ENLIGHTENED AT LAST
Tibetan Buddhist nuns are spearheading an academic shift by finally gaining access to the highest monastic degrees that have been traditionally reserved for men for centuries, with Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, playing a key role in advocating for gender parity in education. Since the introduction of the geshema degree – which is roughly the equivalent to a doctorate in Buddhist philosophy – for nuns in the Tibetan government-in-exile’s Indian and Nepali communities, more women have become teachers, nuns, and community leaders. The movement is helping to preserve Tibetan Buddhist scholarship and culture while also redefining women’s roles within monastic institutions.
MORE MALES
Ahead of World Teachers’ Day, education experts called for more men to join early childhood teaching, warning that male educators are “on the brink of disappearing”. Dr Martyn Mills-Bayne of the University of South Australia says that men make up less than 4% of early childhood educators, with outdated gender stereotypes keeping those numbers so low. “Children, especially boys, need to see positive male role models in learning environments,” he says. “If we don’t normalise men in caring roles, we’re doing society a real disservice.” He believes that a more gender-diverse workforce would not only enrich education but also strengthen child safety while challenging toxic masculinity. “We need a national campaign that actively encourages men to see early childhood education as a rewarding career,” Dr Mills-Bayne says. “Teachers don’t just shape children – they shape communities.”
WHAT’S IN THE NUMBERS
From tally-marks scratched onto bone to the sleek digits on our smartphones, the story of numbers is a journey through the history of human thought. Basic tallies were first needed to track food and livestock, sowing the seeds of the origins of numerical systems. In India, mathematicians introduced the gamechanging concept of zero and a positional system, which travelled, via Arab scholars, into Europe and laid the foundations for algebra and calculus to be built. Numbers became the language of science and trade as well as human progress. As for the numbers one to ten? They likely emerged from the most immediate counting method available to early humans: fingers!
There is much evidence that proves kids simply learn better on paper than on screens.
ALPHA BETS
Alpha School is San Francisco’s newest and most expensive private institution – charging US$75,000 annually, even though students engage in just two hours of academic work per day. The rest of the day is focused on practical life skills like building sailboats, managing Airbnbs, and international travel. The school employs AI-generated lesson plans and books, with human instructors acting as ‘guides’ who motivate students using a virtual currency called ‘Alpha bucks’. The school’s co-founder, MacKenzie Price, claims that Alpha students can learn 10 times faster than those in traditional education, while critics argue that the model lacks social learning and may not prepare students for real-world challenges. Alpha operates 14 campuses around the US, with plans for expansion.
HAND SKILLS
Facing unprecedented concerns about the use of generative-AI tools like ChatGPT, many educators around the world are returning to handwritten tasks during class. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that sales of the once-ubiquitous exam booklets – or ‘blue books’ – have been on the rise at institutions like Texas A&M University and University of California, Berkeley. This mirrors broader back-to-basics trends in education elsewhere, such as Sweden’s recent emphasis on textbooks and handwriting over digital devices, which many experts believe better supports foundational learning and comprehension. There is much evidence that proves kids simply learn better on paper than on screens.
LEARNING LUNCHES
Several countries have embraced the idea that no child should learn on an empty stomach. Finland led the way in 1948 by offering free school meals to all students aged six to 16, with Sweden not far behind. Japan’s renowned kyuushoku programme ensures every primary student and teacher enjoys a nutritious, balanced meal each day, while South Korea has rapidly expanded free lunches nationwide following a public referendum. School canteens are oftens a reflection of their country’s traditional cuisines, with bento boxes and sushi in Japan and pizza and pasta often served to Italian kids. In India, you’ll find biryani, curry, and roti; in Mexico, burritos, tacos, and nachos; and in France, baguettes, quiche, and gratin.
