Category Archives: International education
If childhood is an invention, how did children once grow up?
‘Education’ stands for blackboards and computers, school benches and sculleries, china dolls or rag dolls, pies and puddings and a roast goose or bowls of pallid porridge. At the Institute of Education, beyond schooling, studying, and training, ‘Education’ encompasses bringing … Continue reading
Spotlight on the NUT Donation: ‘The New Importance of Adult Education’: Sir Fred Clarke
Last winter we received a wonderful donation from the National Union of Teachers (NUT), which included 380 pamphlet boxes containing material published by the NUT itself and many other organisations operating in the areas of education, children and families. Over … Continue reading
How learning languages makes you smart, successful – and a better citizen
Speaking foreign languages has obvious practical and intellectual advantages, and most of you will have noticed press reports that it is also beneficial for your brain, possibly even staving off dementia. The effects on your cognitive ability and memory are easy to … Continue reading
Education in Germany – a long march uphill
If you believe that Germans have massive bowls of freshly-prepared muesli for breakfast, march through the forests and up the mountains in ergonomic sandals and up and down cold water-basins barefoot, and are partial to extremely emotional music about love … Continue reading
Focus on Greece
It’s so heartening to have such a diverse student population at UCL and to find out what wondrous things they do in their own countries. The International Education LibGuide’s March Student/Country Focus features Maria Chalari from Greece. Below is just a … Continue reading
January 2017 Country/Student Focus: Italy
The January Country Focus is Italy provided by Frances Peruzzo in the International Education LibGuide. Ciao a tutti! My name is Francesca Peruzzo, and Italy is my country of origin. I am currently doing my PhD at the UCL Institute … Continue reading
Why meritocracy may cement inequality : a closer look at China
Mass literacy and universal tests have brought higher education within reach of literally a billion people in China, if they have some academic aptitude at all and work hard enough. This is probably what you believe, whether you favour the … Continue reading
Favourite subjects versus relevant curriculum?
When I glanced through one of our new acquisitions – a book which analyses the success of Japan’s educational system – a list of pupils’ favourite subjects struck me. Both elementary and middle school students had voiced a preference for … Continue reading