Behind the bribery: US university admissions favor the rich

NEW YORK, United States — The scandal of parents paying to cheat their children's way into elite US universities has put a harsh spotlight on the ultra-competitive college admissions process, in which the haves hold a massive advantage over the have-nots.

Thirty-three wealthy parents -- financiers, lawyers, and two famous actresses among them -- were arrested Tuesday as part of an operation that charged from $15,000 to millions of dollars to help them get their children into renowned schools like Yale, Georgetown, Stanford and the University of Southern California.

But as outraged as many Americans were at the illegality, even within the law, the rich have a huge, unfair advantage when it comes to gaming the intensely stressful annual college admissions battle.


The competition is clear in the numbers. Just 4.6 percent of over 40,000 students applying to Harvard University get in.

The figure is 4.3 percent at Stanford and 5.5 percent and Columbia, two other top universities.


Many who are qualified grade-wise are rejected, intensifying the competition to stand out.

The process favors the wealthy. They can apply to more schools and invest heavily in preparing for tests and essays.

The richest, too, can beat the competition by donating to universities. ProPublica editor Daniel Golden documented how President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner gained admission to Harvard University in 1998 after his father made a legal $2.5 million donation to the school.

"There's a limited number of spots for those with enormous means," said Hafeez Lakhani, whose Lakhani Coaching company helps prepare students.

"I understand that there is a disparity out there and that not everyone is able to afford the best help or any help at all."

Planning and spending 

Many parents spend their kids' lives planning their university career.

"In the United States, families are obsessed with the entrance into university," said Sylvie Bigar, a New Yorker whose daughter just entered the respected Smith College in Massachusetts.

"It seems like these things are decided almost in kindergarten, that admission to a prestigious university leads to a prestigious career and happiness."

"It's an extremely stressful process, especially for kids whose parents aren't the most affluent," said Angela Perez, a student at the highly competitive Georgetown University in Washington.

"While I considered myself academically strong, getting in was one thing, and paying for it was another."

Perez, from a working class, immigrant Filipino family, said that to maximize her chances at both acceptance and financial aid, she applied to 18 different universities.

Adding together the application fees, test fees, training for the tests, and other, she said, "it was honestly quite costly." 

$40,000 to prepare 

The process begins in earnest in tenth grade, three years before graduating from high school. Students prepare for and take multiple times the ACT and SAT entrance examinations -- the ones the parents arrested Tuesday paid to have fixed for their children.

There are essays to write, interviews, tutorials, preparation tests, and for the families with access and connections, direct lobbying.

And, notes Bigar, "at every stage of this process, there are firms that help families who can afford it."

According to the Independent Educational Consultants Association, parents pay on average $200 an hour to consult experts on the applications process. But that price, in some situations, can run into the thousands of dollars per hour.

The parents of children who are shepherded by Lakhani pay on average $40,000.

"The reason families are interested in working with my firm is that they see an opportunity to climb higher than they would have climbed potentially on their own," he said.

To critics of the system, the issue illustrates the deep economic and social inequality in the country.

"It's obviously a scandal when rich people are accused of breaking the law to get their kids into top schools," wrote journalist Rainesford Stauffer in an op-ed in the New York Times.

"But the bigger outrage should be that a legal version of purchasing an advantage happens every college application season and that there's an entire industry supporting it."

source: philstar.com

Pope to mayors: Don't build towers, expand piazzas

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is urging Italian mayors to redouble their efforts to welcome migrants and refugees and promote ways to integrate them into their new communities.

In a meeting yesterday with the mayors, Francis said he understood the difficulties of providing accommodation and services for the waves of migrants who have arrived in Italy in recent years. But he called for a new ethics-based model of local leadership "that doesn't leave those who arrive on our territory on the margins," and creates spaces for people to meet and get to know one another.

He said: "It's not about building higher towers, but expanding piazzas."

This week Francis launched an education campaign urging politicians and people to go out and meet migrants and hear their stories, rather than considering them faceless statistics.

source: philstar.com

Australian state bans schools from showing gay film during class hours

SYDNEY, Australia -- A film about children with same-sex parents has been barred from being shown in public schools throughout Australia's most populous state, despite the documentary makers Thursday insisting students will benefit.

"Gayby Baby," which chronicles four children growing up with gay parents, was due to be shown in high schools in New South Wales as part of the student-led Wear it Purple initiative on Friday, which promotes diversity and inclusiveness.

But after front-page coverage in the Sydney Daily Telegraph this week, state Education Minister Andrew Piccoli pulled the plug, at least in school hours.

"I have directed the Department of Education to ensure the film is not shown during school hours," he said, in a move backed by state Premier Mike Baird.

"I understand the intent of that is to provide an example of tolerance and that's something I absolutely support," Baird told reporters.

"Should it be in class time? No, I don't think so. Should it be optional? Yes, I do think so."

The Telegraph reported some parents were angry their daughters had to watch the film, rated PG, or not recommended for under 15 years, but the documentary's director Maya Newell, a former student at one of the schools due to screen it, said the reaction was overblown.

"We firmly believe our film has positive benefits for all students and we're committed to supporting the schools who are celebrating Wear it Purple Day," she said on Facebook.

"Creating inclusive classroom and valuing family diversity promotes student wellbeing and acceptance of difference.

"There is no place for bullying, homophobia or discrimination in Australian public schools."

The largely crowd-funded film, which had two sold-out screenings at the Sydney Film Festival this year, is due to open in cinemas next week.

Wear it Purple Day founder Katherine Hudson told the Sydney Morning Herald she could understand the film being banned if it showed "grotesque sex scenes or violence."

"But this is a film about families. Even for conservatives, this stuff would be easy to swallow," she said.

Earlier this month, a bill to legalize same-sex marriage was introduced into the Australian parliament.

But it is doomed to fail, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott's government opposed to any changes despite growing support for marriage equality.

Same-sex couples can have civil unions or register their relationships in most states across Australia, but the government does not consider them married under national law.

source: interaksyon.com

Chile's Bachelet promises reforms after landslide election win

SANTIAGO - Center-leftist Michelle Bachelet promised major tax and education reforms to help ease Chile's social divisions after sweeping back to power with a huge majority in presidential elections on Sunday.

Bachelet won with about 62 percent support, the highest share of votes for any presidential candidate since the country returned to holding democratic elections in 1989.

The landslide victory against Evelyn Matthei, the conservative candidate of the Alianza coalition, puts Bachelet back in the Moneda presidential palace after a four-year gap and gives her a mandate to push for an education overhaul and the fiscal reforms to help pay for it.

"Chile has looked at itself, has looked at its path, its recent history, its wounds, its feats, its unfinished business and this Chile has decided it is the time to start deep transformations," Bachelet told a jubilant crowd of supporters on Sunday night as confetti rained down.

"There is no question about it: profits can't be the motor behind education because education isn't merchandise and because dreams aren't a consumer good."

Good quality schooling is generally only available in Chile to those who can pay, and massive student protests demanding change - which sometimes turned violent - hurt the popularity of outgoing conservative president Sebastian Pinera.

Bachelet ran on a platform of social policies to address a deep divide between rich and poor, and plans to hike the corporate tax rate.

Chile, the world's top copper-exporting nation, is ranked the most unequal country in the 34-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

"She will govern a country with profound demands for change," Senator Ricardo Lagos Weber of Bachelet's New Majority coalition told Reuters. "The country isn't flat on its back, it is healthy, organized, growing economically, creating jobs and improving salaries. But it is also deeply unequal."

High expectations

Plans to change a constitution and electoral system that date back to general Augusto Pinochet's 17-year dictatorship -which ended in 1990 - are also among Bachelet's campaign pledges.

"Bachelet has promised a lot and expectations are high, while the (economic) situation isn't as favorable as it was in recent years," said Patricio Navia, a political scientist and professor at New York University.

If she does need to water down her promises because slower growth makes increased public spending tricky - or if opposition becomes obstructionist in a congress that remains divided after parliamentary elections last month - she could herself face popular protests.

Shortly after her victory on Sunday, hackers posted a message on the education ministry's Web site saying "Mrs. President we will take it upon ourselves to make things difficult for you. Next year will be a time of protests."

After expanding 5.6 percent last year, Chile's economy is seen ending 2013 with 4.2 percent growth and hitting between 3.75 percent and 4.75 percent next year.

One of Bachelet's main economic policies looks to reduce the effective fiscal deficit from roughly 1 percent of gross domestic product to zero by 2018, but a slowdown could make that target tough to hit.

The Fed Factor

Additionally, the U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to announce a pullback of its bond-buying program sometime soon, with some investors betting this could happen as early as this week.

The program has supported riskier assets such as commodities and equities and a tapering of the rate of purchases could heighten global volatility and borrowing costs for Chile and other Latin American states.

Bachelet's supporters say her reforms to boost tax revenue could help finance public spending even when growth slows.

Among other things, the reform will look to progressively raise corporate taxes to 25 percent from 20 percent, bringing the rate closer to that of developed nations.

"A tax reform should have happened a long time ago to give resources to the state and to balance inequalities. But better late than never," said Carlos Huneeus, who runs research center Cerc.

Despite progress made by Bachelet's coalition in legislative elections last month, divisions in Congress mean her reformist aspirations will be subject to political wrangling.

"Support from a few independent politicians in the Senate and the lower house seems achievable, but the formation of a broader consensus will likely require the future president to compromise on some of the most controversial aspects of her agenda," said Tiago Severo at Goldman Sachs.

Last month, Bachelet's bloc clinched the simple majority it needs to pass tax reforms.

But for the four-sevenths majority required for education reform, Bachelet will need to butter up independents or opposition legislators - from some of whom she has already received hints of backing.

Senator Lagos, the son of former president Ricardo Lagos, believes popular discontent can be harnessed to build support for the reforms.

"We've never been better positioned than now to make reforms. I don't foresee an obstructionist opposition - that's going to have a high cost for them considering what people are demanding," he said.

source: interaksyon.com

Yale opens liberal arts college in conservative Singapore

SINGAPORE - Yale University formally opened a controversial liberal arts college in tightly governed Singapore on Tuesday, saying there was demand for "critical thinking" in the city-state and other Asian nations.

The Yale-NUS College, a joint project with the National University of Singapore, had been criticised by faculty members of the leading US university due to Singapore's restrictions on protests and on student political activity.

"Singaporeans, and Asians more broadly, have a greater hunger for pedagogy that truly encourages critical thinking and a model of liberal arts and science education adapted for the 21st century," Pericles Lewis, president of the college, said in a speech.

He told AFP that "we're not setting out to change any political discourse, but we're giving students the tools to be active in citizenship, to think about the issues".

"We think that a well-educated citizenry is the most important thing for any country, especially in Singapore."

The pioneer batch of 157 students from 26 countries - 97 of them Singaporeans - was selected from a pool of over 10,000 applicants and began lessons this month in temporary facilities.

The college's own purpose-built campus with residential facilities will open in 2015 and is designed to have a full capacity of 1,000 students.

The college is the first established by Yale outside its campus in New Haven, Connecticut.

"We believe that the college has the potential to serve as a model for others, particularly in Asia," said NUS president Tan Chorh Chuan.

In a resolution passed in April 2012, the Yale faculty expressed "concern regarding the history of lack of respect for civil and political rights in the state of Singapore".

It called on Yale-NUS to uphold civil liberties and political freedom on campus and in broader society.

Campaign group Human Rights Watch accused Yale of "betraying the spirit of the university as a centre of open debate and protest by giving away the rights of its students" at the new campus.

"Instead of defending these rights, Yale buckled when faced with Singapore's draconian laws on demonstrations and policies restricting student groups."

Singapore's education ministry said at the height of the controversy that student demonstrations on campus would require approval from the Yale-NUS administration.

source: interaksyon.com

Tuition Isn't the Only College Expense on the Rise

WASHINGTON -- Despite all the grumbling about tuition increases and student loan costs, other college expenses also are going up.

The price of housing and food trumps tuition costs for students who attend two- and four-year public universities in their home states, according to a College Board survey. Even with the lower interest rates on student loans that President Barack Obama signed into law, students are eyeing bills that are growing on just about every line.

A look at typical college students' budgets last year and how they're changing:

Community Colleges

The public two-year schools charged in-state students an average $3,131 last year, up almost 6 percent from the previous year. While the tuition hike was larger than at other types of schools, students at community colleges saw the smallest increase in room and board costs -- a 1 percent increase to $7,419. Total charges for students to attend an in-state public two-year school: $10,550.

Tuition and fees at community colleges are up 24 percent beyond overall inflation over the past five years, according to the College Board.

Public Four-Year Colleges

Tuition for students attending public four-year schools in their state was an average $8,655 last year, a 5 percent jump from the previous year. They paid more than that -- $9,205 -- for housing and food. These schools, like other four-year schools, posted a 4 percent jump in housing costs. Add in books and supplies, transportation and other costs and the total reaches $17,860 to attend an in-state public school, such as a student from Tallahassee attending Florida State University. When grants and scholarships are included, the average student pays $12,110 at such schools.

For students who choose to attend state schools outside their home state, the costs increase to $30,911. They pay the same $9,205 price tag for room and board, but the tuition rates are more expensive. The typical student who crossed state lines to attend a public college in 2012 paid $21,706 in tuition and fees after grants and scholarships -- a 4 percent jump from the previous year.

Over the past five years, the tuition sticker price at public four-year colleges is up 27 percent beyond overall inflation.

Private Schools

On the surface, private four-year schools are the most costly colleges, with the average student's sticker price coming in at $39,518 for all expenses. Tuition and fees were $29,056 last year -- another 4 percent jump -- while room and board ran to $10,462. After grants and scholarships, the average student paid $23,840 to attend schools such as Yale or Stanford.

The tuition at private schools was up 13 percent beyond overall inflation over the past five years adjusted for inflation.

 source: dailyfinance.com

Tablets thrust Thai classrooms into digital era

MAE CHAN — In a rural classroom in the Thai highlands, hill tribe children energetically slide their fingertips over tablet computer screens practicing everything from English to mathematics and music.

The disadvantaged students are part of an ambitious scheme by the kingdom to distribute millions of the handheld devices in its schools in a move supporters hope will boost national education standards.

For opponents of the plan, however, it is an expensive gimmick designed to boost the popularity of the ruling party among parents — and the next generation of voters.

At Ban San Kong school in Mae Chan in the northern province of Chiang Rai, 90 children received a tablet computer last year as part of the “One Tablet Per Child” policy that was part of the government’s election campaign in 2011.

Previously the school had only a few desktop computers with limited Internet access.

Now, with headphones over their ears for one hour a day during class, the students use the devices for activities including singing English songs, watching cartoons about the life of Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol and playing math games.

With the school year just beginning, and the new tablet content yet to arrive, they are left to revise their lessons of the previous year as their teacher Siriporn Wichaipanid sits and watches.

She has received no specific training for using the tablets and seems at a bit of a loss.

“I have some knowledge. At home, I use an iPad,” she said. But “if I don’t understand, I don’t know how to teach the children”.

For the students — mostly from ethnic minority Akha hill tribe communities for whom Thai is not their mother tongue — using the tablets has been a positive experience, according to the school.

“The students cannot speak Thai very well but they can hear sounds more clearly from the tablets and repeat them,” said their teacher from the previous year, Wannawadee Somdang.

“Some of them dare not ask questions. It’s easier when they listen to the tablets.”

For now only two of the 90 students are allowed to take the computers with them after class to use in their homes, which often lack electricity.

“They don’t have Wi-Fi and it’s not convenient for them to charge the batteries. And most importantly their parents have no knowledge about the tablets,” said school principal Uthai Moonmueangkham.

But using devices that would normally be out of reach for the kingdom’s poorest children is progress, even if it is only just one hour a day, he said.

“They have the same opportunities as those in the city,” Uthai said.

Reducing the “education gap” between the urban rich and rural poor is one aim of the project, said Surapol Navamavadhand, an advisor to the minister of information and communication technology.

By the end of 2014, the government plans to distribute handheld computers to 13 million school children at a cost of about $100 each — a total of $1.3 billion — and then replace them every two years.

About 850,000 Chinese-made devices have already been given out, and the government says it will soon launch a tender offer for another batch of about 1.7 million tablets, in what it has described as the world’s largest handout of the devices for education.

Experts warn that the computers offer no guarantee of an increase in education standards.

The tablets are “just another tool” like a pencil, according to Jonghwi Park, an education technology specialist at UNESCO in Bangkok.

“It’s not about what to use, it’s about how to use it,” she said, urging governments considering introducing new technology for learning to think hard about whether it will really help them achieve their goals.

Critics of the Thai education system say much more radical changes are needed.

“If you want to deal with the education in Thailand, I can tell you that the whole system must be demolished,” said Somphong Chitradub, an associate professor specialised in child education at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University.

“Our classrooms are passive, tiring and boring,” he said.

Most Thai children are encouraged to memorise information and “lack courage to express opinions”, he added.

As a result, while other Asian nations fared well in the most recent global education survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2009, Thailand came about 50th out of 65 countries in the rankings for reading, maths and science.

A mediocre performance compared with other nations that “focus a lot on process of thinking”, admitted Rangsan Maneelek, an advisor to the education ministry.

While the Thai education system places importance on whether the answer is right or wrong, other nations look at how students reached their conclusion, he said.

But he added that the tablets would help by enabling students to “surf the world for knowledge”.

And if some people worry about the possibility of children using the computers to look at pornography or play violent video games, others stress the need to prepare students for the digital era.

“For the kids these days, one of the most important capacities… for them to live in the 21st century is to know how to integrate those devices into their life,” UNESCO’s Park said.

“Without those skills, they cannot get a job.”

source: interaksyon.com

Australian Catholic University offers scholarship programs for graduating high school students

 

The Australian Catholic University (ACU) Manila has announced that it is offering full and partial scholarships this coming school year.

 

Based on academic merit and talent, the “Esteban Scholarship Awards” will provide one full scholarship, two 50% scholarships and ten 20% scholarships. A full scholarship is valued at AUD 5,200 or PHP 246,000 per year. All scholarships are offered for the entire three-year program in Manila.

 

ACU Manila offers the opportunity to gain a world-recognized Australian Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) degree and equips students to practice the profession in both Australia and the Philippines.

 

To apply, graduating high school students must have a minimum academic average of 85%; demonstrate level of analytical skills by writing a paper on how Australian business education can empower him or her as a global citizen; like and visit ACU Manila’s Facebook page 

 

(www.facebook.com/acumanila); complete application and referral forms; and attend an Information Session with a parent or guardian.

 

Scholarship slots are available to graduating high school students, as well as to first to third year undergraduate degree students. Application deadline is on April 03, 2013.

 

The ACU Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) degree offers units specific to Australian accounting requirements in addition to Philippines-specific units. It prepares students for entry-level employment as well as future managerial positions.

 

ACU students develop an understanding of how commercial, industrial and service organizations operate. They also acquire skills to practice in a wide range of finance and accounting occupations such as accountant, auditor, investment manager, financial analyst, stockbroker, tax specialist or treasurer.

 

The ACU Manila campus is located at the Ground Floor of the Makati Stock Exchange Building, 6767 Ayala Ave., Makati City. For further inquiries, call  (+632)5019347 ,  (+632)4748345 , visit www.acu.edu.au/manila, or e-mail acumanila@estebanschool.org.

 

source: interaksyon.com

'Study now, pay later' loans proposed

A partylist representative on Monday pitched for the creation of a loaning system for indigent students that will allow them to borrow funds for tuition and other school fees that they can pay back once employed.

“A student loaning system for less fortunate students in our country could be a feasible option to consider in order to prevent another incident like that of Kristel Tejada of UP Manila," Representative Sherwin Tugna of the Citizens Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC), said.

The proposal would patterned after the loan system in the United States that give students the option of borrowing funds for tuition and then paying for it when they have jobs, Tugna said.

"We are currently studying how can that be done here. What is the limit of the loan and how long can the students' loan be spread," he said.

Under his proposal, the Commission on Higher Education will serve asthe fund administrator. The concept would be similar to Landbank’s loan provision to farmers and other members of the agricultural sector, Tugna said.

“Whether we like it or not, this incident with Ms. Tejada is the state of our education system and is a reflection of the lack of attention the government is giving to it. We may be angry at the administration of UP now and blame them for what happened but ultimately, the core of this problem is rooted in a government and a system mired in graft and corruption," he said.

"Money swindled or embezzled by enterprising and thick-skinned government officials could have been used to allocate to the already meager and limited budget of our country’s beloved state university and also to the other state universities and colleges that are brimming with bright and promising students who are afflicted by financial constraints,” Tugna added.

In a separate statement, Makabayan senatorial candidate Teddy Casiño Makabayan senatorial filed House Resolution 3044 calling for an inquiry on the various tuition and loan policies of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).

"Government should direct concerned agencies and bodies to immediately review existing policies and rules of state universities and colleges (SUCs) in relation to tuition, loan grants and other payment schemes," Casiño, representative of Bayan Muna partylist, said.

"While SUCs are granted relative autonomy, government should have a set of minimum guidelines prioritizing the right of students to education over the generation of revenues," he added.

Fellow Bayan Muna partylist Representative Neri Colmenares said the government must answer for the UP student's death.

“The death of the young, promising student is a result of the heartless, anti-poor policies of the government.  It is outrageous and so ironic that this tragedy happened in the supposedly premier state university of the country. This is a state-driven murder,” he said.

source: interaksyon.com

Philippine Montessori Center celebrates 45th anniversary with concerts for a cause

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Montessori Center celebrates its 45th anniversary with benefit concerts entitled “Pinoys to the World: a celebration of Filipino Musical Artistry.” The beneficiary is the Mithing Pangarap Educational Foundation, the adopted outreach program of Philippine Montessori Center. It supports the educational development of underprivileged youth in Smokey Mountain in Tondo, Manila.

Mithing Pangarap programs provide free education to Smokey Mountain youth which allows them to meet the Minimum Learning Competencies (MLCS) of students required by the Department of Education. It also provides scholarships to promising students who pass high school and college requirements. Due to inadequate funds, programs only benefit limited students. With 99 percent of funding coming from Philippine Montessori, proceeds of the benefit concert will go a long way in sustaining MPEFI’s programs.

The benefit concerts will feature the Philippine Montessori Center and Temple Hill International School Instrumental Ensemble. Children ages four to 10 years old of the PMC and THIS Instrumental Ensemble will showcase their talents using local string and wooden instruments with the special participation of the world-acclaimed Philippine Madrigal Singers.

Concert dates are on Feb. 24, 4:30 p.m. at the Ayala Museum; April 28, Meralco Theater, Pasig; and May 28, 2013 at the Merkin Concert Hall in Kaufman Center, 129 West 67th Street, New York, New York.

Help these children raise funds for other children. For tickets and more information, please call 9114838 or 9114889.

source: philstar.com

This Christmas, it’s cool to be kind at Ayala Malls

MANILA, Philippines - Christmas, the season of love, kindness and generosity, is also the busiest time of the year. With a lot of Christmas parties to attend, and work to wrap up before the holiday break, maintaining good cheer can be a challenge.

Ayala Malls officially welcomes the Christmas season with a campaign called “Wrapped in Love.” Figuring that it’s easier to stay in touch with our own kind, loving and generous nature when we are surrounded by expressions of such virtues, Ayala Malls has declared their space “kindness zones,” where otherwise exhausted shoppers and visitors are shown the love — and lots of it, in numerous ways.

Popcorn for all moviegoers. Candy bags for the kids on the playground. Concerts featuring artists such as The Blake, Piolo Pascual, Zia Quizon, Nikki Gil and Lea Salonga. An original Christmas ballet with Steps Dance Project. Goodies from a vendo machine that promotes good cheer. A designer charm bracelet that spreads the warmth of the season. All for free. From the surprising to the inspiring, expressions of giving abound at Ayala Malls.

So, too, do opportunities to give back. What better way to show some love than to include support for any or all of Ayala Malls’ partner foundations and their causes in your Christmas checklist?

Children’s Hour is an organization that invites individuals, employees, organizations and corporations to donate at least one hour’s worth of salaries or earnings once a year. Its mission is to promote education, health and nutrition and protection for disadvantaged Filipino children.





Hero Foundation, Inc. (Help Educated and Rear Orphans Foundation) provides educational assistance in the form of stipends to children of Filipino soldiers killed in action (KIA) or totally incapacitated while in the line of duty. HERO aims to help these children obtain a college or university degree, or a certificate in a vocational course, in order to give them a competitive chance in finding good and decent jobs or profession.

Ayala Foundation aims to improve the quality of life of the Filipino through social development. Since 1989, the foundation has been helping the Iraya-Mangyan, an indigenous ethnic group in Puerto Galera, become sustainably self-sufficient especially in the areas of education, livelihood, housing and health.

WWF-Philippines (World Wildlife Fund) is an organization whose mission is to stop and eventually reverse the accelerating degradation of the Philippine environment and to build a future in which Filipinos live in harmony with nature.

Concerts, fundraisers, weekly surprises, simple gifts — these are some of the big and small gestures of kindness visitors can expect this season at the Ayala Malls, a commitment that is perhaps best explained and underscored by the new Greenbelt Tunnel artwork by Jaime Zobel de Ayala. Various scenes capturing moments from the malls, the walkways and the gardens are shown in full-color, larger-than-life still photographs and, at the center, the words “relate, create, serve.”

Because at the heart of these efforts is the desire to create an atmosphere where visitors can leave their worries and stress behind. Unburdened, they are free to spread the love and the holiday cheer at Ayala Malls.

source: philstar.com

Federal Loan Consolidation: Key Qualifying Aspects to Consider

It is common practice to see federal governments invest in the future of its population. An effective way to do so is through providing loans, either to encourage or sustain growth in industries and in education, but there is a drawback. These loans create debt, and sometimes those who benefit from the loans can struggle to repay them. The solution to the problem? Federal loan consolidation plans.

Consolidation can rescue a borrower from bankruptcy court. There are many reasons why a borrower might find it too difficult to repay the loans they have taken out, ranging from the financial impact of a weakening economy to the destructive impact of an act of God. Normally, securing loan approval depends on proving the ability to repay, but in these cases, proving an inability to meet existing repayment terms is essential.

The key to a bright financial future is to properly manage the debt created by federal loans. Even though these typically come at a lower interest rates than those charged by private lenders, consolidation can make a real difference.

Difference Between Federal and Private Consolidation Programs

Normally, there are two types of loans to take out: namely private loans and public loans. The terms can differ greatly, with private lenders seeking to make a profit on their investment and, for the most part, public or federal lenders not. With federal loan consolidation, the distinction is similar.

The differences are manifest in interest rates, with the federal option clearly less expensive due to the low interest rates that are charged, compared to those charged by private lenders. The result is that consolidation loans are much more affordable so, as long as an applicant qualifies, securing loan approval is no great problem.

The problem is that many business owners take out both federal loans and private loans, and mixing these loans in one consolidation plan is not always a good idea. This is especially true since the federal options have low interest and good terms anyway, so it is harder to improve on them than private loans.

Qualifying for Consolidation

Qualifying for a federal loan consolidation plan is pretty straightforward, with loan authorities requiring proof that the applicant is in financial difficulties. Help is granted only to those in debt to the federal government, and not to any other loan source. The chief sectors to benefit are agriculture and commerce.

The farming industry is known to be one of the most heavily supported in practically every country. And in the US, there is a wide range of loans available to aid the sector, including Farm Loans, Commodity Marketing Loans and Farm Storage Loans. These are issued through the FSA. Borrowers on these schemes qualify for a consolidation loan, but securing loan approval is reserved for those in the most serious situation.

Businesses operating in the commercial sector can also benefit from a long list of financing schemes designed to stimulate growth and employment. The range of federal loans includes Small Business Loans, Indian Loans for Native Americans, and Physical Disaster Loans for businesses that have suffered damage to property, infrastructure and facilities.

Criteria to Satisfy

Of course, meeting the stated criteria is essential if an applicant is to have any chance of securing federal loan consolidation. The good news is that this is not particularly difficult; all that is really needed is to prove financial difficulties. What is more, securing loan approval is dependent on the severity of the financial situation of the applicant, not their credit score, and on the ability to meet the restructured repayments.

The purpose of federal loans relate to aspects other than financial. For example, repairs may need to be made to a warehouse after a tornado hit town, or flooding damage may mean a business must close for several weeks. Federal governments are happy to provide support if it means people keep their jobs.

Want to learn more about Guaranteed Bad Credit Personal Loans and Bad Credit Home Loans? Please subscribe to my channel.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Wise

HEIs, GFIs, Central Bank support loan facility for college students

MANILA, Philippines -The country’s private higher education institutions, government financial institutions and even the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas have expressed their support to a proposed bill that would establish a loan facility for college and university students.

During a hearing on the proposed Senate Bill 3285 authored by Senator Edgardo Angara Tuesday, it was made clear that the country is way behind many countries including its Asian neighbors, in terms of providing financial support for higher education students.

Dr. Vincent Fabella, president of the Jose Rizal University, representing the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), noted that the cost of higher education continues to rise in the country and across the globe.

“We’re part of that trend. But around the world, government and banks help finance it. So the idea is the students study first, when they get the jobs and the money, then they repay their loans. That’s what we’re trying to push with the proposed bill,” Fabella said.

According to Fabella, the estimated cost for all higher education students in the country, including the tuition and miscellaneous fees, would amount to P145 billion.

Based on the models of Hong Kong, which provides student loans of up to 50 percent of the total cost, and South Korea at 30 percent, Fabella said that the government would have to shell out between P36 billion and P72 billion for the loan facility.

At present, Angara noted that the only loan facility available to higher education students in the country involves the Social Security System (SSS) and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

The total amount made available by the national government and the two pension systems for its members and dependents for education loans was pegged at P12.5 billion a year.





For the SSS, loans program management head Miriam Milan said that a member could get a maximum of P15,000 per semester for degree courses while vocational courses would get only P7,500 per semester.

The GSIS, on the other hand, provides a maximum of P25,000 per semester.

Fabella pointed out that the average tuition for private schools is somewhere between P40,000 to P50,000 per semester, so what the two pension system provide for student loans is still far from what is needed.

Angara explained that the approval of the bill would allow the students and parents to tap the new loan facility through the private banks to cover the balance after SSS or GSIS loans.

He said that the interest rates on the loans under the new facility would be lower than market rates.

What makes the proposed loan facility different from the existing products is that the loans do not have to be paid right away.

“Education is the only activity that parents pay in advance. At the beginning of the semester you have to pay for the (cost of) full semester,” Angara said.

“Most of the student loans now, the difference is, when you take (out) the loan you have to start paying right away, which is unfair because students don’t have the money now, they have money when they graduate. That’s how it’s done in other countries,” he said.

source: philstar.com

The Lows of Higher Ed

Welcome back, college students! Always nice to see you.

Although we are sort of worried by those bleak stories about student debt, which suggest a lot of you may graduate owing a ton of money and unqualified to do anything more remunerative than selling socks.

This year, Newsweek cheerfully welcomed the Class of 2016 by asking, “Is College a Lousy Investment?” And in The Times, Andrew Martin reported that the Department of Education is paying more than $1.4 billion per annum to folks whose job it is to collect on $76 billion in defaulted student loans. “If you wait long enough, you catch people when their guard’s down,” one debt collector told Martin after garnishing the savings of a disabled carpenter.

Look on the bright side, students. Perhaps when you graduate, some of you will be able to qualify for a good job in the booming accounts receivable management industry.

Higher education is still the key to most good jobs, but the nation is starting to ask some questions about the way we finance it. Shouldn’t there be more of a match between the cost of school and the potential earning power of the graduates? Who speaks for the art history majors? And why is tuition so high, anyway? (Parents, if your kid is planning to take out student loans, you might want to avoid any college where the dorm rooms are nicer than your house.)

“People don’t believe much any more about the altruistic motives of colleges and universities,” sadly noted Pat Callan of the Higher Education Policy Institute.

Not without some reason. In his reporting, Martin uncovered a newsletter aimed at college admissions officers that advised them to avoid using “bad words” such as “cost” or “pay” in their admissions materials. Instead, it suggested: “And you get all this for ...”

In Washington, Congress is holding hearings! The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is considering a bill — co-sponsored by Democrat Al Franken and Republican Charles Grassley — that would require all schools to fill out the same form telling the student loan applicants useful facts like exactly how much per month they’ll be forking over when they start paying.

That would be the superminimum, right? How amazed are you that this isn’t happening already?

“Some of the packages don’t delineate what’s a grant, what’s a scholarship, what’s a loan,” said Franken. “And the information all comes in an award letter, so you’re thinking: Award!”

The Obama administration, which can’t do much about this without Congress, has been working to get the schools to voluntarily adopt a “shopping sheet” that would provide clear basic information so students could compare different schools’ financing before making a choice. “We’ve been encouraged by the feedback from the higher-ed sector,” one of the experts working on the program said. “I think we have 100 individual colleges and universities.”

The good news is that controlling college costs really does seem to be an administration priority. The bad news is that there are more than 4,000 colleges and universities.

People, don’t you think young adults should get the clearest, most easy-to-compare information conceivable before they sign a huge, life-changing loan deal? Don’t you think there should be somebody in charge of calling them up once a week and yelling: “Eight hundred dollars a month until you’re 51 years old!”

Maybe I’m underestimating the ability of teenagers to make serious, well-thought-out decisions about their higher education. All I can tell you is that when I was 21 years old, I signed up to go to graduate school at the University of Massachusetts because I had always wanted to live in Boston. I had no idea the main campus was on the other side of the state until I got there.

Franken is hoping the Senate might take up his proposal next year. I presume you weren’t expecting anything sooner. Congress can’t even get it together to keep the Postal Service from defaulting. And the Senate leaders admitted the other day that they’re not going to be able to pass a bipartisan bill to legalize Internet gambling on poker, which seems to be a really high priority for some important people. If they can’t do poker, they are not going to get to student loan transparency.

The House is planning hearings on student loans, too. The chairwoman of the subcommittee assigned to this task is Representative Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican who once said that she worked her own way through college and had “little tolerance” for people who complain about their huge student loan debts.

“New ideas to advocate for financial aid transparency are always welcome in this discussion,” Foxx said in an e-mail on Friday. “But we have to question whether the federal government’s dictating the terms of every college and university’s financial aid communications will actually achieve the desired results.”

So maybe a little less sense of urgency there.

source: nytimes.com

Harassment of gay students declining at US schools — survey

WASHINGTON - Harassment of homosexual students is declining at U.S. schools, but the vast majority still report name-calling or threats, according to a survey released on Wednesday.

The drop in anti-gay harassment follows the adoption of anti-discrimination measures at more schools, according to the 2011 National School Climate Survey by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network.


"The 2011 survey marks a possible turning point in the school experiences" of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people in high schools and middle schools, said Joseph Kosciw, the group's head of research.

But he said an "alarming number" of LGBT students still faced barriers limiting their ability to get an education.

Just under a third of LGBT students reported verbal harassment taking place frequently or often last year. That is down from almost 45 percent in 2007 and 40.6 percent in 2009, the year of the previous survey.

Physical harassment, like shoving or pushing, that took place frequently or often was reported by 10.8 percent of students, down almost 3 percentage points from 2009. High frequency of physical assault dropped slightly, to 4.6 percent.

But 81.9 percent of LGBT students had been verbally harassed or threatened at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation, the survey said.

Just over 38 percent of students said they had been physically harassed in the past year and 18.3 percent were physically assaulted.

Students said having a Gay-Straight Alliance in school led to less homophobic remarks and victimization. Schools with an LGBT-inclusive curriculum also were less likely to feel unsafe and hear offensive comments.

The nationwide survey involved 8,584 students between 13 and 20 years old. - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Professor Suggests Dumping Algebra From Curriculum Entirely

A number of high school students and even college students have trouble with math. Specifically, these students have trouble with algebra and its offspring. This level of math can lead to significant roadblocks in the development of students’ education. According to Andrew Hacker, one in four ninth graders fail to finish high school and algebra is often to blame. So, logically, we should get rid of algebra.

Removing algebra from the list of required courses would allow more students to finish high school with the tools they need. Hacker argues that the kind of math being taught by algebra isn’t necessary in the daily lives of millions of people and therefore we should not hold ourselves to its standards. Math, itself, is important but should be more focused on things like arithmetic and balancing checkbooks. The focus should be on the kinds of things everyone is required to do at some point.

Hacker continues by stating that 57 percent of the City University of New York students didn’t pass its mandated algebra course. Another figure used to support his conclusion is that only 9 percent of men and 4 percent of women received a 700 or better on the math section of their SAT in 2009. Even with all of this evidence, one can’t help but wonder if the emphasis is being placed in the wrong place.

All of these numbers and percentages only proves that the United States is failing at mathematics — and specifically algebra and its offshoots. The struggle here shouldn’t be whether we need to drop algebra but how we can improve our ability. In a lot of ways, logic and math go hand in hand. What is algebra if not logic?

To say that we are failing and need to do something about it is absolutely correct. To say we need to remove it from our path as a hindrance rather than overcoming it with improved teaching methods, enhanced mathematics programs, and funding in general is a mistake.

source: geekosystem.com

Cut college tuition by getting 4-year degree in 3 years

A 25% tuition break first offered three years ago by Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y., paid off this spring for a dozen new graduates. All they had to do was squeeze four years of study into three.

Hartwick, a small private liberal arts college, is at the forefront of a recent upswing in colleges that, spurred by the recession and concerns over crushing college debt, are encouraging students to save money by shortening the time it takes to earn a degree. This fall, three-year degrees will be an option at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. Minnesota State University in Mankato plans to make them available in 2013. Missouri's Office of Economic Development is reviewing applications for grants to offer three-year bachelor's degrees this fall in high-demand fields such as health care and information technology.

The initiatives are aimed mostly at highly motivated students, such as 2012 Hartwick grad Samantha Hart, who earned 23 college credits while in high school and took heavier course loads while in college. "I saved a lot of money, and I got to do everything that I wanted to," says Hart, 21, who is about to start an internship that she has been told could lead to a job.

Yet for all its pocketbook appeal, the three-year concept hasn't taken off, particularly at public universities. Legislation in Rhode Island in 2009 and Washington last year encourages public universities to develop three-year options, but no programs have been proposed to date, officials in both states say. State budget challenges have pushed a University of California committee's recommendation to a back burner, says system spokesman Steve Montiel.

At Ohio State University, which must phase in three-year degrees beginning this fall, provost Joe Alutto says a three-year degree may be "misdirected for an institution such as ours." He told legislators last year that students who earned college credit in high school tend to add a minor or second major rather than graduate early.

Some skeptics worry about quality. "It's as if they put students on a conveyer belt and just speed them up and spray them with a fire hose and the students catch what they can," Southern New Hampshire University professor Marty Bradley says of models that compress four years into three. He pioneered a three-year degree on his campus in 1997 that required an overhaul of the curriculum.

Some education groups argue that resources, particularly at public institutions, should focus on students who are most at risk of dropping out. A study of 33 states by the non-profit Complete College America found that just 26% of students enrolled at public institutions earn a bachelor's in four years; 54.3% take six years. About 2% of students earning a bachelor's in 2007-08 did so in three years, federal data show. Hartwick's four-year graduation rate in recent years averages about 46%.

"Time is the enemy of college completion, but Getting more of our best students to finish their bachelor's degrees a year early won't be enough" to raise the nation's overall graduation rate, says Complete College America president Stan Jones. "We must ensure that more finish college on time: a four-year degree in four years, not five or six."

Wesleyan President Michael Roth says the three-year option ought to be available to students who want it. "Four years is just a habit," he says. "It isn't some magical number."

source: USA TODAY

All out for Brigada Eskuwela

MANILA, Philippines --- A few days before school opening, people from the academe, government, corporate sector and even embassies are once again reviving the Bayanihan spirit to support the nationwide Brigada Eskuwela campaign.

The Department of Education initiated-program, are banking on the collective spirit of the various sectors in helping physically prepare the country’s thousands of schools in time for the opening of classes this June.

Volunteers from the Ateneo de Manila University, for instance, helped prepare 10 public elementary schools in Quezon City for the resumption of classes on June 11. A project of the Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED), the Ateneo fielded about 475 volunteers to help clean, beautify and prepare the General Roxas, Payatas B and its annex, Culiat, Lupang Pangako, Manuel L. Quezon, Old Balara, Balumbato, Payatas C and Fairview Elementary Schools.

The volunteers, composed of Human Resources Management Office (HRMO), Facilities Management Office (FMO), Residence Halls, Ateneo Human Rights Center, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Graduate School of Business (GSB), as well as teachers and students of the Ateneo Grade School cleaned and repainted classrooms, chalkboards, libraries, building facades, corridors and murals in these schools.

Jano Cadiz, an 11-year-old student of the AGS who helped clean some classrooms at the Payatas B Elementary School, said that he wanted to have the experience of helping to become a habit.

Mel Oracion, ACED director specifically requested volunteers to paint chalkboards this year. She said that “only teachers understand how satisfying and motivating it is to write on freshly painted chalkboards.” She added that this is because writing on chalkboards “is an important part of the memories teachers form during the school year.”

Couple for Christ, ACED’s partners in their program called Cornerstone, will also be conducting its own Brigada Eskwela activity and focusing on donating chalk and painting chalkboards.

MORE LGUs UNITE FOR BRIGADA

Meanwhile, General Trias Cavite Mayor Luis ‘Jon-Jon’ Ferrer IV, his brother Congressman Antonio Ferrer, and Cavite Councilors Morit Sison and Kerby Salazar led the Brigada Eskwela project in their locality.

The group was joined by DepEd Superintendents Dr. Edna Bayot and Dr. Cantada, teachers, non-teaching personnel, parents, students and non-government organizations in cleaning up the Governor Ferrer National High in Barangay Pinagtipunan.

Mayor Ferrer is aiming for a 100-percent compliance of the municipality for the program to benefit the thousands of school children who will be enrolled this school year.

Rizal Governor Junjun Ynares lll also led the Brigada Eskuwela kick-off activity at the Old Bosoboso Elementary School, Barangay San Jose in Antipolo City recently. It was participated in by teachers, parents, policemen, barangay tanods, and local officials.

The Australian government, on the other hand, has provided approximately Php4.7 million (A$109,000) to support Brigada Eskwela activities in 80 public schools –30 in Metro Manila and 50 in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

AUSTRALIA REACHES OUT

Australia provided each school with at least Php60,000 worth of materials and supplies for minor repairs repainting and cleaning.

The Australian Embassy is likewise participating in the Brigada Eskwela activities at the Silangan Elementary School in Taguig City. Its staff will also participate in the painting and cleaning of classrooms this week in five schools in the city.

Australia and Taguig City are key partners in piloting a disaster risk management program called BRACE (Building the Resilience and Awareness of Metro Manila Communities to Natural Disasters and Climate Change Impacts). Australia, through the BRACE program, will assist urban communities “brace” for the impact of natural disasters. BRACE will demonstrate that by “building back better”, the damage bill for future disasters – both in human and economic terms – can be significantly lessened.

Australia is also helping to coordinate Brigada Eskwela activities in schools where there are large populations of indigenous learners through the Philippines’ Response to Muslim and Indigenous Peoples’ Education (PRIME) program.

“Our participation in Brigada Eskwela is part of Australia’s significant commitment to helping improve the quality of teaching and learning in the Philippines,” Ambassador Tweddell said.

Finally, one of the fastest growing developers, the Property Company of Friends Inc. (PRO-FRIENDS) has led in the kick-off of Brigada Eskuwela activities in the Pal-Agon, Amparo Elementary School in Pavia, Iloilo.

Volunteers from the company partnered with teachers, barangay officials and Mayor Arcadio Gorriceta in rehabilitating the school stage and re-painting classrooms. The volunteers also donated new reference books and materials for the school clinic. They also conducted a story-telling session to encourage the kids’ love for literature. One other integral part of their program is propagating a new vegetable garden to promote a healthy and nutritious diet to the students and volunteer parents.

source: mb.com.ph

Quebec, students clinch deal on tuition hikes

VICTORIAVILLE, Canada — The government of the French-speaking province of Quebec and student groups clinched a roadmap agreement Saturday to put an end to 12 weeks of often violent protests over tuition hikes, officials said.

The deal came after some 23 hours of arduous negotiations between Education Minister Line Beauchamp and four major Quebec student groups, and just hours after clashes in Victoriaville that left nine people injured and ended with 106 arrests outside the Quebec Liberal Party’s annual convention.

Details of the agreement were not immediately available, as student leaders said they wanted to first have group members review the document before final approval.

The Victoriaville protests overnight were among the most violent since mid-February, when students took to the streets to protest the Quebec government’s plans to raise university fees by $1,625 over five years to $3,800 per year as part of an effort to rein in the budget deficit.

Quebec’s main student groups have mobilized some 170,000 students who are refusing to go to class until the matter is resolved.

During the skirmishes in Victoriaville, some 170 kilometers east of Montreal, protesters threw stones and police shot tear gas and fired rubber bullets. The injured included six protesters and three police officers.

Three of the students were rushed to hospital with head injuries, but officials said they were in stable condition.

One protester, identified as a student at Cegep de Saint-Laurent university in Montreal, lost the use of his eye, medical officials said.

The ear of another student was also severely cut, according to witnesses.

“We were on top of the little hill behind the protests and there was a guy with a bloody ear,” said Shania, who attended Friday’s demonstration and would not provide her last name.

People toward the back of the demo were peaceful, a protester who gave her name as Tania told AFP.

“I don’t understand how you can justify police who are supposed to be protecting the convention ending up in an area further away,” Tania said.

But police spokesman Captain Jean Finet told reporters that the officers had “used the necessary force to ensure citizens’ safety.”

In one exchange demonstrators attacked and beat a police officer, according to local media, which said the officer did not suffer serious injuries.

Police attributed the violence to a small group of troublemakers among the protesters.

Provincial police had initially arrested four people during the protest in front of the Victoriaville convention center, where Quebec Premier Jean Charest’s party was holding its annual meeting.

Overnight, officers stopped three buses full of students heading home to Montreal, according to officials.

More protesters were in Victoriaville for the second day of the Quebec Liberal Party’s convention.

source: japantoday.com

Top US colleges to offer free classes online

Five prestigious US universities will create free online courses for students worldwide through a new, interactive education platform dubbed Coursera, the founders announced Wednesday.

The two founders, both professors of computer science at Stanford University, also announced that they had received $16 million in financing from two Silicon Valley venture capital firms.

Coursera will offer more than three dozen college courses in the coming year through its website at coursera.org, on subjects ranging from Greek mythology to neurology, from calculus to contemporary American poetry. The classes are designed and taught by professors at Stanford, Princeton, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan.

Coursera joins a raft of ambitious online projects aimed at making higher education more accessible and affordable. Many of these ventures, however, simply post entire lectures on the web, with no interactive component. Others strive to create brand-new universities from scratch.

Founders Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng say Coursera will be different because professors from top schools will teach under their university's name and will adapt their most popular courses for the web, embedding assignments and exams into video lectures, answering questions from students on online forums -- even, perhaps, hosting office hours via videoconference.

Multiple-choice and short-answer tests will be computer scored. Coursera will soon unveil a system of peer grading to assess more complex work, such as essays or algorithms.

Students will not get college credit. But Coursera may offer "certificates of completion" or transcripts for a fee. The company may also seek to turn a profit by connecting employers with students who have shown aptitude in a particular field, a spokeswoman said.

For their part, participating universities expect to benefit by boosting their reputation overseas, connecting with far-flung alumni and - they hope - bringing in donations from grateful online students.

"It will increase our impact on the world," said Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania.

In trial classes Coursera hosted this year, the production values were a bit rough.

Scott Page, a political science professor at the University of Michigan, filmed his lectures for a class called Model Thinking in front of an unpainted door in an addition being built on his house. Interruptions forced him to reshoot several segments - and as a result, he looks undeniably grumpy in some takes. A few of his online quizzes contain errors. His slides are sometimes hard to read. From time to time, his dog wanders into the frame.

Yet 30,000 people from around the globe stuck with the class week after week, doing the homework, watching the lectures and chatting with one another in lively discussion forums. "It's awesome," Page said. He has calculated that it would take 150 years of teaching in person for him to reach as many people as he did online.

A course Ng taught in artificial intelligence was just as popular: Nearly 25,000 students completed most of the work - and 13,000 scored high enough to earn a "statement of accomplishment" from Stanford. Some even translated the lectures into their native languages and posted subtitles. "People really get engaged," Ng said.

The concept does have pitfalls.

There's no way for professors to tell who is completing the work, so "doors are wide open for cheating," said Michael Winckler, a mathematician at Heidelberg University who took Page's course on models. It's difficult, he added, to replicate the collaborative learning that takes place in a traditional classroom when students puzzle through problems together.

Still, Winckler was impressed enough with the quality and rigor of the online class to let his doctoral students count it toward their required coursework.

As online education matures, students may be able to build their own first-rate college education for free through sites like Coursera, said Richard DeMillo, director of the Center for 21st Century Universities at Georgia Institute of Technology.

That may make it tough for some universities to survive. "They can't assume a never-ending supply of students" willing to pay for a pricey campus education, DeMillo said.

But Phil Hanlon, a provost at the University of Michigan, said he wasn't worried the free offerings would cut into his school's appeal. On the contrary, he said the technology would enhance the campus experience. Professors could direct students to watch online lectures to learn the nuts and bolts of a given subject, freeing class time for hands-on activities that can't be replicated in cyberspace, he said.

The two venture capital firms backing Coursera are Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and New Enterprise Associates, both in Menlo Park, Calif. Each invested $8 million.

source: interaksyon.com