A global education is one that incorporates learning about the cultures, geographies, histories, and current issues of all the world’s regions. It emphasizes the interconnectedness and diversity of peoples and histories.
The family of the deceased have alleged that he was murdered while the school administration has declared it a case of suicide.
A class 5 student was allegedly found hanging from near bathroom in a private school hostel in Bihar’s Katihar on Friday. The family of the deceased have alleged that he was murdered while the school administration has declared it a case of suicide. Police are probing the incident.
A class 5 student was allegedly found hanging from near bathroom in a private school hostel in Bihar’s Katihar on Friday. (Representative image)( Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The incident took place in a private school hostel under Mansahi police station.
The 13-year-old boy, a resident of Dilarpur village under Manihari police station was living in the school hostel for three years. The father of the deceased works in a private company in Tamil Nadu.
A close relative of the deceased boy Singheshwar Mandal accused school and hostel administration of committing crime.
“They beat him to death and later hanged him to divert the case,” he alleged. He said that the hostel administration had charged the boy for stealing ₹200 and he was humiliated. However, the family had paid the amount to the school and had said not to humiliate the boy.
“Even if the boy took the decision of eliminating himself, it was due to humiliating treatment given to him on the suspicion of money theft,” he alleged and demanded stringent action against the accused.
On the other hand, station house officer (SHO) Alok Roy said, “Prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide but police will wait for the postmortem report.” He added the postmortem was conducted and the body was handed over to the family. SHO said so far family members have not come to lodge an FIR.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has joined hands with Airbus India Private Limited to expand aviation and logistics education in Assam, thereby enhancing the socio-economic landscape of the northeastern region.
IIT Guwahati and AirBus India Private Limited signed an agreement on Friday in presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The collaboration follows productive discussions with officials from the Assam Government’s Transport, Skill, and Industries Departments.
To this effect, a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) was signed between Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director of IIT Guwahati, and Rémi Maillard, President and Managing Director at Airbus India Private Limited.
The event was attended by a host of dignitaries including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Other dignitaries included Chief Secretary Dr S. Ravi Kota, Ashutosh Agrawal, Head and Aftermarket Strategy and Business Development, and Sumeet Singh Manglotra, Regional Business Leader at Airbus Beyond, Airbus India and South Asia, alongside Prof Parameswar K. Iyer, Dean of PRBR at IIT Guwahati, among others.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Sarma said that the partnership in aviation logistics and allied areas will not only promote knowledge sharing but also shape the future of the aviation industry.
The Chief Minister added that the collaboration will focus on key areas such as transportation, hospitality, skilling, and logistics—each with significant potential for growth.
“I assure the IIT family that students participating in these programs will receive adequate scholarships to help them excel in their pursuit of new careers,” said Chief Minister Sarma.
IIT Guwahati Director Prof. Devendra Jalihal welcomed the guests and said that the transformative partnership with Airbus not only aligns with the institute’s vision for advanced education in aviation and logistics but also addresses the pressing need for skilled professionals in these critical sectors.
“This initiative will empower the youth of Assam and the northeastern region, fostering innovation, economic growth, and a brighter future for all,” he added.
Suraj Chettri, VP and Head of HR at Airbus India and South Asia, and Head of Site at Airbus India Private Limited, Bangalore, stressed that India and the rest of the world need large-scale, skilled human resources to drive the exponential growth of the aviation industry.
He said, “We will continue to invest in developing a skilled workforce in India, working closely with the Government of India and various state governments to unlock the full potential of the Indian aviation sector. Together, we aim to lay the foundation for sustainable growth and global leadership in aviation,” he added.
Highlights of the partnership
Following are some of the highlights of the partnership:
Leverage combined expertise and resources to develop comprehensive programs that will advance aviation education and training in the northeastern region of India.
IIT Guwahati to organize courses, onboard students, and provide necessary infrastructure and logistical support.
IIT Guwahati to establish a Global Skilling Centre in Aviation and Logistics which will address the critical shortage of skilled professionals in the logistics sector essential for the growth of global trade and commerce.
The centre will also provide comprehensive training and development programs to equip individuals with the skills necessary to meet industry demands.
The partnership with Airbus India Private Limited is also aimed at enhancing employment opportunities and career advancement for individuals in the northeastern region while improving service quality in the aviation and logistics industries.
In the initial phase, Airbus will supply trainers, training materials, and tools from the Airbus Beyond catalog for short-term courses.
Airbus will enable IIT Guwahati faculty to conduct ‘Train the Trainer’ programs, allowing them to independently deliver Airbus courses while maintaining the curriculum, materials, and tools.
The partnership also plans to co-curate long-term courses in the later phase.
It may be mentioned here that the entire program will be established at IIT Guwahati, with guidance and close coordination from the Assam Government and all state governments in the northeastern region. It will target students across the region and bordering states.
As per a press release, the partnership comes in line with the Government of India’s Udaan scheme aimed at fostering development and socio-economic reforms across the country.
If school finances are tight, should salaries be allowed to lag inflation, or should the number of employees be gradually reduced through attrition? Which is more important: holding salaries intact or keeping class sizes small? As we approach what many fear is a fiscal cliff, what choices should school districts make with respect to the largest item in their budgets?
One way to think about the issue is to look at what has happened in the past when school revenues rapidly increase. What did districts do? What were the consequences?
Nationwide, school expenditures, even after adjusting for inflation, leapt forward by 20 percent between 2002 and 2020, according to a Reason Foundation analysis of U.S. Department of Education data. Despite the large fiscal increment, the number of teachers increased by just 7 percent, the same rate as the increase in the number of students. Teacher salaries barely kept pace with inflation.
So what drove up the cost of schooling over that 18-year period? Multiple factors were at work, but the two most important were a rise in employee benefit costs and a steep increase in the number of non-teacher employees. The nation’s school districts paid 75 percent more to cover the costs of employee health, pension, and other benefits in 2020 than they did in 2002. And the size of their non-teacher staff rose by 20 percent.
Are school districts spending their extra dollars wisely? To explore this topic, Carlos Lastra-Anadón and I, in a presentation at the meetings of the American Political Science Association, look at what happens to student achievement when a district hires additional employees—and how the answer differs when the added employees are teachers, teacher aides (paraprofessionals), other school staff, or employees who work in district offices. We look at the effects on achievement when districts hire more employees per a given number of students than comparable districts within the same state. Put another way, we look at changes in per-pupil employment within each district relative to changes in similar districts elsewhere within the state.
Our achievement data are taken from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a low-stakes test not used for accountability purposes. We adjust for a large number of social, economic, and demographic characteristics when comparing achievement levels across districts.
We find that the effects on achievement of hiring additional employees differs depending on whether a state has a duty-to-bargain law—that is, a law that requires districts to bargain with a union representing teachers. Thirty-seven states have such laws. They are located mainly in the Northeast, the Midwest, and along the Pacific coast. Most states without duty-to-bargain laws are in the South and Mountain regions.
We are still refining our analysis, but our early results indicate that the recent run-up in non-teacher employment is not as troubling as it seems. In states without a duty-to-bargain law, hiring other school employees yields at least as much gain in math achievement as hiring additional teachers. If districts have a shortage of employees who provide nutritional, medical, social, psychological, and other needed services, then hiring more of them may be beneficial. The need for additional hires may be especially large in states without duty-to-bargain laws.
However, we find no gains in math achievement from hiring additional teacher aides, a finding quite consistent with prior research.
A strange finding pops up. In states without a duty-to-bargain law, hiring an additional employee to work in the district office has a negative effect on math learning. We interpret that as a signal that more district regulation does not make for good schools, an inference with which many principals and teachers are likely to agree. Mabe the finding is not so weird after all.
Of course, we could have the story backwards. It could be the case that the hiring of more non-teacher employees is driven by an increasing commitment to good schools on the part of district leaders. In places where achievement is rising, more employees are put on the payroll. We can’t exclude that possibility, but we think the reasoning is a bit of a stretch.
More concerning is that we see these effects mainly in math. We think that is best explained when one realizes that math, more than reading, is the subject mainly taught at school. Children and early adolescents are reading at home, online, and in many other contexts besides the schoolhouse.
In the duty-to-bargain states, hiring additional employees has no detectable payoff for student achievement. Nor does hiring district office employees have a negative effect on achievement.
In many states, courts have ordered legislatures to distribute additional grants to districts to provide for more equitable and adequate education. These monies can come as a surprise or a “shock” to a district, suddenly providing them with funds they had not anticipated.
Lastra-Anadón and I also look at the impact of school finance reforms on hiring policies. We find that when extra funds suddenly become available, districts use these funds differently depending on whether they are in a duty-to-bargain state.
Districts in a state without a duty-to-bargain law use the unanticipated revenues from the state to hire more teachers. But in states that impose a duty to bargain, districts use the monies for other purposes. Other research says the money is used primarily to boost teacher salaries. Districts in both types of states may be using the money in a sensible way. In duty-to-bargain states, where extra employees don’t have an educational payoff, districts find other uses for the funds. In states without a duty to bargain, they are used to hire more staff, which our results suggest leads to higher math achievement.
The Reason Foundation has released an eye-popping report, but school districts may be using their resources more wisely than a quick glance at the numbers suggests. In states where hiring more employees can lift math achievement, that is the purpose for which states use their extra dollars. In states where there are no achievement benefits from hiring additional staff, the money is used to pay employees more.
The third day of senate hearings on the ESOS Bill on September 6 saw more heated exchanges between higher education stakeholders and the Australian department of education as the government shared its proposed international enrolment caps for public universities.
Amid much criticism of the government formula for calculating the caps, witnesses in the Senate said the caps appeared “somewhat random” and created “perverse outcomes”, with caps varying to a large degree across Australia’s public universities.
Federation University Australia, found in Victoria, has one of the highest proportions of onshore international enrolments at 35% in 2023, and has been hit the hardest by the proposed allocations for next year.
According to government data shared during the hearing, Federation will be allocated 1,100 international enrolments, representing a 52% decline from 2023 levels and 72% lower than pre-pandemic international student numbers.
Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, will bear a large brunt of the caps, with its proposed 2025 levels 34% lower than 2023 international student numbers.
“Winning has never felt so much like losing,” said Regional Universities Network CEO Alec Webb, responding to a declaration from education minister Jason Clare that regional universities would be “winners”.
Webb cited Charles Sturt University, whose allocated cap of 1,000 international students in 2025 represents one third of its 2019 international numbers.
Winning has never felt so much like losing
Alec Webb, Regional Universities Network
Among the other public universities, Australia National University, University of New South Wales and Victoria University, are all looking at cuts of between 11-14% on 2023 figures.
The proposed caps for individual institutions released by the government show wide variations across the sector, with some universities expected to see their international enrolments grow due to the allocations.
For instance, the University of Notre Dame Australia, which in 2019 had an international student population of just under 300, but will be allocated a cap of 700 students – equating to a 140% rise on 2023 levels.
Southern Cross University and the University of Tasmania will also be allowed to let in 38% and 26% more international students respectively.
Private universities, which have been allocated 30,000 new international student placements next year as compared to 145,000 for the public sector, continued to impress upon the government the adverse impact of the caps, leading to “job losses of hardworking Australians in the thousands,” ITECA deputy chief executive Felix Pirie told the hearings.
Except for a few providers, the private sector will see a 32% hit on 2023 figures, said Independent Higher Education Australia CEO Peter Hendy, branding the measures, “a dog’s breakfast of a proposal”.
“The absence of an assessment of the likely impact across the different areas of the sector it will affect and the as-yet-unknown implementation arrangements all merit significant further interrogation”, added Pirie, criticising the Bill for being “poorly drafted” and including “technical flaws”.
For their part, VET providers face a cap of 95,000 new international student commencements. For such providers, the government said those with a “higher ratio of international students will receive a lower allocation, encouraging them to diversify their student base”.
Australian Home Affairs has said that if the legislation passes, it believes system changes would be ready for January 1, but industry leaders have raised concerns about the timeline of events.
“Independent skills training providers have still yet to receive data concerning their allocation of international student places for 2025, something that was not possible until the release of data from the National Centre for Vocational Education and Training (NCVER) yesterday, September 5 2025,” ITECA Chief executive Troy Williams told The PIE News.
“The Australian government couldn’t have undertaken a robust assessment of the impact of its proposed changes, given that the allocation on providers in the skills training sector hasn’t yet been undertaken (with consideration of the type of courses, duration, et cetera),” Williams added.
The chaotic timeline of the hearings has also come under attack, with September 6 being the date when the Committee was initially supposed to report on the hearings rather than scheduling another hearing date.
While the Bill is expected to pass the senate, the committee has requested another extension to the reporting deadline to September 16, which, considering the small number of Senate sitting days left this month, will create a very tight timeline for review of the Bill.
Check back on The PIE News for more on this developing story next week.
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At Texas Southern University, a Houston-based historically Black university,Vice President Kamala Harris’ nomination to lead the Democratic ticket has sparked a sense of “pride and motivation,” according to sociology professorCarla Brailey.
Seeing Harris, an HBCU graduate, “on the cusp of making history” as she runs to become the first woman to serve as U.S. president has sparked campuswide discussions on leadership and pursuing ambitious goals, Brailey said in an email.
“Students and faculty view VP Harris as a role model embodying the success and leadership qualities the university aims to instill,” Brailey said.
Harris, a Howard University alum, is among a long list of public officials on the national stage who graduated from HBCUs. That includes former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, former Surgeon General David Satcherand former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.
But as the first HBCU alum to lead the ticket of a major political party, “she’s breaking through the glass ceiling,” said Terrell Strayhorn, director of research at Virginia Union University’s Center for the Study of HBCUs.
HBCU leaders and experts say her nomination is placing a spotlight on the role HBCUs play in preparing future leaders, raising awareness of these institutions among prospective students, donors and employers.
“The presidency of the United States is the biggest bully pulpit in the world. It has the brightest light,” said Lodriguez Murray, senior vice president of public policy and government affairs at UNCF. “If this HBCU graduate is able to ascend to that office, it bodes to shine a bright spot on not just Howard University, but all of the 100 or so accredited historically Black colleges in this nation.”
A lasting legacy
Some evidence points to Harris’ nomination already bringing increased awareness, visibility and interest in HBCUs, Strayhorn said. The Center for the Study of HBCUs noticed a spike in HBCU-related hashtags, posts and comments on social media during the week following her candidacy announcement, he said.
“Donors may feel an increased sense of pride and responsibility, potentially leading to enhanced philanthropic efforts.”
Carla Brailey
Sociology professor at Texas Southern University
Harris’ nomination “sends a powerful message to prospective students,” said Harry Williams, president and CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund. It underscores that HBCU students can “achieve their dreams and create impact within their communities,” he added.
The nomination also helps put to rest the long-asked question: Are HBCUs still needed?
“All throughout my lifetime, we told students, young people, you can be anything you want to be, even the president of the United States,” Murray said. “The fact that the vice president is educated and educated well by historically Black universities, not one of the Ivy institutions — I think that it is really bringing that promise to life.”
Neither Harris nor her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, attended an Ivy League institution for their undergraduate or graduate education.
In contrast, former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, first attended Fordham Universitybefore transferring to the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League institution, for business school.His running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance,attended Ohio State University before enrolling in Yale University, also an Ivy League institution, for law school.
HBCU advocates and experts are optimistic that Harris’ nomination will show that historically Black colleges measure up to other institutions in terms of student success. That could help move that needle in terms of getting philanthropic donors to believe in those institutions, Murray said.
That would continue philanthropic momentum for HBCUs that started following the murder of George Floyd, a Black man whose death in 2020 at the hands of a White police officer sparked nationwide unrest.
Brailey anticipates Harris’ nomination will generate renewed enthusiasm among Texas Southern’s donors — particularly its alumni and supporters, she said.
“Donors may feel an increased sense of pride and responsibility, potentially leading to enhanced philanthropic efforts,” Brailey said.
Williams also believes Harris’ nomination could help HBCU graduates compete in the workforce after graduating. He argued that she’s helping to dispel biases and misconceptions about HBCU alums by demonstrating their readiness to excel in professional environments — boosting the perceived value of an HBCU education among employers.
Employers could see Harris’ nomination and decide to consider HBCU students and graduates when filling positions because they realize there’s “no daylight” between those colleges and predominantly White institutions, Murray said.
Brailey agreed.
“Employers may become more aware of the diverse talent pool and robust educational foundation that HBCUs offer,” Brailey said.
Funding and policy potential
According to experts, the prospect of having an HBCU alum in the White House could place a greater priority on passing new funding and policies that could benefit those institutions, which have been historically underfunded.
The Biden administration — in which Harris serves as vice president — says it has given “historic” and “record” levels of federal funding and investments for HBCUs, according to a May press release.
Lawmakers provided nearly $4 billion in funding to HBCUs through COVID-19 relief and the American Rescue Plan.
Between fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2023, the Education Department also gave $2.6 billion to help build institutional capacity at HBCUs. And the Biden administration has given nearly $950 million to these institutions to grow their research capacity.
The Biden administration also awarded over $1.6 billion in capital finance debt relief to HBCUs — money appropriated as part of the second COVID relief package signed by former President Donald Trump in December 2020.
By his own right, Trump also used his first term to speak about the need to support HBCUs in a way no other president had before, said Murray — a precedent the Biden administration replicated, making additional funding for those institutions a budgetary priority.
The Trump administration also allocated $85 million to HBCUs in fiscal 2020 and 2021 through the FUTURE Act,and $1 billion in emergency aid to HBCUs and minority-serving institutions through the CARES Act.
Williams said he’s worked closely with the Biden administration on a number of key issues facing HBCUs, such as the need for more funding and better student aid programs. But HBCU advocates would still need to make the case that HBCUs are worth the investment to Congress and, potentially, a Harris administration, Williams said.
Such investments include better integrating HBCUs into the federal research and development ecosystems. That goal would require the federal government to invest significantly in the research infrastructure of those institutions, Williams said.
UNCF would like candidates to prioritize more money for HBCU infrastructure or doubling Pell Grants so its students avoid going into debt, Murray said.
President Joe Biden has pitched doubling the Pell Grant, though his latest budget proposal would hold off on doing so until 2029.
Murray said he’s not ready to say that a possible Harris White House would necessarily push for more funding and better policies for HBCUs. Harris has been in the race for just a short time, but so far, Murray said, she’s run less of an issues-focused campaign and more of one that’s focused on the candidates’ personality.
And, Harris’ ability to pass such policies would largely depend on broader political issues, such as the administration’s competing priorities and whether she could gain enough support in Congress, Strayhorn said.
But having a president with lived HBCU experience could potentially boost the chances that more federal funding and policies supporting those institutions could arrive, Strayhorn said.
As we turn the corner into a new school year, teachers need a break more than ever. Educators continue to work hard for their students, but the ups and downs of our current environment are not without their tolls.
Teachers have been grappling with a significant new development: the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom. The 2023-24 school year was the first school year AI has been widely available as a classroom tool–and teachers are starting to embrace it. AI has the potential to transform the teaching profession by handling menial tasks, supercharging teacher creativity, and improving accessibility–all while preparing students for an AI-powered future. While technology alone can’t fix teacher burnout, it can certainly be part of the solution.
Here’s why we have much to gain by empowering teachers to safely embrace AI for their work.
Teacher burnout is very real
To learn more about the teacher experience, a recent survey of 1,000 K-12 teachers across the United States asked about burnout–and the results were sobering. More than four in five teachers report they experience burnout, and more than a third experience it every day or most days. This data is deeply concerning and demonstrates the urgency of improving the teacher experience.
Teachers reported a variety of drivers of their burnout, including strenuous classroom management responsibilities, lack of administrative support, and inadequate compensation. Remarkably, most teachers have continued to go above and beyond for their students, with two-thirds of teachers reporting they work beyond contractual hours.
Unsurprisingly, this burnout has implications for students. The survey also revealed that one-third of teachers say burnout has decreased the quality of their instruction. Perhaps the most concerning finding is more than half of teachers have considered quitting or switching schools due to burnout, and two-thirds have considered leaving the profession entirely.
Teachers see AI as part of the solution
The survey indicated 42 percent of new teachers have already used AI, whereas 93 percent of teachers knew “little” or “nothing” about it. Teachers with fewer than five years of experience have particularly taken to AI, with 59 percent saying they use the technology.
Of course, merely using AI isn’t the goal. Ninety-two percent of teachers who are using AI have found it helpful in addressing teaching pain points. Educators highlighted how it can improve work efficiency, promote creativity, and enhance learning. Given those benefits, it’s no surprise that teachers who reported being satisfied in their jobs were nearly twice as likely to be using AI than those who were unsatisfied.
How AI can support our educators
AI tools can be a boon for educators, but one of the largest barriers to adopting new technology is knowing where to begin. Teachers can leverage AI to help in many ways to help lighten their load while increasing their impact:
Generate lesson ideas. Use an AI-powered text-based tool to brainstorm what’s possible, map out activities or even create first drafts of materials.
Personalize materials for every student. Tailor teaching materials to meet the individual needs of each student. AI can help either generate a lesson or take an existing lesson and create level-specific ideas to ensure every student can participate in a lesson.
Create a lesson presentation. Some tools allow teachers to type a prompt with a few words of inspiration and have the first draft of a slide deck be created.
As one teacher said, by using AI, “teachers can foster more creative opportunities for themselves and students while saving time and alleviating some common stressors within this field. I hope that with advancements in AI and sparking more teachers’ curiosity, a more fulfilling environment for educators emerges, benefiting students and school communities.”
Appreciating our teachers
While some have claimed AI could replace teachers, I believe nothing could be further from the truth. What AI can do is allow teachers to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on delivering creative, engaging instruction that moves the needle for the next generation of the workforce. In other words, AI can help teachers spend more time doing the things that made them want to become educators in the first place. If we want to truly appreciate our teachers, that feels like a worthy goal.
Our teachers are so incredibly important–and we must be doing more to make their jobs easier. With better systems, additional resources, and safe use of technology, we can help them focus on doing the work they love.
Jason Wilmot, Canva
Jason Wilmot is Head of Education at Canva.
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BIS Recruitment 2024: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has announced the recruitment drive for 345 positions across Group A, B, and C categories. The online application process for these roles will commence on September 9, 2024, and will remain open until midnight on September 30, 2024. Applications can only be submitted through the official BIS website at bis.gov.in. BIS Recruitment 2024: Vacancy Details
BIS Recruitment 2024: Selection Process The selection process varies by role.For Assistant Director positions, candidates will undergo an online examination followed by an interview. Personal Assistant candidates will face an online exam and a skill test. Technical roles, including Technician, Senior Technician, and Technical Assistant (Laboratory), will require an online exam along with a practical or skill test. BIS Recruitment 2024: Exam Details The online examination will feature 150 questions to be completed within 120 minutes. A minimum of 50% marks is required to qualify for the interview phase. BIS Recruitment 2024: Application and Further Information Candidates are advised to check the official notification for details on age limits, application fees, and other relevant information. For more information and to apply, visit the official BIS website at bis.gov.in.
