In today’s Talking Points: No child left behind in China, Australian primary education standards falling, Lego promotes its place in the Chinese educational sector through Lego classes, Australia’s first blockchain course is introduced by Australian University, RMIT
No child left behind in China
The Ministry of Education mandated today that no child would be unable to attend school due to extreme poverty by 2020. Areas of interest included the Tibetan autonomous region, parts of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, as well as Sichuan, Yunnan and Gansu provinces. According to the ministry guideline, “The country will establish records on each child’s education situation in these areas as the basis for targeted poverty alleviation through financial input and policy support.” This push comes as part of a wider goal to eliminate extreme poverty throughout China.
Read More: China Daily
Australian primary education standards falling
According to a report released by the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, Australia’s children lag behind OECD countries in essential skill development despite staying in school longer. For preschool attendance Australia ranks 35 out of 40 in the OECD, with 3 in 10 and 1 in 5 year 4 students not meeting minimum mathematics and reading levels respectively. Additionally the report detailed many more children are suffering from mental illness, although encouragingly Australia leads in time spent between child and parents.
Read More: The Guardian
Lego promotes its place in the Chinese educational sector through Lego classes
With Lego’s markets in the US and Europe slowing down, Lego has looked to push forward with the Chinese market by using Lego to educate in a more creative setting, and cultivate soft skills such as collaboration and problem solving. The educational side of Lego has been kept separate from its commercial Toy sector, and aims to create a more progressive way of teaching prized subjects in China such as science and math. Lego aims to appeal to the competitive nature of parents who want their children to have a competitive edge in school.
Read More: Reuters
Australia’s first blockchain course is introduced by Australian University, RMIT
With blockchain technology being an ever increasingly important tool in business environments, an understanding of the technology has become an essential component of digital literacy. Outside of financial markets, block chain is also a more efficient way for businesses to monitor their transactions. The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology has announced that it will start Australia’s first course on blockchain technology in March. This course will help to promote the university’s desire for their students to be able to understand new technology quickly and adapt to new environments.
Read More: Xinhua