2 . To encourage all students to get an education, even if their parents can’t afford it, a primary school in the Indian state of Chahattisgarh is asking parents to simply plant saplings (树苗) instead of paying school fees. The parents have to take care of the sapling and plant a new one if it dies. Compared with the cost of traditional school fees, it’s a small price to pay. And it comes with the added bonus of helping improve local air quality.

The school is Shiksha Kuteer in the city of Ambikapur in the east of the country. It is reported that at least 35 students between the ages of five and six are studying there. The initiative was set up by a group of local professionals and business owners in response to India’s rapidly increasing education fees. “Shiksha Kuteer has opened in the village for students who have no money to pay fees,” local villager Sevak Das said.

The government now spends just 3.9 percent of its budget on education, which means parents are left to pay for high school fees, as well as paying for books and other school things. A national survey made last year showed that between 2011 and 2017, private expenditure (支出) increased by 175 percent to $100 per student each year. That might not sound like a lot, but for many families, particularly in poor areas, it’s not affordable, especially at the primary school level. The lack of government spending is damaging the education system, too. The 2017 Annual Status of Education report found that nearly 20 percent of Grade 2 students, aged seven to eight, didn’t recognize the numbers between one and nine.

But by offering such a way to get students into schools, Shiksha Kuteer is encouraging education in everyone. 700 saplings have been planted across the village over the last year and more and more people in other areas would like to adopt such an approach.

4 . Schooling is not only about studying but also having fun. Education is best offered if learning is made fun. It is students being not overburdened with the school curriculum and being able to devote enough time to the overall personality development that matter. It is thus important for school officials to encourage the active participation of students in sports. These activities at school act as a major part of school schedule and also help create an environment that is beneficial to the general growth and development of young minds. There are various sports and leisure activities that can be planned for school students.

Sports are an essential part of a school curriculum. In spite of the grade a student is studying in, sports are a must. And it is needless to state the importance of sports in school. They help in building up the much-needed team spirit among students. They help in educating a sportsman spirit in children and serve as an effective method to bring children together from different cultural backgrounds.

Gymnastics, swimming competitions, tennis and badminton tournaments, cricket and soccer matches and inter-class sports events can be organized in schools. Sports enthusiasts can participate in these events, while those not participating can be a part of the cheering team. Kids are sure to enjoy activities like cycling, running races, skating and other fun games.

Wondering how schooling is associated with leisure activities? Well, you are mistaken if you believe that schooling is only about class assignments and homework. School education is much more than that. In fact, it is about helping the students learn the important lessons of life. It aims at their overall development which includes developing moral values and principles in them. Devoting their entire schedule to studies and examinations defeats the purpose of an effective school education. It is very important to include some leisure activities in the school’s weekly schedule.

Sports and leisure activities are about making fruitful use of time in a creative way. They are the best way to find hidden talent, cultivate bright minds and encourage innovation. School years are the funding years of one’s life. They need to be filled with fun and excitement so that children have an ideal beginning to the “long journey” ahead.

5 . We believe that there is more to education than preparation for a job. Children must be prepared for all aspects(方面) of their future work, personal relationships, creative activities, dealing with money matters, independence, and parenthood.

But it would be unrealistic(不现实的) to provide an education which took no consideration of the needs of employers.

What type of training does the business world regard as important?

Many young people applying for jobs were, in the employers’ opinions, very weak in the basic skills of handwriting, grammar and spelling. “Though additional education at university level improved the students’ general ability,” a report states, “in basic skills the standards remained stubbornly low.”

There are different opinions about whether standards have gone down in recent years. What is certain is that employers do not believe the standards are now high enough. Do technological changes make greater demands upon the students’ abilities?

We should also remember that the job expectations of young people have increased. Girls who would have once become shop assistants or hairdressers now want to be secretaries. Boys who sought an apprenticeship (学徒工作) 20 years ago now desire to have an engineering degree. But it is still the same girls and boys with the same degree of ability. No wonder there are problems in reaching the “necessary standards” of the business world.

Many employers believe that it is important for teachers to have experience outside the world of college and school. They should work for a while at some other kinds of job “to see how the world of business is different from their own”. The teaching occupation and society in general need a greater understanding of manpower needs and therefore of “the desired” direction of the education system.

7 . The world has changed greatly since Herman Fisher met Irving Price and Helen Schelle in 1930. The trio (三人组) founded Fisher-Price, maker of popular toy series such as Thomas & Friends, Power Wheels, and Little People. Companies like Fisher-Price are exploring how the world of toys and parenting will change with the development of technology. Fisher-Price recently cooperated with Continuum, a global innovation designer. Together, they created a short video called The Future of Parenting, along with a short essay explaining the thoughts behind the video.

One thought of the video explores how parenting will change when the teens of today raised with data-providing devices such as Fitbit and iPad begin raising kids of their own. Is this a generation that will desire data in all of their kids’ toys? The answer may be “yes” and perhaps the product appearing in the video will appeal to them.

If you interpret the video as a clear vision of the future of parenting, you won’t be blamed for fearing holograms (全息图) will take over your house as a mom or dad. The benefit of holograms in the video is their potential for giving traditional toys the ability to personalize responses, depending on the age and development of the child playing with the traditional toy.

Of course, you might ask yourself, “Do data-providing toys have an advantage over traditional toys in terms of their effects?” The answer may be negative. Lego, a traditional brick toy-maker, on all counts remains a successful company. And studies point out its toys’ benefits to children’s creativity. In addition, recent research demonstrates that toys containing data can potentially prevent language development, compared with traditional puzzles and bricks.

On the one hand, parents know that they should limit their kids’ screen time to keep them healthy, and the American Academy of Pediatrics offers guidance on daily screen time. On the other hand, technology can be wonderfully engaging and can provide excellent educational opportunities for children. Nothing is perfect and we should embrace every aspect of a new thing.

8 . Why is science education important in our schools? Science is everywhere.     1     As children grow up in an increasingly technologically and scientifically advanced world, they need to be scientifically literate (有文化的) to succeed. Ideally, teaching the scientific method to students is teaching them how to think, learn, solve problems and make informed decisions.     2    

Governmental guidelines and tests often focus on middle and high school level STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.     3     Not only does science education teach young learners problem-solving skills that will help them throughout their schooling, it also engages them in science from the start.

Kids usually form a basic opinion about the sciences shortly after beginning school. If this is a negative opinion, it can be hard to engage those students in science as they grow older.     4     By doing so, students will be encouraged to learn the sciences throughout school.

    5     It connects students’ lives with important problem-solving and critical (批判性的) thinking skills. Teaching these skills through science education gives students the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in school and beyond.

10 . More than 80 colleges are creating a website where students will be able to apply to dozens of them. Some of the top names in higher education are joining the effort under a group called the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success, whose goal is to simplify the application process, especially for low-income students.

The website not only gives students one place to send their applications, but also gives them tools to get started years in advance. On the site, students will be able to request advice from college admissions offices and they can create digital portfolios(文件夹) with the help of their teachers and instructors.

Members of the coalition(联盟) include private universities such as Harvard and Stanford and public counterparts such as the University of Virginia, University of Florida and Ohio State University. The colleges came together to fix a problem: Complex admissions processes deter students from applying and those who come from low-income families can’t afford the instructors and classes within reach of their wealthier peers. High schools, for example, can already buy software to help instructors track their students through the application process, but many can’t afford it.

More than 600 colleges now accept the standardized Common Application. Unlike the Common Application, which aims to create a uniform application process among schools, the new website aims to help students dive deeper into many distinct applications. It will give them a place to store their checklists and essays and invite anyone to provide feedback and edit.

Each college will have its own portal(入口) where students can submit applications, but they’ll all be accessible through the same site. The portfolio tool will let students add any extra information they want. Artists can include samples of their work and musicians can link to performance videos.