February 2019
When class sizes fall so does teachers’ pay
Making class sizes smaller sounds like a success story. But an international analysis of its impact shows unintended consequences – it often seems to mean lower pay for teachers and there isn’t much evidence that it brings better results. Reducing class sizes has been a popular policy in many countries, often supported by parents, politicians […]
Want to be a woman in science? Here’s advice from those who’ve gone before
Each year on February 11, the United Nations marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. It’s a chance to reflect on how the situation has improved for women working in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), and how much remains to be done. For instance, less than 30% of the world’s researchers […]
‘Breaking down walls not building them’
“Let’s put it this way, we’re interested in breaking down walls and not building them,” says Meric Gertler, president of the University of Toronto. The head of Canada’s top-ranked university has been in the UK on a recruitment drive, trying to scoop up international students. And he makes no secret of why his country has […]