Christchurch counts cost of February earthquake; US and Chile sign up for English assistance; South Africa data shows value of English language
Western Australia's anti corruption watchdog has launched an investigation to find out whether the Ielts test of English has been compromised at testing centres in the state following allegations that a staff member at Curtin University in Perth was bribed to falsify test results.
Former Curtin staff member Keith Low last month admitted to the state's Corruption and Crime Commission that he was paid thousands of dollars to doctor English test results for up to 25 migrants applying for permanent residency.
Ielts is the assessment of English language proficiency preferred by the Australian government for settlement and student visas. Last year immigration officials said they were considering accepting results from other tests and an announcement is expected soon.
Curtin's vice-chancellor, Jeanette Hacket, said in a statement:"This hearing has highlighted the risks inherent in this type of operation where Curtin staff are required to deliver an externally managed and controlled service. The service provided is not core to Curtin's operations and we are reviewing are continued involvement in offering this testing."
Christchurch counts cost of February earthquake
New Zealand's universities minister Steven Joyce said that Christchurch's $290m education export industry had nearly evaporated following the earthquake that struck the city on 22 February, but he said the sector would survive.
Up to 180 are believed to havedied in the earthquake, including up to 80 students and staff at an English language school in the city centre.
Joyce said that there had been 6,600 international higher-education students and 1,412 foreign school pupils enrolled with Christchurch providers at the time of the earthquake.
According to institutions in the city, many foreign students returned home after the earthquake, but most have indicated they will return.
About half of Christchurch's 120 private training establishments, many of which provide English language classes, were operating again last month, but Joyce said there was "some risk" that several may never reopen.
US and Chile sign up for English assistance
The US is set to send trainers to Chile develop the English language skills of school teachers under a renewed cooperation agreement endorsed by US President Barack Obama and his Chilean counterpart Sebastian Pinera, right, during a state visit to Chile in March.
The letter of intent states that the US Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs will develop teacher training capacity for pre- and in-service English language teachers and update the existing school curriculum.
The US will also support development of bilingual education programmes in Chilean schools starting for students aged 10-11.
South Africa data shows 'value' of English language
A study of South Africa's labour market which included a survey of 28,000 people across the country indicates that adults who reported good reading and writing abilities in English did much better in the job market than those who reported fair or lower English skills.
One of the researchers, professor Dori Posel, said that rewards for English language skills in the labour market helped to explain why many schools chose English as the language of instruction from an early age, in the face of national policy to encourage mother-tongue learning.
Posel told the Sunday Tribune newspaper that mother tongue instruction had become tainted by "its association with the apartheid government policy of Bantu education, which made teaching in the mother tongue compulsory for the first eight years of school".
Max de Lotbinière
max.delotbiniere@guardian.co.uk