At Home: Ontario Helps out part-time Post-Secondary Students
The Globe and Mail recently reporter on regulation changes for Ontario universities that should make it easier for students on financial assistance or taking classes part time. In particular, part-time students will be charged on a per-credit basis, rather than a flat tuition fee, and universities will be prohibited from demanding the full tuition up front from funded students, instead having to collect monthly, as this more closely matches how students on OSAP are paid.
Perhaps unintentionally, this change may make it harder for AU to compete for Ontario students, as with the new restrictions, there is little need for OSAP to provide up-front tuition funding, a factor which could make AU unaffordable for many students.
Around the World: Cheaters on Trial in Atlanta
The New York Times is reporting on a scandal in Atlanta, Georgia, where it’s the teachers, not the students, who’ve been cheating. 17 educators have already plead guilty to altering students tests to give them better marks. Some have been charged with racketeering, theft, and false testimony for altering these tests, which they did, in part, because teacher bonuses were tied directly to students test scores.
An inquiry conducted found at least 44 schools and over 170 teachers may have been involved in this activity, with it being so common and widespread that some administrators held “eraser parties” to correct the students’ exams.
