Superfast net to change education

Posted to Adelaide Now (16/9/2011) on 29/9/2011 at 10:51 PM
Commenting on "Superfast net to change education"
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-depth/superfast-net-to-change-education/story-e6frebvu-1226138893759

For higher ed, superfast broadband for education means superfast plagiarism and super slow brain work. For lower forms, superfast broadband means superfast internet games and super slow RRR's.

Visa rule reforms give universities a lifeline

Posted to The Australia (23/9/2011) on 23/9/2011 at 3:14 AM (Not published by Newspaper)
Commenting on “Visa rule reforms give universities a lifeline”
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/visa-rule-reforms-give-unversitieis-a-lifeline/story-fn59niix-1226144082762

Previously, some TAFE's and private colleges messed up the international education industry. They issued certificates to undeserving students, and fed sub-standard students to universities. When government polices changed in July 2010, many TAFE’s and private colleges started to offer degree courses.

The change caught many foreign students off-guard, and for those who hoped to apply for permanent residence after graduation had no choice but to enrol in the “high ed”. While the average number of foreign students may have fallen about 10% as reported during the last calendar year, the real figures in the second half was very much higher. After the announcement of the bad news regarding the changed policies, more than half of the potential foreign students mainly from India and China turned to other destinations, creating a big financial blackhole for the states and Australia. USA and UK benefited from another idiotic Labor’s policy-on-the-run, costing billions of dollars of “export income.”

The proofs are in the closure of many colleges and the slashing millions of dollars from the budgets of TAFE’s and universities. Many full time and sessional teachers, (including myself with 16 years of teaching/training experience) and administrative staff have been laid off. The proposed reform is nothing more than just following what UK is offering. It is important that the Government must NOT make another mistake. Overseas IELTS assessment should be treated with great caution, because money can buy good results in some countries.

I have written to newspapers on many occasions regarding prevalence of plagiarism in colleges and universities, but without any luck in getting my comments published. Some students do not have the English skill of a lower secondary student and yet they can get through the system studying Diploma courses.

Many foreign students are no better off than the asylum seekers queue jumpers trying to apply for permanent residence via the Visa loophole. The Government should not provide blanket Visa approvals and the right to two years of work after graduation. In order to be granted such privilege, students must achieve good scores or grades.

For goodness sake, don’t wreck the higher education industry!

Uni's a shock for students

Posted to Adelaide Now (18/9/2011) on 19/9/2011 at 12:16 PM, 4:20 PM, 4:50 PM (Not published by Newspaper)
Commenting on “Uni's a shock for students”
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/unis-a-shock-for-students/story-e6frea6u-1226140351467

In general, schools prepare students to be Jack of trades and master of none.

Another problem is that there is always push for smaller class sizes and more teachers’ attention. While this may be alright for students below lower secondary, the change must begin in upper secondary as a transition to university. If students at this stage do not learn to compete academically, but still live in a protective cocoon, they will become lost souls in universities.

Unfortunately, many first year students tend to think that it is a honeymoon year with their new born freedom, after being treated like "kids" for the last 12 years or so at schools.

University is not a babysitting place and truancy is not monitored. Plagiarism is more prevalent in university, and attitude of lecturers varies according to their conscience and politics of the university.

Same argument can be said about universities not preparing graduates for future workplace environment and life journey. Don't be a baby, get over it Gen U.

When politicians start tinkering with education, you know your kids are in trouble

Posted to Malaysian Chronicle (1/9/2011) on 1/9/2011
Commenting on "When politicians start tinkering with education, you know your kids are in trouble"
http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=18568%3Awhen-politicians-start-tinkering-with-education-you-know-our-kids-are-in-trouble

Posted on 1/9/2011 at 12:48 PM

"Plagiarism, cut-and-paste and the outsourcing of tasks and assignments have become the norm in the higher institutions of education – all due to the lack of proficiency in the English language. " is neither unique to Malaysia, nor due to lack of proficiency in the English language. This is NOT uncommon in Australia, and I had to fail many of my students (as high as 90% in one class), with the blessing my Departmental Director. In severe cases, they had to repeat the subject / module.

The problem is, what do the lecturers / tutors do when they discover plagiarism? Many will sweep it under the carpet and score the assignment / project accordingly, some will give them borderline pass, some will interview the students asking them why they do such silly things. Education is a business, and many colleges / universities don't like high failure rates. Teachers / lecturers are pressured to pass students despite poor performance. So the practice continues on.

Plagiarism is a no no, and is always stipulated in the college / university student diary or policy handbook. Students MUST BE reminded on the very first day they enter the classrooms / lecture halls the consequence of plagiarism. I'm not a very popular teacher / lecturer, but I do "produce" some excellent performers and achievers.


Posted on 1/9/2011 at 1:28 PM

Symbols used in Maths and Science are universal, and therefore the language of delivery is not important.

Germany, the largest economy in Europe uses German instead of English in their education system.

Many mainland Chinese students go to Germany universities to study, without knowing a word of German at the start. I met several of them on one of my European tours. They were very fluent with German, and spoke little English. How did I communicate with them? In Mandarin / Potunghua, of course.

I am thankful that my late father sent me to a Chinese-medium school up to Primary 6. That provided me a good foundation, despite the fact that I went on an English-medium school after that. I still write blogs in Chinese in Chinese newspaper, tell stories to the Australians about Chinese traditions and culture, and developed bilingual software in Chinese / English for HK clients.

Many overseas students from Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Burma, China, etc who come to Australia for Higher Education undertake a year or two of intensive English language classes. Many become just good as other English-speaking students.


Posted on 1/9/2011 at 1:38 PM

In respond to MARA, I did get away from being sacked. I took the policy handbook to the Director, and asked whether the policy was for real and I should follow it. No Director would ever say NO to policy written by the college / university in black and white as well as on the website. I then said to him that he had just given me permission to fail 90% of the students! This is effective negotiation!


Posted on 1/9/2011 at 3:15 PM

Only human students plagiarise when they do their assignments / projects. Tutors, lecturers or professors assess or mark the students’ submissions, and therefore they are not the culprits of plagiarism. As for colleges and universities, they cannot plagiarise because they are non-living things!