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Exams day sees largest number of Scots pupils secure university places

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

More pupils from Scotland got a university place on exams results day than in any previous year, it has been confirmed.

Helen Thorne from UCAS told BBC Radio Scotland that 28,300 Scottish students had successfully secured their courses.

More than 140,000 students north of the border have received their results.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority has sent out scores from National 4 and 5, Higher, Advanced Higher and Scottish Baccalaureate exams.

  • Where can pupils in Scotland find help?

The Scottish government said the exams had seen “another highly successful set of results”, including:

  • 152,701 Higher passes, the second highest number on record and 77% of those sat
  • 234,160 National 5 passes, 79% of those sitting exams
  • 114,635 National 4 passes, 93% of those sat
  • More than 43,000 National Certificates, Awards and National Progression Awards in courses such as early education, childcare and computer games development, up 27%
  • A 23% increase in National Certificate passes at SCQF level 6 related to work skills, to 4,920

Scottish exam results day

140,000

Pupils receiving results

50,000

Pupils getting results by text

  • 28,300 Scots pupils securing higher education places
  • 27,400 Scots pupils going to Scottish universities and colleges
  • 3,900 EU pupils securing places in Scotland
SQA/UCAS
PA

The latest results from the SQA suggested that problems with the 2015 Higher Maths exam have not been repeated. The 2015 pass mark had to be cut to 34% after the exam was deemed too difficult, but the 2016 pass mark was approximately 50%.

Fears that replacing part of the Higher English exam against a tight deadline would lead to problems also proved unfounded, with the pass mark for that subject also 50%.

Pass rates in National 4 and 5 exams were roughly in line with those in 2015, while the percentage of candidates passing their Higher exams dipped slightly from 79.2% to 77.2% – although new Higher exams have been phased in over this period.

New Advanced Higher exams were introduced for 2016, with an overall 81.7% pass rate.

Different paths

Dr Janet Brown, the SQA’s chief executive and Scotland’s chief examining officer, paid tribute to pupils, teachers, lecturers parents and carers.

She said: “This is the first year candidates will have been offered the full range of National Courses as part of Curriculum for Excellence. These results are testament to the dedication of the entire Scottish education system, working in partnership for the benefit of our young people.

“The new qualifications are performing well and the results clearly are enabling young people to transition between the levels and develop a wider range of skills.

“It is important to recognise the different paths candidates can take to achieve success, whether it be in National Courses, Skills for Work or National Progression Awards.”

Pupils in the Scottish Borders opened their exam results

The Royal Mail said it had “pulled out all the stops” to make sure results were delivered in the post on time, while more than 50,000 pupils also signed up to get their results online or via text message.

Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme, UCAS director Ms Thorne said: “There is really good news, we have got 28,300 Scottish students who have secured a place at university today and that is the highest that we have ever seen on Scottish results day.

“So we want to say a big congratulations to all of them and when the UCAS track system opens students will be able to log in and see if they have got their university place.”

Ms Thorne also said the number of students from EU countries being accepted to Scottish universities was up 19% to 3,900, saying there was “no evidence of EU students being put off” by the Brexit vote.

The National Union of Students welcomed the “hugely encouraging” figures, while Colleges Scotland said it was “delighted” with the results.

Education Secretary John Swinney said students could be “extremely proud of their efforts”.

Mr Swinney said: “Today’s results show that Scotland’s learners continue to perform very well, with the second highest number of Higher passes on record, despite a fall in the size of the S5 and S6 year groups. This year is only the second time in history that we have seen more than 150,000 Higher passes, up from around 112,000 just ten years ago.

“It is encouraging to see strong performances in qualifications related to wider skills for life and work and I greatly welcome the increase of attainment in Awards, National Certificates and National Progression Awards.”

Opposition parties also welcomed the results, with Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman Liz Smith welcoming the fact that issues from 2015 appeared to have been addressed.

Labour’s Iain Gray also voiced congratulations to pupils whose “hard work has paid off”, although he noted concern about the drop in the pass rate for Highers and called on the government to build on the results by giving schools extra resources.

‘Massive day’

The Royal Mail said results had been delivered to Scottish students in 45 countries around the world, from Australia to Singapore.

Planning teams had been working for months to ensure that all results are delivered on time.

Head of special events and planning Derek Keir said: “This is a massive day for every pupil in Scotland waiting for their results.

“All of our postmen and women, many of whom have children themselves, understand just how important this day is for families. Our people pull out all the stops to ensure the results are delivered as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Skills Development Scotland has set up a free helpline to offer advice, information and support for pupils and parents, including information on college and university courses, apprenticeships, employment and volunteering. The number is 0808 100 8000.

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

AS-level results ‘more variable’ this year, schools warned

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Girl in exam

Schools and colleges are being warned to expect “more variation” in AS-level results in England this year, the first since they were split from A-levels.

Results in the 13 decoupled subjects have been “relatively stable in recent years”, says exams regulator, Ofqual.

But this year “we expect that there will be more variability than between 2015 and 2016”, warns the report.

Students and teachers are “getting to grips” with the new system, says Ofqual associate director, Cath Jadhav.

“We know that students tend to do less well in the first year of a new qualification,” writes Ms Jadhav, in a blog.

“That, in part, reflects the time it takes for teachers to become comfortable with new content and assessment design.”

AS-levels have been split from A-levels since last September and no longer count towards the final A-level grade.

Statistical predictions

Ms Jadhav says there could also be changes in the ability range of students taking AS-levels this year which would also affect overall results.

Ofqual has noted that the number of entries for AS-levels has fallen by 20% on 2015 in subjects where the grade will no longer count towards the final A-level.

It is possible that for some students this exam could be their final school qualification, explained Malcolm Trobe, interim general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.

Some schools may have decided that students who are aiming for A-levels should skip AS-levels altogether, said Mr Trobe.

In her blog, Ms Jadhav says the regulator will rely on statistical predictions to ensure students are not disadvantaged by being the first cohort to sit the new linear AS qualifications.

She warns that exam boards “won’t be slaves to the predictions” when they set grade boundaries.

But “exam boards will need to be able to justify any grade boundaries that are different from those suggested by the predictions”, she adds.

“We would expect to see some variability,” said Mr Trobe.

“What is important is that there will be appropriate checks and balances in place so that young people are not disadvantaged in any way.

“It would be good to have an absolutely clear and transparent system in place so that schools can see how it has operated this year.”

Ofqual plans to publish its 2016 AS-level analysis when the results come out on August 18.

The 13 AS-levels affected are:

  • art and design
  • biology
  • history
  • physics
  • computing
  • economics
  • English language and literature
  • English language
  • English literature
  • psychology
  • sociology
  • business studies
  • chemistry

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

Graduate debt ‘a third of average mortgage’, says charity

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Young employees

New graduates in England face average debt levels of more than a third of the average mortgage, research suggests.

When they start paying back their maintenance and tuition loans, this year’s graduates will owe at least £41,000, The Money Charity says.

Average outstanding mortgage debt is £117,162, the researchers say.

The government says the student loans system is fair and sustainable and that higher education boosts employability and earnings.

Rising rents

Rising maintenance loans and the higher tuition fees of £9,000 a year for students who started their degrees in 2012 or later have led to a hike in debt, the charity says.

The first students on the higher fees graduated last summer and, under the current rules, those earning more than £21,000 began paying back their loans in April.

The sum owed by students has risen steadily for the past decade, tripling since 2003, the charity calculates.

“Much of this is driven by the introduction and gradual rise of tuition fees,” the researchers said.

“The other, often overlooked, driver of rising student debt is the runaway cost of accommodation, which requires ever larger maintenance loans just to keep up.”

A study by the charity last year warned that average yearly rents outside London had grown by £277 in a year between 2014 and 2015, with maintenance loans and grants failing to keep pace.

University maintenance grants for lower income student in England Wales are due to be scrapped from next month.

Meanwhile, a petition against government plans to freeze the repayment threshold for student loans at £21,000 instead of increasing it with average earnings as was originally promised now stands at more than 130,000 signatures, and the issue has been debated in Parliament.

“For nearly half the young people in the UK, becoming a student will be the first step into adult life, with all the financial responsibilities that brings. We worry that these early, formative experiences of debt will leave a lasting legacy,” said The Money Charity chief executive Michelle Highman.

“Normalising large quantities of debt right at the start of people’s financial independence risks setting them up to fail.

“The size of these sums may also affect later borrowing such as loans and mortgages.”

‘Fair system’

The government says higher education boosts employability and earnings and the student loans system is fair and sustainable “as the [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] OECD has recognised”.

Ministers say the current system removes financial barriers for anyone hoping to study, with outstanding debt written off after 30 years.

Scotland does not charge fees for first-time Scottish undergraduates studying in Scotland.

Fees in Wales can be up to £9,000, but the Welsh government pays £5,100 of this for Welsh students.

Northern Irish students studying in Northern Ireland pay £3,925 a year.

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

Children in care often lack mentor support, says Barnardo’s

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Child and mentor (models)

Too many young people in care in England are missing out on the support from independent mentors to which they are entitled by law, says Barnardo’s.

The 1989 Children’s Act says councils must appoint volunteers to “visit, befriend and advise” children in care if it is in their best interests.

But research by the charity last year suggested only 3% of looked-after children were matched with a mentor.

Council bosses said there was an urgent need to recruit more volunteer mentors.

Independent mentors are unpaid and work independently of social services to build trusting and positive relationships with the children they are allocated.

The idea is that they remain consistent, not changing when placements or social workers change, sharing trips and activities and sticking up for children to ensure their rights are respected.

Researchers for Barnardo’s and the Tudor Trust grant-making charity sent out Freedom of Information requests to 152 local authorities in England.

Responses from 149 of them showed:

  • 2,200 looked-after children were matched with a mentor – 3.2% of the population
  • 1,000 children were on a waiting list for a mentor and two-thirds of local authorities had waiting lists
  • Eight local authorities said they did not have an independent mentor service

The report notes that a waiting list for the service may not necessarily indicate a problem – but rather that social workers value the service and are keen to refer children to it.

When councils were without waiting lists, this was often because social workers were unaware of the service or it did not exist at all, the report found.

Solomon’s story

“They work really hard to match you with someone who fits your interests,” says 18-year-old Solomon from London.

“I love acting, music and performing and so does [my mentor] Drew.

“When we first met at my foster home we found a lot of common ground… we both felt comfortable straight away.

“I know I can confide in Drew with any issues that I might have and he’ll do his best to understand and talk about his own experiences. Even though we only meet once a month, it’s enough for us to keep up-to-date.”

Solomon has applied for a place at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford and has two part-time jobs over the summer.

“I like going out with Drew because it’s different to being out with my teenage groups of friends and it’s often in a new kind of social environment.

“To be a good independent visitor, you just need to be yourself and not try to be a social worker. Drew is very straight up and real and I respect that about him. He’s very understanding and, even if he doesn’t agree with something, he’s always open-minded.

“I hope we’ve built up enough of a relationship to carry on meeting as I get older. There are a few people who I plan to repay in the future, no matter what’s going on in my later life, and Drew is one of those people.”

Barnardo’s is urging councils to sign up to a new set of quality standards for independent mentors.

These include:

  • Ensuring children in care understand their right to a mentor
  • Putting children’s needs first with regular monitoring
  • Safe and transparent recruitment processes for volunteers who should commit to at least a year of regular visits
  • Thorough training and support for volunteers
  • Adequate resourcing
  • A clear, simple and effective complaints procedure

“Every single child needs an adult they can trust, who will be there for them and stay by their side no matter what life throws their way,” said Barnardo’s chief executive Javed Khan.

In particular, Mr Khan said he wanted the government to ensure mentors were in place for young people who were at risk of dropping out of education, training or employment.

“A key aim of the government’s new strategy for care leavers is to support them into adult life.

“Providing enough mentors and signing up to the new, quality standards for independent visitors will help it achieve this.”

Volunteer call

The Department for Education said it trusted councils to manage their budgets and decide which services to provide to best meet the needs of the children in their care.

“The law is clear that local authorities must appoint an independent visitor where it’s in a child’s interest and they want one.

“Not all children in care will need or want an independent visitor but this should be kept under review by the child’s social worker and Independent Reviewing Officer,” said a DfE spokesman.

The Local Government Association agreed mentors could often provide valuable extra support to children in care.

But Roy Perry, chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said it was right that social workers considered each case individually.

“There is an urgent need for more volunteers to take on this hugely rewarding role,” he added, urging anyone interested to contact their local council.

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

Ofsted chairman ‘should not resign’ over Isle of Wight comments

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Ofsted chairman David Hoare went “over the top” when he called the Isle of Wight a “ghetto” but should not resign, Sir Michael Wilshaw says.

Ofsted’s chief inspector of schools told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme Mr Hoare had been “a good chair”.

Mr Hoare has apologised for his comments about the island, in which he also said “there has been inbreeding”.

He said he had been trying to highlight the unacceptably poor performance of schools on the island over many years.

His comments, made at a recent teaching conference and highlighted in the Times Educational Supplement, prompted a call for him to resign. He has apologised for any upset or offence he may have caused.

Sir Michael said: “He’s handled the board well and he’s passionate about raising standards.

“On this occasion he used inappropriate language and he’s apologised profusely for that because he’s offended people in the Isle of Wight, and he should have done that.”

‘Low standards’

Sir Michael added that while Mr Hoare’s words had been “inappropriate”, he was raising an important issue.

“He has drawn everyone’s attention to the problems of areas like the Isle of Wight and coastal resorts. We undertook a focused inspection of the Isle of Wight four years ago and found standards to be terribly, pitifully low.

“The reason why London and other big cities are doing well is because they’ve got good heads and they’ve got good teachers and people are attracted to those areas.

“It’s much more difficult to attract staff to areas which are less popular and where the challenges are that much greater.”

‘Insulted residents’

Mr Hoare, who has a home on the mainland near the island, said education on the Isle of Wight was often a topic of conversation with his dinner party guests.

“They think of it as holiday land. But it is shocking,” he said. “It’s a ghetto; there has been inbreeding.

“Seven state schools were all less than good. There is a mass of crime, drug problems, huge unemployment.”

Ofsted said the chairman had been expressing his personal views and they did not reflect those of the inspectorate or its chief inspector.

But Isle of Wight council leader Jonathan Bacon said he would contact Education Secretary Justine Greening to seek an explanation from Mr Hoare for his comments.

He said: “David Hoare’s comments about ‘inbreeding’ and ‘ghettos’ on the Isle of Wight are truly offensive to the people of the Isle of Wight and bear no relation to the facts.”

And Ms Lowthion, who is a teacher on the island, said: “‘I am absolutely appalled that the chairman of Ofsted thinks it helpful, truthful or professional to describe our families and young people in that way.

“I think it reflects more on himself than it does on our hard-working teachers and schools.

“It is well-known that coastal towns need investment and support to improve education standards and participation.

“He has insulted residents of coastal towns across the country and should resign.”

Following the outcry, Mr Hoare said: “My intention was to highlight how concerned I am about the unacceptably poor performance of schools on the Isle of Wight over many years and how this is damaging the prospects of young people who live on the island.

“Those who know me will realise that I am passionate about improving outcomes for children from our most disadvantaged communities and my comments were made in this context.”

[Source:- BBC]

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Education

Learn Portuguese for Rio, Britons urged

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Leonardo Espindola carries the Olympic torch on its way to Rio

Britons “should give Portuguese a go” as the Olympics get under way in Rio de Janeiro, urges the British Council.

Almost two in five of 2,000 UK adults surveyed for the charity did not know Portuguese was the official language of host country Brazil.

More than one in 10 said the language was “Brazilian”, while one in five thought it was Spanish.

Portuguese is not widely taught in UK schools but will be crucial to future trade deals, says the British Council.

Previous research by the UK’s international cultural and educational organisation identified Portuguese as the sixth most important language “for the UK’s prosperity, security and influence in the world over the next 20 years”.

That report called for a wider range of languages to be taught in schools, based on analysis of global economic, political and educational factors.

Currently, less than 1% of the UK population can speak Portuguese, says the council.

In 2015 just 2,932 students took Portuguese GCSE compared with 168,402 who took French and 93,028 Spanish, it adds.

Languages of the future

  1. Spanish
  2. Arabic
  3. French
  4. Mandarin Chinese
  5. German
  6. Portuguese
  7. Italian
  8. Russian
  9. Turkish
  10. Japanese

Source: British Council

The survey is part of the British Council’s 2016 campaign for more UK adults to take language lessons, following a general decline in language learning at both school and university level.

The campaign urges people to boost their skills in languages such as French, Spanish or German, which are traditionally taught in schools, as well as others on the list such as Arabic, Mandarin Chinese and Portuguese.

“Portuguese is a hugely important language for the UK both now and in the future,” said Mark Herbert, British Council head of schools programmes.

“With the eyes of the world on Rio this summer, we have the perfect opportunity to learn more about this fascinating part of the world and to try out some Portuguese along the way.

“Ultimately, having more of us being able to speak at least a little of a foreign language is good for the UK’s long-term competitiveness in the increasingly connected world.”

The survey was carried out by Populus among a weighted sample of 2,152 UK adults.

[Source:- BBC]

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Tech Update

Microsoft, Sony, and other companies still use illegal warranty-void-if-removed stickers

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep
Xbox-Feature2

One of the ways manufacturers coerce users not to modify or even open hardware they’ve purchased is through warranty-void-if-removed stickers. These stickers are common on electronics equipment — Microsoft uses them on the Xbox One, Sony has them on the PS4, and you’ve probably owned a phone that had at least one somewhere.

These stickers are almost certainly illegal, as Motherboard points out in relation to the new Xbox One S. The problem with the stickers is that they run afoul of the FCC’s rules on tying repair services to specific products. This issue is also probably why Apple agreed to change its practices regarding iPhones, when devices that had been repaired by third-party shops would then suddenly fail when upgraded to Apple’s latest operating system.

“The stickers could be deceptive by implying consumers can’t use parts the warrantor doesn’t pre-approve, which violates the anti-tying provisions of MMWA,” FTC spokesperson Frank Dorman told Vice.

This practice isn’t remotely unique to Microsoft. The PS4 does the same thing.  Image by iFixit

Companies don’t like to talk about these policies, most likely because they don’t want to admit they’ve been doing something illegal for decades. Laws like the 1975 Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act were passed to prevent companies from tying customers to expensive repair contracts, or requiring customers to use only approved hardware installed by “authorized” resellers. The common example for this is with cars, where it’s illegal for a manufacturer to try and force you to only install their own parts.

There are, of course, limits to these laws. If you destroy your transmission or engine while servicing them, the manufacturer is under no obligation to repair the vehicle. What manufacturers aren’t allowed to do is refuse to honor a warranty on your engine just because you installed a different set of speakers or an aftermarket radio. The obligation is on the manufacturer to demonstrate that your third-party repairs or modifications caused the failure, not the other way around.

Modern electronics are tightly integrated, but the concept is the same. Microsoft isn’t allowed to prevent you from opening your own hardware, and neither is any other manufacturer. So why do they?

The answer is simple: Because they know you won’t do anything about it. It’s a nifty example of how companies get away with doing illegal things — the cost of taking them to court and forcing them to comply with the law is higher than the value of the product. A car is expensive enough to repair that companies can’t get away with telling you to pony up thousands of dollars for their own parts and repair shops. On the other hand, a smartphone can cost $500 to $700, but that doesn’t begin to cover the cost of a lawyer to litigate the issue, and Apple, Microsoft, and other companies know it.

In Microsoft’s case, its warranty states that it ceases to apply if the Xbox One is “opened, modified, or tampered with.” It’s flatly illegal. But until someone brings a case against the company and litigates it out, electronics companies will continue to put these stickers on their products, and consumers will continue to believe the manufacturers are legally allowed to do.

The situation is also playing out in new ways thanks to the advent of DRM. Tractor manufacturer John Deere and the Library of Congress have both resisted any attempt to require manufacturers to share data on firmware or other DRM’d blocks of information, because it could conceivably allow for piracy or alter the function of the vehicle. John Deere has gone so far as to claim that by purchasing a tractor, farmers gain “an implied license for the life of the vehicle to operate the vehicle.” It’s the concept of software licensing, except applied to hardware, and the fact that it’s illegal doesn’t seem to concern anyone much.

[Source:- extremetech]

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Education

The unis winning big from uncapped students places

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

Western Sydney University, ACU and Macquarie University are among the biggest winners from the demand-driven system for universities, growing by more than 6000 students in the five years to 2014, a new report reveals.

But the authors have questioned whether universities are being held accountable for ensuring that the rapid growth has not come at the expense of the quality of education they deliver.

 

Australian universities on the rise

Which Australian universities rank among the top 800 in the world?

The report, by Professor Emeritus Frank Larkins and Associate Professor Ian Marshman from the University of Melbourne, also asked whether universities should have to demonstrate completion rates or other output measures, rather than being allocated funding based purely on starting student numbers.

Since the Gillard Labor government instituted the demand-driven system by uncapping student places in higher education in 2009, WSU has gained $120.7 million in domestic student revenues, while its international student intake shrank, according to the analysis.

ACU, which has seven campuses including two in Sydney, gained $123.8 million in domestic student revenue in the same period, and Macquarie gained $106.7 million.

A report by the Parliamentary Budget Office in April warned that the student debt to the government will triple over the next decade from $13.5 billion to $48.1 billion, due to the uncapping of university course places and Labor’s decision to extend loans to vocational education. It said by 2025-26 about $4 billion of the debt is not expected to be repaid, up from $1.9 billion in 2015-2016.

The universities have so far resisted publishing completion rates.

A spokeswoman for Macquarie said “there is no current evidence that the demand-driven system has led to a decline in graduate quality or retention rates. As one of Australia’s top 10 universities we are confident that the graduates that stem from Macquarie are amongst the best equipped to enter the workforce and excel in their career.”

A report in April warned that the student debt to the government will triple over the next decade.
A report in April warned that the student debt to the government will triple over the next decade. Photo: Louie Douvis

The universities highlighted benefits the demand-driven system had brought to disadvantaged students.

A spokesman from WSU said “a key focus of the demand-driven system was to address the under-representation of students from low SES backgrounds, and while regional differences remain, significant progress has been made. Western Sydney University’s growth in the five years to 2014 is a direct response to this policy.”

The spokesman said WSU’s drop out rate was in line with the national average.

The acting Vice-Chancellor of ACU, Dr Stephen Weller, said: “The demand-driven system has provided an opportunity for more than 100,000 Australians to receive a university education, enabling students who have previously been excluded from higher education – including many who are the first in their family – to attend university.”

The unis which grew the fastest to 2014 nationally are Deakin, ACU, RMIT, Curtin, Swinburne, Western Sydney and Macquarie.

Southern Cross, Murdoch, Victoria, Federation, Charles Darwin and ANU reported marginal or low growth of less than 1500 students in that time.

The universities that made the largest gain in domestic student revenue are Deakin ($166.5m), ACU ($162.6m), RMIT ($141.3m), Curtin ($134.5m), Queensland ($133.4m), Swinburne ($128.1m) and Western Sydney ($120.7m).

The universities with the highest overall revenue growth in the five years to 2014 – combining domestic and international student revenue – were Melbourne at $242m, Queensland at $226m, Sydney at $211m and UNSW at $195m.

[Source:- smh.au]

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Education

Bays precinct: Schools hit with Urban Growth development ‘propaganda’

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

NSW Labor has labelled a children’s book that highlights the benefits of the government’s multi-billion dollar re-development of the Bays Precinct in central Sydney as “propaganda” and demanded it be withdrawn from the state’s classrooms.

The picture book, pushed into schools by the NSW government’s property development arm, UrbanGrowth, also comes with a teacher’s guide on educating students about the project that will encompass the Ultimo, Rozelle, Pyrmont and Glebe foreshore.

“It’s a big picture, very visual, colourful book,” says Belinda Thompson, the schools manager for UrbanGrowth NSW in a video promoting the resource.

The video also features UrbanGrowth’s public relations specialist, Holly Langler, giving a lesson to children in a public primary school.

The book does not give alternative voices who might be concerned by the development or to those who work in the area such as maritime contractors.

On Thursday, Labor leader Luke Foley called for the withdrawal of the resource. “This government propaganda push is what you would expect to occur in a third-world banana republic,” he said.

It is the second school-based public relations initiative from the Baird government in the past year after it awarded a $2 million contract to Elton Consulting to spruik a rail line to primary and secondary children titled: “How the Sydney Metro Northwest will change their communities for the better”.

Despite being among the features highlighted by the children’s book, the government has yet to outline a significant transport proposal that will allow the tens of thousands of residents and workers to move efficiently into the Bays precinct everyday.

UrbanGrowth’s own CEO, David Pitchford said last year the area would be a “disaster” without a proper transport plan beyond the existing light rail.

“We’ve got to address that really important question of mass transit and introduce a whole range of things that will be unpalatable to the government in terms of the level of investment – but without that, it will be a disaster,” he told the NSW chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects.

The UrbanGrowth booklet being taught to school children
The UrbanGrowth booklet being taught to school children  Photo: UrbanGrowth

The picture book also features colourful characters spruiking the attractiveness of the area.

“When I finished studying, I moved overseas to find work. Now that there are more high tech jobs at White Bay Power Station, I’ve moved back to Sydney. My family love living nearby because there’s always something exciting happening,” says one bespectacled “tech” worker.

But a single developer has yet to be appointed to construct the White Bay technology hub after the government rejected 13 private sector proposals for the site’s transformation because it relied too heavily on housing density to offset the cost of remediation.

Among other features, the book also highlights an imaginary campus promoted by a laptop-carrying student.

“I looked all over the world for the best courses and chose the new campus at Glebe Island. I love that it’s so close to the port, the new tech hub at White Bay Power Station and other marine activities,” she says.

But universities and educational institutions are yet to commit to the area despite UNSW, UTS, Macquarie and the University of Sydney all voicing interest.

On Thursday, Mr Foley said schools should not be grounds for political influence.

“Our primary schools should stick to the basics and focus on teaching reading, writing and arithmetic,” he said.

NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli said the independent Board of Studies creates the curriculum used in NSW schools.

“Decisions about teaching resources – whether they are to be used in geography classes, or music, or maths – are made by the principal,” Mr Piccoli said.

“Teachers will often incorporate local areas of interest, to give students real-world examples to further their understanding of curriculum.

“But promoting government projects is not part of the syllabus or the curriculum. Never has been, and never will be.”

A spokesman for UrbanGrowth said the book was specifically designed as part of a collaborative learning program to support the Board of Studies geography syllabus, which focuses on connectivity, sustainability, environment and liveability across all school years.

“It was produced at the request of schools seeking a range of education resources to support those classes. It is up to individual schools how they use the booklet,” he said.

[Source:- smh.au]

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Internet

BBC to deploy detection vans to snoop on internet users

by Rajdeep
written by Rajdeep

BBC

he BBC is to spy on internet users in their homes by deploying a new generation of Wi-Fi detection vans to identify those illicitly watching its programmes online.

The Telegraph can disclose that from next month, the BBC vans will fan out across the country capturing information from private Wi-Fi networks in homes to “sniff out” those who have not paid the licence fee.

The corporation has been given legal dispensation to use the new technology, which is typically only available to crime-fighting agencies, to enforce the new requirement that people watching BBC programmes via the iPlayer must have a TV licence.

Detection vans can identify viewing on a non-TV device in the same way that they can detect viewing on a television setSir Amyas Morse, National Audit Office

The disclosure will lead to fears about invasion of privacy and follows years of concern over the heavy-handed approach of the BBC towards those suspected of not paying the licence fee. However, the BBC insists that its inspectors will not be able to spy on other internet browsing habits of viewers.

The existence of the new strategy emerged in a report carried out by the National Audit Office (NAO).

It shows that TV Licensing, the corporation’s licence-fee collection arm, has developed techniques to track those watching television on laptops, tablets, and mobile phones.

The disclosure of the controversial new snooping technique will lay to rest the persistent claims that detector vans are no more than an urban myth designed to intimidate the public into paying the licence fee.

 Sir Amyas Morse, the comptroller and auditor general of the NAO, writes in the report: “Detection vans can identify viewing on a non-TV device in the same way that they can detect viewing on a television set.

“BBC staff were able to demonstrate this to my staff in controlled conditions sufficient for us to be confident that they could detect viewing on a range of non-TV devices.”

Currently, anyone who watches or records live programming – online or on television – needs to buy a £145.50 licence. But from September 1, those who use the iPlayer only for catch-up viewing will also need to pay the fee, after the BBC successfully lobbied the Government to change the law.

Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, the corporation is entitled to carry out surveillance of suspected licence-fee dodgers.

The BBC confirmed that its newly developed detection techniques had been authorised under the legislation.

While the corporation would not disclose how the new technology works, the report states that the BBC has ruled out combing its own records of computers that have logged into the iPlayer website to hunt down non-paying viewers.

Sir Amyas writes in the document: “The BBC rightly acknowledges that this would be an inappropriate invasion of privacy.”

Instead, electrical engineering experts said that the most likely explanation for how the BBC would carry out its surveillance was a technique known as “packet sniffing”, which involves watching traffic passing over a wireless internet network without hacking into the connection or breaking its encryption.

Researchers at University College London disclosed that they had used a laptop running freely available software to identify Skype internet phone calls passing over encrypted Wi-Fi, without needing to crack the network password.

Dr Miguel Rio, a computer network expert who helped to oversee the doctoral thesis, said that licence-fee inspectors could sit outside a property and view encrypted “packets” of data – such as their size and the frequency with which they are emitted over the network – travelling over a home Wi-Fi network.

This would allow them to establish if devices at homes without television licences were indeed accessing BBC programmes online.

We’ve caught people watching on a range of devices, but don’t give details of detection as we would not want to reveal information helpful to evadersTV Licensing

Dr Rio said: “They actually don’t need to decrypt traffic, because they can already see the packets. They have control over the iPlayer, so they could ensure that it sends packets at a specific size, and match them up. They could also use directional antennae to ensure they are viewing the Wi-Fi operating within your property.”

Privacy campaigners described the developments as “creepy and worrying”.

A spokesman for Privacy International, the human rights watchdog, said: “While TV Licensing have long been able to examine the electromagnetic spectrum to watch for and investigate incorrect usage of their services, the revelation that they are potentially developing technology to monitor home Wi-Fi networks is startlingly invasive.”

A spokesman for TV Licensing said: “We’ve caught people watching on a range of devices, but don’t give details of detection as we would not want to reveal information helpful to evaders.

“Our use of detection is regularly inspected by independent regulators.”

The broadcaster included the NAO report in a list of documents that it claimed to have published alongside its annual report last month, but never distributed the review or uploaded it to its website. It has now been placed online by the public spending watchdog.

[Source:- telegraph.co.uk]

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