Education RSS : Gourt

When the awareness transcends

About two years ago I was introduced to a form of Tai Chi called Tai Chi Chur. And I took on the process with an open heart. And what I discovered was that after meditating for periods of weeks, off and on for months, I noticed an incredible amount of negativity come out in me. In fact, I noticed events in my life becoming more chaotic. And I’m wondering: What is this stuff that you start to access? And in a way, I don’t really do much of this Tai Chi Chur anym [...]

To know yourself

Meditation sounds like being selfish. It sounds like it’s all about the individual, and it doesn’t matter what the rest of the world is or wants. No. It’s opposite of selfish, because we’re like light bulbs. And you go into a room where a couple has just had a violent argument: you can feel that. You can feel that; it’s not pleasant. You go into a room where someone just finished meditating, and it’s a beautiful [...]

Enlivening consciousness

I’m curious about consciousness. From what I heard, when we engage in Transcendental Meditation, one goes through layers of the mind and achieves unity at the bottom. I’m curious to know what impure consciousness is. It sounds like we’re going from a world of diversity, with difference, down to a world of no difference. But the world is full of difference, and that’s not necessarily bad. No, it’s so beautiful! There&r [...]

Transcendental Meditation, Vedic language, and consciousness

I have a kind of a two-part question. One: I have heard how much dreams influence and inspire your work, but I heard somewhere that it’s not the dreams that occur while sleeping as it is, say, daydreaming—dreams while conscious. Okay: so that’s true enough, I suppose—that was the first part, whether that was true or not. And the second part is, how much that can be related to your practice of Transcendental Meditation—does that come out of you [...]

Meditation and creativity

Does meditation help you get ideas for your movies? I made Mulholland Drive, as some of you know, for a continuing story on television. So Mulholland Drive was going to be—this particular thing was going to be—the pilot: open-ended, and make you want to see, you know, more and more. And so ABC saw this, and I heard this story: the man who was making the decision saw it at 6:00 a.m.—watching television across the room, saw the thi [...]

Bringing Transcendental Meditation to children today

I’m wondering: in this world of today, where children are being raised over cell phones—they don’t have really any time to reflect on their lives—how are you planning on bringing Transcendental Meditation to our youth? It’s a big question. Transcendental Meditation is a mental technique, very easy and effortless to do, yet supremely profound in that it allows any human being to dive within—all the way in—t [...]

Field of all possibilities

Do you believe that once one has the ability to access this ocean of consciousness that one has the ability to manifest one’s own interactions with their surroundings? Meaning that, you know, this person is aware that they have tapped into this pool of consciousness, but it’s no longer limited to their own experience; it’s literally spilling out to the rest of their surroundings. It’s almost as if they’re already aware of what is going on, and [...]

Transcendental Meditation and consciousness expansion

You’ve mentioned the benefit of Transcendental Meditation as being like a sort of consciousness expansion. My question is: Do you think there’s any other way to induce that consciousness expansion, like illicit substances or art, or any other suggestions you might have? No. The thing is, there’s experience, there’s information, there’s intellectual knowledge. But consciousness isn’t an intellectual knowledge. Th [...]

World peace, war, and social mobility

I have a question regarding world peace: What do you think about war sometimes being a necessity for social mobility? This thing about world peace: I’ve heard that Maharishi had a technology to amplify, enliven, so much unity through a peace-creating group that it could bring harmony and coherence—real peace—to the world. And real peace is not just the absence of war. Real peace is the absence of those seeds of war—negativi [...]

Meditation and the story

I have a question about story. When you’re in meditation, the process of story—does it come to you visually? When I watch your films, they are like a meditation to me. And you use colors, and you use rhythm, and you use timing, and you also—your stories are surprising and always revealing. And I wonder how your meditation influences you in that way, and how you convey that on the set to the actors—how do you all work together to bring that to light? [...]

What is the field of consciousness?

Can you explain about consciousness? The field of consciousness, the field of pure consciousness, as explained by Dr. John Hagelin, is also known as the Unified Field—the Unified Field found at the base of all matter. And it’s found at the base of all mind, at the source of thought. And this Unified Field is also beyond space and time. It’s unbounded and eternal; it’s beyond duality. It’s oneness; it’s unity. An [...]

Drugs or meditation

Have you ever used hallucinogenic drugs for inspiration, or have you done it entirely through meditation? I have smoked marijuana. But I don’t smoke it any more. And I was pretty lucky—and it’s a true thing. You know, I went to art school in the ’60s. So you can imagine what was going on. And yet my friends were the ones: they said, “No, no, no, David: don’t you take those drugs.”

How do ideas become a script?

How do you find your ideas, and how do you form them into a script? That’s a beautiful question. I think a desire for an idea is like a bait. And I say it’s like fishing. You desire an idea. And when you go fishing, you know you have to have patience. And you bait your hook, and then you just kind of wait. But the desire is that bait that pulls those fish in—those ideas. And the beautiful thing is: when you catch one fish that yo [...]

Music and consciousness

Can you explain how you use music to transform consciousness within your story? But it doesn’t expand—music doesn’t expand consciousness. The only thing that expands consciousness… You know, they have these so-called “consciousness raising” groups. What they’re doing is sharing information, or giving information. It doesn’t raise consciousness. Consciousness can be raised only by experiencing that d [...]

Does meditation protect you?

How can you just so fully commit to the violent, dark nature of life—mostly in Twin Peaks, I think, and all of them—how can you be so committed to that darkness without being harmed by it? And how does meditation help you with that? In a way—this is a strange thing, but it’s a true thing in my experience–bliss is like a flack jacket. Bliss is like a protecting thing. If you have so much bliss, they say it’s [...]

Where to meditate, even on location

Could you share your technique for being able to meditate twice a day while you’re shooting your films? Yes. I wanted this meditation. And I think that the key is this desire for it. And where it came from, you know, I don’t know for sure, but I wanted it. And so I have never missed a meditation in those 32 years, twice a day, morning and afternoon. You wake up, you do your meditation, and then you go about your business. And in the ev [...]

On the way to Enlightenment

Have you been enlightened? I’m not enlightened, I have to tell you. But on the way to enlightenment, the good news is: every day gets better. When you experience this consciousness, this ocean of consciousness has qualities. And those qualities are bliss. They call it sometimes “bliss consciousness.” And you can dive in and get wet with this bliss consciousness. And it expands. Inner happiness grows. It’s so beautiful. It&r [...]

Transcendental Meditation over the years

How has your meditation evolved over the years—from a different experience each time, or gone back to the same thing? With Transcendental Meditation, it’s been my experience, and talking to others their experience as well, you’re an expert from your first meditation. And we could start talking about consciousness. Consciousness is this quite abstract thing. And it’s—yet the number one i [...]

The start of Transcendental Meditation

How did you get interested in meditation?When I first heard about meditation, I had zero interest in it. And I’d hear it, but I wasn’t even curious about it. I was not for it nor against it; I just didn’t care to know about it.And I had these phrases coming that we all hear, that “True happiness doesn’t exist out there; true happiness lies within.” And that phrase always got me. But in that [...]

The truth is the truth

When I listen to you talk about Transcendental Meditation, I like everything about it. But I am a devout Christian, and Transcendental Meditation comes from a tradition totally different from Christianity—Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was a Hindu monk. I feel I’m ready to learn TM, but I can do it only I reconcile it with my beliefs. I was raised Presbyterian. I respect people who are religious, and I think they find something there that’s beautiful. There’s truth there [...]

Gunman arrested at elementary school

A gunman who had been on the lam for a week held 11 fifth-graders hostage at a school Friday but was tackled outside a classroom without any harm to the children, police said.

College costs rise

The total cost of going to a private four-year college rose to $34,132 on average for the 2008-09 academic year, according to a report released Wednesday.

Why MBA Means 'More Bitterness Ahead'

Business school graduates are heading out into a cold, cold climate as financial companies clam up or close down

Commentary: Don't use SATs to rank college quality

A recent controversy at Baylor University has brought new attention to the widespread misuse of standardized college admission tests to rank the quality of America's colleges and universities.

Hidden College Costs: Rising Fees

Compared to pricey private colleges, state schools can be a bargain. But extra fees are adding to the financial burden

Fewer US Med Students Choosing Primary Care

Only 2% of graduating medical students say they plan to work in primary care internal medicine, raising worries about a looming shortage of the first-stop doctors who used to be the backbone of the American medical system

U.S. Colleges' Green Grade: C-

Campuses may be getting greener, but college curriculums are falling behind in teaching students the basics of global warming and sustainability

A Homeschooling Win in California

In a stunning reversal of its own ruling, a California court says it's O.K. for uncredentialed parents to homeschool their kids. But regulatory questions remain

Tips for minimum wage earners

The Federal minimum wage is increasing to $6.55 an hour today. But for most folks facing higher prices on everything from a gallon of milk to a gallon of gas, it's still getting harder to make ends meet.

Study: Medical students show racial bias

Edna sits on an examining table ready and alert -- she wants answers about the lump in her breast.

More colleges move toward optional SATs

Jen Wang of Short Hills, New Jersey, took her first SAT when she was in sixth grade, long before she would start filling out college applications.

MBA students go for Google

Where do MBA students most want to work when they get out of school? Investment banks and consulting firms are still popular choices, but for the second straight year, the most coveted employer is Google, a recent survey found.

A chance to compare MBA schools

Dan Berger, a 26-year-old aide to New York Congressman Charles Rangel, knew he wanted to get an MBA but, he says now, he was overwhelmed by the number and variety of programs available: "I knew I needed to gather a lot of information before choosing a school, but I really didn't know where to start."

Wake Forest Drops SAT Requirement

Wake Forest University will no longer require applicants to take the SAT and ACT exams, boosting a movement to lessen the importance of standardized tests in college admissions

Commentary: Tax-free hypocrisy from higher education

There is an industry in this country that is making billions in profit while average Americans are struggling to fill up their gas tanks.

Wall Street - land of job uncertainty

Last fall, as bad news about the credit crisis began to pile up, MBA student Brendan McHugh started to wonder about his chances of securing a coveted internship at a top securities firm.

Taking the kids: Exploring the heart of college country

Secretly, I'm congratulating myself.

California Resists Home School Ruling

In the wake of a surprise court decision, the state says that its home schoolers are "legal" pending appeal

Criminalizing Home Schoolers

A child-abuse lawsuit ruling may have created a horde of truants in California, affecting as many as 200,000 children

7 qualities you need to be a great parent to a preschooler

What's it really take to parent a preschooler? It's pretty simple, once you realize what kids this age can and can't do (and what sets them off and what keeps them happy!). Here are seven qualities that make it much easier to manage all that, and why they're so crucial when you've got an independent-minded, boundary-testing picky eater on your hands.

VIDEO: Will Smith Planning to Start a School

Video courtesy Buena Vista EntertainmentHaving immersed himself in educational theories while home-schooling his kids, Will Smith says he and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, plan to put that knowledge to greater use by teaming with like-minded parents and creating a full school.

10 secrets for getting into a top B-school

Getting accepted into a top MBA program is an arduous, time-consuming process, with plenty of potential pitfalls along the way. Witness that the most prestigious and selective schools - Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, and their ilk - say they accept only 10% of all those who apply.

Young doctors in debt

It's Wednesday evening and Megan Reis can't remember when she last saw her husband Chris. Small wonder. Since Sunday morning, Meg has worked more than 60 hours at Advocate Hope Children's Hospital, the Chicago-area facility where she is training in pediatrics.

From six figures to student loans

After nearly 20 years in the energy industry, Jay Mulki was earning a handsome six-figure salary and managing a department of 50 employees. But Mulki longed to work fewer hours and pursue another dream: to teach marketing at a university.

Commentary: Integrative medicine is 'new way of healing'

In a recent column, Emily Breidbart, a second-year medical student at New York University School of Medicine, expressed concerns about her medical education and the frustrating health-care system she will soon enter.

Teacher Who Fled With Boy Arrested

A female schoolteacher and the 13-year-old boy she allegedly ran away with have been arrested in Mexico, a prosecutor said Saturday

Russia's business school battle

The big question right now in Russian politics is who will succeed Vladimir Putin as President in the 2008 election. As it turns out, the two front-runners -- first deputy prime ministers Sergei Ivanov and Dmitry Medvedev -- are also squaring off in a contest for business-school supremacy in Russia.

College costs keep rising

The average total cost of a private four-year college rose to $32,307 for the current school year, but the rate of increase has slowed compared to public school prices, according to a report released Monday.

Kids use yoga to learn mythology, fight pre-test jitters

Fourth-grade teacher Elisabeth Beckwith wants her students at Fernbank Elementary School in Decatur, Georgia, to pay attention to a lesson on Greek mythology.

They want to sell your kid

To improve her chances of getting into a good college, Caitlin Pickavance, a 17-year-old high school senior from Danville, Calif., has been working with a private college coach since her freshman year (cost: $800).

Sixth Graders Take on Wall Street

A trailblazing Chicago school starts economic education early to give inner-city black kids a leg up

Better Bedside Manners

A new study shows that a standardized test of doctor communication skills can help create a nicer, better doctor of the future

The do-gooder's MBA

Omar Yaqub didn't want a conventional 9-to-5 job after business school. He wanted to help save the world. So the 28-year-old MBA went to Nigeria to tackle an impossible task: creating demand for a product no one wanted.

Med student struggles to preserve her idealism

"Two minutes!" yells our course coordinator.

Taking the kids: Touring college campuses

Laurel Herter wishes she'd canceled the college tour trip as soon as she heard the dismal forecast.

Many American colleges balk at U.S. News rankings

If presidents of some of the nation's top liberal arts colleges get their way, they will no longer be included in the U.S. News and World Report's influential collegiate ranking system.

How Nebraska Leaves No Child Behind

One maverick state devised its own education strategy that bucks the trend toward high-stakes tests and federal control

25 Top MBA Employers

Think of it as a popularity contest for companies. Each year, research firm Universum surveys MBA candidates on where they'd most like to work for an exclusive Fortune.com list.

Sallie Mae's private side

The lure for private-equity firm J.C. Flowers' $25 billion buyout of student-loan giant Sallie Mae may be its fast-growing and lucrative business providing private education loans -- loans that exi...

The trouble with MBAs

When Jack Welch gave a guest lecture at MIT's Sloan School of Management in 2005, someone in the crowd asked, "What should we be learning in business school?" Welch's reply: "Just concentrate on ne...

Top colleges get more affordable

A college education may be getting less expensive at some of the most prestigious schools.

The race to bring more diversity to business

There's a hole in higher education that you probably haven't heard about.

Highest paid college presidents

Running a university or college can make for 20-hour days and intense pressure to please a long list of factions from donors, board members and alumni to faculty, students and parents.

Average college cost breaks $30,000

The average cost of a four-year private college jumped to $30,367 this school year, the first time the average has broken the $30,000 mark.

No excuses or short cuts at Atlanta charter school

Students at the West Atlanta Young Scholars Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, are expected to go to college.

10 biggest mistakes b-school applicants make

The application process for business schools is beginning, sparking the annual frenzy of activity - and copious questions.

The legend of Robin Hood

The idea behind one of the most innovative and influential philanthropic organizations of our time sprang from one of the more boneheaded macroeconomic calls ever made on Wall Street. Or as hedge f...

Today's medical training -- better or worse for patients?

The phone rang. It was the middle of the night.

Your Opinion: Flag burning

One story we brought you this week concerned a teacher who, as part of a class exercise, burned the American flag in a civics lesson for seventh graders. We asked for your opinion on the story, and here are a few of your responses, some of which have been edited:

No child left out of the dodgeball game?

As more of America's school-age children are growing fatter, the physical education curriculum that might help them win the fight is gasping for air, says a recently released report.

College costs: Up, up and away

The cost of higher education looks like it's climbing ... again.

Who needs Harvard?

It's the summer before your senior year, and you're sweating.

Healthcare, energy drive up college costs

State university tuition has leaped 40 percent in the past five years, hitting the three out of four American college students who attend public universities.

Healthcare, energy drives up cost of college

State university tuitions have leaped 40 percent in the past five years, hitting the three out of four American college students who attend public universities.

Everything You Know About Kids and Money is Wrong

AMERICAN STUDENTS MAY BE POOR AT MATH, but when it comes to understanding the money in their lives, they are positively bankrupt. A recent national survey testing high school seniors about basic fi...

It's not your mom's PTA

They come from all walks of life to the searing desert heat in Phoenix, Arizona: parents, some who are also teachers; administrators and school board representatives.

Startups On Fire

Protesting on college campuses is back. The object of this generation's rebellion? Traditional jobs. In an era of widespread disenchantment with the often bureaucratic, scandal-ridden world of big ...

Red Cross opens storm shelters

The Red Cross has opened the following emergency shelters in Florida for people affected by Tropical Storm Alberto:

A conversation with economists Laura Tyson and Glenn Hubbard

Following is an interview with Laura Tyson, dean of London Business School and former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Clinton administration, and Glenn Hubbard, dean of the Columbia Business School and chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in the first years of the Bush administration.

Ga-ga for Google

With demand for MBAs rebounding, this year's graduating class of B-school students is more likely to get the job offers they desire. And in many cases, that means a job at Google.

Doctor attacks bugs that attack kids

Dr. Blaise L. Congeni has always been in a hurry.

This week in the medical journals

Focused on bird flu

Cheat sheet for parents on testing

MEAP, ITBS, CRCT, TAKS. There are scores of acronyms in educational testing, but these four-letter terms stand for far more than No. 2 pencils and pages of tiny circles.

No school, no books, no teacher's dirty looks

(CNN) -- It's a child's dream. Wake up whenever you want, with nobody telling you what to do and when to do it. And here's the kicker: No school to rush off to.

Professor paychecks

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - A study released by the U.S. Department of Education this week found that full professors at four-year public colleges and universities earned an average of $89,001 in the academic year 2004-05.

A Degree of Respect for Online MBAs

Last year Samantha Kitover reached a critical point in her career. A 25-year-old Chicagoan who works as a sales trainer for Canon USA, Kitover figured she'd boost her salary and increase her option...

College president pay: The $million club

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - For the first time, compensation for private college presidents has broken through the million-dollar barrier.

The 10 most expensive colleges

Tuition at the most expensive four-year college is up only 2.7 percent from last year. But a small increase on an already big number is still gob-smacking.

College costs going nowhere but up

As nervous as college freshmen may be, their cash-strapped parents are probably trembling more.

Colleges across U.S. helping displaced students

Colleges throughout the United States are accommodating students displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Let the MBA Buyer Beware

So you're thinking about getting a master's of business administration, and you want to know which school is the best for you. With tuition at top-tier schools reportedly up 55 percent in the past ...

The ROI on your MBA

You've got dreams--big honking expensive dreams. You want to be a player in a powerhouse corporation or launch a business of your own. Either way, you've decided you'll need an MBA to prepare yours...

The business of dorm decorating

Denim fashions may be all the rage this fall, but Erica Green cares more about dressing up her dorm room than dressing up herself. Green, an incoming junior at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, plans to spend more than $500 on furnishings, from bright blue butterfly chairs and rugs to a TV-DVD combo unit.

An education in organization

Ever made a midnight run to buy poster board for a school project due the next morning? Afraid of what forms, homework and other forgotten but important pieces of paper might be unearthed in a thorough backpack search? Have a Top 10 list of excuses for missed assignments?

Goodbye, Perkins loan?

College students take note - your government loan options might be shrinking.

Should home-schooled have access to public school programs?

A growing number of parents in the United States are home-schooling their children, as an alternative to sending them to public or private schools. For a variety of reasons, these parents believe that they can provide an equal or superior educational experience at home.

The making of a young doctor

The medical year begins on July 1, the day that medical school graduates finish their training as resident physicians and stream out into the real world of shingles and stethoscopes.

FROM MARX TO MARKET

As students in his competitiveness class settle into their seats, the professor lets fly an opening query: "Who can tell me why Estonia was so successful in making the transition to a market econom...

Paying for college

College acceptance letters are coming soon to a mailbox near you. In other words, it's about that time when parents and students begin to get nervous about the final step to the college application process: financial aid.

The new math of college admissions

SALEM, Ore. (CNN/Money) - Here is a pop quiz:

Buying into Harvard

Congratulations, your kid did well on the SAT. But the girl next door did even better.

State lawmakers call for changes in Bush education plan

Federal law has forced the nation's children to meet rigid academic performance standards that create "too many ways to fail," a bipartisan panel of state lawmakers who reviewed the No Child Left Behind Act said Wednesday.

Four Myths about College Costs

THE COST OF A COLLEGE DEGREE continues to climb seemingly beyond the means of many families, rising far faster than incomes or inflation. Total expenses for the 2004-05 academic year shot up 7.8% t...

Race-based affirmative action admissions

A forthcoming law review article by UCLA professor Rick Sander is causing a big stir in the legal academic community. Sander's piece in the Stanford Law Review argues that race-based affirmative action as practiced by American law schools during the past 30 years actually ends up hurting the group -- African American law students -- it is most intended to help.

Bush picks Spellings for education secretary

President Bush on Wednesday nominated domestic policy adviser Margaret Spellings to be the next education secretary, replacing Rod Paige.

Bush has chosen education nominee, official says

President Bush has tapped domestic policy adviser Margaret Spellings to be the next education secretary, replacing Rod Paige, a senior administration official told CNN on Tuesday.

Most expensive colleges

Quick: What will $36,750 buy you?

College costs spike again

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - If only salaries would rise as rapidly - and as consistently - as college costs.

Getting out youth vote registers on campuses

College students are expected to turn out in record numbers to vote in November's election. What you may not know is that it's against the law for colleges and universities to fail to encourage student voting.

An Insider's Guide to America's Top Business Schools The truth about student life in the nation's premier MBA programs.

Quit worrying. If you're choosing among the 25 schools in this guide, you're going to get a great education. These schools attract the best of the best: The professors are top-notch, and the studen...

Paige: 'No Child Left Behind is working'

Education Secretary Rod Paige addressed the Republican National Convention on its second night, touting the No Child Left Behind Act. This is a transcript of his remarks.

Paige touts progress of No Child Left Behind

Schools are being held accountable and are progressing under the Bush administration, Secretary of Education Rod Paige told the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

Moving out of the traditional classroom

Across the nation, on the Web and in the home, classrooms are evolving beyond the traditional learning environment with alternatives that are no longer bound by geography and customary modes of operation.

Put your feet up, it's time for school

It's nearly noon, and 11-year-old student Elisheva Ben-Avraham is just now thinking about breakfast. She's curled up on her family's velvety brown sofa flipping through a book of math problems when the mood strikes. She pulls her bare feet out from underneath her, pads to the kitchen and comes back, pancakes in hand, to her workbook.

Charter schools remain subject of debate

The cheerleading squad and the math team rarely compete for members at most middle schools, but at Fulton Science Academy, they are often second choices to the Chess Club.

An education in goin' old school

There are lots of ways to tell you're officially old. There's a "Sixteen Candles" remake in the works. Madonna's writing children's books. And you go to a David Byrne concert to find yourself surrounded by 50-year-olds. OK, that kind of makes sense since Byrne's hair is now completely gray.

The likely impact of the presidential election on the Supreme Court

During the 2000 presidential election, Democratic nominee Al Gore told voters that the choice between his candidacy and that of Republican George W. Bush would likely determine who named the next three justices of the Supreme Court.

Why An MBA May Not Be Worth It

Somewhere in the world, I'm sure there are many thousands of people who invested loads of time and money in getting a master's degree in business administration and who are now glad they did. Howev...

Bush carries message to college students

President Bush touted his domestic agenda in the key states of Arizona and Ohio on Wednesday, the day after he delivered an optimistic assessment of the state of the union.

Political battle surges over Bush education policy

Gearing up for an election-year fight over the centerpiece of his education agenda, President Bush hailed his "historic" No Child Left Behind Act Thursday and announced he will seek a substantial increase in its funding for 2005.

Education vital in efforts to defeat intolerance, Secretary-General says

Education is one of the most useful ways to overcome intolerance because it highlights similarities between people and helps to spread a healthy respect for differences, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

Religion can never justify terrorism or killing of innocents, General Assembly declares

A high-level meeting of the General Assembly today decried the use of religion to justify the killing of innocent people and terrorist acts and voiced concern that serious instances of intolerance, discrimination and harassment persist between people of different faiths and cultures.

Cameroon's First Lady to become Goodwill Ambassador for UNESCO

The First Lady of Cameroon, Chantal Biya, will become a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for education and social inclusion, the agency announced today.

Binding UN-backed treaty against doping in sport signed by 100 countries

The United Nations today celebrated a new milestone in the battle to eliminate doping in sport when Paraguay became the 100 country to sign the first worldwide binding legal instrument that imposes uniform rules, tests and sanctions against the scourge.

Top UN officials tell world leaders it is time for action in fight against global woes

The General Assembly President today told global leaders the world is facing its most difficult period since the founding of the United Nations and urged them to use their "moral strength" in finding solutions to the problems plaguing the Earth, such as global hunger, poverty and climate change.

General Assembly President voices hope that global meeting on values will spur action

The General Assembly President expressed optimism today that the high-level "Culture of Peace" gathering, which kicks off tomorrow with the leaders and senior officials from dozens of nations, will hasten action on such global obstacles as hunger and poverty.

UN observes anniversary of Kristallnacht pogrom against Jews

A film screening and a panel discussion are being held at United Nations Headquarters today as the world body observes the 70th anniversary of the Kristallnacht, the violent pogrom in Germany and Austria against Jews and their homes, synagogues and businesses.

UN initiative features young people's ideas on tackling racism through sports

Using sportswear to transmit anti-racist messages and imposing penalties for teams whose players are involved in racist incidents are just some of the ideas proposed by young people as part of a United Nations project to counter prejudice in and through sports.

UN's intangible cultural heritage list comes into being with 90 entries

A United Nations-endorsed list of the planet's intangible cultural heritage, ranging from folk music and shadow puppetry to ox-herding traditions and sand drawings, came into being today as part of efforts to safeguard such elements around the world.

Top UN envoy highlights sport's role in bringing peace in West, Central Africa

The United Nations envoy tasked with promoting sport for development and peace has wrapped up a week-long visit to West and Central Africa, where he underscored the role that sport can play in consolidating peace.

TV Show November 18: Paying for College

In an era when what students know is the most important factor in determining success, postsecondary education has never been more critical. Although two thirds of high-growth, high wage jobs require a college degree, only a third of Americans have one. Ninety percent of the fastest-growing jobs in the knowledge-driven economy will require postsecondary education but more than 60 percent of Americans ages 25-64 have no postsecondary education credential.

Tucker Exits ED

Secretary Spellings announced that Sara Martinez Tucker will leave her position as under secretary at the U.S. Department of Education effective November 21.

Ensuring Uninterrupted Access to Federal Student Aid

The Department is ensuring students and their families continue to have uninterrupted and timely access to Federal student loans by taking steps to maintain stability in student lending through both the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and Direct Loan Program.

Special Ed Technical Assistance Center Grant

The U.S. Office of Special Education Programs announced a $1.6 million grant to the University of Oregon to lead a joint effort to continue the work of a technical assistance center aimed at helping address the needs of behavior-challenged students with disabilities.

Final Regulations to Strengthen NCLB

Secretary Spellings announced final regulations to strengthen and clarify No Child Left Behind (NCLB), focusing on improved accountability and transparency, uniform and disaggregated graduation rates and improved parental notification for Supplemental Education Services and public school choice. The Secretary made the announcement while speaking to educators, state and local policymakers and business leaders at South Carolina Educational Television in Columbia, S.C.

Paleontology Portal

Invites students to discover prehistoric life in the U.S. by state and time period, see famous fossil localities and assemblages, and search fossil images and paleontology collections from participating museums. Find field guides, maps, curricula, and K-12 resources. Learn about about careers in paleontology. (University of California Museum of Paleontology, National Science Foundation)

New Grant Opportunities

Notices inviting applications have been issued recently under ED programs that include the following: Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad (FRA) Fellowship, Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship Program, and Regional Technical Assistance and Continuing Education (TACE) Centers.

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Tories plan exam standards checks

The Conservative Party is promising to peg exams in England to an international benchmark to ensure standards.

Tesco voucher help in EMA delays

Delays with the education maintenance allowance force a college to help students with supermarket vouchers.

Pupils targeted in superbug fight

Schools are being urged to teach pupils about infection control as experts step up the fight against superbugs.

'Handful' of bullying expulsions

There were no permanent exclusions for bullying in two thirds of local authorities last year, say the Conservatives.

'Superficial' inspections warning

Ofsted's short, sharp inspection regime presents only a "superficial snapshot" of schools, a report says.

UK society 'condemning' children

More than half the UK population believe young people act no better than animals, a survey by children's charity Barnardo's suggests.

Primary schools in major rebuild

Hundreds of primary schools in England will be rebuilt, as ministers release £1.75bn for approved building work.

Young Britons 'shy from science'

A survey commissioned by the European Commission has shown that young Britons are among the least likely in Europe to consider studying science subjects

Acid attack on Afghan schoolgirls

Attackers spray acid in the faces of at least 15 girls outside a school in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, police say.

Could do better

How one school is shaking off its 'coasting' label

Cash point

What will the credit crunch mean for private schools?

Fame hunger

Are children obsessed with becoming famous?

Academy case

Campaigners claim procurement laws are being broken

Road to riches

One school's journey to Academy status

E-mail us

How to contact the BBC News website education team

Forged document students expelled

Fifty students from China and Taiwan are thrown out of Newcastle University after using forged qualification documents.

Coasting schools told to improve

Hundreds of secondary schools deemed to be "coasting" are to be urged to stretch their pupils to achieve more.

Universities set for major change

Universities face major changes, say a series of papers published as part of a review of the higher education sector.

Student places freeze 'anxiety'

Universities and the government disagree over whether funding gaps will mean a freeze on extra places.

Covert school film 'honourable'

A teacher who secretly filmed apparent attempts to deceive Ofsted for a TV documentary defends her actions.

Aim school help 'at poor whites'

White working class pupils should be given the same customised support as ethnic minorities, says a report.

German pupils urge school reform

Thousands of school pupils demonstrate in cities across Germany, demanding smaller class sizes, more teachers and less exam pressure.

Academics attack 'spying' plan

University lecturers say they do not want to become "immigration officers" in the enforcement of tougher rules on student visas.

Suspension head sees GCSEs rise

A head teacher sees results at her school improve steadily after introducing a zero-tolerance approach to discipline.

Bus staff strike disrupts schools

Millionaire Stagecoach owner Brian Souter is among bus drivers helping out during a Scottish strike.

Glitter hit axed from music GCSE

An exam board has removed a Gary Glitter song from a music GCSE syllabus following complaints.

15,000 children sit last 11-plus

More than 15,000 school children in Northern Ireland are preparing to sit the first part of the last 11-plus test.

Staff fears in toddler exclusions

Head teachers' leaders say that teachers' fears about restraining violent pupils is behind the rise in the suspension of toddlers.

Tram timetable arrives in A-level

A tram timetable is being studied as part of an A-level English syllabus, sparking claims of dumbing down.

Foreign students fingerprint fear

Fingerprinting of overseas students will begin this month - and university chiefs are warning that it must be a simple process.

Why ministers scrapped the tests

Mike Baker considers why the government decided to scrap tests for 14-year-olds.

Do we ask too much of teachers?

Mike Baker considers the latest batches of official guidelines to be sent to England's schools.

Universities want to open doors

Mike Baker considers how universities want to give more

Impact of sex education

Do better sex lessons deliver results?

Starting out in comedy at 82

After war and the law, an 82 year old takes a course in stand-up comedy at the University of Manchester.

Controversial school reports

School progress reports, used in the city of New York, are still in their infancy.

Lack of PhD funds 'damages UK'

The struggle to finance doctoral studies may be harmful to UK academia, it is argued.

What is BBC News School Report?

Find out more about the project which motivates secondary students around the UK to make and broadcast their own news.