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Kuwait: Students Can Return To School In September After The Vaccination Of Educational Bodies

Kuwait: Students Can Return To School In September After The Vaccination Of Educational Bodies

March 16, 2021

The Minister of Health (MoH), Dr. Basil Al-Sabah said that the students would gradually return to school in various stages with the beginning of the new academic year in September. MoH plans to vaccinate all educational and administrative bodies in schools next month, Al Jarida reported.

Dr. Basil Al-Sabah stressed the importance of vaccinating everyone, to preserve the health and safety of life. He pointed out that so far 400,000 have been vaccinated in addition to that half of the elderly Kuwaitis registered have been vaccinated, while about a quarter of the elderly foreigners have been vaccinated. He also said that around 80 to 100 elderly people are vaccinated daily at their homes.

Al Sabah said that the vaccination process will continue during the Ramadan period. He said that approximately 120,000 educators and administrators in education, along with cooperative societies, hairdressers, and banks, will be vaccinated next April.

The minister indicated that vaccination is very effective in reducing the number of death significantly. He said that since the number of vaccinated people in the world reached 400 million, the number of infections and deaths has decreased in America, Britain, and many countries.

He added that in the next stage and after the month of Ramadan, anyone who is not vaccinated will be prevented from entering the cinema any place where workers have not been vaccinated will also be closed.

SOURCE: TIMESKUWAIT

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UK: All schools reopen as virus lockdown begins easing

UK: All schools reopen as virus lockdown begins easing

March 09, 2021

All schools across England have reopened as part of the first of four stages of the gradual easing of lockdown, amid concerns that infection rates will spike in the following months as restrictions begin to relax. 

During a press conference aired on BBC News to commemorate the beginning of the first stage, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the risk of increased transmission was inevitable as schools reopen but nonetheless he is hopeful that today will be a “cautious but irreversible” step on the roadmap out of lockdown.  

Despite the cautious optimism, Johnson warned that the number of people being admitted to hospital with the coronavirus was eight times higher when compared to the summer of 2020 when numbers were generally low and repeated that people must continue to follow the "stay at home" message. 

“We must remember that today’s return to schools will, of course, have an impact on the spread of the virus, and so, at all times and as we decide on the next steps forward and when we take them it’s more vital than ever to follow the rules,” Johnson said. 

“We all know that the education of our children is so important that the greater risk now is keeping them out of school for a day longer. We all know that the burden has disproportionately fallen on women often holding down jobs and providing childcare at the same time,” he added. 

Last month the government unveiled a four stage plan that will see England gradually eased out of its third national lockdown starting with the reopening of schools, allowing people from different households to meet outside and the reopening of businesses. 

At the end of each stage the government will assess the data and statistics relating to the number of cases, deaths and hospitalizations caused by the virus and will decide whether or not to go ahead with each stage depending on whether there is a rise or fall in the three factors. 

On Monday, 4,712 people had a confirmed positive test of the virus adding this week’s total to 41,225. This represents a 26.2% decrease in comparison to the last seven days. 

Sixty-five deaths were reported within 28 days of testing positive for the virus on Monday. Between March 2 and March 8, there were 1,441 deaths within 28 days of testing. This shows a 34.4% decrease in comparison to the previous week. 

More than 22.3 million people had been administered their first dose of the vaccine as of late Sunday, with 1.14 million others receiving the second. Vaccines are currently administered in two doses, three weeks apart.  

The latest R range for the UK has increased slightly and is now at 0.7-0.9, with the current growth rate also increasing to -5% to -3% per day. The R number is a mechanism used to rate the virus’s ability to spread, with R being the number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to./aa

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42 of 100 people play mobile games once daily: Survey

42 of 100 people play mobile games once daily: Survey

March 08, 2021

More than 40 out of 100 people play mobile games at least once a day, according to a recent survey.

AdColony, global advertising, and marketing platform surveyed 1,250 people on mobile games and social media platforms in Europe, Middle East and the Africa (EMEA) region.

While 88 of 100 people play mobile games, 42 of 100 play at least once a day, the survey revealed.

Players said the games have become a part of their daily lives. The time spent on games has increased day by day. Nearly 70% of respondents in the EMEA play for more than three hours a week.

More than 80% of respondents said they are in a good mood while playing and 47% play to make leisure time enjoyable.

But it is not only young people who play. Nearly 80% of adults play in Turkey. Action-adventure games are preferred by Turkish gamers at 49.2%. Puzzles and racing games are also favorable.

The survey revealed that advertisements for mobile games, which have become the biggest socialization tool, have started to turn into online stores.

While 72% of participants said mobile ads they encountered positively affect their shopping, 66% said they preferred to shop in-app./aa

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Turkey: Nation's Library receives over 340,000 in 2020

Turkey: Nation's Library receives over 340,000 in 2020

February 20, 2021

Despite the novel coronavirus pandemic, a grand library opened in Turkey's capital has received over 340,000 visitors over the past year since its launch.

Inaugurated in Ankara by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in February 2020, the Nation's Library received approximately 6,000 visitors daily until March 15, 2020, having to shut its doors due to emergence of COVID-19.

The library, which was visited by more than 15,000 people on the weekends, continues to provide over 4 million printed and 216 million electronic publications in a 125,000-square-meter (1.3 million square feet) area.

The Nation's Library stopped accepting visitors between March 15 and May 31, 2020 due to the pandemic, then limited its capacity to 1,000-people at a time between 9.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. as of June 1, 2020.

Prior to the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions, the library received an average of 2,000 visitors on weekdays and the number of visitors on the weekend was 3,200 people.

Turkey's grand library provides over 2 million books, more than 13,000 periodicals, and at least 18 private collections.

Inspired by Seljuk, Ottoman and contemporary architecture, the library has over 121,000 members.

Aside from its rich printed resources, the library also offers a variety of electronic resources, including 65 databases, 209 million accessible e-resources, over 665,000 e-books, 77,448 e-journals and more than 7 million e-theses./aa

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Malaysia: Muslim teachers group wins nod to revive suit against vernacular schools

Malaysia: Muslim teachers group wins nod to revive suit against vernacular schools

February 17, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — The High Court in Kota Baru has allowed Ikatan Guru Guru Muslim Malaysia’s (IGuru) application to reinstate its lawsuit to declare vernacular schools as unconstitutional in Malaysia.

The application was filed by IGuru president Mohd Azizee Hasan who was represented by Datuk Shaharudin Ali while federal counsel Nik Nur Adila Mat Zaidan from the Attorney General Chambers (AGC) appeared for the government and the Education Ministry.

High Court judge Wan Ahmad Farid made his decision this morning after the originating summons was previously struck off on January 25 as no lawyer was present to appear for Azizee at the time.

The court then set February 28 for case management for an application by the AGC to transfer the case to the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

Shaharudin in a statement today said his client will challenge this application as they deemed the High Court in Kota Baru the appropriate venue for the matter.

“The intention of the application was to consolidate all vernacular cases to a specified Kuala Lumpur High Court.

“The Plaintiff will be opposing such application by the Attorney General’s Chambers because we take the position that the High Court of Kota Baru has the jurisdiction and is competent to determine the constitutional issues posed to the Court,’’ said Shahrudin.

Last year, two similar challenges were mounted by different groups to seek clarity on Article 152 of the Federal Constitution in relation to the use of the national language as the main medium of instructions in schools and to determine if Sections 17 and 28 of the Education Act violated the constitution.

In 2019, Putra vice-president Mohd Khairul Azam filed a similar lawsuit in his second attempt to have vernacular schools declared unconstitutional, after his first failed in November of that year.

In his lawsuit against the education minister and Malaysian government, Mohd Khairul Azam claimed Sections 28 and 17 of the Education Act are invalid due to alleged inconsistencies with Act 152 of the Federal Constitution.

In February of last year, the High Court had also allowed 14 organisations, including political parties such as MCA, MIC, Gerakan and education and language groups, to become part of Mohd Khairul Azam ‘s constitutional challenge.

Mohd Khairul was also represented by Shaharudin at the time.

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'Turkey is good option for studying abroad'

'Turkey is good option for studying abroad'

February 11, 2021

Turkey is a good option for students wanting to pursue an education abroad, according to a key Ukrainian official.

The Turkiye Scholarship program is an exceptional project and a very good option for Ukrainian students, said Sinaver Seyithalil, Ukraine’s deputy minister for the reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories, and also a one-time student in Turkey.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, he said that back in 2000 he had studied international relations at Istanbul’s Bogazici University and graduated with honors.

Later, he also became chair of the Turkey Alumni Association.

“There are more than 1,000 people who graduated from universities in Turkey. Most of them are from Crimea, but interest in Turkish universities is rising among [other] Ukrainians too,” he added, referring to the Black Sea peninsula now illegally occupied by Russia.

After living in Turkey for four years, Seyithalil said that Turkey became like his adopted country.

“Every time we come to Turkey, we feel like we arrived in our second home,” he said.

“We have many friends here and we want to deepen our ties.”

Seyithalil also said that one day Ukrainians will also return to their territory of Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014./aa

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Mauritania: Teachers want education minister removed

Mauritania: Teachers want education minister removed

February 11, 2021

Hundreds of teachers in Mauritania demanded the removal of the education minister Wednesday for remarks they said were "insulting."

The teachers rallied in front of the presidential palace in the capital, Nouakchott, during a cabinet meeting and raised banners that demanded the dismissal of Mohamed Melainine Ould Eyih.

The government has not yet commented about either the rally or the demand of the teachers.

Local media reported that Ould Eyih said last Saturday that an international group evaluated the education process in Mauritania and found only 4% of teachers had expertise.

Ould Eyih did not deny or confirm that he made the comments.

There are 11,449 teachers in Mauritania. The Education Ministry recently began a program to upgrade teachers' efficiency and capacity./aa

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Turkey: Scholarships for Azerbaijani martyrs' children

Turkey: Scholarships for Azerbaijani martyrs' children

February 08, 2021

Turkey's Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) is offering private scholarships to the children of Azerbaijanis martyred in clashes with Armenia, a Turkish official announced Sunday.

YTB chairman Abdullah Eren said on public broadcaster TRT Avaz that Turkey wanted to provide an education to the children of soldiers martyred in clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia for the region of Upper Karabakh and its surrounding areas last year.

Eren said the YTB would earmark a special capacity for such children in its Turkiye Scholarships program for undergraduate, graduate, research and language education opportunities in Turkey for international students and researchers.

As in every field, Turkey stands with its Azerbaijani brothers in the field of education as well, Eren added.

Liberation of Karabakh

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as an Azerbaijani territory, and seven adjacent regions.

Following the recent clashes on Sept. 27, the Armenian army launched attacks on civilians and Azerbaijani forces and violated several humanitarian cease-fire agreements.

On Nov. 10, the two countries signed a Russian-brokered agreement to end fighting and work toward a comprehensive resolution.

Despite the deal ending the conflict, the Armenian army several times violated the agreement and martyred several Azerbaijani soldiers and a civilian, as well as wounded few people, according to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

The truce is seen as a victory for Azerbaijan and a defeat for Armenia, whose armed forces have been withdrawing in line with the agreement./aa

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Biden describes closed schools and women leaving the workforce as 'a national emergency'

Biden describes closed schools and women leaving the workforce as 'a national emergency'

February 08, 2021

•             President Biden described school closures and women leaving the workforce as "a national emergency."

•             "I think it's time for schools to reopen safely," he said during a CBS interview.

•             Biden voiced concern about the mental health crisis that has been accelerated by the pandemic.

President Joe Biden said in an interview that aired on Sunday that long-term school closures and women leaving the workforce during the coronavirus pandemic are "a national emergency."

While speaking with "CBS Evening News" anchor Norah O'Donnell at the White House, Biden also voiced concern about the mental health crisis that has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

O'Donnell noted that roughly 20 million schoolchildren have been out of the classroom since for almost a year, and a recent CBS News report showed that nearly 3 million women have dropped out of the labor force since last year.

"It is a national emergency," Biden said of all three issues. "It genuinely is a national emergency."

When asked if schools should reopen, Biden stressed that they should reopen cautiously.

"I think it's time for schools to reopen safely," he said. "Safely. You have to have fewer people in the classroom. You have to have ventilation systems that have been reworked."

"Our CDC commissioner [Rochelle Walensky] is going to be coming out with science-based judgment, within I think as early as Wednesday as to lay out what the minimum requirements are," the president added.

Last month, Biden signed an executive order for the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services to devise guidelines to reopen schools safely within his first 100 days in office.

Biden said that he and his staff have had to get a handle on the work left by former President Donald Trump's administration when it came to the rollout of vaccines.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious-disease expert, said, in order to reach herd immunity, about 75% of Americans will need to be vaccinated.

O'Donnell said CBS News calculated that it would take until the end of 2021 to reach that level at the current vaccination rate of 1.3 million doses a day.

"We can't wait that long," Biden said. "One of the disappointments was when we came into office is the circumstance relating to how the administration was handling COVID was even more dire than we thought. We thought that indicated there was a lot more vaccine available, and that didn't turn out to be the case. That's why we've ramped up everywhere we can."

He added: "But the idea that this can be done and we can get to herd immunity much before the end of this summer is very difficult."

Since the pandemic began in the US, nearly 27 million people have been infected and over 463,000 people have died, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Business Insider

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Turkish charitable body to open school in Azerbaijan

Turkish charitable body to open school in Azerbaijan

February 06, 2021

A Turkish foundation focusing on education declared that it aims to open its first school in Azerbaijan in its capital Baku by the end of 2021.

Noting that an agreement has been settled for the school's opening, the chairperson of the Turkish Maarif Foundation, Prof. Birol Akgun, told Anadolu Agency that Turkey's national education minister would sign the agreement in the coming weeks in Ankara.

"We would like to open several schools in Azerbaijan and convey the globally qualified educational knowledge that we have to Azerbaijan's public as well," Akgun said.

He added that Azerbaijan would be the 44th country where the foundation has schools.

Akgun said the school to be opened in Baku would consist of grades from pre-school to high school. The foundation will also provide training to teachers of the school on the use of IT technologies, teaching experiences, and curriculum development.

Stating that Azerbaijan won a glamorous victory in Karabakh, which was also appreciated and celebrated by the Turkish public, he said, "We are ready for any support if there is anything that we can do in the field of education, concerning the re-building of Karabakh and re-establishing the social and civilian life there."

He added that they are getting prepared to open schools in Karabakh as well once Azerbaijan's government provides security and concludes the strategic planning of the population that will settle in the provinces in the region.

"We are ready to utilize all our knowledge for the development of our brothers and sisters there," Akgun remarked.

Turkish Maarif Foundation is an Ankara-based non-profit public educational foundation established in 2016 that aims to develop Turkey's international education arena, enhance cultural and civilizational interaction, and pave the way for achieving common well-being./aa

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