South China Morning Post (August 3)
“Plummeting scores in English-language tests among Japanese lower secondary school students have triggered concern that future generations will be unable to communicate in the world’s lingua franca. In nationwide tests conducted in April, just 12.4 per cent of 15-year-olds were able to reply correctly to five spoken questions in English.”
Tags: Communicate, Concern, English, Future generations, Japan, Language, Plummeting, School, Scores, Students, Tests
The Guardian (September 12)
“New Zealand, which once eliminated the virus through the toughest pandemic rules in the world, has made relaxations similar to Australian or European conditions. Mask-wearing will no longer be mandatory in public places, and the last vaccine mandates will be ditched in two weeks.” Tests for inbound travelers “on arrival in New Zealand are no longer required but encouraged.”
Tags: Australia, Encouraged, Europe, Inbound travelers, Mask-wearing, New Zealand, Pandemic rules, Public places, Relaxations, Tests, Toughest, Vaccine mandates, Virus
Washington Post (January 12)
“Given the number of daily positive tests rising to record levels,” most of us will get COVID. “On Monday, the seven-day average reached more than 760,000, meaning about 1 in every 60 Americans has tested positive in the last week alone.”
Tags: Covid, Positive, Record levels, Rising, Seven-day average, Tests, U.S.
Washington Post (May 8)
“If you look around the world at nations that are now outperforming the United States on international tests, it is not hard to figure out the differences between their vastly improved educational systems and ours. It is not simply the pay of teachers that matters but the selectivity of education programs, the rigor of their preparation and the continuing education and feedback they receive.”
Tags: Education, Feedback, Nations, Outperforming, Pay, Preparation, Programs, Rigor, Selectivity, Teachers, Tests, U.S.
New York Times (November 7)
“The competition to get into higher-ranked universities is destroying the lives of young people and their families in countries like South Korea and Japan…. The paradox is these ridiculous tests don’t necessarily lead to demanding college classes.”
Tags: Classes, College, Competition, Demanding, Families, Japan, Paradox, Ridiculous, South Korea, Tests, Universities, Young people
