From small-town Canada to a thriving teaching career in the heart of Europe, Tania’s journey is exactly the kind of adventure many aspiring TEFL teachers dream about—but few take the leap to pursue. After completing her 120-hour online course with myTEFL, she packed her bags, embraced the unknown, and landed in the Czech Republic, where new challenges, cultural discoveries, and meaningful connections awaited her. Her story is refreshingly honest—filled with a mix of real-life hurdles, personal growth, and the kind of rewarding moments that make it all worthwhile. Here’s Tania, sharing what it’s really like to build a life and career abroad:

There have been some stressful transition things for sure and the bureaucracy is real here, but once you understand it (as much as you can), it helps. I am actively learning Czech as well and that seems to get very positive responses from people.

So I am very lucky! I was offered a “full-time” position before I left at a language school in Ceske Budejovice. The school has been absolutely amazing for me and with me. I truly could not have been luckier. They are very excited to have me with them and I with them. I have confirmed now that they want me to stay and really never leave.

The help and generosity of their owner, Jasa, and the staff I cannot say enough good things about. On average I teach approximately 38-40 hrs a week. More if you include the two private clients I have.

Costs are pretty manageable if you are careful with money. I don’t compare it to Canada too often as I am living and earning in this currency. That being said, some things are less expensive than Canada and some things more. All in all, it is good. Housing is a bit of an issue right now, but I am working with a realtor to help navigate the system (currently looking for my own place).

The people I find are a bit standoffish, but for the most part, I have had little to no problems. Taking the time to learn their history and understand from their eyes, the better off people coming here would be. They are generous, kind, funny, inquisitive, and wonderful people with a culture that values education, family, and having a solid future for themselves and their families.

I teach a handful of classes online (business) and they’re going well. I was considering it to give me another edge. I am considering doing a CELTA course as well. To be honest, my plan is very long-term here. I love it.

I have not ever had such a rewarding job before! The number of connections I have gained, the lovely words from my students and their parents, and the students who have successfully passed their exams make me feel incredibly proud.

The post Tania’s myTEFL Journey appeared first on myTEFL.

From small-town Canada to a thriving teaching career in the heart of Europe, Tania’s journey is exactly the kind of adventure many aspiring TEFL teachers dream about—but few take the leap to pursue. After completing her 120-hour online course with myTEFL, she packed her bags, embraced the unknown, and landed in the Czech Republic, where new challenges, cultural discoveries, and meaningful connections awaited her. Her story is refreshingly honest—filled with a mix of real-life hurdles, personal growth, and the kind of rewarding moments that make it all worthwhile. Here’s Tania, sharing what it’s really like to build a life and career abroad:

There have been some stressful transition things for sure and the bureaucracy is real here, but once you understand it (as much as you can), it helps. I am actively learning Czech as well and that seems to get very positive responses from people.

So I am very lucky! I was offered a “full-time” position before I left at a language school in Ceske Budejovice. The school has been absolutely amazing for me and with me. I truly could not have been luckier. They are very excited to have me with them and I with them. I have confirmed now that they want me to stay and really never leave.

The help and generosity of their owner, Jasa, and the staff I cannot say enough good things about. On average I teach approximately 38-40 hrs a week. More if you include the two private clients I have.

Costs are pretty manageable if you are careful with money. I don’t compare it to Canada too often as I am living and earning in this currency. That being said, some things are less expensive than Canada and some things more. All in all, it is good. Housing is a bit of an issue right now, but I am working with a realtor to help navigate the system (currently looking for my own place).

The people I find are a bit standoffish, but for the most part, I have had little to no problems. Taking the time to learn their history and understand from their eyes, the better off people coming here would be. They are generous, kind, funny, inquisitive, and wonderful people with a culture that values education, family, and having a solid future for themselves and their families.

I teach a handful of classes online (business) and they’re going well. I was considering it to give me another edge. I am considering doing a CELTA course as well. To be honest, my plan is very long-term here. I love it.

I have not ever had such a rewarding job before! The number of connections I have gained, the lovely words from my students and their parents, and the students who have successfully passed their exams make me feel incredibly proud.

The post Tania’s myTEFL Journey appeared first on myTEFL.

From small-town Canada to a thriving teaching career in the heart of Europe, Tania’s journey is exactly the kind of adventure many aspiring TEFL teachers dream about—but few take the leap to pursue. After completing her 120-hour online course with myTEFL, she packed her bags, embraced the unknown, and landed in the Czech Republic, where new challenges, cultural discoveries, and meaningful connections awaited her. Her story is refreshingly honest—filled with a mix of real-life hurdles, personal growth, and the kind of rewarding moments that make it all worthwhile. Here’s Tania, sharing what it’s really like to build a life and career abroad:

There have been some stressful transition things for sure and the bureaucracy is real here, but once you understand it (as much as you can), it helps. I am actively learning Czech as well and that seems to get very positive responses from people.

So I am very lucky! I was offered a “full-time” position before I left at a language school in Ceske Budejovice. The school has been absolutely amazing for me and with me. I truly could not have been luckier. They are very excited to have me with them and I with them. I have confirmed now that they want me to stay and really never leave.

The help and generosity of their owner, Jasa, and the staff I cannot say enough good things about. On average I teach approximately 38-40 hrs a week. More if you include the two private clients I have.

Costs are pretty manageable if you are careful with money. I don’t compare it to Canada too often as I am living and earning in this currency. That being said, some things are less expensive than Canada and some things more. All in all, it is good. Housing is a bit of an issue right now, but I am working with a realtor to help navigate the system (currently looking for my own place).

The people I find are a bit standoffish, but for the most part, I have had little to no problems. Taking the time to learn their history and understand from their eyes, the better off people coming here would be. They are generous, kind, funny, inquisitive, and wonderful people with a culture that values education, family, and having a solid future for themselves and their families.

I teach a handful of classes online (business) and they’re going well. I was considering it to give me another edge. I am considering doing a CELTA course as well. To be honest, my plan is very long-term here. I love it.

I have not ever had such a rewarding job before! The number of connections I have gained, the lovely words from my students and their parents, and the students who have successfully passed their exams make me feel incredibly proud.

The post Tania’s myTEFL Journey appeared first on myTEFL.

Early childhood education is one of the smartest investments a society can make. Children who access quality pre-primary education arrive at school better prepared, stay longer and learn more. And yet, for millions of the world’s youngest learners, disproportionately those from the poorest households, access remains out of reach. A core reason, the 2026 GEM Report shows, is money. 

A decade of stalled progress 

The story of early childhood education in the 21st century is one of progress and stagnation. Globally, the net enrolment rate of children in the year before primary school increased by almost one percentage point per year, from 64% in 2003 to 74% in 2015. But since then, it has increased by just one percentage point over nearly a decade, largely affected by the disruption of the pandemic. Participation rates for all children of pre-primary age tell a similar story.

This could be seen as puzzling given that, over the same period, there have been efforts to remove cost barriers to early childhood education: the number of countries offering at least one year of free pre-primary education rose from 46 to 69 between 1999 and 2023. More countries have also made attendance compulsory. However, stagnating enrolment figures tell us this isn’t enough. 

Looking at changes in participation over time shows where the focus should lie. In Africa and Asia, enrolment in early childhood education has risen, but the absolute gap in participation rates between the richest and poorest children has barely moved in 20 years. 

A public spending gap 

One fundamental obstacle to equitable early childhood education is underfunding. Only 10 of more than 100 countries with data spend at least 1% of GDP on pre-primary education. Among 61 countries with comparable data, median public spending rose from 0.29% to 0.43% of GDP over two decades.  

The data do, however, offer a compelling case for investment. Roughly doubling public spending from around 0.25% to 0.5% of GDP is associated with approximately tripling participation rates in the year before primary school. When public provision falls short, families must pay, and those who cannot simply go without pre-primary education. Few other policy levers offer returns like that.  

With limited funding, targeting financing becomes essential. Alongside expanding infrastructure to improve access, one of the core messages to emerge from the analysis in the 2026 GEM Report is that equitable access to education requires equitable finance. Across-the-board allocations that treat all schools and all families equally will not close participation gaps. What is needed are redistribution mechanisms that deliberately direct resources toward those who need them most. 

Some countries that have made this connection are seeing the results. Latin America has some of the best designed equitable finance mechanisms globally. No doubt partly as a result of this, in eight countries, children from the poorest quintile managed to close the participation gap with their wealthier peers between 2000 and 2024.  

Targeted transfers and smart incentives 

A closer look at how countries are financing equitable access reveals a varied toolkit. 

Analysis for the 2026 GEM Report, which is featured on the PEER website, found that in addition to making it free, countries use three other mechanisms to make pre-primary education more affordable: transfers to institutions serving disadvantaged children (54%) and transfers to families either by the education ministry (26%) or some other ministry, usually social protection (55%).  While transfers to institutions are mainly aimed at assisting children with disabilities (59%), transfers to students and households focus primarily on poverty (92%). 

The argument for using cash transfers is backed by evidence. In rural Karnataka, India, scholarships that covered preschool fees raised participation by 20 percentage points, and saw cognitive gains persist into primary school. In El Salvador, children exposed to a conditional cash transfer programme from birth to age five or six were 12 percentage points more likely to be enrolled in preschool and 9 percentage points more likely to have completed at least one year. In France, Germany, and Norway, income-indexed fees, tax relief, and cash bonuses have helped bring low-income and immigrant families into the system. 

Lithuania offers a model worth examining more closely. The government funds 20 hours a week of pre-primary education for every child, regardless of which type of institution they attend. Where children attend for longer hours, the additional cost falls to the institution’s owner. Since 2020, free lunches have also been provided to all children in pre-primary education, regardless of family income. The result is a system that distributes public support broadly while maintaining flexibility. 

Some other promising tools remain massively underused. Preschool feeding programmes, for example, reach only around 2% of children in low-income countries and 13% in high-income countries. They are also rarely subject to systematic evaluation. 

A question about the private sector 

As demand for early childhood education has grown and public provision has struggled to keep pace, private providers have expanded their role. In one third of countries, private provision now accounts for more than half of total enrolment.  

The challenge is not private provision per se, but the terms on which it operates. The GEM Report’s mapping of country profiles on its PEER website in 2021 found that while around 81% of countries offer incentives to non-state actors and 58% subsidize private institutions, regulation often focuses on administrative compliance rather than equity outcomes. Only about half of countries regulate fees charged by private providers, and just 15% regulate profit making. Without stronger accountability frameworks, public subsidies for private providers risk expanding access for those who already have it, rather than reaching those who do not. 

The picture that emerges from the 2026 GEM Report is that countries which made the political and financial commitment to build comprehensive early childhood education systems have seen real results. 

What is needed is coherence. Legislation aligned with financing and financing aligned with equity goals. Isolated programmes can demonstrate what is possible. But only systemic, sustained investment that is directed deliberately toward those who have been left out the longest will make universal, high-quality early childhood education a reality rather than an aspiration. 

The post Ineffective financing is holding early childhood education back appeared first on World Education Blog.

Learning Hanzi enhances your pattern recognition by engaging your brain in ways the English alphabet doesn’t. While the English system relies heavily on phonetics, Chinese characters are logographic, requiring you to visually decode meaning through intricate symbols and components. This active engagement boosts memory retention and improves cognitive function. As you master characters, you cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Explore further to discover how these skills can be applied to everyday challenges and opportunities.

THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CHINESE CHARACTERS AND THE ENGLISH ALPHABET

While you might be familiar with the English alphabet’s straightforward phonetic structure, Chinese characters present a fundamentally different system of writing that relies on logographic elements. Each character encapsulates meaning, often drawing from cultural context, making them rich symbols rather than mere sounds.

In contrast, the English alphabet consists of letters that combine to form words, emphasizing phonetics over meaning. The character structure in Chinese can convey complex ideas through strokes and radicals, which often reflect their historical or cultural significance.

This nuanced approach to communication fosters a deeper appreciation for the language, allowing you to engage with the cultural heritage embedded in each character. Understanding these differences can enhance your perspective and broaden your linguistic horizons.

How Learning Hanzi Enhances Cognitive Skills

Learning Hanzi isn’t just about mastering characters; it greatly boosts your cognitive skills.

By engaging with complex visual symbols, you’ll notice improvements in memory retention, visual recognition, and problem-solving abilities.

This unique approach to language learning challenges your brain in ways that enhance overall cognitive function.

Improved Memory Retention

As you engage with the intricate characters of Hanzi, you’re not just memorizing symbols; you’re fundamentally enhancing your cognitive skills. The unique structure of these characters requires you to adopt effective memory techniques and retention strategies that improve your overall memory.

By breaking down each character into components, you develop a deeper understanding and a more robust mental framework. This active engagement trains your brain to recognize patterns, facilitating quicker recall and association.

Additionally, the challenge of remembering multiple strokes and meanings sharpens your focus, making it easier to retain information long-term. Ultimately, mastering Hanzi not only enriches your language skills but also empowers your cognitive abilities, granting you the freedom to think more critically and creatively.

Enhanced Visual Recognition

Mastery of Hanzi greatly enhances your visual recognition capabilities, sharpening your ability to identify and differentiate complex patterns.

As you immerse yourself in the intricacies of these characters, you start to notice subtle visual cues that might’ve gone unnoticed before. This heightened awareness improves your character recognition, allowing you to quickly distinguish between similar-looking symbols.

Each character embodies specific strokes and forms, demanding your attention to detail. Consequently, you develop a more acute sense of visual discrimination, which extends beyond Hanzi into other areas of your life.

The practice of recognizing these intricate characters trains your brain to process and categorize visual information more effectively, thereby enriching your cognitive skills and enhancing your overall perceptual acuity.

Better Problem Solving

While mastering Hanzi might seem like a niche endeavor, it greatly enhances your problem-solving abilities by training your brain to approach challenges with a more analytical mindset.

Learning these intricate characters cultivates cognitive flexibility, allowing you to adapt your thinking to various contexts. As you decipher the complexities of Hanzi, you develop a keen sense for recognizing patterns and making connections between seemingly unrelated concepts. This skill translates into everyday problem solving, where you can analyze situations from multiple angles and devise innovative solutions.

Additionally, the discipline required to learn Hanzi fosters persistence and critical thinking, essential components for tackling complex issues. Embracing this linguistic challenge ultimately empowers you to navigate life’s obstacles with greater confidence and creativity.

Why Visual Memory Matters for Spotting Patterns?

Visual memory plays an essential role in spotting patterns, especially when learning Hanzi, because it allows you to quickly recognize and recall complex shapes and structures.

By utilizing visual cues inherent in Hanzi, you enhance your ability to discern similarities and differences among characters. This skill is vital for effective communication and comprehension.

Memory techniques like chunking and visualization can further strengthen your retention, enabling you to connect abstract symbols to meaningful concepts.

As you practice, you’ll notice that your visual memory sharpens, making it easier to identify patterns not just in Hanzi, but in various aspects of life.

Ultimately, honing this skill liberates your cognitive capabilities, enhancing your overall learning experience.

HOW COMPLEX SYMBOLS FOSTER DEEPER LEARNING

Complex symbols like Hanzi invite deeper learning by challenging your brain to engage with intricate forms and meanings. This engagement promotes symbolic thinking, enhancing your cognitive development.

When you explore Hanzi, you’re not just memorizing characters; you’re deciphering layers of context and culture.

• Encourages abstract reasoning through complex structures
• Enhances memory retention with multi-faceted symbols
• Fosters connections between concepts and visual representation
• Stimulates creative problem-solving by analyzing intricate patterns

As you navigate these symbols, you reveal new pathways in your mind, fostering a richer understanding of language and thought.

Embracing this complexity empowers you to think critically and creatively, ultimately enriching your learning experience.

Applying Enhanced Pattern Recognition in Real Life

When you apply enhanced pattern recognition in daily scenarios, you reveal new strategies for problem-solving.

Visual learning not only aids in understanding complex information but also strengthens your memory retention.

Everyday Problem Solving

Enhanced pattern recognition plays an essential role in everyday problem solving, allowing you to identify solutions more efficiently across various scenarios. By honing this skill, you can apply effective problem-solving techniques tailored to your needs.

Consider these everyday applications:

• Navigating complex tasks: Break down challenges into manageable parts.
• Identifying patterns in data: Recognize trends to make informed decisions.
• Enhancing creativity: Generate innovative solutions by connecting seemingly unrelated ideas.
• Improving communication: Understand and interpret different perspectives more clearly.

Fostering your pattern recognition abilities not only simplifies daily challenges but also empowers you to approach problems with increased confidence and independence.

Embrace this skill, and watch how it transforms your problem-solving capabilities in everyday life.

Visual Learning Advantages

Visual learning offers significant advantages by tapping into your innate ability to recognize patterns, making information easier to absorb and retain.

When you engage in visual learning, you enhance your cognitive development by connecting concepts through images and symbols, like Hanzi characters. This method leverages your brain’s natural inclination to process visual stimuli, making complex ideas more accessible.

By associating visual elements with meaning, you create a mental framework that simplifies understanding, a method often reinforced in an online elementary school setting to strengthen early cognitive development. You’re not just memorizing; you’re building a rich tapestry of knowledge.

As you practice this approach, you’ll find it enhances not only your language skills but also your problem-solving abilities, allowing you to navigate real-life challenges with greater ease and creativity.

Enhanced Memory Techniques

Recognizing patterns not only aids in language learning but also serves as a powerful tool for enhancing memory techniques in everyday life.

By leveraging your pattern recognition skills, you can use mnemonic devices to improve retention and recall. Consider the following strategies:

• Chunking information: Break down complex data into smaller, manageable parts.
• Visual associations: Pair concepts with vivid images to create stronger mental connections.
• Rhymes and rhythms: Use musical patterns to make recall easier and more enjoyable.
• Storytelling: Craft narratives around information to make it more relatable and memorable.

These techniques not only boost your memory but also foster a deeper understanding of information, allowing you to navigate your world with greater freedom and efficiency.

Strategies for Mastering Hanzi and Retaining Knowledge

As you explore the intricacies of mastering Hanzi, employing effective strategies becomes essential for long-term retention. Start by utilizing mnemonic devices; they help you create vivid associations between characters and their meanings. For example, link a character’s shape to an image or a story.

Additionally, mastering stroke order is vital. It not only aids in writing but also enhances your understanding of the character’s structure. Practice writing each character repeatedly while paying attention to the correct sequence.

Combining these techniques with regular review sessions can greatly reinforce your memory. Engage in spaced repetition, revisiting characters after increasing intervals to solidify your knowledge. This proactive approach allows you to navigate the complexities of Hanzi with confidence and ease.

Overcoming Challenges in Learning Chinese Characters

While the journey of learning Chinese characters can be intimidating, identifying and addressing common challenges can greatly enhance your progress. Here are some challenges faced and effective learning strategies to overcome them:

• Complexity of Characters: Break them into components to simplify.
• Tonal Nuances: Practice with native speakers to improve pronunciation.
• Memory Retention: Use mnemonic devices to associate characters with images.
• Character Recognition: Regularly expose yourself to written material to reinforce familiarity.

Conclusion

To sum up, diving into the world of Hanzi might just turn you into a pattern-recognition superhero! By embracing the complexity of Chinese characters, you’re not just learning a language; you’re supercharging your cognitive skills and visual memory to levels you never thought possible. Imagine effortlessly spotting patterns in everything from art to mathematics! With the right strategies, mastering Hanzi can transform your brain into a powerhouse of knowledge, making you an unstoppable force in learning and beyond.

The post CHINESE CHARACTERS VS. ENGLISH ALPHABET: WHY LEARNING HANZI BOOSTS PATTERN RECOGNITION appeared first on myTEFL.

By Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China

Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized that ‘education is the bedrock of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation’. The Chinese government has always adhered to the principle of prioritizing education and is committed to developing equitable and quality education. In 2024, China convened the National Conference on Education, setting the strategic goal of building a leading country in education by 2035, making the promotion of equity and quality in education a national commitment, dedicating itself to ensuring that education provides solid support for modernization and the well-rounded development of individuals. As the primary hub for nurturing innovative talent, the main force in basic research, and a key source of major scientific and technological breakthroughs, the development and effectiveness of higher education are directly linked to the nation’s future. It is increasingly becoming one of a country’s most valuable assets. China is striving to translate these goals and commitments into concrete actions, comprehensively advancing the high-quality development of higher education.

First, meeting the needs of the people by continuously expanding the scale of higher education. From 1998 to 2025, the number of higher education institutions in China increased from 1,022 to 3,167, more than tripling. The number of enrolled students grew from 3.6 million to over 48 million, an increase of more than tenfold. The gross enrollment rate rose from 15% in 2002 to 30% in 2012, reaching 61.2% today, nearly doubling every decade. This marks China’s transition to a stage of universal access in higher education, representing a historic leap forward, as highlighted in the 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report, whose launch in Paris I attended on March 25. While expanding scale, we have continuously improved educational quality, increased the supply of undergraduate educational resources, promoted international cooperation in running schools, enabling more students to have access to quality higher education.

Second, advancing scientific and technological progress by vigorously enhancing the innovative quality of higher education. China has implemented a series of major national plans and initiatives to guide universities toward excellence and the pursuit of scientific breakthroughs. The country has launched programmes in fundamental disciplines and interdisciplinary breakthroughs to strengthen the scientific research foundation and cultivate young innovative talent in cutting-edge fields. New platforms, such as regional technology transfer centres, university science parks, advanced research institutes, and technology business schools, have been established, integrating practical teaching, scientific research, technology transfer, and innovation and entrepreneurship to create a robust innovation ecosystem. Continuous increases in R&D investment in higher education institutions have contributed significantly to enhancing the nation’s overall innovation capacity. China’s comprehensive ranking in the National Innovation Index now stands at 10th globally, to which higher education has made a vital contribution.

Third, supporting economic and social development by comprehensively improving the quality of talent cultivation in higher education. With its vast market and the world’s most complete industrial system, China has a massive and diverse demand for high-calibre talent. Each year, Chinese higher education institutions supply over 10 million graduates to society, more than half of whom specialize in STEM-related fields. Vocational education provides over 70% of the new high-quality, high-skilled talent for modern industries. Meanwhile, reforms to align talent supply with demand are actively promoted, exploring demand-oriented engineering education models. This has created a rich talent pool that enhances the resilience of China’s economy, making it a key driver of Chinese modernization and global innovation.

Fourth, promoting equity in education by effectively ensuring equitable access to higher education. China is committed to providing a safety net in education for youth, establishing a financial aid system for university students. With annual funding exceeding RMB 200 billion (USD 29.3 billion), covering nearly 47 million beneficiaries, this system ensures that no young person is deprived of education due to family poverty or is burdened by the costs of quality education. Special national enrolment programmes for rural and formerly impoverished areas have admitted 1.37 million students cumulatively. Simultaneously, the widespread application of intelligent technologies is being promoted, along with the development and implementation of the National Smart Education Platform, of which the international version has now covered over 200 countries and regions to make high-quality educational resources more accessible and inclusive, transcending geographical barriers.

China is currently implementing its 15th Five-Year Plan, driving educational reform and development toward the goal of building a leading country in education by 2035. This timeline aligns closely with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially SDG 4. Today, global scientific and technological innovation, economic development, and civilization progress face a series of new difficulties and challenges. In particular, the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, with new technologies like artificial intelligence profoundly reshaping modes of production and lifestyles. Humanity once again stands at a crossroads in history. As the wellspring of global civilization development and a key force that has enabled humanity to overcome numerous challenges and progress step by step, higher education should play an even greater role. In this regard, I would like to offer the following proposals.

First, promoting a shift in higher education toward greater emphasis on competency development and value guidance. Artificial intelligence is reshaping the educational ecosystem. Universities worldwide should place greater emphasis on cultivating students’ core competencies, such as critical thinking, interdisciplinary thinking, global perspectives, and the ability to address complex challenges. Efforts should be made to deeply integrate scientific and technological education with humanities education, fostering both a spirit of scientific exploration and a foundation of humanistic care. Balancing accessibility and quality, digital education and artificial intelligence should be effectively leveraged to provide equitable, high-quality educational resources for all learners, especially those in remote areas and from disadvantaged families, ensuring that no student is left behind due to the digital divide. Towards 2030, it is hoped that global higher education will adapt to these changes, guiding students to learn to know, learn to do, learn to live together, and learn to be, enabling them to skilfully utilize and transcend artificial intelligence, and grow into responsible individuals, problem-solvers, lifelong learners, and physically and mentally healthy individuals.

Second, promoting a greater emphasis on cross-sector integration in higher education. The world has entered an era of innovation intensity, characterized by significantly shortened innovation cycles, accelerating interdisciplinary integration, and a new innovation ecosystem defined by supply chain collaboration and technology clusters. In the face of the rapid iteration and application-led development of new technologies in the business sector, higher education can no longer remain insular. It must actively seek cross-sector collaboration with technology and industry. Towards 2030, it is hoped that global higher education will strengthen basic research and interdisciplinary integration, encouraging students to grow by solving real-world problems. Mechanisms that mutually support scientific and technological innovation and talent cultivation while driving high-quality disciplinary development should be explored. Collaboration among government, industry, academia, and finance should be expanded to accelerate the transformation and industrialization of scientific and technological achievements. This will further cultivate, discover, and create knowledge, translating it into commercial value and contributing forward-looking, pioneering solutions to sustainable economic and social development.

Third, promoting a greater emphasis on openness and cooperation in higher education. Education is a bridge for promoting dialogue among civilizations and fostering mutual understanding and trust. Today, challenges such as climate change, public health, energy security, and food crises threaten the achievement of the 2030 global sustainable development goals. Divergences and even conflicts in thinking and cultural values persist among different civilizations and nations. In an interconnected human community, the principles of openness and cooperation, understanding and trust, and innovation and creation among universities are values to uphold and directions to follow. Towards 2030, it is hoped that global higher education will join hands, engage in close exchanges and collaboration, collectively address humanity’s major challenges and global problems, directly tackle economic and social development issues, and jointly advance the reform and innovation of higher education to contribute to the progress of human civilization.

The post Developing higher education to support modernization appeared first on World Education Blog.

There’s a certain kind of traveler you can spot from a mile away. Not because they’re doing anything wrong, but because they’re doing everything in a very first-time way. Think: standing in the middle of a busy sidewalk staring at directions, eating dinner at 5pm in a country where restaurants don’t even open until 8, or gripping their backpack like it contains national secrets.

We’ve all been there. The good news is that most of these habits fade quickly once you spend more time in a place. The even better news is that once you recognize them, you can skip the awkward phase entirely and start traveling like you actually belong there.

Here are some of the biggest travel habits that instantly give you away and what to do instead.

1. Overplanning Every Minute of the Day

New travelers often feel like they need to “maximize” every second. Their days are packed with landmarks, tours, reservations, and backup plans. It looks efficient on paper, but in reality, it’s exhausting.

Locals do not live like this. They build their days around routines, not checklists. They leave space for spontaneity, for long lunches, for getting distracted.

If you want to blend in, loosen your grip on the schedule. Pick one or two things to do each day and let the rest unfold naturally. Ironically, this is when you find the places you actually remember.

This is also why people who stay longer in a country tend to experience it differently. When you’re not rushing out after a week, you naturally slow down and start living instead of just visiting.

2. Only Eating in “Safe” or Obvious Spots

If the menu has ten flags on it and a host trying to pull you in from the street, you’re probably in a tourist zone. New travelers gravitate toward places that feel familiar or easy to navigate, which often means missing out on the best food.

Locals usually eat at smaller, less obvious spots. Places where the menu might not be translated. Places that are busy for a reason.

A simple rule: if you hear more local language than English, you’re in the right place.

In countries like South Korea or Spain, some of the best meals happen in tiny, tucked away restaurants you would never find unless you were there long enough to wander. It’s one of those things that naturally improves the longer you stay somewhere.

3. Not Adjusting to Local Schedules

One of the fastest ways to stand out is to operate on your home country’s timeline.

Eating dinner at 6pm in Spain? You’ll be alone. Showing up to a café in South Korea expecting it to be quiet and relaxed at all hours? Not quite. Every place has its own rhythm.

Spain leans late. Thailand moves slower in the heat of the day. South Korea has a fast-paced, late-night culture, especially in cities.

Instead of forcing your routine onto a new place, shift your schedule to match it. You’ll not only blend in more, but you’ll also experience the culture in a way that feels much more natural.

4. Relying on Your Phone for Everything

Google Maps open at all times. Translators out mid-conversation. Constantly checking reviews before stepping into a place.

While these tools are helpful, over-reliance on them can make you look and feel disconnected from your surroundings.

Locals don’t move through their city glued to a screen. They recognize landmarks. They ask for directions. They get a little lost sometimes and that’s normal.

Try memorizing a route before you leave. Put your phone away when you can. Even small changes like this make you look more confident and help you feel more present.

5. Dressing for the “Idea” of Travel

There’s a certain “traveler uniform” that tends to stand out. Hiking shoes in a major city. Overly sporty outfits in places where locals dress more polished. Backpacks that scream tourist.

In many destinations, people dress with intention, even casually. In Spain, style leans effortless but put-together. In South Korea, fashion is a big part of everyday life. Even in more relaxed places like Costa Rica, locals dress for the environment in a way that feels natural, not performative.

You don’t need to completely change your style, but observing what people around you wear and adjusting slightly can go a long way.

6. Sticking Only to Tourist Areas

It’s easy to stay within the “safe zone” of a city. The main squares, the popular neighborhoods, the places you’ve seen online.

The problem is that these areas are often the least representative of what life there is actually like.

The moment you step a few streets away, everything changes. Prices drop. The pace shifts. The experience becomes more real.

This is something people quickly discover when they spend extended time abroad. Living and working in a place naturally pushes you beyond the surface level and into the everyday rhythm of the city.

7. Treating Travel Like a Performance

Documenting every moment. Taking photos before experiencing something. Choosing places based on how they’ll look rather than how they feel.

It’s understandable, especially in a social media-driven world, but it can take away from the experience itself.

Locals aren’t curating their day for an audience. They’re just living it.

Try flipping the order. Experience first, capture later. Or don’t capture at all. Some of the best moments are the ones that never make it to your camera roll.

8. Being Afraid to Engage

New travelers often hesitate to interact beyond what’s necessary. Ordering food feels intimidating. Asking questions feels awkward. Small talk feels out of reach.

But in reality, most people are more open than you expect. Even with a language barrier, simple interactions go a long way.

A smile, a basic greeting, an attempt at the local language. These small efforts are often appreciated and can completely change your experience.

This is another area where longer stays make a huge difference. The more time you spend in a place, the more comfortable these interactions become. You stop feeling like an outsider and start feeling like part of the environment.

So How Do You Stop Looking “New”?

It comes down to one thing: time.

The habits that give you away are usually the result of short-term travel. When you’re only somewhere briefly, it’s natural to rely on plans, stick to familiar spaces, and move quickly.

But when you stay longer, everything shifts. You develop routines. You find your spots. You start recognizing faces. You relax into the place instead of trying to conquer it.

That’s why so many travelers end up looking for ways to extend their time abroad, whether that’s through remote work, study, or opportunities that let them live in a destination rather than just pass through it.

If you’ve ever felt like a place only started to make sense right before you had to leave, you’re not alone.

Sometimes the difference between feeling like a tourist and feeling like you belong is simply giving yourself enough time to cross that line.

The post Travel Habits That Instantly Give Away That You’re New (And How to Blend In Anywhere) appeared first on myTEFL.

By Dr. Yevhen Kudriavets, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine

The 2026 GEM Report by UNESCO shows the extent to which conflict, attacks and insecurity set education back. More than one in six children worldwide live in conflict-affected areas, according to the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).  Education in war-affected regions is always challenging, even when resources are available. Lessons are interrupted, schooling is forced online, learning losses accumulate, and some children even drop out.

Ukraine knows this from its own experience, having endured more than four years of full-scale Russian war. However, the country has not only maintained but continued developing its education, ensuring that no child or young person is left out of school, whether in frontline regions or abroad. Ukraine’s education policy is guided by the principle that ‘every learner is designed in’, and digital education tools have become a lifeline in making this possible.

This hard-won expertise must be shared. By offering its lessons in education in emergencies, Ukraine seeks to help other countries adopt similar solutions and reduce the time children are left without access to education during crises.

1. Digital learning centres: access to education even in the most dangerous areas

In frontline communities and high-risk zones, returning to in-person schooling remains temporarily impossible. Many children lack stable internet, electricity or a safe place to study.

To address this, Ukraine introduced Digital Learning Centres (DLCs), compact ‘mini-schools’ fully equipped with digital tools that also function as bomb shelters. Development partners quickly embraced this initiative. DLC is a cost-effective solution (around USD 70,000 to establish), while delivering impact comparable to rebuilding an entire school. For the primary restoration of educational access, it is exactly what is needed. Over 400 such centres operate across 17 regions.

2. Device coalition: ensuring no student is left offline

In regions where severe security conditions make in-person learning impossible, education can only be accessed online. However, not all families can afford the necessary devices. Ukraine addressed this by launching the Device Coalition, uniting numerous donors and technology giants, such as Google, HP and Apple. As a result, over 280,000 devices have been provided to students and teachers.

Sustainability is a key principle, as devices are transferred to schools and issued to students for temporary use, allowing the same device to serve multiple children over time.

3. When blackouts disrupt learning

Even with devices, access to education is not guaranteed. The Russian Federation’s ongoing targeting of critical energy infrastructure causes prolonged blackouts and disrupts internet connectivity.

As constant outages make synchronous learning (Zoom or Teams) impossible, Ukraine deployed the All-Ukrainian School Online and interactive textbook apps. These platforms allow students to download video lessons, tests and materials to study completely offline, ensuring uninterrupted access to the Ukrainian curriculum from anywhere.

4. Returning to safe in-person learning using a data-driven approach

Despite the success of digital solutions, Ukraine’s priority remains returning children to safe, in-person education. Building underground schools and shelters is central to this effort. Digital tools play a key role in this process as well. To identify the safest locations in frontline regions, the government partnered with Palantir to analyze educational and security data and develop a risk assessment methodology.

This data-driven approach ensures sites are both safe and accessible to the most children, optimizes state budget use, and guides donors toward the most impactful investments. Thanks to this strategy, over 100 underground schools have been built, with more than 200 planned by the end of 2026.

5. Averting a lost generation: the assessment crisis

With the onset of full-scale war, conducting traditional paper-based graduation examinations became dangerous and impossible, as millions of students were displaced internally or abroad. Canceling examinations entirely would have risked the collapse of the higher education system.

To address this, Ukraine developed the National Multi-Subject Test on a secure, cloud-based platform and held in Temporary Examination Centres, equipped with bomb shelters, synchronously across Ukraine and in dozens of partner locations in Europe, the United States, and Canada. This digital solution preserved a transparent admissions process and maintained the critical ‘school-to-university’ pathway for hundreds of thousands of students, regardless of where they were displaced.

Digital solutions in education can be a game-changer for ensuring access in emergencies. Ukraine has developed these solutions and is ready to share its expertise, ensuring that, no matter the crisis, every child’s right to learn is preserved.

The post Every learner should be designed into policies: Ukraine’s digital solutions for access to education in emergencies appeared first on World Education Blog.

By Oluwaseun Oyindamola Ogunleye, University of Michigan

In November 2025, the Federal Government reinstated English as the exclusive medium of instruction at all levels. While English already functions as Nigeria’s official language, this decision reversed the 2022 National Language Policy, which sought to preserve indigenous languages and promote their inclusion in education. The 2022 policy was welcomed as a long-overdue effort to align schooling with Nigeria’s extraordinary linguistic diversity, over 500 languages, and to address the absence of a coherent national language framework. Its emphasis on implementation and linguistic equity marked a shift away from colonial legacies embedded in education. The 2025 reversal raises important questions about equity, access, and the social purpose of schooling.

Nigeria’s National Policy on Education describes education as a tool for social and economic reconstruction, as well as a way to integrate individuals into their communities, nation and the world. Education in the policy is framed both as a pathway to employment and as central to identity, social belonging and global participation.

Yet globally, many education systems fall short of this ideal. Millions of learners are taught in languages they do not speak fluently, something that has negative implications for their ability to learn the foundations when in school, which is a critical building block for later learning and success  In Nigeria, these challenges are intensified by scale: about 18 million children are currently out of school. It is in this context that Nigeria’s renewed English-only policy must be understood.

Colonial legacies and linguistic inequity

The dominance of English in Nigeria did not emerge naturally. During colonial rule, English became linked to administration, schooling and elite mobility. While missionaries sometimes used local languages in early education, this was often a strategic tool rather than a commitment to linguistic inclusion. Over time, English proficiency became a gateway to socioeconomic opportunity, producing a small English-speaking elite.

After independence, English remained the official language, framed as a neutral solution for managing diversity and promoting unity. Yet this choice continued to marginalize communities whose languages were excluded from schooling and governance. It has contributed to language loss, cultural erosion and unequal access to education.

The 2022 National Language Policy emerged to address these inequities. But in 2025, in defending the policy reversal, Nigeria’s Minister of Education claimed that mother-tongue instruction had contributed to declining performance on national examinations such as WAEC, NECO, and JAMB, insisting that ‘evidence, not emotions’ should guide education policy.

Can mother tongue instruction negatively impact test scores?

Such an argument has some challenges.

Firstly, framing educational ‘excellence’ only through test scores risks reinforcing existing inequalities and overlooking the deeper purposes of schooling.

Secondly, national examinations are not conducted in indigenous languages; therefore, poor performance cannot be credibly attributed to mother-tongue instruction. The possibility of translating these examinations into indigenous languages should also be considered as part of a more linguistically equitable assessment framework.

Accountability is another concern. The 2022 policy stated it would be reviewed every ten years. Only three years later, the government enacted an early reversal. This shift undermines policy stability, calls into question transparency and the investments schools and communities made in implementing the 2022 reforms, as well as points to possible implications for the long-term democratic foundations of educational policymaking.

The recent policy reversal also cites making Nigerian education more globally competitive as a rationale, with the expectation of improving outcomes and opportunities. By cultivating global citizenship education, prioritizing humanistic and social justice values over competition, and implementing locally grounded policies that safeguard linguistic dignity, education can generate equitable, context-sensitive outcomes. Such a reframing has the potential to be transformative for language policy and education, while enabling problem-solving approaches that respond to local needs and layered socio-cultural and economic realities.

Prioritizing third spaces to safeguard mother tongue

The recent policy reversal affects more than test scores. It shapes how young people understand themselves, how communities pass knowledge across generations, and whether education serves as a tool for inclusion or exclusion. Yet, there are pathways forward. Imagine a third space, a learning environment that complements formal schooling and is shaped by partnerships among communities, educators, and peers. Third spaces include after-school programmes, student-led language labs, community centres, digital platforms and youth-led initiatives. These spaces are especially important where state systems fall short. Grounded in linguistic justice, youth agency and collective problem-solving, such spaces stand in contrast to a policy that returns to English-only instruction.

Across Nigeria, youth-centred third spaces have the potential to sustain mother-tongue education even amid policy reversals. Through fostering sociocultural literacy, project-based learning, intergenerational collaboration and cross-regional dialogue, these spaces would support linguistic competence while fostering critical perspectives on equity, access and global citizenship.

Reclaiming education’s social purpose

The goal is not to exclude English, but to ensure it does not override the broader social mission of education. The 2022 policy sought to preserve indigenous languages, promote literacy and increase school participation, especially in areas where English proficiency is limited. By prioritizing English as the sole medium of instruction, the 2025 policy risks undermining these objectives.

For educators, this means treating classrooms and after-school programmes as spaces for critical inquiry into language, power and history. For policymakers and global education actors, it means recognizing third spaces as legitimate educational infrastructure, especially where millions of children remain outside formal schooling.

Ultimately, the future of linguistic justice in Nigeria will be shaped by policy conversations alongside the ongoing work of educators, students and communities who sustain languages and the knowledge they carry, often mitigating or responding to policy decisions when they risk undermining linguistic expression.

The post Unlocking potential amid Nigeria’s return to English-only education appeared first on World Education Blog.

By Kadija Gul, Senior Research Assistant at the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) and Sajid Ali, the Amir Sultan Chinoy Professor and Director of Research at Aga Khan University,

In Pakistan much of the educational discourse continues to revolve around the millions of children who never make it to school. However, what about those who are officially enrolled but still missing from the classroom? This blog takes a closer look at this concern, reflecting the findings we compiled after extensive field visits to schools across Sindh province, interviewing headteachers as part of a large-scale research study sponsored by the Data and Research in Education – Research Consortium.

Seasonal child labour

“In this season, children get the seasonal opportunity to work in the fields so they can earn a few hundred rupees on a daily basis.” (Headteacher1)

According to school heads, one of the most prominent reasons for children’s regular absence is that they often work as seasonal labourers in farms, especially during the planting and harvesting seasons. One official child labour survey estimates that over half of children aged 5 to 17 work in agriculture, forestry and fishing in Sindh province. These children remain absent from the classrooms for weeks and months, often pushed into child labour due to their poor circumstances. They miss out on classroom activities and are sometimes even dismissed due to low annual attendance. Many other developing countries face similar challenges.

Family movements

“Working parents move to cities for work opportunities, taking their children with them, which also affects students’ education. Spending weeks away from school causes their learning loss and a few never come back to school as they permanently migrate with their families.” (Headteacher 2)

Another explanation for children’s absences is family relocation or migration for seasonal work, financial gain or in emergencies. The Assessment Capacities Project reports that floods in Pakistan displaced around 3.5 million people, while in Sindh more than 140,000 people were displaced following major flooding in August 2024. In South Asia, seasonal and temporary migration is becoming more common than permanent migration due to economic vulnerabilities and urbanization. The pull by cities triggers these migratory patterns, promising higher economic prospects combined with low prospects in rural areas. In Pakistan, over 8.5 million people have migrated within regions. While moving for work may help sustain livelihoods, or is unavoidable when related to disasters, it unintentionally disrupts children’s education.

Traditional gender roles and responsibilities

“Girls are expected to look after their younger siblings and perform domestic chores, especially during the harvesting season which forces them to stay at home.”(Headteacher 2)

Girls’ education and school dropout continue to be major global concerns. The GEM Report and UIS estimate that 133 million females do not attend primary, lower secondary or upper secondary education. In the Sindh province, girls are often absent due to domestic responsibilities and looking after younger siblings. These traditional gender roles co-exist with multiple socio-cultural barriers such as early marriage conservative norms and safety or distance from school concerns that exclude girls even when schools exist. Absenteeism due to socio-cultural barriers eventually limits girls’ progression and becomes a reason for their dropping out and not transitioning to secondary grades.

Overlapping madrasa timings with schools

“Children prefer going to madrasa during school hours and spend time there. We have requested religious leaders for change in madrasa hours so children can attend both madrasa and School.” (Headteacher 3)

School heads mentioned the preferences of children to attend madrasas during school term, something that other studies confirm. In many Muslim majority countries, there is a debate on integrating school and madrasa education. For instance, research has looked at countries that have tested collaborative approaches, such as in Indonesia and Malaysia, showing how they can foster critical thinking, interfaith harmony, civic duty and economic empowerment while bridging the gap between Islamic beliefs and modern educational expectations.

Conclusion

Despite growing concern for out-of-school children, the issue of absenteeism among enrolled students, which the 2026 GEM Report warns is a precursor to eventual dropout, receives less attention. Understanding how these factors affect children’s classroom participation and academic performance is essential. In this context, the Sindh Government’s Student Attendance Monitoring and Redress System (SAMRS) represents a progressive initiative to monitor and address these issues effectively. The regular absence of enrolled children seems to be prevalent in many developing countries. Learning from Sindh’s early warning system offers a good way forward.

The post Officially enrolled, yet out of school in Pakistan appeared first on World Education Blog.