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Unsafe water and poor sanitation claim 4,500 lives day. What should we do about it?

On Monday, March 22, World Water Day celebrates its 17th year of publicizing water issues with the theme “Clean Water for a Healthy World.” Our Global Issues/Citizen Voices essay contest highlights this theme with hopes of prolonging the conversation. From entrants detailing first-hand accounts of how the lack of access to clean water has affected the lives of their families and communities to policy-based analyses of the issues and solutions, the participants consider a range of points, each adding a unique perspective to the dialogue.

Yet 1.1 billion people continue to live without access to reliable sources of clean water.

Earlier in the year, Dirk van Damme, the OECD's head of educational research, said of Scotland: "Too many leave school without qualifications or skills that matter in the labour market." He invited Scotland to take stock. "An egalitarian education culture is definitely not enough," Mr van Damme said. "The egalitarian and optimistic education culture in Scotland may even help to conceal the real issues," he said. Ministers hope improvements may come from an inquiry into what teachers are taught.

Earlier in the year, Dirk van Damme, the OECD's head of educational research, said of Scotland: "Too many leave school without qualifications or skills that matter in the labour market." He invited Scotland to take stock. "An egalitarian education culture is definitely not enough," Mr van Damme said. "The egalitarian and optimistic education culture in Scotland may even help to conceal the real issues," he said. Ministers hope improvements may come from an inquiry into what teachers are taught.

Under the radical change, rolled out to all secondary schools in August, teachers and pupils are now free to choose much of what they learn. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote The old system was good if you wanted school leavers good at producing widgets” End Quote And children will find out more information for themselves on the internet, rather than passively taking in information from teacher or a textbook. Supporters believe lessons will become livelier, more thoughtful and up-to-date. Others are worried that learning may become more modest and more hit and miss.

Kampala — The government has warned school head teachers against hiking school fees as the new term opens. Closing a two-day Senior One selection exercise at Mandela Stadium-Namboole on Friday, Education Minister Namirembe Bitamazire said the habit of increasing fees by top schools deny hundreds of students a chance to join their dream schools.

"We don't say that they shouldn't increase but let the increment be reasonable, justifiable and they must seek our permission. Our target is to see that all Ugandan children acquire quality education regardless of their parents' financial predicaments," she said.

This means that at least 155,716 students will not be admitted despite having garnered the required aggregate for admission. But the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Mr Francis Agula, said the number of admission could be raised to 350,000 due to expansion of existing education facilities in some schools and establishment of new ones.

One hundred and fifty paintings and sketches drawn by school children from flood-affected areas are being exhibited at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) in Islamabad, said a press release. The exhibition “Art for Future” has been organised by a UK-based NGO Islamic Relief in collaboration with PNCA. A total of 450 entries were received for the exhibition.

WAJIR, Kenya, 26 September – 2011 – In a futile attempt to save the last of the goats, Ali Yusef Omar, 16, and one of his younger sisters had no other option but to feed the ravenous animals handfuls of shredded-up cardboard boxes they had scavenged from the local town. Kept in a make-shift pen made of thorn bushes, only three remain out of a herd that had once numbered two hundred. “Of course these goats are going to die,” said the boy with a resigned shrug of his shoulders. “You think they’re going to survive on boxes?” Burdened with the adult responsibility of providing for his mother and five half brothers and sisters, Ali was sent to town to attend high school, with the hope that it would lead to a job that could support his family. When the rains dwindled, however, so have his chances of remaining in school.

Trying to get an education had already been a struggle – now it’s a monumental challenge. Sharing a simple hut made of branches and straw with the rest of the family, Ali is forced to do his homework by flashlight.

QUEBEC — All public and private schools in Quebec will have to adopt an anti-bullying, anti-violence plan under Bill 56, presented Wednesday in the provincial legislature by Education Minister Line Beauchamp.The minister also announced a major media campaign against bullying, in partnership with publicly owned Tele-Quebec, and Quebecor Inc., urging people to be "ordinary heroes" by standing up to bullies."Bullying doesn't start at 8 a.m. and doesn't finish at 4 p.m.," the minister said, adding that everyone has to get involved and the new policy will extend to cyber bullying as well.

Three institutions from Nepal, South Africa and Venezuela will be recognized for supporting and improving teachers’ effectiveness in developing countries, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced today. The Rato Bangala Foundation, the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Schools Enrichment Centre, and the Banco del Libro will be awarded the UNESCO-Hamdan Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Prize for Outstanding Practice and Performance in Enhancing the Effectiveness of Teachers during a ceremony in Dubai in April. The three institutions will be recognized for their outstanding work in the education field in developing countries or within marginalized or disadvantaged communities, UNESCO said in a news release.