Japan offers help in setting up new IIT in Hyderabad
Keen to enhance ties with India in the education sector, Japan has offered its assistance for setting up the proposed IIT in Hyderabad. The offer was made during the visit of Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura.
During the visit, Japanese minister expressed willingness to support the IIT by providing best of the technologies. Both the countries also emphasised the need to have more youth exchange programmes.
WB aid to Bangladesh improve secondary education
Now the Bangladesh government’s efforts to improve the quality of secondary education and systematically monitor learning outcomes will get a major boost with World Bank approving a US $130.7 million credit to the country.
The Secondary Education Quality and Access Enhancement Project will finance activities in 121 upazilas aimed at improving education quality and poverty-targeted stipends and tuition for girls and boys to increase access and retention. The project will also strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Education in Bangladesh both at central and local levels.
Philippines Education Dept tie-up with Smart to expand Smart Schools
In an effort to improve IT understanding among students and quality of basic education in the country, Philippines’ Department of Education (DepEd) has signed an agreement with major telecommunications company Smart Communications Inc. for expanding the department’s Smart Schools programme.
The tie-up with Smart Communications Inc. and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) would pave the way for expansion of the department’s Smart Schools programme to an additional 30 public high schools and a similar number of elementary schools this year. More and more public schools are coming into the programme since it addresses their need for Internet access, content and training.
South-East Asian school principals agree on improving school management
Southeast Asian school principals have agreed to enhance school leadership and management capacity and to develop the use of information and communication technology in education. This was decided at the first conference of the Southeast Asian School Principals Forum (SEA-SPF) held on August 15-16 in Indonesia.
The forum also deliberated on key strategy, financing and partnership issues as well as time and place for the next two meetings. The forum also approved its drafted vision and mission and details of its organisational structure, membership, financing, and possible collaboration with relevant regional or international organisations.
Indonesian President Yudhoyono launches online repository of school textbooks
In a move to encourage equitable education and also safeguard its quality, an online repository of school textbooks has been launched in Indonesia to enable students and teachers to access textbooks at affordable prices.
The repository has been designed by the Education ministry, which owns the copyrights to a number of books available in it. It contains 407 titles of textbooks which can be accessed from the website.
Japan, ADB to help Viet Nam develop model research universities
Plans by Viet Nam to boost its higher education sector are getting support from Japan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Japan Special Fund, through ADB, will provide US$1 million in technical assistance to finance a feasibility study that will pave the way for an ADB loan to build two model research universities in the cities of Ha Noi and Da Nang. The Government of Viet Nam will provide an additional US$ 200,000.
The new model research universities are expected to become core scientific centers and will play a critical role in research and teaching, leading to enhanced research and development capacity for the country
