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The federal government recently announced two policies that will shape the future of Canadian youth’s interactions with artificial intelligence: the AI for All strategy and the Safe Social Media Act . The government says the AI for All…

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Students are using AI to cheat, but the problem isn't limited to that. VectorMine/iStock/Getty Images Plus My colleagues and I recently spoke with a group of talented, interesting students who just completed their first year of college…

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LinkedIn Sales Navigator/Pexels A university place is often described as a “ pathway to opportunity ”. But for many students, getting in is only part of the challenge. The other challenge is affording to stay. This is becoming more…

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Grand structures don't mean that coercion was used to build them, say archaeologists. Janice Bell , CC BY-SA For more than a century, Great Zimbabwe has stood at the centre of a powerful story about the Zimbabwe culture . This remarkable…

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Banditry is widespread in Nigeria. It has been defined as “a loose collection of various criminal groups involved in kidnap-for-ransom, armed robbery, cattle rustling, rape and sexual violence, pillage and attacks on traders, farmers and…

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In an age of instant communication, it is easy to assume that everyone receives disaster warnings. Smartphones buzz, sirens sound, alerts flash across screens. But for millions of people who speak minority or Indigenous languages, the…

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Students and teachers pose outside a National Freedmen's Bureau school in Beaufort, S.C., in 1865. Corbis/Getty Images The abolitionist and writer Frederick Douglass is known for many things, but perhaps among the most significant is his…

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As Toronto hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the city is welcoming large crowds, international visitors and volunteers into stadiums, transit hubs, fan spaces and public areas. For many people, the World Cup is about soccer, national pride…

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Toy Story 5 will be released in cinemas this Thursday. The latest instalment of the film franchise addresses a dilemma many parents face: what happens to playtime when children become obsessed with screens? The original Toy Story movie was…

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Adolph Johannes Brand was born on 9 October 1934 in Cape Town. He would become better known as Dollar Brand and then Abdullah Ibrahim , an artist of mixed ethnic descent who personified the city’s multiculturalism and represented it on the…

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Housing in Vienna's new development area, Seestadt Aspern. Judith M. Lehner , CC BY-NC-SA South Africa faces a housing backlog of at least 2.6 million units, for more than 12 million people . The state supply of new, subsidised housing has…

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Kenya hosts nearly a million refugees , mainly from South Sudan and Somalia. Many of them have been living in refugee camps for decades. Now, the country is attempting a major shift in refugee policy. The Kenyan government and the United…

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Kampus Production/Pexels Sleep can be one of the trickiest things for families with little kids. It’s not just important for parental sanity or a child’s grumpiness levels the next day. Sleep is crucial for brain development , especially…

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While many men are remembered as heroes of political struggles, women seldom get enough attention. Vesta Smith is a good example. She fought for South Africa’s liberation from white minority rule, called apartheid . Historian Maria Suriano…

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It’s 50 years since the Soweto uprising in South Africa. On 16 June 1976, tens of thousands of young black South Africans protested against being taught in the Afrikaans language (alongside English) at school. At the time, under apartheid…

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It’s 50 years since the Soweto uprising in South Africa. On 16 June 1976, tens of thousands of young black South Africans protested against being taught in the Afrikaans language (alongside English) at school. At the time, under apartheid…

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Miriam Makeba in 1969 in exile. Rob Mieremet/Nationaal Archief , CC BY Miriam Makeba sang a famous song about the 16 June 1976 uprising in her birthplace, South Africa. The protest was a pivotal point in the fight against apartheid and…

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The Canadian government’s new artificial intelligence strategy positions AI as a major driver of job creation, economic growth and national competitiveness. It has also drawn some criticism for not providing enough detail on safety and…

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Forced labour in cybercrime might call to mind scam compounds in south-east Asia . A growing body of scholarship , journalism and policy attention has entrenched that stereotype. Images of fortified compounds , armed guards and confiscated…

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Our relationships with wildlife are dynamic. They can change rapidly and unexpectedly. In South Africa, these changes are visible in tourists searching kelp forests in Cape Town for octopuses and communities contesting baboon management in…

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Being an elderly person in South Africa presents a range of challenges. Apartheid shaped diverse experiences of ageing and elderly care along racial and ethnic lines. In the post-apartheid era, however, these patterns have begun to change.…

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Foot and mouth disease is common in South Africa’s wildlife reserves. There are constant efforts to make sure it doesn’t spread to farmed animals. But since 2019 the country has seen repeated outbreaks on farms. In 2026 the country’s R80…

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The last 18 months have seen a historic decline in development aid budgets from various donor countries, in a period where many of them are earmarking more funds for rearmament . The biggest waves have been made by the abrupt and massive…

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Mauritius set out its national AI strategy in 2018, the first by an African country. Since then over a dozen African states have adopted national AI policies of some sort or another. As a national policy plan, an AI strategy typically sets…

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Nigeria’s electricity regulator triggered a big tariff shock in April 2024. It increased rates for some consumers by over 240%, citing the cost of producing and delivering power. The regulator classifies consumers into five bands, A…

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Global football body Fifa is branding the World Cup 2026 – and global football in general – as a celebration of inclusivity and diversity . It’s presented as a harbinger of peace and hope , and even somehow a saviour of African migrants…

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The National Science Foundation's Washington headquarters seen in July 2025. Alex Wong/Getty Images As a university researcher focused on education , I have spent hundreds of hours designing studies to help the field and that might attract…

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Design Pics/ Getty Images At the end of each school year, we see the same ritual play out . Year 12 results are released and newspapers publish league tables, ranking schools by their exam results. What you almost never see on the front…

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Anti-migrant campaigns in South Africa are increasingly being framed as acts of community protection. Protesters present their efforts as a response to community concerns about crime, unemployment and failing public services. Leaders of…

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In the rugged and mountainous Drakensberg grasslands of South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, farmers rear sheep for food, cultural practices and financial security. The steep slopes, cold winters, frost and seasonal droughts shape…

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Astronomers using the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa have discovered the most distant hydroxyl megamaser ever detected, opening a new radio astronomy frontier. A hydroxyl megamaser is a natural space laser, and this one is located…

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Approximately $2 billion in earmarked money went to colleges and universities from September 2025 through October 2026. Douglas Rissing/iStock via Getty Images Plus U.S. politicians have perhaps never been more divided , including when it…

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Across Africa, countries are redesigning school curricula to prepare children for the demands of the 21st century. These reforms aim to nurture creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving rather than rote memorisation…

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Nature-based solutions have become central to global climate strategies. From tropical forests to wetlands, restoring nature means trees and plants can capture carbon dioxide, reduce global warming and regenerate biodiversity . Among these…

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“Today, everyone recognises that trade is as much a security issue as an economic one.” European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde made this comment in February 2026, while addressing the Munich Security Conference . Although she…

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Mauritius is a small African island where natural disasters like floods, cyclones and other extreme weather events have become frequent and intense. They are expected regularly. Rising sea levels, flash floods and tropical cyclones cause…

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Agbogbloshie, in Ghana’s capital city, Accra, is a sprawling, open-air scrapyard located next to a lagoon and a growing informal settlement. Roughly 6,000 people dismantle, recycle and burn old and broken electronics there. The world…

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The former Anna Howard Shaw Middle School in Southwest Philadelphia became Hardy Williams Elementary, a K-6 charter school, in 2015. Julio C. Vega , CC BY-NC-SA The Philadelphia School Board voted in May 2026 to close 17 of its 218…

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Three years into the civil war in Sudan that began on 15 April 2023, a coalition of civilian, political and armed factions has launched a new peace initiative . Announced in the Kenyan capital Nairobi in May 2026, the roadmap seeks to end…

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La Coupe du monde de football masculin de 2026 marque un tournant majeur dans le paysage footballistique mondial. La décision d'élargir la phase finale du tournoi de 32 à 48 équipes a considérablement profité à la Confédération africaine…

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Bilateral aid to Africa fell by nearly a quarter in 2025 , the largest annual decline in the history of official development assistance. Meanwhile, sovereign debt interest payments now consume on average 27% of government revenues across…

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Globally, agriculture faces mounting pressures. These are driven by climate change , land degradation , labour shortages , supply chain disruptions and the demand for food from a growing population . At the same time, productivity is…

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South African teacher education qualifications are expected to comply with the Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications . But evidence points to gaps in teacher competence and the quality of instruction. Many students who…

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South African teacher education qualifications are expected to comply with the Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications . But evidence points to gaps in teacher competence and the quality of instruction. Many students who…

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An undocumented Honduran immigrant walks her child to a school bus stop in November 2025 at an unspecified location in the U.S. John Moore/Getty Images All public schools in the U.S. must provide an education to all students, regardless of…

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Justin Paget/ Getty Images If your child has ever dug their heels in on the morning of the school athletics or cross country day, or refused to speak in front of the class, you’re not alone. For some children, these kinds of events bring a…

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Nearly a quarter of the land in Ethiopia is degraded . It has lost its quality and can no longer grow crops, support plant life, or hold water as it used to. The causes are mainly human pressures (deforestation, overuse, poor land…

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A landmark climate case is being heard by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The request was brought by the Pan African Lawyers Union and other African civil society organisations. They’ve asked the court to issue advice on…

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Kareem Neal, a teacher at Maryvale High School in Phoenix, poses in his classroom in October 2022. Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images Having Black teachers and other educators of color improves students’ classroom experiences, research…

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The campus of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Catherine Robotis/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images In 2014, a group of students at Bowdoin College thought it would be fun to dress up as Pilgrims and Native Americans for a…

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Many Chinese and Chinese American students do not seek the mental health care they might need, sometimes because of stigma. Jonathan Kirn/The Image Bank/Getty Images She has straight A’s, a full schedule of Advanced Placement classes, a…

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As the news spread about the outbreak of Ebola in mid-May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report about pandemics. The title was: A World on the Edge: Priorities for a Pandemic-Resilient Future. The document was…

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Ghana fans will be cheering their team alongside nine other African nations at the World Cup finals. Adera Abdoulaye Dolo/Pexels , CC BY The 2026 men’s Fifa World Cup marks a seismic shift in the global football landscape. The decision to…

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The supply of crude oil to the world had been reduced by about 7.5% to 10.1% by March 2026 in what the World Bank described as the largest oil market disruption in history . The fall was a result of the attacks on Iran by Israel and the US…

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Smith College is one of the 30 all-women's colleges in the U.S. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Since 2015, Smith College, one of the largest and most prestigious women’s liberal arts colleges in the United States, has…

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Ethiopia’s general election on 1 June 2026 will take place amid armed conflicts and political fragmentation . This has raised questions over voter participation and legitimacy and the future of the country’s multi-ethnic federal system.…

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Millions of people in central Africa rely on wild meat for their nutrition, especially in rural areas around the Congo rainforest, the second largest tropical rainforest in the world. Here, meat from domestic animals is scarce due to poor…

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Frazao Studio Latino/ Getty Images The latest round of national testing has shown Australian school students’ skills around digital tools, such as computers and tablets, has dropped. This is despite students spending significant time…

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How was iron produced 2,000 years ago in Senegal? A recent study at the Didé West 1 archaeological site, in the Falémé Valley in eastern Senegal, sheds light on an ancient iron production technique. Passed down from generation to…

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Attila Csaszar/Getty Images In years gone by, school leavers had one main chance to get into university – by finishing their Year 12 exams with certain marks. Media coverage of Year 12 results perpetuates the idea everything hinges on your…

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In Canada, we need more qualified teachers . Alberta’s Expedited Teaching Certificates , introduced in April 2026 , have been presented as a solution to getting more teachers in classrooms. So have other shortened university teacher…

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The United States’ retreat from aspects of global climate and health leadership has exposed the risk Africa took in relying on external funding for these projects. When the US pulled back on aid , many African programmes and plans that…

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Moving to renewable energy will fail unless wealthy nations help finance cleaner energy systems, industrialisation and local mineral processing across the African continent. This was the argument that African countries put to a recent…

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Peter Cade/ Getty Images New data shows 27.2% of Australian students are receiving an adjustment for disability at school. This is up from 25.7% in 2024 and 18% in 2015. An educational adjustment helps students participate on the same…

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It is forgivable to think that an oil shock mainly hurts at the petrol pump. After all, that is where households feel it first. But when my colleagues and I at the Bureau for Economic Research started digging through South Africa’s fuel…

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Cottonbro Studio/Pexels , CC BY Generative AI (GenAI) is a type of artificial intelligence that creates new content – like text, images, or ideas – by learning patterns from existing data. GenAI, particularly through large language models…

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Misleading information online is often treated as a technical glitch, something that better algorithms or stricter moderation can fix. But research points to a more complex reality. That is, the rise of “misfluencers”, individuals who…

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College commencement ceremonies celebrate students' achievements, but also have become occasionally fraught with politics. photosbyjim/iStock/Getty Images Plus Delivering a university commencement address used to simply be a unique kind of…

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Many of us, at one time or another, have been in situations where something someone said or did felt offensive, hurtful or dismissive. These can be subtle, often unintentional, comments, questions or actions that suggest bias and negative…

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Africa is providing cheap liquidity to wealthy nations. In return it is paying huge interest rates to external institutional investors at the cost of its own development. For instance, African central banks export their reserve funds for…

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When imagining our early human ancestors in prehistoric Africa hundreds of thousands of years ago, one might envision trekkers plodding across a savanna, baking under an equatorial sun. Research, however, suggests that our species’ unique…

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Africa is one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. But much of its biodiversity remains poorly studied . Research from the continent contributes to less than 1% to global scientific output . This pattern is often explained by limited…

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Banning students from writing theses and dissertations on sexual orientation and gender identity could be seen as curtailing students' freedom of speech rights. Malte Mueller/fStop/Getty Images Texas Tech University, a public university in…

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South Africa has a paradox when it comes to food availability. Its supermarkets are overflowing . But it continues to record high levels of stunted growth . This seems to be a global problem. Data suggest that the world has produced more…

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10'000 Hours/Getty Images Getting the kids out the door for school can feel like herding cats in the rain. Just when one child is ready, another can’t find a shoe, someone remembers homework, and someone else starts crying because they…

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Hantaviruses are not new. They have circulated for decades in rodent populations, particularly in rats and mice. Humans can become infected if they are bitten or scratched by a rodent or by inhaling aerosolised particles. These are tiny…

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For decades, science educators have been encouraged to “stick to the science” and leave politics at the classroom door. But as disinformation spreads online and public trust in science seems to erode in some contexts , this advice is no…

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Westend61/ Getty Images For Year 12 students, final exams are getting closer and applications for university and other courses are opening. So naturally, conversations at home and with wider family and friends are turning to what’s going…

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The most culturally diverse men’s football World Cup in history is taking place in the United States at a time when foreign nationals feel less and less welcome in the country. The 2026 competition kicks off on 11 June with games in…

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The World Bank made history in 1994 by creating the Inspection Panel , the first independent accountability mechanism at any international organisation. Its function is to investigate complaints from communities who allege they were harmed…

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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is taking an unusual step to secure its critical minerals. It plans to create a new paramilitary unit to protect mining sites and transport routes, backed by funding and support from the United States…

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Across many cities and towns in South Africa, turning on a tap no longer guarantees water. Instead, trucks – known as water tankers – arrive to deliver water to communities facing shortages. Water tankers have shifted from being an…

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The global economy still largely follows a simple pattern: extract natural resources, manufacture products, use them and then throw them away. This “take, make, dispose” model has driven economic growth for decades. But increasing use of…

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Malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia are preventable childhood diseases that are major causes of death in young children. They’re transmitted largely in and around the home, where children spend most of their time. For example, around 80% of…

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Farming in the Great Lakes region of Africa (which includes Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Kenya) is challenging because of changing environments and ongoing social and political tensions . These…

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Throughout history, most of the world’s genomic research has relied on DNA data from people of European ancestry. A genome is the full DNA code of about three billion (a thousand million) bases, including all the chromosomes. Each person…

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Rachel Claire/ Pexels As Year 12 students pass the halfway point of their final year, the question of “what next?” can start to loom large. Some students have a clear plan: a course they want to get into, a trade they want to start, or a…

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Writing the dreaded English essay spikes anxiety for thousands of students, but is there a way for writing to boost students’ well-being instead? I wanted to know if a new approach to teaching literary studies could tap into the feel-good…

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Botswana’s economy is projected to contract by 0.4% in 2026, driven largely by a slowdown in the diamond sector. Diamonds account for a third of fiscal revenues and a quarter of GDP. This means the government has less money to spend, even…

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Maskot/ Getty Images Governments have spent about a year announcing new policies to make early education safer for Australian children. In the wake of reports of shocking abuse and neglect in daycare centres , there have been moves to…

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Birds of prey and vultures (raptors) play a vital role in ecosystems, both as top predators and key scavengers. However, compared to many other bird species, raptor populations are declining faster . This is because they need large areas…

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This week, US-based education technology provider Instructure announced a significant cybersecurity incident affecting its Canvas system . This is used by schools and universities around the world, including in Australia. Cyber crime group…

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Feeding children can be challenging. It is sometimes hard to know if you’re getting it right. We want the best for our children, and we often think that means making sure they eat the right amounts of the right foods. Research tells us…

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How does a medium once branded “ the devil’s own box ” become the fireplace around which a nation tries to rekindle its broken identity? This question lies at the heart of our recently published book that marks 50 years since the flicker…

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The Smith College campus in Northampton, Mass., in October 2025. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Within the past decade, most women’s colleges in the United States – including Smith College, a liberal arts college in…

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About 10% of births – that’s about 15 million babies – are born prematurely worldwide each year, making preterm births a major global health concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines preterm birth as delivery before 37 completed…

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Generative AI has become a part of everyday student life in Canada. While institutions focus on misconduct and detection, a deeper shift is happening, one that concerns identity. A recent KPMG Canada report finds that 73 per cent of…

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Mozambique is not in total crisis – but it is faltering. There has been no currency crash, no hyperinflation, no bank run. But over the past decade the main indicators of the country’s economic health have severely eroded. An IMF…

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Across South Africa’s rural landscape, thousands of hectares of fertile land lie unused . Irrigation systems have collapsed, water no longer reaches crops reliably, and many farmers lack the support needed to keep production going. This is…

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The call to prayer echoes across the neighbourhood as people congregate under the sweeping domes and tall minarets of Ghana’s National Mosque in Accra . For many, it is a place of faith, community and national pride. Yet, few pause to…

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A mother leads her 7- and 9-year-old sons in a morning lesson during homeschool in Buffalo, Minn., in September 2023. Nicole Neri for The Washington Post via Getty Images When schools abruptly closed their doors at the onset of the…

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When environmental hazards strike, the damage is usually counted in numbers: how many people died, how many homes were destroyed, how many people were displaced, and how much money it will take to rebuild. But not all losses and damage can…

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Nigerians have no reliable way of scrutinising the national budget. The citizen’s portal of the Nigerian Budget Office of the Federation is often offline, and when it is online, it is highly technical and difficult for ordinary citizens to…

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Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu , popularly known as Bobi Wine , is a Ugandan music star and political leader currently in exile. Framing his movement as a “people power” struggle by young Ugandans for democratic transition, he is a vocal…

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Experiencing bullying frequently in childhood can have lifelong consequences. Malte Mueller/iStock illustrations/Getty About 1 in 4 elementary students in the United States reports being bullied at least once during a given school year.…

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SDI Productions/ Getty Images It’s the time of year when schools and parents typically meet for parent-teacher interviews. These meetings are often short: in high school, usually only five to ten minutes per subject. In primary school,…

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Nigerian women of working age are mostly ( 90% ) self-employed. By comparison, self-employment accounts for less than 16% of employment in high-income countries such as the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. It is far lower in…

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Tucked into the Ontario Ministry of Education’s newly introduced Putting Student Achievement First Act is a mandate requiring teachers to use ministry-approved learning resources in classrooms . Providing learning resources sounds neutral…

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A museum curator removes a rare Native American Chumash basket from California, circa 1800, at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., in 2003. MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images Many universities and museums in the U.S. have…

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Vanessa Loring/ Pexels Parents are told to avoid screens altogether in the first two years of a child’s life. At the same time, digital devices are part of everyday family life used for communication, work, learning, and at times, simply…

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Information integrity and human checks are at the heart of the matter. Alan Warburton/betterimagesofai.org/© BBC , CC BY South Africa’s first attempt to establish a binding artificial intelligence (AI) policy framework came to an abrupt…

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Mali has been in a state of political turmoil since 2012. That year saw a military coup as well as armed groups taking over northern regions of the west African country. In the intervening years, efforts at establishing transitional…

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As heat, floods and drought intensify, governments, donors and cities rely on climate risk assessments to decide who gets support and where money goes. A climate risk assessment uses information on climate hazards, exposure, vulnerability…

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A fourth grade teacher leads a small group of students in a reading exercise in March 2023 at Tuskegee Public School in Tuskegee, Ala. Julie Bennett/The Washington Post via Getty Images Despite decades of legislation meant to boost…

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In African countries, there’s a gap between the financing available for renewable energy and the projects its meant to reach. Funds are not reaching the right places and even as more funding is announced for clean energy, many projects…

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Ghana introduced a new payment arrangement for petroleum imports in 2023, using gold instead of scarce US dollars. The policy was designed to ease pressure on the cedi by reducing the need for upfront dollar purchases to settle fuel import…

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Larvae of the mopane moth (Gonimbrasia belina), on a mopane tree (Colophospermum mopane). By SAplants - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 , CC BY South Africa’s Limpopo province borders Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique. It is one of the poorest…

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There is a rich history of Black graduation ceremonies in the United States focused on celebrating the unique experiences and achievements of Black university students. In Canada, the tradition gained attention with the University of…

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Malaria, a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes, is preventable and curable. The World Malaria Report 2025 shows that in 2024, there were an estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 malaria deaths in…

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Male sylvan chameleon (Nadzikambia goodallae) from Mount Ribáuè, Mozambique. Krystal Tolley , CC BY Tropical rainforests are known for their unique biodiversity, with species found nowhere else on Earth. But nearly 30% of tropical…

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Brain breaks improve the neural connections your brain is making between new information and prior knowledge. Mihaela Rosu/iStock/Getty Images Plus If you have a child in school right now, you may have heard them talk about needing a…

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Approximately 34% of U.S. fourth grade students without disabilities and 72% of students with disabilities scored below basic reading levels in 2024. Anna Maslennikova/iStock/Getty Images Plus Recently, I worked with a group of elementary…

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Canada’s 2024 cuts to international study permits led to significantly larger reductions in study permit approvals than intended , according to a report by the auditor general tabled in March 2026. The report found the reduction in study…

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Who counts as an intellectual? In many traditions, the figure of the intellectual is tied to the search for truth, social critique and public engagement. From the Dreyfus Affair (a political scandal in 1894 in France that mobilised writers…

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The Salinas High School (Calif.) girls volleyball team from 1924, as seen in the school's yearbook, 'El Gabilan.' Michael A. Messner , CC BY High school students will soon take part in a more than 160-year-old tradition in American…

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Liliana Drew/ Pexels Pretend play is a significant and often magical part of childhood . Children have huge imaginations and use these to turn rocks into spaceships, tables into forts or pens into fairies. They might pretend to be “mum” or…

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The East African Community is one of Africa’s oldest regional economic organisations. Its birth in 1967 was the culmination of decades of economic ties forged in the colonial era between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It’s no surprise that…

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If today’s young people are tomorrow’s leaders, they will inherit not only the world’s problems but also the tools and ideas to solve them. One of the biggest changes they will face is a changing climate . This means hotter days, more…

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For much of the past two decades, South Africa’s recurring waves of protest have been interpreted through a dominant lens: the failure of the post-apartheid state to deliver services to its poorest citizens. Rising unemployment, corroding…

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In some communities in Uganda, women aren’t supposed to work with pigs. This stems from restrictive social and gender norms, some of which are rooted in culture and religious beliefs. Until recently, eating pork was associated with…

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Madagascar is home to seven species of baobab trees, of which six are found nowhere else on the planet. Many of the trees have been alive for well over 1,000 years. The ancient trees have become symbols of Madagascar itself. They’re also…

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Irene Fogel Weiss holds a photograph of her mother and brothers, who were killed during the Holocaust, during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol on April 14, 2026, in Washington. Heather Diehl/Getty Images In 2025, 48% of Americans ages 18-29…

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South Africa would seem like the perfect place for widespread uptake of solar energy. The country is sunny, with high solar generation potential. Solar is a clean, reliable source of power that can help people reduce their dependence on…

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Although sexual misconduct is common on college campuses, most people do not officially report their experience. salim hanzaz/iStock/Getty Images Plus Sexual misconduct – including sexual harassment, stalking, intimate partner violence and…

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China recently pledged to expand military support to Somalia in its fight against al-Shabaab militants . Beijing has promised equipment, training and closer security cooperation with Mogadishu. This marks a shift from China’s traditionally…

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The global geoeconomic volatility wrought by the second Donald Trump US presidency and hostilities in the Middle East make the shift in China’s Africa strategy even more important for China and for Africa. China’s Africa strategy started…

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Two months after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final, which was won by Senegal in January 2026, the appeal board of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) decided to strip them of the title and give it instead to their…

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The minibus taxi is ubiquitous in southern Africa. These vehicles are the backbone of the urban economy, providing affordable mobility for millions . In Cape Town, South Africa’s second most populous city , they are central to the…

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Nelson Mandela remains one of the most revered political leaders of modern times. He is widely credited with guiding South Africa through a peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy. He embodied racial reconciliation, and lent moral…

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Ontario’s recent announcement of a tuition increase and major changes to grant and loan structures have prompted student protests at the provincial legislature. The province has said the changes are required for sustainability . But…

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Labour migration from Kenya was oriented towards Africa, North America and Europe until the 1990s. Kenyans then started moving to the Gulf countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Most Kenyan labour…

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Cities are often described as living archives of human memory. Walk through an old neighbourhood in an Islamic city like Fez in Morocco or Cairo in Egypt, and you can see layers of history in its streets and buildings. Traces of the past…

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“Magic mushrooms” are consumed recreationally and for medicinal purposes around the world. These fungi gained their fame as “magic” because they produce chemical compounds (called psilocybin and psilocin ) which have psychedelic effects.…

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A student uses the unlocking mechanism as he leaves school for the day. Keith Srakocic/AP Photo What is the best way to handle cellphones in schools? That’s a question Michigan educators are grappling with this spring after Gov. Gretchen…

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Protesters gather outside a Boston courthouse in July 2025 to rally against the Trump administration's freezing of contracts and grants to Harvard University. Scott Eisen/Getty Images The Department of Justice announced in March 2026 that…

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Instead of focusing on student behaviors, standards-based grading assesses if students are actually learning what's being taught. Valerii Apetroaiei/iStock via Getty Images Plus Some school districts, including ones in Maine, New Mexico,…

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The rating agency S&P Global’s Africa Credit Rating Trends 2025 reviews the past year’s rating activities and analyses the continent’s prospects for 2026. It is an important document because it interprets underlying drivers of…

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The University of Florida in Gainesville is one of the universities that signed a memo agreeing to cooperate with ICE. Mireya Acierto Since March 2025, at least 15 Florida public universities and colleges, including the University of…

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Debates about generative AI in higher education have been informed by studies of completed student papers , or self-reported survey data . Research shows that artificial intelligence tools can support learning, but also has raised…

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The status change cuts the amount of federal student aid by half. Royalty-free/Getty Images As of July 2026 , graduate degree programs in nursing, public health, social work, public policy and more will no longer be defined as professional…

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Youth in Canada’s child welfare system need stronger government leadership to improve educational outcomes. Fewer than half of youth who have spent time in foster care — known as care-experienced youth — complete high school and even fewer…

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An undocumented mother walks her 6-year-old daughter to school in Danbury, Conn., in October 2025, shortly before the family self-deported. John Moore/Getty Images All immigrants, regardless of their citizenship status, have the right to…

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An estimated 85% of K-12 public school teachers recently reported that they used AI during the 2024-2025 school year. ismagilov/iStock/Getty Images Plus K-12 teachers and students across the country are increasingly using AI in and out of…

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A visitor looks at calligraphy by Luo Sangui of the Daodejing, the classic Daoist text, during the Nanjing 2014 Grand Art Exhibition in Nanjing, China. Visual China Group via Getty Images Each March, many of the country’s most selective…

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Many teachers are missing the opportunity to use events like the Iran war as teachable moments. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images It’s a scene that’s played out in K-12 schools around the country in recent years. Unprompted, a student…

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Political theorist Hannah Arendt warned that authoritarian politics rarely begin with spectacles of repression. More often, authoritarianism advances through routine administrative decisions that appear technical or neutral but gradually…

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Use of generative artificial intelligence technology is already widespread in K-12 schools and higher education. Now, AI technologies such as conversational agents and tablet-based assessments are starting to make their way toward early…

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International Women’s Day is an important day for everyone, regardless of gender, to raise awareness about gender inequality. This includes naming harms, celebrating gains and recommitting to societal and institutional change. But we…

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Children’s experiences during early years form the foundation for their development . For many children in Canada and across the globe, these early experiences include substantial exposure to early learning and child care. And government…

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Much is being said about the wonders of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it is the new frontier. And while it provides amazing possibilities in fields like medicine , academics are debating its advantages for university students. Peet…

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Christina @ wocintechchat.com via Unsplash , CC BY Students’ well-being in higher education has been a growing concern globally since the coronavirus pandemic, which disrupted learning and lives generally. Well-being has been described as…

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Kelly Skema, Unsplash , CC BY The United Nations made 24 January the International Day of Education to highlight the role of education in peace and development. In 2026 the theme is “the power of youth in co-creating education”. This…

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As universities in South Africa prepare to admit a new group of students, thousands of young people from rural parts of the country hope for a life-changing opportunity. In 2023, public universities enrolled 258,778 first-time students.…

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Corporal punishment – usually referring to adults hitting children – was abolished in South Africa in 1997. The Constitutional Court had already ruled it incompatible with the bill of rights in 1995. In that judgement, the chief justice…

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The world of work today, in the 21st century, is far more unpredictable than it was in the 20th century. Jobs come and go, roles change constantly, and automation and digital disruption are the only constants. Many young people will one…

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School violence is a global public health phenomenon. This is when learners and teachers are the victims of physical and psychological abuse, cyber threats and bullying, fights, gangsterism, and the use of weapons at school. The…

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The civil war in Sudan began in April 2023, causing death, hunger, displacement and destruction on a huge scale. Gihad Ibrahim, head of e-learning and senior manager at Mashreq University in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, spoke with The…

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The Sorbonne University , founded in Paris in 1253 and known globally as a symbol of education, science and culture, has just announced that , starting in 2026, it will stop submitting data to Times Higher Education (THE) rankings. It is…

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Food insecurity is associated with worse academic outcomes. PxHere The spectre of food insecurity unfortunately haunts many households in South Africa. Food security is commonly understood as having sufficient and nutritious food to live a…

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Learning experiences have to include opportunities to develop thinking, skills and values. PickPic As a full-time teacher completing a PhD part-time, I made a decision early on: do research that speaks to the daily realities of teachers…