• South Africa: GIBS scoops top honours as Africa's best business school
• UK: Islamic gardens - they could build a green Muslim movement
• Canada: School garden trend

• UK: Maharishi Vastu booth at Ecobuild exhibition links ecology and Natural Law
• Big ideas and vertical thinking at Maharishi School
• MUM EcoFairfield focuses on local community

• Women with low literacy suffer more than men: study
• Broken schools breed South Africa's 'lost generation'
• US: Education law's promise falls short after 10 years

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Positive Trends
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

South Africa: GIBS scoops top honours as Africa's best business school
15 May 2012 - The University of Pretoria's Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has taken the top ranking among South African and African business schools in the annual UK Financial Times Executive Education rankings announced yesterday. (more)

UK: Islamic gardens - they could build a green Muslim movement
6 May 2012 - Research by Mark Bryant and Sophie Gilliat-Ray based in the UK state that 'Gardens built reflecting Islamic traditions have been shown to have the potential to educate and inform people about environmental issues.' This love for the garden is reflected in the traditions of Muslim poetry, literature, and carpet design. And much of what is described as Arabesque design incorporates both realistic and stylised plant forms. (more)

Canada: School garden trend
4 May 2012 - Like bees to honey, children and dirt are inseparable -- and teachers across Canada are turning that impulse into an educational one. School gardens have become so popular that an Ottawa-based charity launched a school garden network, complete with case studies, lesson guides, and rabbit-proofing advice for teachers. (more)

UK to make academic research available free on the net
2 May 2012 - The UK plans to give the public access to academic research via the internet free of charge. The government said that Wikipedia's co-founder Jimmy Wales had agreed to advise it on how to ensure the move would promote 'collaboration and engagement'. (more)

US: A school in every garden
29 April 2012 - Through Savannah's Organic Garden Programme, gardens have been installed at eight schools in Orange County, California. 'Education is the only way to make change, to make a difference,' said Lisa Sachen, a co-founder of Savannah's Organic Ranch, a non-profit organization. Lisa said research shows that when kids start gardening at a young age, they learn to make healthier decisions about the food they eat. 'What a wonderful goal it is to have a garden at every school, because there's a school in every garden,' said A G Kawamura, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. (more)

Change is in the airwaves in rural India
27 April 2012 - There are more than 120 community radio stations operating across India. But over the last four years Radio Mewat has steadily built a reputation for helping one of the country's most vulnerable groups, the Mewati, or Meo. A traditional Muslim farming community the Meo are turning to the local radio station for advice on everything from sowing crops to health. One of the station's most popular programmes is 'Gaon Gaon Ki Baat', which consists of a profile of a different village. Given that the Mewati community is spread over 1,200 villages there is no shortage of potential subjects. (more)

South African educational programme shortlisted for international award
26 April 2012 - A successful South African educational programme which equips teenagers with maritime skills while they are still at school, has been shortlisted for an international award. The Lawhill Maritime Studies programme has not only consistently improved the employment prospects of hundreds of young South Africans leaving school each year, but it has also demonstrated the value and potential of partnerships between the private sector and an educational institution in addressing one of South Africa's most pressing social issues, namely youth unemployment and poverty. (more)

Israel: Greenest in the class
24 April 2012 - Israel joined world nations for Earth Hour, but some high schoolers always have the wellbeing of the planet in their sights. The Sulam Tzur school at Kibbutz Gesher Ziv, for example, has already won several prizes for being one of the greenest schools in Israel. Sulam Tzur recycles 32 types of waste, including the cafeteria's fryer oil to electronics, plastic, paper, cans, and cellular phones. The school's crowning green glory is its solar energy system, which is located on the roof and produces 150 kilowatts, providing the school with free electricity. (more)

US President Obama honours national teacher of the year
24 April 2012 - US President Barack Obama is honouring Rebecca Mieliwocki as the 2012 National Teacher of the Year. Mieliwocki is a seventh-grade English teacher in suburban Los Angeles. During a White House ceremony, Obama said Mieliwocki maintains 'big expectations' for her 7th grade class but remembers that 'school should be fun'. Mieliwocki is known for inspiring and motivating students, often using the Socratic method of questioning to stimulate students' critical thinking and create dynamic lessons. (more)

'Acts of Green' urged as Earth Day is celebrated around the world
22 April 2012 - Events to mark Earth Day have been taking place around the globe on Sunday as people join together to celebrate and promote environmental causes. From conservation efforts in El Salvador to parades by activists in Indonesia, this year's event is as colourful and diverse as ever uniting over a billion people in 192 countries, according to organizers, Earth Day Network. This year, Earth Day is focusing efforts on creating 'A Billion Acts of Green' in 2012. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

For more news and knowledge in the field of education visit: Excellence in Action

UK: Maharishi Vastu booth at Ecobuild exhibition links ecology and Natural Law
15 May 2012 - At the recent Ecobuild exhibition in London, one of the largest in the world, 'people really enjoyed hearing about [Vastu],' said Henry Brighouse, a coordinator for Maharishi Vastu architecture in the United Kingdom. 'We had many professionals coming to visit the site. We had young people and students.' A group of town planning students dropped by, and many were impressed by the idea that you could link your town with the great orderliness and intelligence of Natural Law. (more)

Big ideas and vertical thinking at Maharishi School
14 May 2012 - At Maharishi School in Fairfield, Iowa, USA, Consciousness-Based Education results in learning with depth and relevance as students explore the deeper layers both of the subjects they study, and of their own consciousness through meditation. 'When new students attend our school and learn the TM technique,' says Dr Richard Beall, Head of the School, 'they're surprised to discover that beneath the active surface of their minds is a calm, steady, silent field waiting to welcome them. They discover verticality, their mind's innate ability to dive to deeper levels, to transcend.' (more)

MUM EcoFairfield focuses on local community
9 May 2012 - The Maharishi University of Managment EcoFairfield weekend was packed with a variety of presentations and workshops by local and regional experts, as well as the opening of the Sustainable Living Center. The most ambitious plan was the community-wide tree-planting event made possible by a grant from the Alliant Energy Hometown Rewards program. MUM students, along with hundreds of Fairfield residents, planted 300 fruit and nut trees in several locations around town. (more)

Maharishi School: 'A dream come true' for Oprah
6 May 2012 - 'Who knew that there was a school in Iowa based on consciousness?' commented Oprah Winfrey to a group of teachers at Maharishi School in Fairfield, Iowa, USA at the end of a delightful visit during which she interviewed students and learned all about the school's award-winning Consciousness-Based Education system. Oprah was in Fairfield to film for the show 'America's Most Unusual Town', about Transcendental Meditation, which aired recently on her OWN television network. 'This is a dream come true to see a school based on consciousness. It's a very special day to actually see it.' (more)

Sustainable Living Center sets new standard for sustainable design
4 May 2012 - The Sustainable Living Center at Maharishi University of Management, Iowa, USA, opened its doors recently with a grand ceremony, and is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the most innovative 'green' educational buildings in the country. (more)

Opening of MUM Sustainable Living Center reported across the US
3 May 2012 - Regional and national news media covered the recent opening of the Sustainable Living Center at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, USA. A report in the Ottumwa Courier was picked up by the Associated Press and sent nationwide, with a number of publications running the story. TV stations in Iowa and Missouri also reported on the event, highlighting the building as a teaching tool and as a way of 'leading by example': the building embodies many of the principles students learn in the Sustainable Living degree programme--for example, it collects and stores its own energy, producing more than it uses. (more)

A major, positive turnaround in schools
2 May 2012 - In New Zealand, the TM Quiet Time programme is helping students reduce stress and develop total brain functioning, providing 'a practical, highly effective approach for promoting learning readiness' and creating a basis for success. (more)

US: Students in Illinois and California learn about the brain, stress, and Transcendental Meditation
25 April 2012 - Maharishi University of Management faculty neuroscientist Dr Fred Travis recently addressed college students, faculty, and administrators in Illinois, and also travelled to California to speak to students in a Quiet Time program funded by the David Lynch Foundation. In both places he talked about how stress affects the brain and how the Transcendental Meditation Technique helps alleviate the effects. (more)

Colorado, USA: 'Fun ways to celebrate Earth Day' include guest talks by MUM Sustainable Living director
22 April 2012 - Earth Day observances around Boulder, Colorado, USA today include talks by special guest speaker Lonnie Gamble, professor and curriculum director for the Sustainable Living degree programme at Maharishi University of Management. Prof. Gamble is described as 'one of the most sought-after sustainability educators'. On Friday on the MUM campus in Fairfield, Iowa, the department formally opened its innovative new Sustainable Living Center--a building designed to be a 'net zero' for energy--which Mr Gamble was instrumental in developing. (more)

EcoFairfield this weekend: Tree planting, workshops, eco-products, EcoJam event
20 April 2012 - Planting approximately 300 trees will be a major focus during the EcoFairfield/Earth Day weekend, 20-22 April, hosted by Maharishi University of Management and its home city of Fairfield, Iowa, USA, that will be packed with activities and events, from a green jobs fair to workshops and vendors of eco-friendly products. The weekend's events are continuing to unfold from the opening, Friday morning 20 April, of MUM's new Sustainable Living Center. (more)

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Flops
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Women with low literacy suffer more than men: study
8 February 2012 - Women with low literacy suffer disproportionately more than men, encountering more difficulties in finding a well-paying job and being twice as likely to end up in the group of lowest wage earners, a study released on Wednesday said. Women with low literacy were twice as likely as men at the same skill level to be among the lowest earners, bringing in $300 a week or less, the report said. 'Because women start off so low in terms of wages, having higher literacy and more skills really makes a big difference,' said Kevin Miller, a senior research associate at IWPR and co-author of the study. Women need to go further in their training and education levels to earn the same as men, Miller said. Data showed about one-third of American adults had low literacy levels, and more than 36 per cent of men and 33 per cent of women fell into that category, IWPR said. (more)

Broken schools breed South Africa's 'lost generation'
27 January 2012 - South Africa's first post-apartheid generation entered a new and aspiring education system which aimed to heal the economic divisions created by the white-minority government. But many leave without the skills to qualify for anything other than manual labour. Despite pouring billions of dollars into education, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) has little to show for its money except for public primary schools regarded as among the worst in the world and millions of students destined for a life in the underclass. Nearly half of South Africa's 18 to 24 year olds -- the first generation educated after apartheid ended in 1994 -- are not in the education system and do not have a job, according to government data. The number of people living in poverty has changed little since apartheid ended, with no remedy in sight given the structural problems in education. (more)

US: Education law's promise falls short after 10 years
7 January 2012 - The No Child Left Behind education law was cast as a symbol of possibility, offering the promise of improved schools for the nation's poor and minority children and better prepared students in a competitive world. Yet after a decade on the books, President George W Bush's most hyped domestic accomplishment has become a symbol to many of federal overreach and Congress' inability to fix something that's clearly flawed. The law forced schools to confront the uncomfortable reality that many children simply weren't learning, but it's primarily known for its emphasis on standardized tests and the labelling of thousands of schools as 'failures'. Critics say the law carries rigid and unrealistic expectations that put too much of an emphasis on tests for reading and math at the expense of a more well-rounded education. (more)

Pakistan's female madrassas breed radicalism
15 June 2011 - Over a quarter of a million Pakistani students are attending an all-female madrassa, where legions of well-to-do women are experiencing an awakening of faith, at the cost of rising intolerance. The number of madrassas has boomed, fuelled by the failures of the state education system and a deepening conservativism among the middle to upper classes. Pakistan, a politically unstable country has been drifting toward religious militancy since the 1980s under the rule of president General Mohammad Zia ul-Haq. Zia, who enjoyed enthusiastic support from the United States, nurtured Islamist militants and used American cash to turn a society that had previously been moderate toward hard-line Islam. Pakistan's madrassas for boys are notorious for creating militant fighters. Experts say the female schools are just as dangerous. (more)

South Africa: Poor marks for education
11 May 2011 - Instead of providing much needed opportunities, South Africa's ailing education system is keeping children from poor households at the back of the job queue and locking families into poverty for another generation. By the age of eight, school children from the most affluent 20 per cent of South Africa's population are already significantly out-performing children from poorer backgrounds, according to new research by the Social Policy Research Group at Stellenbosch University. According to the report, insufficient teacher knowledge is a problem, with many teachers scoring poorly in basic reading and mathematics tests. South Africa's status as one of the wealthiest countries on the continent has not helped its educational performance -- the poorest 25 per cent of students ranked 14th out of 15 sub-Saharan countries in reading performance, and 12th for mathematics. (more)

Study links lower education to faster ageing
10 May 2011 - People who leave education with fewer qualifications are prone to age more quickly, scientists said. Researchers from Britain and the United States examined the length of sections of DNA known as telomeres from around 450 people taking part in a long-term health study and found that people who did less well at school had shorter telomeres, suggesting they may age faster. 'Education is a marker of social class that people acquire early in life, and our research suggests that it is long term exposure to the conditions of lower status that promotes accelerated cellular ageing.' (more)

US: Guns on campus gets first approval in Texas House
16 March 2011 - Texas has become a prime battleground for a national campaign to open campuses to firearms because of its gun culture and the size of its university system, which includes 38 public colleges and more than 500,000 students. Similar firearms measures have been proposed in about a dozen other states, but all have faced strong opposition, especially from college leaders. Texas would become the second state, following Utah, to pass such a broad-based law. Colorado gives colleges the option and several have allowed handguns. Opponents, including some university and law enforcement officials, worry that students and faculty would live in fear of classmates and colleagues, not knowing who might pull a gun over a poor grade, broken romance, or drunken argument. 'One wrong word could set off a temper,' says Mickey Gressman, a student at Colin County Community College. 'A lot of people say it's for self-defence. Let's just fire campus police if they're not doing their jobs and everybody has to start arming themselves. ... More guns is going to cause a lot more trouble.' (more)

US: Student tracking finds limited learning in college
18 January 2011 - A new study provides disturbing answers to questions about how much students actually learn in college -- for many, not much -- and has inflamed a debate about the value of an American higher education. Research found 45 per cent of students show no significant improvement in the key measures of critical thinking, complex reasoning, and writing, by the end of their sophomore years. The study comes as the federal government, reformers, and others argue that the US must produce more college graduates to remain competitive globally. But if students aren't learning, that calls into question whether boosting graduation rates will provide that edge. Researchers point to students who don't study much and seek easy courses, and a culture at colleges and universities that values research over good teaching. (more)

Venezuela: Increased government powers over universities result in thousands of students protesting
23 December 2010 - Police and soldiers fired water cannons and plastic bullets Thursday as thousands of students protested against a law passed by Venezuela's congress that increases government powers over the country's universities. At least three people were injured, including a news photographer. The law governing universities was approved by the National Assembly early Thursday, and students denounced it as an attempt by President Hugo Chavez to clamp down on autonomous state universities that have been a bastion of opposition to his government. It is the latest in a series of controversial measures enacted in the final days of a solidly pro-Chavez National Assembly. (more)

US: Nearly 1 in 4 fails military exam
21 December 2010 - Nearly one-fourth of the students who try to join the US Army fail its entrance exam, painting a grim picture of an education system that produces graduates who can't answer basic math, science, and reading questions, according to a new study released Tuesday. Educators expressed dismay that so many high school graduates are unable to pass a test of basic skills. The study shows wide disparities in scores among white and minority students, similar to racial gaps on other standardized tests. Tom Loveless, an education expert at the Brookings Institution think tank, said the results echo those on other tests. In 2009, 26 per cent of seniors performed below the 'basic' reading level on the National Assessment of Education Progress. (more)