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Friday, March 6, 2020
Ask an MBA Admissions Expert Hamada Z.
Ask an MBA Admissions Expert Hamada Z. Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. He has offered Law School admissions advice before, but now Hamada Z. is discussing Business School. Hamada is the co-founder of Write Track Admissions, a global admissions consulting service. He has counseled hundreds and hundreds of students all over the world and is currently leading the international expansion of Write Track Admissions. Hamada received his law degree from The University of California-Berkeleyand his Masters in International Relations from The University of Cambridge. Being highly knowledgeable in all areas of admissions, Hamada has advice to offer for students going down any path see his insights on the MBA admissions process below. VT: How much time should be set aside to adequately prepare for and complete the application for an MBA program? Hamada: The MBA admissions process is dependent on Rounds, which create staggering deadlines throughout the admissions season. Therefore, if you plan to apply in Round One, be sure to have started the process over the summer so that you can complete the applications by the early fall. If you apply to Round Two, then you want to start the process in late summer/early fall for the December/January deadlines. Whatever Round you apply, make sure to give yourself 3 months for the entire process. One thing to note, you must have your recommenders lined up as soon as possible. I know numerous applicants who missed a particular Round because their recommenders were late in submitting letters. VT: What would you say is the single most important thing to focus on for this kind of application? Hamada: Your essays are critical! But I have to say that your Letters of Recommendation can also make or break your application. A poor or mediocre letter can completely derail your prospects of admissions, especially if you are a borderline candidate. Therefore, make sure to select your recommenders wisely. VT: What do MBA admissions officers look for most in the essay questions? Hamada: Well-thought out answers; a logical flow in your career path; maturity; and a unique set of experiences professionally and personally that can add value to the entering class should all be demonstrated in your overall application to a given program. I would also say this: one thing I personally believe business schools look for is a winner candidate. This doesn't mean someone who is or will be a millionaire or a celebrity. Rather someone who will wear their MBA alma maters colors proudly as an ambassador so that others recognize the institution and in turn tap into its resources. Of course, an MBA applicant who screams financial success, is quite appealing given that this will result in alumni donations and influence in circles that will similar donate or add value to that institution. VT: What are the biggest mistakes one can make on this application? Hamada: A badly thought out response to this B-School favorite: Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career, and how do you plan to achieve your immediate and long term post-MBA professional goals? If there is no method to the madness and you don't know why you are really applying, then whatever cover story you concoct it will be the kiss of death for your application. VT: What aspects of the MBA admissions process makes it most different from undergraduate admissions process? Hamada: As an MBA applicant, you really need to discuss and showcase your professional and personal experiences, as well as exhibit signs of maturity, responsibility and the desire to succeed in the future. VT: Is there anything that automatically disqualifies an applicant from being considered for an MBA program (i.e. low GPA, lack of particular work experience, etc.)? Hamada: Other than a horrific GMAT, rock-bottom GPA, or a felony record, Admissions Committees often harp on the need for experience. Why? Because they want to stack their classrooms full of students who can add professional experience value and contribute to the networking environment that is so key to an MBA program. This can only realistically take place if the class is full of students that possess a host of diverse and rich professional experiences. VT: What kind of work experiences should be highlighted in the MBA application? Hamada: Leadership, teamwork, initiative, willingness to assume responsibility for a failure and how you grew from that experience, congeniality with others by demonstrating your seamless ability to report up or down. VT: What advice do you have regarding GMAT test prep? Hamada: Practice the timing. Its all about timing. If I gave you a day to finish the GMAT, needless to say you would ace it. But lack of practice in time management will lead to panic, panic to wrong answers (for even the simplest of questions), wrong answers ultimately to a low score, low score to an unfair denial of your program(s) of choice. VT: Is it absolutely necessary to have work experience prior to starting an MBA degree? Hamada: If you look at the class averages of any top program, there are so few, if any, of those programs that have fewer then 2 years of average experience. Quick note, there are those that have more education than actual work experience, i.e. former Masters or PhD students. For those candidates, always try to spin your education and subsequent internships, research, or interactions with industry to your advantage and how that will help the schools respective program and allow you to be a successful professional upon graduation. VT: What are the characteristics of a great MBA program? Hamada: Diverse class (personally and professionally); wealth of resources (cross-cultural business school trips, career placement center, technology resources); network in top companies (private sector) or organizations (public sector); world-renowned faculty not cerebral juggernauts, but practitioners and leaders in their respective fields. You also want to be mindful of the geographic location of your program. I am a firm believer that being in a vibrant city, steeped with job opportunities, will help you rub elbows with movers-and-shakers, giving way to employment after you graduate and long-term contacts for the future. Visit WriteTrackAdmissions.com for more information on Hamadas admissions services.The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.
Transferable Skills That Military Personnel Can Embrace To Enter Civilian Job Roles - Introvert Whisperer
Introvert Whisperer / Transferable Skills That Military Personnel Can Embrace To Enter Civilian Job Roles - Introvert Whisperer Transferable Skills That Military Personnel Can Embrace To Enter Civilian Job Roles Once youâve left the military, it can be tough transitioning back into civilian job roles. Having to accustom yourself with the rules and regulations of typical 9-5 life can be difficult. This can often leave many feeling unsure about whether theyâve got what it takes to succeed in the commercial job world. However, once youâre settled into another job with brand new prospects and goals, the skyâs the limit. Still donât think youâve got any relevant skills? See below all of the transferable skills that military personnel can embrace to enter civilian job roles: Leadership Without a doubt, many members of the military will leave with extremely strong leadership skills. The militaryâs unrivalled emphasis on duty, honour and respect means that youâre already equipped with fundamental characteristics and qualities that an employer will look for. Even at the lowest rank, youâll have needed the ability to manage and work in a diverse team. This is a skill thatâs always in high demand. Communication During your time in the military, communication will have been one of the strongest skills you developed. This is a wonderful transferable skill to take into the commercial job market. In fact, amongst many candidates, youâre likely to be the one with the best communication skills. From basic interaction with colleagues to briefing the management board with a presentation, these are typical challenges that military personnel are used to. Organisation Organising your thoughts in hectic surrounding will come naturally to you. Staying calm and collected during even the busiest and toughest periods is a skill that many employers look for. Your personal organisation can be easily transferred into the work environment where youâll take on multiple tasks and projects with ease. This level of experience and maturity is well suited to the corporate world. Determination Military personnel are trained to think of tasks and projects in terms of missions. This way of thinking means you have a streamlined way of working which gives you great determination to complete the tasks as efficiently and quickly as possible. Teamwork Teamwork is a common term used on CVâs, but rarely will other candidates have experienced the same level of teamwork as you. In the military, teamwork is about operating in a tight-knit group who may experience tragedy together. Seeing your comrades fall victim to military brain injury or loss of a limb is sadly not an unlikely occurrence. This level of loyalty and friendship creates a dynamic team who are able to work together and identify every persons strengths and weaknesses. Problem Solving After serving in the military, youâll become a natural problem solver. Your analytic mind is highly sought after, so be sure to include all past experiences where youâve helped to overcome hurdles on your CV and in your interview discussions. Furthermore, your skills in problem solving are developed from a unique perspective, adding a completely new viewpoint to any situation. Strong Work Ethic Employers are looking for staff who will always go the extra mile and dedicate themselves to the job. Military personnel have an incredibly strong work ethic instilled in them from day one. Of all the potential candidates, youâre the one whoâll be the first to turn up in the morning and the last one to go home. Will You Take the Leap? Now youâve been reminded of all the fantastic qualities and skills you possess; do you feel brave enough to take the leap into the civilian job roles waiting for you? Thereâs no reason to feel any less qualified that other candidates competing for the same job. Youâre capable of bringing the exact same skills and experience â" theyâve simply been developed from a different background. Author Bio: Jamie Costello is an experienced Business writer based in the UK. He uses his experience from education and work experience within several industries to help create his articles. His topics range from career advice to resolving disputes in the workplace. For this particular article, hes looked into wider research on the topic of military personnel and employment skills. Go to top Bottom-line â" I want to help you accelerate your career â" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships. Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer
Thursday, March 5, 2020
16 Phrasal Verbs with Down ?? - Learn English with Harry
16 Phrasal Verbs with Down ?? - Learn English with Harry Hi there.Were now going to look at some aspects about phrasal verbs and in particular phrasal verbs with DOWN.Theyre going to be quite a few phrasal verbs for the next four sections.Phrasal verbs are made up by a normal verb, usually quite a simple verb like take,look or come followed by a preposition or even two prepositions. When phrasal verbs have two prepositions, theyre called multi verb phrases.Phrasal verbs are used in English a lot. So theres something that you need to be aware of and how to use them particularly in your speaking English and also in your written English. If you are doing exams like IELTS or the first certificate, there will be a requirement that you know phrasal verbs, you know how to use them and you know where to or not to include them. 10 Phrasal Verbs with Down Often its advised that phrasal verbs are informal language.And, of course, they are. Any phrasal verb can be replaced by a more formal verb quite easily.But its be wrong to think that phrasal verbs can only be used in an informal capacity.Often when I read business letters or business reports, they will include from time to time phrasal verbs. So you can use them if it is appropriate to use them in the correct and right context.Phrasal verbs will appear more frequently in informal books and writings and, of course, letters and now emails as peopleâs preferred choice of communication. Emails in themselves are much more informal now and therefore the English language that you see both in personal use and business use is of a more informal nature anyway so phrasal verbs come to the force. I wouldnt get too hung up about them.You dont have to learn thousands and thousands of phrasal verbs because literally there are quite a lot. But you do need to know how and when to use them. So w hat Im going to give you in these sections are a number of quite common popular English verbs and prepositions to form the phrasal verbs.Ill also give you examples with each of them so by the end of each of these sections hopefully you would have a better understanding of what a phrasal verb is, how to use it so that you can introduce it into both your written and your spoken English. 10 Phrasal Verbs with Down I will also give you some examples and some exercises that you can practise yourself.So lets move on so the first phrasal verb and I am going to cover in this particular section are those phrasal verbs with the preposition DOWN. Ive got a number of verbs that were going to use. The first one is TO BREAK DOWN. When we look at and use break down, you can use it to talk about some calculation, some mathematical equation. You can also use it in any other situation, formal or informal, where you want to break down a letter into its individual paragraphs, where you want to break down any type of calculation formula, any booklet concerning numbers, statistics, everything connected with that. BREAK DOWN also has another meaning. When we talk about to break down a wall, to break down barriers perhaps. For example, were trying to break down the barriers that exist between different communities.Or if youre trying to do some repairs or renovation to your home, you might also be talking about breaking down some walls to create more open space in your apartment or your home. Next one TO CALM DOWN.To calm down usually means to take things easy. Particularly we use to calm down when somebodys getting very excited. They may be shouting and screaming. So a mother might say to a child: Just calm down, take it easy well talk about it. Everything is going to be okay.So youre trying to introduce an element of peace and quiet when somebodys getting rather excited shouting and screaming. We ask them to calm down. We can also use to calm down to describe the weather. So there may have been a stormy night or day. Thunder, lightning, strong winds and when you come to the window, look out and you say:Oh the weather has calmed down a little bit. We now only have a gentle breeze and theres no further thunder or no further rain.Next one TO COME DOWNTo come down is an instruction, an order, a command somebody might give to another person.Please come down from that wall, youre going to fall.For example, a parent says to a child: Come down at about eight oclock and Ill cook you dinner.We can also say:Come down to the city later on.For example, if youre living on a hill overlooking the city or some other place somebody you might say:Ill come down later on to the pub and Ill buy you a drink. 10 Phrasal Verbs with Down - Image to share The next one is TO CUT DOWNThis as it says would suggest something being brought down in size, perhaps a tree or a fence or something that is no longer required.He cut down the trees in his back garden so that there was more light coming in.I will cut down that fence because it is certainly blocking out the light. We can also use to cut down a slightly different way.To cut somebody down means to try and get them away from being a little bit pompous or a little bit superior.You might make a comment that will cut them down to size. Meaning make them feel a little bit smaller, a little bit like the rest of us rather than being pompous and overbearing.He quickly made a comment that cut him down in size and everybody laughed. The next one we have is TO DIE DOWNTo die down refers to situations where they may have been some trouble. So weve been watching a lot of problems in Paris France where these yellow vests people have been protesting against various issu es to do with the government and they have been blocking the streets, breaking windows and has been generally a situation of unrest.However, after a period of days or weeks the unrest disappears, discussions take place and the heat of the situation dies down. So when something dies down, it becomes lower or it reduces in its intensity.Like a fire that you like to keep yourself warm during the winter. We build it up during the day, put plenty of wood or whatever we are using as a fuel and then as the evening gets late we let the fire die down. There could be situation, rumours in the newspaper about some business thats is in trouble or somebody that has been doing something they shouldnt have been doing. But when the journalist digs further, theres no information or no truth to the rumours and eventually those rumours die down or go away. Next one is TO GET DOWNAgain to get down is about some instructions so its usually said with a little bit of harshness in the voice.Get down from that wall. Get down out of that tree.A parent might insist that their son or daughter stop doing what theyre doing and get down immediately. So these are very strong or said in a strong way to give emphasis to the fact that its not really a request. We can also use get down to instruct somebody else to do something that perhaps they dont want to do.Get down to your studies!HOLD DOWN Hold down means to stop something moving. You might be talking that say about a sport fixture, lets say a rugby match which is very popular in the northern hemisphere particularly in those countries like Ireland England,Scotland, Wales and France where they play rugby to a high intensity. During the rugby match one player held down another player and prevented him from releasing the ball.Somebody might just ask you simply could you hol d down something to stop it from moving.Hold down that lid of the box whilst I tie some string around it.We can also use hold down when were describing somebody whos got a particular job. We mentioned that hes been in this position for several years so we could say it quite informally:He has held down a senior position in this company now for 10 years.Meaning heâs well accepted, he is quite experienced and he has been in the company for some time, so he managed to hold down a job even though his bosses didnt like him. KEEP DOWN is the next oneTo keep down can have several meanings. When were not feeling so well and we might be feeling nausea sand we might think were going to be sick, we might say to the doctor:I find it very difficult to keep down food these days. Every time I eat I vomit. Its always difficult for me to keep food down.To keep down you can also use it again as an instruction.In a war zone the captain or person in charge of the soldiers may shout an order to keep their heads down. To keep the heads down means to bend it sufficiently low not to make themselves a target for enemy and gunfire. We can also say to keep your head down where when were talking metaphorically. It doesnt literally mean to keep your head down but it means to keep out of trouble, not to let anybody notice.My recommendation and advice to you is to keep your head down for a few months, just get on with the work and everything would be okay. TO LET DOWN is our next phrasal verb.Let down again has a number of meanings.You can be let down by a colleague or a friend or a family member. Meaning they have disappointed you. They promise to do something and at the last minute they didnt follow through and you feel let down.For example, you were hoping to go to the big rugby match or football match and your colleague said that he would be able to get you tickets. However, the day before the match you find out that he didnât keep his promise. So he let you down.Oh dear, youve really let me down. I promised my son that I would take him to this game.We can also use to let down when weâre referring to clothes alterations.For example, your son has grown several centimetres and you need to make his trousers longer. So you take them to the the tailor and say:Is there any chance you could let down the hem of these trousers? They are too short.The last one in this particular section is TO SETTLE DOWNSo agai n settle down has a few different meanings. It can be used when somebody finally decides that their life is about the family or that job or the career, so they decide its time to settle down. Means to stop acting like young man, stop travelling around the world, stop changes jobs.Its time for you to settle down, get yourself a permanent job,think about getting married and make something of your life.We can also use settle down as an instruction where the teacher in a classroom comes in and theres a lot of noise before the beginning of the the class. The kids are a little bit excited so she says:Come on, settle down. Time to get your books out and start the work.Okay. So theres a number of phrasal verbs with DOWN.Join me again for the next section of my English phrasal verbs course. Thank you.
Yer Bewers Well Smart A Guide To The English Spoken in Englands Lake District
Yer Bewerâs Well Smart A Guide To The English Spoken in Englands Lake District The Lake District in the Cumbrian region of North Western England is one of the countryâs most popular tourist attractions.However, did you know that the region has its own bank of vocabulary and expressions that is quite different to the English spoken in London?Hereâs a guide to the English spoken in Cumbria that will help you out should you decide to go North on a trip to England.SocialAve you heard the crack? Is the same as Have you heard the gossip? If you are referred to as someoneâs cous (short for cousin), itâs ok, they are calling you their friend. You might also be called a marra.Gattered means to be drunk.If someone says they are in fine fettal, it means they are in good form.If someone asks you for scordy, put the kettle on because they are asking for tea.Yer bewerâs well smart (or tidy) means your girlfriend is attractive.ClothesGrotts means underpants.Trousers are called keks.Dookers are swimming trunks.RandomIf you are called an offcomer, it means you are ne w to Cumbria.If someone asks you for a bar, they are looking for a pound sterling.A child is often referred to as a bairn.To steal something is called to chore.To vomit it called to chunder.If someone wants to clout you, run away quickly. It means he/she wants to hit you.A dial means a face as does fizzog.Giz (or give us aâ¦) means give me aâ¦..If you are jipped, it means ripped off.Lecky means electricity.If you hear someone talk about a lowie cowie, they are referring to an ATM cashpoint.You might hear a girl called a mott.A neb is a nose.If something is ladgeful, it is embarrassing.A screeve is a car.One of The Lake Districts most famous inhabitants was the poet William Wordworth. Lets enjoy one of his most famous poems I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.What words does the poet use to describe the beauty of the Lake District?What feelings does he evoke in the reader with the images he creates?I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high oer vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.The waves beside them danced; but they Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazedand gazedbut little thought What wealth the show to me had brought:For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodilsDid you find this blog helpful? Feel free to share it on Facebook and Twitter.
Kumon Staff Pick Clown by Quentin Blake
Kumon Staff Pick Clown by Quentin Blake Kumon Staff Pick: Clown by Quentin Blake RRL Title: Clown written and illustrated by Quentin Blake Grade/Kumon Level of Book: Pre-reader/RRL 6A-2 Why do you personally enjoy this book? Clown is a wordless picture book that begins with the title character being carelessly tossed into the trash with his stuffed-animal friends. Instead of becoming disheartened, Clown makes every effort possible to find an individual who will help rescue his buddies from the garbage bin. It takes legwork, persistence, and patience, but Clown finally enlists the assistance of a family who needs him as much as he needs them. Why do you think students would enjoy this book? Pre-readers can create their own narrative while joining Clown on his adventure, which is conveyed by thoughtful and expressive illustrations. Without words, the author has given his reader the opportunity to narrate Clownâs mission as one that is both heartfelt and entertaining. What skills and/or values might students gain by reading this book? Students will exercise the important pre-reading skill of creating their own narrative by chronicling Clownâs journey with use of the detailed and endearing illustrations. As a wonderful bonus, they are also exposed to themes of compassion, loyalty, and friendship. You might also be interested in: Kumon Staff Pick: The Snowy Day Kumon Staff Pick: My Fatherâs Dragon Kumon Staff Pick: Fever, 1793 Kumon Staff Pick: Were Going on a Bear Hunt Kumon Staff Pick Clown by Quentin Blake Kumon Staff Pick: Clown by Quentin Blake RRL Title: Clown written and illustrated by Quentin Blake Grade/Kumon Level of Book: Pre-reader/RRL 6A-2 Why do you personally enjoy this book? Clown is a wordless picture book that begins with the title character being carelessly tossed into the trash with his stuffed-animal friends. Instead of becoming disheartened, Clown makes every effort possible to find an individual who will help rescue his buddies from the garbage bin. It takes legwork, persistence, and patience, but Clown finally enlists the assistance of a family who needs him as much as he needs them. Why do you think students would enjoy this book? Pre-readers can create their own narrative while joining Clown on his adventure, which is conveyed by thoughtful and expressive illustrations. Without words, the author has given his reader the opportunity to narrate Clownâs mission as one that is both heartfelt and entertaining. What skills and/or values might students gain by reading this book? Students will exercise the important pre-reading skill of creating their own narrative by chronicling Clownâs journey with use of the detailed and endearing illustrations. As a wonderful bonus, they are also exposed to themes of compassion, loyalty, and friendship. You might also be interested in: Kumon Staff Pick: The Snowy Day Kumon Staff Pick: My Fatherâs Dragon Kumon Staff Pick: Fever, 1793 Kumon Staff Pick: Were Going on a Bear Hunt
ALOHA Learning Methods Stay Up-to-Date - ALOHA Mind Math
ALOHA Learning Methods Stay Up-to-Date Future Generations Will Benefit from Education Changes, Says Google Chairman: ALOHA Mind Math Recognizes the Education Reforms, their Learning Methods Stay Up-to-Date ALOHA Mind Math recognizes that the education system is in a transition. ALOHA Mind Math programs adjust for educational changes. ALOHA Mind Math recognizes that the education system is in a transition. Curriculum nationwide is changing via the Common Core Standards. In time the concept of the new guidelines will enable consistency nationwide, even if a student moves to another school district or even out of state. School classrooms adopted technology early on of the internet age in the 1990s, adding a few computers in classrooms and in libraries. But in a technological world, the basics need to be taught, and using different methods than most adults learned. In an MSNBC interview at the Education Nation Student Town Hall, Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google, replied when a student asked about boredom between computers and school work, âThere are many choices to learn. Maybe the best way to learn is not to sit there for eight hours bored. Maybe do a little lesson, a little question, talk to your friends, learn some more, do another lesson and so forth. The issue is going to be how does teaching change? What do the measurements say?â No doubt most adults can recall instances when they were not challenged in school, or wished they could learn in another manner. âWhen I was in school I was required to memorize the names of the 50 counties in Virginia. I remember how painful that was. Hopefully weâre taking the routine, the repetitive, and replacing it by creative, challenging and entertaining work, said Schmidt. Teachers at ALOHA Mind Math place an importance on making learning fun and challenging for their students. Each center teaches students to use both sides of their brain, enhance their creative thinking, collaboration, critical thinking, memory, and problem solving skills. Each child is unique, which is why they tailor programs based upon their skill level and help them improve. This is the core of the ALOHA Mind Math curriculum. Children, ages 5 years old through 12 years old, in our programs learn special techniques which enable them to remember details, concepts, lists, technical information, even solve complex math problems. Between fourth and sixth grade the amount of new knowledge and homework demands can be overwhelming for some. Junior high students often have difficulties transferring to the increased intensity on higher level learning. Through ALOHA Mind Math and Language Arts programs students are able to deal with these pressures and challenges, actively participate in group projects and class, and perform well on tests, including essay tests. Overall students enjoy school, learning, and be the best they can be in all academic areas. Parents see the value of ALOHA Mind Maths philosophy, systems, and programs because they see the positive results in their childâs achievements and success in the center and at school. About ALOHA Mind Math The unique academic enrichment programs at ALOHA Mind Math Centers help children 5 years old through 12 years old be the best they can be to get ahead in all academic areas. This interactive learning method promotes the development and engagement on both sides of the brain, designed for frustrated learners or high-achieving gifted students. Through instructor-led, small group tutoring sessions, children improve their focus, develop vital learning skills, as well as study and life skills, and advance their self-confidence to excel in reading, math, language arts, and science, to ultimately persevere in the face of adversity to go after their dreams. Discover the genius in your child. ALOHA Mind Math was founded in 1993 and introduced in the United States in 2006. ALOHA Mind Math continues to experience growth beyond their current presence in 18 states, 23 countries, and 4,200 locations worldwide. To learn more about ALOHA Mind Math reading, math, and language arts programs, or to schedule an orientation at a center near you; visit http://www.alohamindmath.com.
Which are the ten most educated countries in the world - Tutor Hunt Blog
Which are the ten most educated countries in the world Which are the ten most educated countries in the world? Which are the ten most educated countries in the world?SchoolsEvery year the OECD - the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an intergovernmental economic organisation containing 36 member countries, ranks the ten best educated countries in the world. The USA typically dominates these surveys, having come top for the last few years. How though are the countries assigned an order? What makes the education provided by one country better than the education provided by another? Surely something as abstract as a whole country`s `education` isn`t something that can be assigned a numerical value. Simply calculating the percentage of students attaining an `A` grade in each country isn`t going to provide an answer - many countries don`t use this grading system. As of last year the UK replaced the A to D marking method with a numerical system for GCSE`s. To compound the problem, not all countries test their pupils at the same age, and there`s no reason to think there will be any correlation between the syllabi of different countries, or even different states or provinces within large countries. How then does the OECD compile a list of the top ten educated countries? They criteria they work to only applies to adults, and they define the education level as the percentage of adults who are between the ages of 25 and 64, who have completed a form of higher education - `tertiary education` in their words - typically in the form of a degree, or vocational course. Using this definition it is then an elementary task to work out what fraction of the population have attained this tertiary, or final stage of education. The top ten countries from their survey are listed below: 10. Luxembourg42.86%9. Norway43.02%8. Finland43.60%7. Australia43.74%6. United States45.67%5. United Kingdom45.96%4. South Korea46.86%3. Israel49.90%2. Japan50.50%1. Canada56.27% As can be seen Canada comes out as the most educated country in the world, the OECD revealing that over 56% of its adult population have attained some kind of higher certificate after leaving school. Of course this kind of analysis doesn`t take into account the kind of course taken. It would equate a PHD is astrophysics with a degree in the liberal arts, not to disparage such a cultured qualification. America, normally coming in the top three of such surveys, only attained 6th place, with the US census claiming that 33% of the population have achieved a bachelors degree of higher. Measuring the level of education, be it of a country, or an individual, is not as straightforward a matter as it might appear - indeed, the very premise of calculating an overall education level seems to me a little disingenuous, or even naive. How exactly should education be measured? The grades awarded to students every year for GCSE`s and a levels are only apportioned out on a relative scoring system, with maybe the top 5% being classified as those who will be awarded an A* grade. In the same way it is not possible for an entire population to be geniuses, it is also not possible for a whole population of people to even be clever. These are sorting and ranking adjectives, and are essentially comparative, used to classify us according to our peer group. It only makes sense to measure the educational level of one country against another if they share similar values. Comparing the education levels two countries of vasty dissimilar values and norms, for example a western secular countr y, such as Switzerland, with a theocratic regime, such as Saudi Arabia, will be a largely meaningless exercise, since what it means to be an `educated person` will be very different in each country. 27 days ago0Add a Comment
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