More than 100 female students have been abducted from a school in the state of Borno in northeastern Nigeria. Militant Islamist terrorist organization Boko Haram is suspected to have caused the attack. Gunmen reportedly entered the school’s hostel where the teenage girls were sleeping on the night of April 14th, ordered the students onto trucks, […]
A new smartphone app called the Portable Eye Examination Kit (PEEK) is bringing eye exams to students in rural Kenya. Colloquially called the “pocket optician,” the app is intended to catch eye problems in children who lack access to a traditional eye doctor. Eight teachers in Kitale, Kenya will be the first to be trained […]
A new report on the findings of the Uwezo Learning Survey in Tanzania has found that literacy and numeracy in Tanzanian schools are lagging far behind expected levels. Around 85% of third graders in public schools are unable to read Kiswahili and solve grade-appropriate math problems, according to the report. The Uwezo Learning Assessment is […]
Prize money stemming from the European Union’s award of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize is going to aid indigenous students in rural Colombia. In an unstable region wracked with poverty and poor infrastructure, the project will renovate schools, provide resources, and help protect children from recruitment by armed groups. Last October the EU was named […]
American solar energy provider SolarCity has announced plans to donate and install hundreds of solar power systems in schools without electricity. The nonprofit arm of the company, the Give Power Foundation, says that for every megawatt of residential solar power installed by SolarCity in 2014, a solar power and backup battery system will be installed […]
An innovative program piloted in a village outside of Bamako, Mali, has reduced one community’s child mortality rate by tenfold over a three year period. Researchers say that the remarkable results are due to community empowerment and interventions in health, education, and employment. Dr. Ari Johnson, from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) evaluated […]
A Kenya-pioneered program that fosters a culture of compassion in schools and improves academic performance has been singled out for mention at this year’s Global Peace Convention in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The innovative program, entitled the Character and Creativity Initiative, has been met with such success in Kenyan schools that it has begun to spread […]
In Juba, South Sudan, female students recently got the opportunity to learn how geography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) affect their daily lives. The World Food Programme and South Sudan’s Ministry of Education teamed up to support this initiative just in time for World GIS Day. Students at the Mayo Girls Primary School participated in […]
In Paraguay, 2013 was a busy year for education officials attempting to curb school violence. Rivalries between schools, students acting under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and incidents of bullying have become major crises in some parts of the country. At two schools in Paraguay’s capital, Asunción, parents, students, and school directors recently signed […]
In mid-November, Jamaica’s Ministry of Education launched a national policy to reintegrate teenage mothers into school. However, despite this government mandate, some educators are sending conflicting information to students about their right to education after pregnancy. “This is not optional. This is government policy,” declared Education Minister Ronald Thwaites at the announcement of the new […]