Archive for October, 2007

As with most societies, governments in this case Britain needed to exert more effort into closing the achievement gap between kids from different backgrounds. Schools that don’t meet the new standards will be at risk for closure. Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated that schools must have 30% of pupils achieving five A-C grade including English and Math. As of now, this figure is not being met. In 1997 more than 600 secondary schools in England had fewer than 25% of children getting five or more good GCSEs.

Mr Gordon concluded that the single biggest determinant of a child’s educational achievement is parental engagement. Schools must do more to improve the overall participation of parents.

My ultimate advice for this issue is to discover how nations with top education standards do their jobs and learn from it. Here’s an excellent resource on the topic written former professor Marc Tarver.

75% of students receiving some form of financial aid are finding it harder to keep up with expenses. This leads them to seeking a more expensive alternative, loans from private institutions. In 2006, a huge hike in prices occurred at the four-year public schools, where tuition fees went up 6.6 percent to more than $6,000 a year.

Tuition does not include room and board but fortunately, the prices for these have been steady.

If you’re a prospective student or parent with college bound children, schools often assist with financial aid and will offer guidance on fees to pay based on your income.