Five-Year Plan for Education China is set to release its 13th five-year plan on education in 2016, with the intention of deepening reform and encouraging modernization in the education field. The National Development and Reform Commission has outlined its intentions to gain Non-Government sector investment and encourage cooperation between urban and rural areas for education over …
Education Talking Points 08-03-2016
China’s college exams, the Gaokao The Gaokao is China’s national standardized test taken by students in their senior year at high school, which is similar to the well-known American SAT tests. It has become very popular in China and is now considered the standard requirement for those students wishing to enter higher levels of …
Education Talking Points 01-03-2016
More effort needed from G20 Countries to Lift Australian Education While many had high hopes for Australian’s 2016 education sector, a new analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development raises speculation as to whether G20 countries will meet their commitment to boost their combined GDP growth by an extra 2 per cent by …
Education Talking Points 23-02-2016
Chemistry offering students a bright future, but students are still sceptical Australia’s chief scientist, Alan Finkel is calling for Australian students to be properly informed about the opportunities available in national science and research. Australian students are still sceptical that following science, and particularly chemistry, into university is a secure pathway. …
Education Talking Points 16/02/2016
Is ATAR a failing system? Australian university vice-chancellors have called for ATAR admissions process to be scrapped, describing it as “inefficient” and “unfair” despite admitting a record number of students through the system. The Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham has found the practice of admitting students with lower than the minimum ATAR into university courses …
Education Talking Points 02-02-2016
Literacy and numeracy below standard A new OECD comparison of adult literacy and numeracy, published in Britain yesterday, reveals 10 per cent of Australia’s 16 to 19-year-olds fall below the minimum standard for literacy. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development statistics, based on global testing in 2012, reveal alarmingly low literacy and numeracy levels …
Update: Research and Education Division, Australian Embassy Beijing
Message from the Minister Counsellor 2015 closed with the release of Australia’s National Innovation and Science Agenda which includes a Global Innovation Strategy to improve Australia’s international innovation and science collaboration. We also had the release of the 2015 results of the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), which demonstrates the continued research excellence of …
Education Talking Points 26-01-2016
Students demand loans written off More than 7500 Americans have applied to have student loans worth some $164 million written off in the past six months, using an obscure section of federal law which was recently rediscovered by student activists. In recent years, spiraling education costs have caused momentum in an anti-college revolt in …
Education Talking Points 19-01-2016
Australian breakthrough could turn regenerative medicine on its head Melbourne biologists have teamed up with British mathematicians to devise a computerized recipe for reprogramming adult cells. This new program eliminates the need to rewind cells to their embryonic stage before using them to fight disease. Senior author Jose Polo said the approach would massively accelerate …
Higher Education’s 30 Most Influential
The Australian has named the thirty most influential educators in Australia this year. Martin Riordan, CEO of AustCham Beijing member TAFE Directors Australia, has been included on the list at number 25. 25. MARTIN RIORDAN Not every lobby group boss takes the chance to get all scholarly, heading overseas for a month or three to …