Date : 25 March 2022
Location : Australia

Boris Government Plans On Driving Poor Students Out of Universities

On February 24, Michelle Donelan brought forward a proposal to introduce minimum entry requirements for students. This says that students who do not achieve 2Es in A-levels will be barred from getting education loans. The proposal came after a decade of reforms that students have faced since 2012 when the government showed the green flag to universities to triple their fees to 9000 pounds a year. This is just the tip of the iceberg; Boris' government also plans to put an extra debt burden on students, which amounts to 54000 pounds. Another aspect that the government looks to exploit is the salary threshold. It plans to reduce the salary threshold and increase the time span of student loan repayment from 30 years to 40 years by 2023. All in all, this proposal disincentives education and attacks the undergraduate students who will be entering a world where inflation is already up by 5%.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/21/government-education-innovation-poorer-students-university

A Working Visa To International Graduates Could Help Solve The Skilled Migrant Shortage

The Committee for Sydney outlined a proposal that is a part of its federal agenda. It attracts international students or graduates who will help solve Australia's skilled migrant shortage. The proposal offers a four-year working visa and a way to permanent residency for international graduates. Gabriel Metcalf, the chief executive of the Committee for Sydney, said that after two and a half years of major setbacks in economic and societal spheres, it has looked for some real reform. Metcalf also stated that the federal government's number one priority is to increase the flow of skilled migrants into the country. The Committee said that giving out working visas to graduate students would make Australia a more desirable country for overseas students to come there and pursue their studies. The agenda also shed some light on climate change in Sydney's future property and called for a transition plan away from fossil fuels and a net-zero by 2040.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/22/visas-for-international-graduates-could-help-solve-worker-shortage-think-tank-says

ANU Made A Huge Investment To Tackle Sexual Assault And Sexual Harassment

The Australian National University (ANU), on March 21 2022, announced a multi-million dollar investment under the new Student Safety and Well-Being Plan to expedite the action or response time against sexual assault and sexual harassment cases. This step will also strengthen the work under the University's Sexual Violence Prevention Strategy, launched in 2019. "We are building a community and a culture that prevents sexual assault and sexual harassment, that supports, cares, and provides justice for victim-survivors, and ensures perpetrators face the consequences of their actions," said professor Brian Schmidt, the vice-chancellor of ANU. The plan includes certain initiatives and investments in staffing in ANU residences, hiring new case managers, making consent training an integral part of student enrollment, and finally including a zero-tolerance approach in ANU culture. Recommendations from the Independent Assessor's Report of Sexual Violence Prevention Strategy by Lyn Walker was also accepted by ANU. ANU under Student Safety and Wellbeing Plan is consulting the entire community, which includes advocates, survivors and student leaders, to finalise the initiative.

Source: https://indiaeducationdiary.in/anu-anu-makes-major-investment-in-student-safety/

UNG's Sales Team Tied For Fourth In The NCSC

The National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) was held from March 5 to March 7 at Kennesaw State University. One of the talking points of the competition was the University of North Georgia (UNG). The student sales team of UNG tied for the fourth position out of 67 schools in the national standings. Out of 172 competitors, Katie Kiker finished third in the individual competition. Besides Kiker, there were other top 4 finishers in the individual competition, from Bradley, Oregon State, and Houston. Hannah Tokich, a senior at UNG, tied for the 73rd position at the competition, which was better than most of the competitors. Catia Jovel's and Oskar Arnold's efforts in speed selling in the event contributed to the overall strong performance of the team. "This is the Super Bowl of sales competitions. It is where all of the top schools send their best sales students to compete," Dr Cindy Rippe, associate professor of sales at the UNG, said.

Source: https://ung.edu/news/articles/2022/03/sales-students-place-in-top-five-nationally.php

Georgia Lawmakers Consider Providing Struggling Students with Grants Upto $2500

A new Georgia bill is providing state-funded completion grants up to $2500 for the students close to finishing their degrees. Georgia House Bill 1435 is under review in the Georgia Senate and was passed by a vote of 171-3. The students of their degree should complete 80% of the required credits to avail the grant. One of the major objectives of this grant is to help students complete their degrees at a time when they have no or limited financial resources. Even though this is a new program, there is no new funding. The funds will come from the state student loan program. $10 million annually will be allocated to the new program by the legislation. Since Georgia does not have a need-based financial program, having one will be welcomed by families and students as this will ensure additional financial support for the students who need it.

Source:https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardconroy/2022/03/22/georgia-lawmakers-consider-new-financial-aid-program-for-struggling-students/?sh=38338fd04960

Covid-19 Transmission Can Be Reduced By 80% If There Are Efficient Ventilation Systems

An experiment was conducted by the Hume Foundation in Italy's central Marche region, where they compared the coronavirus contagion in 10,441 classrooms. This was done because an Italian study stated that transmission of COVID-19 can be reduced by 80% if there are efficient ventilation systems in place. The experiment was conducted between September 2021 and January of this year. There were 316 classrooms in which the risk of Covid infections was much lower as they had mechanical ventilation systems. The reduction in the case was proportional to the strength of the systems. In Italy, there are numerous schools that lack good mechanical ventilation systems. If this is the situation, the teachers were requested to keep the windows open. In its press release, the Hume foundation and the Marche regional government said, "If the most efficient systems were installed, we could pass from 250 cases per 100,000 students (the alert level set by the education ministry) to a rate of 50 per 100,000."

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italian-study-shows-ventilation-can-cut-school-covid-cases-by-82-2022-03-22/

The Expenditure Of UK's First-Year Students Has Hit An All-Time High

According to the annual "Freshers Report 2022", which was published by the Universities and Colleges Service (UCAS), the expenditure of first-year students in the United Kingdom has increased. There are 7000 students that were surveyed regarding their spending, lifestyles, etc., for the report. The report shows that the spending has gone up for the third year in a row, in which the spending went up to 421 pounds a week in 2021, from 406 pounds in 2020 and 368 pounds in 2019. The average weekly spending has also increased to 235 pounds in 2021, from 229 pounds in 2020 and 214 pounds in 2019. The UCAS report gives an opportunity to the businesses to find out what matters most to the students, said Rebecca Hopwood, the head of customer growth at UCAS. Some of the key findings that were highlighted in the report were that Amazon is the most popular brand among first-year students, and the tech bill has gone over 2000 pounds with students buying smartphones and tablets.

Source: https://collegenews.org/uk-first-year-students-weekly-spending-hits-record-high/

The Plan To Close The Education Gap In The Black Belt Is A Lottery-Funded Scholarship Scheme

A briefing on how Alabama's Black belt region suffers from a gap in educational attainment was held at the University of Alabama's Education Policy Center. The Black Belt is one of the poorest regions in the country, with residents having a lower likelihood of attending college and earning a degree. According to analysts at the Education Policy Center, the Black Belt people's lack of educational attainment will result in 60 per cent of employment requiring a degree by 2025. "We favour a scholarship programme supported by a lottery," stated Dr Stephen Katinas, head of the Education Policy Center, to benefit the inhabitants of the Black Belt region. At the briefing, Dr Ahmad Ijaz, head of the University of Alabama's Center for Business & Economic Research, said, "We've been recommending a lottery for the past 15 years. The state just does not have sufficient funds. Increased taxes or the introduction of lottery or gambling funds would be one way to accomplish this. It is up to the state legislature to decide."

Source: https://www.al.com/news/2022/03/university-of-alabama-researchers-share-plan-to-close-education-gap-in-black-belt-state-lottery.html

The CPSO Suspends Dr Crystal Luchkiw's Licence

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) has suspended Dr Crystal Luchkiw's licence. "At the earliest possible moment, additional information concerning the concerns will be made accessible," said Shae Greenfield, the CPSO's senior communications advisor. Many individuals are looking for a new doctor after a Barrie physician's medical licence was suspended. On October 22, 2021, Dr Luchkiw resigned from her position as a medical staff member at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH). This happened during the hospital's investigation into concerns about her practice and behaviour. Her actions were also looked at in relation to non-compliance with hospital policies. According to the hospital, the physician in question is no longer affiliated with RVH. Dr Jeffrey Tyberg, RVH's chief of staff, adds, "We don't comment on personnel concerns." Tyberg expects all workers and credentialed personnel to follow the company's policies and procedures. According to the CPSO, Luckhiw's licence has been suspended indefinitely, although she has the right to appeal. Because it is an academic distinction, she can refer to herself as a doctor. "She can't treat or diagnose patients," Greenfield explained.

Source: https://www.orilliamatters.com/local-news/its-stressful-college-suspends-licence-of-barrie-physician-5187163

UoM and UoW Plan to Lift Vaccine Mandates

As of May 4, Michael Benarroch, the president and vice-chancellor, said that they will be easing the COVID-19 restrictions. The University of Manitoba said that the visitors, students or staff members would no longer be required to show the COVID-19 vaccination certificate whenever they visit the university. But it will be mandatory to wear masks to ensure the community's health and safety, the university added. The message from Michael says, "As the Omicron wave is receding, we are cautiously increasing in-person activity and looking to ease some restrictions." With making masks mandatory, the university also plans on upgrading its ventilation systems. On March 10, the Canadian Mennonite University said that the showing of vaccine certificates would end from April 27. From May 2, the University of Winnipeg's interim president announced that they would be lifting both mask and vaccine mandates.

Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/university-of-manitoba-proof-of-vaccination-covid-19-1.6392721

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