A bevy of interesting articles in the past few days:
- The Christian Science Monitor examines proposed changes to the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). As lawmakers debate its reauthorization, they are considering whether the evaluation of schools should emphasize progress, rather than merely achieving certain goals.
- Across the pond, educators in the U.K. are also considering changing school testing to focus on progress rather than preparation for high-stakes tests at set stages, BBC News reports. The plan would also stress individual progress and provide opportunities for individual tuition to students who are falling behind.
- Even those who do make it through the rigors of higher education may fall short in their knowledge of personal finance, however, the Christian Science Monitor claims. They offer some suggestions for recent college grads on basic budgeting and saving.
- The Christian Science Monitor also reports on the growing number of mothers attending college while they still have young children. Not many colleges make provision for housing undergraduate mothers, nor for childcare, though some are now taking steps to change that.
- Gaining further education can benefit not only mothers but also their children, says the BBC News. A recent study by the Institute of Education found that mothers with higher education and family incomes reported more interactions with their children—and it is parental interactions, more than specific toys or numbers of books, that impact child development.
- Income and education don’t always guarantee good parenting, however, and the Times Online takes on middle-class parents who overemphasize toddler classes and toys at the expense of parenting attention. (See also this Atlantic Monthly article from last fall about the dubious benefits of Baby Einstein and its ilk.)
- Finally, the New York Times reminds us there are more paths to success and measures of excellence than getting into an elite college.
Universities are definitely not ready for primetime when comes to dealing with families in general, not just moms. The university my wife attends here in Canada has daycares affiliated with it but no guaranteed spots for the children of students which meant a waiting list and a lot of juggling the first 8 months after we moved here. The health insurance covers pre-natal visits but the Student Health Centre does not provide any pre-natal, obstetric services or care, they also do not provide pediatric care. So we are still looking for a pediatrician and we have had to do some real work to find out where my wife can get care when she becomes pregnant with the next child. There is a family resource centre, and they are very helpful but they don’t have the resources to help find child care, medical professionals, provide advice about how to maneuver through the “universal” care system here (you need referrals for everything except very basic care and some things aren’t covered at all, like prescriptions), or help student families understand their tax benefits and obligations. The only two buildings with family housing have wait lists that are over a year long and the apartment sizes are tiny (approx. 800 sq ft for a two bedroom apartment) and only allows two children due to the small size of apartments. Both buildings are high-rises in the middle of a major metropolitan area with no playground area on site. So universities in Canada definitely have a long way to go when it comes to student families.