has the power to shape the human life and socio-economy of a nation. But is education received by all? Does all have the same level of access to quality education? We may not have the desired the answer. There is a wide gap between rich and poor. Children of poverty affected families may opt out from learning due to financial contingencies. Besides, lack of educational support, motivation and inadequate school facilities and infrastructure can also disengage students from learning. To make sure that children remain in the school and complete their education, policy makers and other stakeholders of education have to collaborate.

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In England, to end the divide in terms of prospects and accomplishment between rich and poor children, a group of education organisations called Fair Education Alliance (FEA) has decided to improve the situation and has fixed certain objectives. The FEA has published its goals which it want to achieve by 2022. Read on.

The Goal

We cannot ignore the fact the compare the earlier situation, much has been done in recent past. Now let's go through the targets that FEA has set to achieve by 2022.

• Narrowing the gap of education and numeracy accomplishment in the primary schools and at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). 

• To make sure that important aspects like balanced mental health and character of the young are developed. 

• To narrow the literacy and training gap post GCSE so that of the youths can continue learning further. 

• Narrowing the divide amid rich and poor students graduating from university.

Measures To Close The Gap

To achieve the goal the group of education organisations (FEA) has decided to undertake some measures that will help them to work towards the attainment of the purpose. Let's know the measures that FEA has decided to undertake:

• More funding for education during the early years

• Making sure that schools having top level of teaching and leadership

• Better guidance for career for all the students

• Additional assistance for the teachers, like mortgage deposit plan for the school staffs whose performance is good.

• Motivating and evaluating enhancement of character, mental health and welfare in the schools.

According to Sir Richard Lambert, Chairman, FEA, “On the current trajectory, the targets that we have set for reducing inequality in the school and higher education system by 2022 will not be achieved. That would leave another generation of young people condemned to second-class schooling through no fault of their own. So we have to redouble our efforts.”

Hiring Teachers

According to the interim general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders Malcolm Trobe, “ The FEA's suggestion of a mortgage deposit scheme as an incentive to attract teachers to an area is an innovative approach which we welcome. He said, “Schools across the country are experiencing significant difficulties in recruiting teachers, and this is particularly acute in the most challenging areas. More must be done to attract people into teaching in general and in particular into these areas.”

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A spokesman for the Department for Education told that “All of our reforms are underpinned by a total commitment to fairness and social justice. Thanks to our reforms there are now 1.4 million more pupils being taught in good or outstanding schools compared to 2010, and the attainment gap is narrower than ever. We have also introduced new, rigorous GCSEs so more pupils have access to the world-class education they deserve.”

Effort Matters

Things which needs improvement can be enhanced through proper implementation of the programme. But at least we need the will to make things right. I'm sure the mission of FEA will definitely improve things. Besides, this programme will guide others to take up the similar mission to reduce the education gap. There are are many countries where the situation is even more worrisome. Those countries should adopt the similar initiative to close the inequality of education and achievement. 

What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with us by commenting below.

Article source : bbc.in/1qHKSco

How Business And Management Course Can Boost Career?

In the midst of the intensive competition it's utmost necessary that you multiply your prospect to earn a job. In the current market trend, students and professionals take different courses to impress the employer with robust resume. Though there are several higher study programmes but business and management course is the most demanded. There are millions of budding entrepreneurs, professionals and students who are looking to excel in the business management field. To increase the chance to grab the employment or higher position requisite skill is crucial. The management course constitutes different attributes of business like critical thinking, managing the team, developing leadership quality and so on. The course comprises comprehensive and compact learning of the business management, where student explores the core substances of the commerce. Read on.

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What Do You Learn?

The business study makes you learn the varied elements of commerce. While many take campus learning number students are taking online business and management course. The study gives you the complete idea how the companies operate, their style of functioning, business policy etc. The course will help you understand the constant changing behaviour of the customers and clients.

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You can choose business and management course with specialisation. Although, marketing, Human resource and finance is still the most common learning specialisation business study. The learning programme contains practical learning as students are provided several case studies. Abreast, learning from the experienced faculty and industry experts also helps the students to understand the key elements of the management policy of the organisation. Moreover, students get the opportunity for networking. Even taking online business course aid building network. Students on online forum exchange and share their ideas and insights. This leads to develop common bond among the learners. Hence, towards the end of the course students develop the artifice of business management, before culminating the course.

Ready For Challenges

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Once you conclude your business management course, you'll find that you already know your organisation. This is because of the course curriculum and industry oriented teaching practices which makes the student to adapt to any business and management activities. The leadership quality helps you to manage executives and staffs within the organisation. You develop the true potential to manage people with your ability. You'll be able to take crucial decision for the benefit of your organisation. Here, I would like to say that decision making is imperative in the modern business trend and people with similar quality can earn important position in any company. Besides, you can play crucial role in motivating your team to attain the goal. You could became en essential substance for driving you organisation towards success. And for your handwork- the reward is tremendous. So, be it offline or online business and management course maximizes the opportunity of accelerating your career.

Making It Big

Why to remain allayed when you have the potential to make it big. In the current global business scenario companies are looking for the managers who have the ability to take challenges. To attain the real purpose employer offer lucrative offers to the suitable peoples. Individuals who are ambitious and want to own business can easily make their way to the business world. As the study module of the business management course teach you the pros and cons of business.

Write your experience and opinion in the comment box.

Why the UK Must Start Loving Online Education

Online learning is rapidly gaining prominence among students, teachers and employers across the globe. Online education enables students to learn in a flexible, affordable and convenient way, which traditional education is unable to provide. But virtual learning is still considered second rate across the UK. However, it is now time for us to change our thinking and attitude towards online education. 

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 Better learning opportunities

 

As the opportunities for development increase and the student cap is lifted, online learning provides a means for universities across the UK to compete globally without striving to meet capacity. The scenario is somewhat different in the United States as online degree programmes have found a firm ground there. In the US, it is not considered as a poor quality alternative to college education. If the UK plans to make the most of the development opportunities, we need learn from the experience of the US and start appreciating online education more. 

Nancy Coleman, vice-president of academic services at PlattForm and former director of distance education at Boston University, recently wrote in an article “The lifting of the student cap is one driver, but what will matter long-term is taking a decent share of the ballooning numbers of students globally looking for a world-class degree. The OECD estimates the numbers of people with degrees will grow from around 129 million to 204 million by 2020. It’s also one answer to the problem of declining numbers of part-time students and creating the right kind of higher study offer for people in work. ” 

Growing number of online learners

 

According to a recent study from the Babson Survey Research Group, around 7.1 million students in higher education across the US are currently pursuing at least one course online included as part of their academic degree programme. But there seems to be some disagreement with the statistics as the initial study by the US education department on online study found that there are a around 5.5 million online learners in the US. Experts predict that the number of online learners will rise further with over half of all US students pursuing at least on online course by the year 2018. 

However, what is more important than the statistics is the hidden sentiment. By surveying academic leaders and experts, the researchers at Babson discovered that the number of students who believe online learning offers equal or even better learning outcomes than traditional education had increased to more than 74 per cent. Coleman added “Online degrees are no longer the preserve of the for-profit online operators, and three-quarters of all US universities and colleges now offer online degree options. The recent move from Stanford to turn MOOC (massive open online courses) offerings into paid-for courses is another indication of how online tuition is moving into the mainstream.” 

Reassessing how we teach

 

Across the United States of America, institutes have been striving to offer a cutting-edge digital experience to learners by observing social networking trends and utilising gaming technologies & remote working to encourage continuous interaction and engagement while studying. 

Nancy Coleman concluded by writing “Again, the UK needs role models. Academics in the US have needed to rethink how they teach their subject and recreate content. Most find the experience a useful exercise, getting back to the root of how their students really learn, how to challenge them and get them working both independently and as a collaborative network.” 

What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to share your opinions with us by commenting here. 

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How Schools In England Are Compelling Parents To Contribute Financially?

Recently,it was reported that around 100 schools across England are compelling parents,and in some cases demanding,that they make significant financial contributions to the school budgets. The research notes that this is possibly a breach of law.

Are Donations Compulsory?

According to the findings of the British Humanist Association (BHA), most of these schools were state faith schools. Although all schools across England have permission to ask voluntary donations from the parents of students, but they must be clear on the fact that financial contribution is not an obligation. The government recently said that all claims related to rules being breached will be thoroughly examined. The report stated that schools may seek voluntary contributions, however they need to clarify to all parents that “there is absolutely no obligation for them to pay.”

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A spokesman for the Department for Education said “The School Admissions Code is clear that schools must not request financial contributions - whether voluntary or compulsory - as any part of the admissions process, including when offering a place.” The researchers at BHA conducted a basic web search to in order to identify probable breaches of such rules. Later, they also carried out detailed analysis of the initial 100 schools that were identified. The researchers claimed that faith schools primarily dominated the list and most of them are needed to “pay a share of building maintenance costs”.

Contributing To School Funds

One Church of England primary, which is currently highlighted by the British Humanist Association, requests parents for a yearly payment which is known as the “Building Fund/Capitation for parents.” It stated “This is not a voluntary contribution but it is a payment all Church of England schools require to maintain the school buildings and classrooms.” Another Catholic primary school states “We will be asking all who have not contributed to the Building Fund yet for their contribution and writing to them at the beginning of next half term.” A different school justifies that “as a voluntary aided school, parents of the pupils... are responsible for contributing 10% towards all building works,” before asking for £100 to each family.

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Several schools also claimed that the requested financial contribution was a minimum amount, which are not necessarily voluntary. The schools also explained that it is a way to motivate families to support their kids' education who can afford to pay more. A different school said that parents must make financial contributions to the school fund by utilising the money they were able to save by receiving free school meals.

An Outrageous Demand

Andrew Copson, chief executive at BHA, said “It is simply outrageous that state-funded schools are demanding money from parents in this way. What's incredibly worrying is that there are evidently many more schools doing this than the 100 we found in our analysis, so we'll certainly be writing to the government to alert them to the extent of the problem.”

Paul Barber, director of the Catholic Education Service, said “We expect all Catholic schools to follow the Department for Education guidance on voluntary contributions. Parents are welcome to contribute towards their child's school and this is money spent on improving the quality of education provided.”

A spokesperson for Church of England said “The admissions code is very clear about financial contributions playing no part in the admissions process and our expectation is that all schools adhere to the code.”

What do you think? Feel free to share your views and opinions with us by commenting below.

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How You Can Start Your Own Hotel Successfully

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Do you dream of starting your own hotel or restaurant? Staring a career in the hospitality sector can provide excellent new opportunities to aspiring entrepreneurs. However, opening your own hotel can be highly challenging, just like any other business venture, especially if you are new to the hotel and hospitality industry. The fact is there is intense competition in the global hotel industry. Hence, you will need to consider various aspects and gain a global perspective to accomplish impressive financial results.

Starting your own hotel

Throughout my career, I have met with numerous investors and entrepreneurs who were full of innovative ideas for creative hotel concepts. However, I believe that the main challenges in your path to success are strategic and organisational aspects of business. There are some important questions that you need to focus on:

• How do you get started?
• What type of hotel/restaurant should you start?
• Will location impact your business? 
• How can you attract more guests? 
• How to reduce operational costs & boost profits? 

Once you figure out the answer to these questions you will be in a much better position to enter the hospitality sector and start your hotel.

Research is crucial

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Before you start your venture, it is imperative that you prepare yourself by acquiring the right skills and knowledge. Moreover, you also need to prepare an effective business plan after conducting adequate research in order to assure success. Doing research becomes even more necessary when you need investment from outside. Hence, you show potential investors that you have completed a feasibility study for your upcoming business. It is also a good idea to put all your business ideas on paper and evaluate them against your competitors and the global market. This will enable you to determine your chances of attaining success.

I have observed that many new entrepreneurs start their hotels on assumptions and fail to take the right decision while developing new concepts for hotel. This can prove to be rather alarming as any abrupt change can compel you to implement necessary changes in future as a result of the false assumption. This can have a negative impact on your hotel and result in additional costs.

What you must consider

Here are a few things you need to consider while preparing for your starting your new hotel and achieve business success by avoiding unnecessary scenarios -

• Conduct a study on generic market performance
• Evaluate business sources
• Perform an detailed competitive analysis
• Focus on development pipeline 
• Prepare profit & loss statement

Get the right skills

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However, in order to make sure you go through the steps properly and successfully, you will need to gain the right business skills and acquire comprehensive knowledge about the global hotel industry. One of the best ways to do this for aspiring and new entrepreneurs is by pursuing an online diploma in hotel management. When you study on online hotel management diploma, you will not only understand how the hotel sector works, but you will also develop crucial business management skills.

One of the biggest advantages of studying an online higher diploma in hotel management is that it will allow you to work and study simultaneously, unlike traditional courses. Online courses are highly effective, concise, flexible, affordable and convenient and ensures that you receive quality education and an enhanced learning experience.

Acquiring the required skills and knowledge will enable you to make the right decisions and take the necessary steps to ensure that your new hotel becomes a successful venture.

What do you think? Are you ready to start your won hotel? Feel free to share your thoughts and views below. I would love to hear from you.

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Boston Organises National Conference On Higher Education Technology

The 22nd Annual Campus Technology Summer Conference inaugurates soon at the Hynes convention center in Boston. The conference will be held for four days. Higher education professionals have already started crowding the conference. It showcases the latest technologies, steered by industry-thought leaders who will guide professionals into the effective path. There are also innovative programmes that would indicate the procedure to handle and manage challenges regarding the campus.

What the conference will offer

Here is a quick look at what this year’s conference will primarily focus on-

• Workshops on various topics and subjects.
•  Networking and breakout sessions. 
•  Keynotes and exhibit hall with the cutting-age technology.

The aspire-sessions are another mind-engaging fact of the conference. These are twenty-minute sessions that will assist the visitors to learn new methods or skills which they can later apply in their colleges or universities, if required. Two other important focus areas will also be provided by the conference, namely ‘Higher Ed IT in the Digital Age’ and ‘CIO: Next Generation’..

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The general manager of the conference, Mike Eason, said “Higher education institutions require professionals to know about the latest technology and IT strategies because that’s what keeps campuses secure and cutting-edge.” He also stated “CT brings together campus administrators and IT executives and professionals who want to gain that insight.”

What the exhibit hall showcases

The exhibit hall allows the visitors to see; to try and to purchase the latest innovative aspects of the modern world and, surprisingly, these innovations belong to more than 150 companies, including industry powerhouses such as: Insight Systems Exchange; Mediasite by Epson; GovConnection; Pro AV Systems; MakerBot; Bluehost; CDW-Government; Laserfiche; Sonic Foundry. Eason also comments that the visitors will be knowing about the latest technology available in the market. They will also become aware of the technology regarding higher education from the leaders of the industries.

Some crucial aspects of the conference

Here are interesting keynotes from the conference that you should check out-

• EdX Vice President, Beth Porter will be saying about its effect and improvement, will be the luncheone keynote of the conference.

• Paul LeBlanc, professor of The Southern New Hampshire University, will be telling about the current changes of the higher education. He will also be describing how to bring the change into the educational institutions in order to innovate these changes.

• The role of 3D printing in the field of higher education will be highlighted by MakerBot Vice President of Professional services, Jordan Brehove and the CIO of Xaviers Consultancy, Shawn Nason. They are scheduled to speak during the Wednesday sessions of the conference.

• William Perry, the cyber security expert and California State University Chief Information Security Officer and the last speaker of the conference, will be talking about the occurrence of cyber crimes and about the steps that the IT firms can take in order to secure themselves from such threats o crimes.

Importance of AAEEBL

AAEEBL stands for the Association of Authentic; Experiential & Evidence Based Learning which is a part of the conference. This is an ePortfolio which aims to implement three transformative and strategic approaches. These are:

• Evidence-based learning.
• Customized learning.
• Assessment based on the holistic outcomes.

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Visitors are welcome to take part in the sessions to improve their skills in learning.

The fascinating campus technology

The campus technology is can be considered as the sincere endeavor of the nation where higher education professionals, IT experts, e-learning program managers, instructional designers provide an insight about the functional value of the latest immersive innovations; social software and the latest applications. It also provides an educational atmosphere where the attendees can view and share the innovative ideas of the conference as well as having an insight of the latest innovative technology and services; software; tools; applications etc.

How can we use this conference

The conference is essentially important for the students as well as higher education professionals. This effective conference will not only help them to solve their problems about education but also will assist in the rediscovery of education in an innovative way. It is a great opportunity being held in Boston and we should not ever think of missing it.

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How Women Can Improve Their Leadership Skills

According to the Women's Leadership Study, recently released by KPMG, it was found that although most women plan to work in leadership roles, majority of them find it hard to visualise themselves as leaders. The study, which surveyed around 3,000 professionals and college women across the US, found that every 6 in 10 women reported that they want to be employed as a senior leader in an organisation and over 50 per cent of them want to be a part of the board. However, 6 in 10 US women also claimed that they tend to find it difficult to think of themselves as business leaders, while sharing how they identify themselves. More than 56 per cent of working women claimed that they were rather cautious about their femininity and moving towards leadership roles.

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Dr. Bernice Ledbetter, Practitioner Faculty of Organizational Theory and Management at Graziadio School of Business and Management of Pepperdine University, wrote in a recent post for The Huffington Post “Fortunately, there are a number of ways that women can develop leadership skills and increase their confidence. Cost, complexity and time commitment vary- but the key is to find the right fit for you. Consider asking your employer to invest in your professional development. Many companies and organizations will pay for classes and trainings. Your boss might also be willing to give you a project that enhances your leadership skills. Sometimes, just asking is all it takes.”

Here are 5 great ways women can build strong leadership skills-

Participate in industry specific seminars

Each and every sector and industry has some associations which conduct various conferences and seminars. Different companies and universities also organise industry specific events which are an excellent way for you to learn from experienced and established leaders and executives, study tips for development and explore latest trends and advancements in your field. Ledbetter wrote “Becoming more immersed in your field and further developing your expertise is one of the best ways to move up the career ladder. ”

Look for online training

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You can find several helpful yet free online resources which can provide you effective guidance for leadership development. According to Dr. Ledbetter “For example, the website Mind Tools has a large index of articles offering advice on topics such as how to delegate effectively, how to build a positive team and how to be an authentic and ethical leader. ”

Pursue a certification program

Several institutes like Pepperdine's Graziadio Business School, offer certificate programmes which have been specifically developed as week-long or short day programmes that focus on teaching a particular discipline. Such type of programmes have been developed for working professionals and aim to offer the flexibility and opportunity to study what they need along with other like-minded individuals. She added “The benefit of getting a formal certification is that in addition to learning valuable information you have a formal credential to add to your resume. ”

Earn an MBA

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 In the article, Dr. Ledbetter wrote “Going back to school and getting an MBA or a MS degree in management and leadership is one of the best ways to develop your leader identity. Higher education helps many students, especially women, develop the confidence, credibility and expertise they need to advance in their career.” This will enable you gain expertise in technical skills like marketing, accounting & finance and learn essential human skills like how to lead a team effectively and manage group dynamics.

Get a mentor

Did you know the most effective leadership training can often come an individual who can show you your mistakes, tell you how to make it right and advice you about the future path towards growth. Dr. Bernice Ledbetter added “Having someone who can give you honest feedback and encouragement is critical for women at every stage in their career. ”

What do you think? How are you improving your leadership skills? Feel free to share your views, concerns and experiences with us by commenting below.

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