Grand infrastructure projects aren’t a magic bullet for industrial development – insights from Ghana and Kenya: Kenya Lamu Port Project The African Union’s flagship Agenda 2063 initiative prioritises large-scale infrastructure development and promises to “link the continent by rail, road, sea and air”. This is being undertaken in parallel with efforts to improve economic integration. …
History classes help students develop curious minds — but Ghana’s teachers aren’t equipped to nurture this: Inquiry-based teaching gives students a chance to engage with ideas. Getty Images/DextDee Livingstone/500px There are two camps when it comes to teaching children: one says teachers should focus on guiding students to find things out for themselves. This approach …
Ofsted inspections cause teachers stress and aren’t backed up by strong evidence – things could be done differently: Tijana Simic/Shutterstock The school inspectorate in England, Ofsted, has faced criticism recently following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry. According to her family, Perry’s death was a “direct result” of the pressure resulting from the Ofsted inspection …
Juvenile offenders in Ghana aren’t prepared for rejoining society – how the system is failing them: Juvenile offenders face stigma once released Wikimedia Commons Globally, about one million children are held in police custody annually; 410,000 of them are held in detention and remand centres. On any day, it is estimated, remand homes around the …
Industries can harm health in many ways: here are 3 that aren’t so obvious: Research confirms the adverse effects of social media on mental health. Shutterstock A recent ground-breaking series of reports in the science journal The Lancet unpacks what commercial determinants of health are, and how they affect public health. It uses a new, …
People with faceblindness aren’t believed by their doctors – here’s what needs to change: People with faceblindness may even struggle to recognise photos of themselves. Stokkete/Shutterstock Imagine what life would be like if you couldn’t recognise your own family and friends unless they told you who they were. Now imagine no one will believe you …
Africa’s aquifers hold more than 20 times the water stored in the continent’s lakes, but they aren’t the answer to water scarcity: Giordano Cipriani/Getty Images Discoveries of aquifers – underground earth formations that hold water – often create excitement around their ability to ease water scarcity in a region. For instance, about 10 years ago …
Child victims of sexual violence aren’t heard or understood: Nigerian study: Child abuse is above the global average in Nigeria. Annette Riedl/Getty Images Violence against children is a global problem. A 2020 Global Status Report revealed that every year, almost one billion children globally encounter some form of violence, such as neglect, physical abuse and …
Online learning platforms aren’t enough — lecturers need the right technical skills: Universities must do more than just offer online learning: they must make sure lecturers know how to adapt to the technology. Ground Picture/Shutterstock Technology has become the centre of our lives. It has also changed how university students learn and how lecturers teach. …
Gender equality in Nigeria: Three reasons why women aren’t represented in politics: Women protesting the failure of the gender equality bills on International Women's Day in 2022. Adekunle Ajayi/NurPhoto via Getty In March 2022, Nigerian women suffered backlash in their pursuit of gender equity. Five gender bills presented to the National Assembly were thrown out. …
George Santos: why the Republicans aren’t doing anything about the controversial congressman, yet: Republican Representative George Santos has been continuously embroiled in scandal since his election in November 2022. The controversial congressman for New York’s 3rd district has admitted embellishing his election campaign. He misled the electorate about his education, falsely claimed his grandparents “survived” …
Pope prepares for South Sudan peace mission – but many people there aren’t ready to forgive: Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland plan to visit South Sudan in February 2023 to try and move the nation towards peace. The three church leaders will …
Children and teens aren’t doing enough physical activity – new study sounds a health warning: Regular physical activity helps to prevent and manage many chronic diseases. Amorn Suriyan/Shutterstock Physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. It’s also associated with chronic illness and disability. Recent research estimates that the world could see close …
Ukraine war: why Russian soldiers’ mothers aren’t demonstrating the strong opposition they have in previous conflicts: Ukraine’s military launched a devastating strike on New Year’s Day hitting a building housing recently mobilised Russian soldiers in the occupied region of Donetsk. Russia’s official response has been surprising. The ministry of defence took the unusual step of …
Why aren’t children allowed to vote? An expert debunks the arguments against: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock Most people think democracy is something that adults do and regard the prospect of children voting as too silly to even contemplate. In the early 20th century, many democracies began (ostensibly) operating with universal suffrage, ensuring voting rights …
Interest rates: why your mortgage payments are going up but your savings aren’t – and how better monetary policy could help: Different accounts, different interest rates. Pixel-Shot / Shutterstock The Bank of England, the UK’s central bank, has raised its main interest rate by 0.5% to 3.5%. This is the ninth in a series of …
Hegel is considered the hardest philosopher, but his views aren’t actually that outlandish: A lithograph depicting Hegel with his students. Franz Kugler There has been much excitement at the discovery of a treasure trove of notes from the lectures of the great German idealist philosopher G.W.F. Hegel. The several thousand pages date from Hegel’s time …
Why you’re less likely to get rich these days if your parents aren’t already wealthy: Younger generations are finding it harder to meet traditional financial milestones. Kmpzzz / Shutterstock Improvements in living standards over generations have been taken for granted in recent history, but these days young people are looking worse off than their parents …