HEADlines | Building a safe haven for students | Head Foundation Singapore on Glue Up

Issue 33: 22 September 2020

Every week, HEADlines brings you the latest news, stories and commentaries

in education and healthcare. This week, get insights on the latest developments

in education.

Building a safe haven for students

The job of the school principal has always been difficult; COVID-19 made it even more challenging. Principals are now building managers, health officers, teacher coaches, counsellors, child development experts, fortune tellers—all rolled into one.

For children of essential workers, schools can serve as a safe haven from the chaotic outside world. A school in the UK opened its doors to its students and provided counselling and mental health support for those who had lost a loved one to the virus .

Teachers in rural Indonesia went beyond the call of duty and personally visited their students who do not have access to electricity or the Internet. In addition to conducting in-person lessons, they also provided the much-needed social interaction that students miss.

As schools around the world prepare to re-open, it is important to focus on building positive connections with the students . Join us this Thursday for the final instalment of The HEAD Foundation’s free, three-part webinar series “Educational Leadership in a Crisis” as school leaders from Southeast Asia share tips on caring for students during the pandemic. Sign up now.

Education in the Spotlight

Project Syndicate (Commentary): A radically inclusive makeover for education

Without major steps to put the most marginalised children at the centre of our education systems, the world risks losing an entire generation to illiteracy, ignorance, and dependence.

Brookings: Education’s role in building back better for the planet

For long-term change, we need a radically transformative education for climate action. But what does that look like?

The Conversation: Preschool and childcare have little impact on a child’s later school test scores

Does attending preschool influence academic performance? The results of a recent Australian study seem to go against conventional wisdom.

The Guardian: The battle over dyslexia

It was once a widely accepted way of explaining why some children struggled to read and write. But in recent years, some experts have begun to question the existence of dyslexia itself.

The Conversation: Could academic streaming in New Zealand schools be on the way out? The evidence suggests it should be

Being in a low stream closes doors to many learning and employment pathways, but often students don’t know this until it’s too late.

Today: NUS' big push for interdisciplinary learning: Timely change but there’ll be practical challenges, experts say

NUS seeks to radically transform itself to help students tackle challenges such as COVID-19 and climate change, but mindsets of students and professors could be the hardest to change.

Education Next: Why so many people are disappointed with their educations—And how to start fixing it

There is a significant disconnect between what young people expect from higher education and what their educational experiences actually provide.

That's all for the week!

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