The Mexican government targets the powerful teachers’ union for education reform, Japan has a serious shortage of day care centers and Egypt has grounded all hot air balloon flights in the wake of Tuesday’s deadly crash
Education
How Malala Yousafzai May Affect Pakistan’s Violent Culture Wars
The Taliban has declared that the education of girls is only a small part of its attack on Malala. It is the secularist movement she represents that it wants destroyed — and that is a more volatile debate in a deeply sectarian country
Who Needs College? The Swiss Opt for Vocational School
The majority of Switzerland’s students opt for vocational training instead of college—and that does not mean the country is dumbing down
Learning Curve: With a Push, Japan’s Universities Go Global
To stay competitive, more schools are welcoming international students and teachers, promoting bilingual programs of study and encouraging young Japanese to study abroad
Universities Look East, Fueling Branch-Campus Boom
East Asia is fast becoming the world’s leading destination for branch campuses, raising questions about quality and control
The Juilliard School Bets on China, Builds Outside Beijing
The legendary U.S. conservatory plans to develop its first overseas campus, in the coastal Chinese city of Tianjin.
Forged Transcripts and Fake Essays: How Unscrupulous Agents Get Chinese Students into U.S. Schools
Because many Chinese students have trouble making sense of the American admissions process, a huge industry of education agents has arisen in China to help guide them — and, in some cases, to do whatever it takes to get them accepted
Taliban Terror or Mass Hysteria: Who Is Poisoning Afghanistan’s Girls?
A recent spate of incidents in which dozens of girls have been forced from school, feeling sick, has set Afghanistan in a tizzy over what the source of the mysterious maladies may be.
Why Is It So Hard to Combat Child Marriage?
Organizations across the globe fight to end the practice, but entrenched traditions, poverty and ineffectual governance stifle the chances for real progress
“While women have made significant advancements in health, education and employment, they continue to lag their male counterparts in reaching leadership positions.”
Must-Reads from Around the World: March 1, 2012
The Lady – Exiled Burmese media the Irrawaddy analyzes Aung San Suu Kyi’s prospects for a cabinet post after by-elections on April 1, mooting the health or education portfolios. “Both would be a good fit—she has often …
Pakistan’s Sesame Street: Can an Urdu Elmo Aid a Blighted Nation?
For a 3-year-old who has yet to master the use of the personal pronoun, Elmo is a whiz at foreign languages. Already fluent in Chinese, German, Hindi, Spanish and Arabic, among others, the fluffy red icon has just picked up Urdu, …
From Darkness to Light: How One Afghan Girl Struggled for a Better Future
Meet Nilab Nusrat, a courageous and talented teenager from Afghanistan with a powerful story to tell