Student Loan Borrowers Will Get Interest Rate Cut If They Sign Up For Auto Pay
An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: Student loan borrowers who enroll in automatic payments will get a much bigger discount on interest starting July 1, the U.S. Department of Education says. Auto pay has long offered a modest discount off borrowers’ interest rate – .25 percentage points – but after millions … ⌘ Read more

@movq@www.uninformativ.de Hahaha. It could have been worse, though. I’ve heard stories from others that were many levels crazier than what I experienced. And I’m glad that I was very, very lucky with almost all of my teachers throughout all of school. One of my maths teacher, who was also my computer science teacher then, is the reason I do what I do for a living. It’s all his fault! ;-)

Ja, possibly a BaWü thing. The ministry of education and cultural affairs changes the rules, curriculums and details every one or two years, anyway.

Said teacher had to fight real hard that he was allowed to teach CS in class 12 and 13. As a real subject, that is, not just an extracurricular activity („AG“). At first, the ministry refused, because we’re just am „allgemeinbildendes Gmyi“, not an „informationstechnisches Gymi“. It’s insane, you’ve got super motivated (and technically as well as humanly excellent) teachers and then forbid them to offer a class. What the hell!? (Fun fact on top, he had a doctor in CS and was also teaching at the university of applied sciences.)

Eventually, they granted permission to only have a two hours a week class („zweistündig, wie Nebenfach“). One or two years later – too late for me, unfortunately – they allowed four hours a week („vierstündig, wie Hauptfach“). But each pupil had to sign upfont that they will not take CS class in the Abi. That was still exclusive to ITGs only. Completely ridiculous.

I reckon, you can talk to any random teacher and they will endlessly tell you about very dubious decicions from the ministry. :-/

Are Many College Students Losing the Ability to Read?
Futurism reports:

in a new essay for The Chronicle Higher Education, university-level literature and writing instructor Tyler Jagt recalls how not a single one of his students could get through an assigned 20-page article, something that he had read “without complaint” as an undergraduate a decade ago.

One student confessed that the reason they didn’t finish was that … ⌘ Read more

Lilian Thuram: «On ne collabore pas avec la haine»
Depuis 2008, Lilian Thuram s’emploie à déconstruire les préjugés avec sa fondation Éducation contre le racisme, pour l’égalité. Il était notre invité au Mediapart Festival qui s’est tenu en Seine-Saint-Denis, département dont les nouveaux maires noirs ont subi une campagne négrophobe. ⌘ Read more

Toxic parents can be banned from schools for WhatsApp posts
Parents targeting teachers or principals in WhatsApp groups would be forced to take their posts down under an enhanced scheme to protect educators. ⌘ Read more

The Age Schools Summit as it happened: Payroll tax cap to benefit private schools, education minister says
More of the state’s wealthiest schools could be shielded from a controversial tax if Labor wins the November election, Education Minister Ben Carroll told The Age Schools Summit. ⌘ Read more

The Age Schools Summit as it happened: Government and opposition announce education pledges; Carroll responds to leadership questions
Look back at what happened at The Age Schools Summit, where some of state’s leading educators and policymakers gathered to discuss Victoria’s education landscape. ⌘ Read more

The Age Schools Summit LIVE: Education Minister Ben Carroll announces $75m education fund, responds to leadership questions
Join us for our live coverage of The Age Schools Summit, where some of state’s leading educators and policymakers are gathered to discuss Victoria’s education landscape. ⌘ Read more

The Age Schools Summit LIVE: Education Minister Ben Carroll announces $75m education fund, responds to leadership questions
Join us for our live coverage of The Age Schools Summit, where some of state’s leading educators and policymakers will gather to discuss Victoria’s education landscape. ⌘ Read more

The Age Schools Summit LIVE: Education Minister Ben Carroll announces $75m education fund, responds to leadership questions
Join us for our live coverage of The Age Schools Summit, where some of state’s leading educators and policymakers will gather to discuss Victoria’s education landscape. ⌘ Read more

The Age Schools Summit LIVE: Minister for Education Ben Carroll to make address
Join us for our live coverage of The Age School Summit, where some of state’s leading educators and policymakers will gather to discuss Victoria’s education landscape. ⌘ Read more

Terence Tao’s groundbreaking maths formula is so simple, anyone can follow it
The Australian mathematician has been given one of the highest awards in the Kings Birthday Honours list. This is why. ⌘ Read more

«Préparation à la lutte armée»: l’extrême droite instrumentalise un spectacle de maternelle
Les images d’un spectacle d’une école de Montreuil circulent sur les réseaux sociaux pour dénoncer, notamment, une apologie du terrorisme. Le ministre de l’éducation s’est lui-même dit «choqué». «Mediapart» publie la vidéo de cette animation, qui abordait la guerre du Vietnam et prônait en réalité un message pacifiste. ⌘ Read more

Gestalt’s AI tech puts med school students in the driving seat
The founders of medical AI startup Gestalt say they are not in the business of letting AI take over the thinking for medical students. Nor the thinking of the doctors they will one day become.

The Wellington-based company launched its diagnostic educational AI engine in May after several months of testing it with medical students. However AI evolves in the years ahead, its founders insist the doctor … ⌘ Read more

Childcare centre that lost one-year-old on bush excursion fined
The centre was ordered to pay $15,000, which the state Education Department said reflected risk the toddler faced wandering alone in the bush. ⌘ Read more

Teaching watchdog pushes for medical-style transparency on teacher misconduct
The Victorian Institute of Teaching chief wants greater transparency on the register of educators, but a parents’ group says proceed with caution. ⌘ Read more

Raising a child today costs as much as a small mortgage – and that’s before you put education on the tab
This is how much kids cost. Even without accounting for private school fees, piano lessons and braces, parents are feeling it. ⌘ Read more

Taxer les ultrariches pour éviter «la course vers l’abîme climatique et social»
Des spécialistes des inégalités proposent de créer un” “«Fonds pour la justice mondiale» afin de financer des politiques progressistes de sobriété énergétique, d’accès à la santé, à l’éducation et de réduction du temps de travail. ⌘ Read more

Masters of the Universe Star Knighted Ahead of Movie’s Release
Masters of the Universe actor Idris Elba was recently honored with a knighthood. He received it for his charitable work and support for young people. Through his foundation, the actor helps educate and empower the youth in multiple countries. He is also a prominent activist and started an anti-knife campaign in the United Kingdom. Idris […]

The post [Masters of the Universe Star Knighted Ahead of Movie’s Rel … ⌘ Read more

@movq@www.uninformativ.de I’m kind of flag you bring thi sup, because you simply can’t. You wouldn’t even be able to in an atypical neural network either (which is what ehse things are anyway). The problem here really isn’t the so-called “AI” (I wish we’d stop calling it AI), but the flawed usage(s) thereof. I believe I even stated earlier in this thread that sometimes it may not do what you expect, it’s “probabilistic” not “deterministic” – those pushing for greater use need to understand this, those not happy with the “push”, should educate the ignorant here (especailly managers pushing for weak, insecure and bad uses).

Compass school lunches: one in three meals going to waste, survey shows
Schools reported throwing out nearly a third of Compass Group lunches late last year, as satisfaction with the supplier fell to its lowest point since the school lunch programme’s revamp.

On Friday, Associate Education Minister David Seymour … ⌘ Read more

Anthropic Forms $200 Million Partnership With the Gates Foundation
Anthropic announced today that it is partnering with the Gates Foundation to “commit $200 million in grant funding, Claude usage credits, and technical support for programs in global health, life sciences, education, and economic mobility over the next four years.”

“This commitment is central to Anthropic’s efforts to extend the benefits of A … ⌘ Read more

Ransom ‘paid’ to hackers who crippled online learning in Australia
More than 120 Australian schools, universities and TAFEs were caught in the world’s largest education breach. Now their data is supposedly deleted. ⌘ Read more

Éducation: les syndicats dénoncent une circulaire de rentrée en mode «fin de règne»
Jugée «insignifiante», «vide», «rétrograde» et sans méthode, la dernière circulaire de rentrée du ministre de l’éducation fait l’unanimité contre elle. ⌘ Read more

Apple Now Requires Verification For Education Store
Apple now requires Education Store shoppers in the U.S. and several other countries to verify their student, educator, parent, or homeschool-teacher status through UNiDAYS, ending the previous honor-system approach. 9to5Mac reports: Starting today, Apple requires shoppers in the United States to complete verification when making a purchase via the Education Store. This c … ⌘ Read more

Should Schools Get Rid of Homework?
Tony Isaac shares a report from NPR: Federal survey data shows that the amount of math homework assigned to fourth and eighth grade students, in particular, has been steadily declining for the past decade. Some educators and parents say this is a good thing – students shouldn’t spend six or more hours a day at school and still have additional schoolwork to complete at home. But the research on homework … ⌘ Read more

Will Some Programmers Become ‘AI Babysitters’?
Will some programmers become “AI babysitters”? asks long-time Slashdot readertheodp. They share some thoughts from a founding member of Code.org and former Director of Education at Google:

“AI may allow anyone to generate code, but only a computer scientist can maintain a system,” explained Google.org Global Head Maggie Johnson in a LinkedIn post. So “As AI-generated code beco … ⌘ Read more

Apple and Lenovo Have the Least Repairable Laptops, Analysis Finds
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Apple earned the lowest grades in a report on laptop and smartphone repairability released today by the consumer advocacy group Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund. The report, which looks at how easy devices are to disassemble and how easy it is to find repairability … ⌘ Read more

Melania Trump Welcomes Humanoid Robot At White House Summit
Longtime Slashdot reader theodp writes: In Melania and the Robot, the New York Times reports on First Lady Melania Trump’s inaugural Fostering the Future Together Coalition Summit, which brought together international leaders, First Spouses from around the world, tech leaders, educators, and nonprofits to collaborate on practical solutions that expand … ⌘ Read more

Hyperion Author Dan Simmons Dies From Stroke At 77
Author Dan Simmons, best known for the epic sci-fi novel Hyperion and its sequels, has died at 77 following a stroke. Ars Technica’s Eric Berger remembers Simmons, writing: Simmons, who worked in elementary education before becoming an author in the 1980s, produced a broad portfolio of writing that spanned several genres, including horror fiction, historical fiction, and sc … ⌘ Read more

Microsoft: Computer Programming Is Dying, Long Live AI Literacy
theodp writes: On Tuesday, Microsoft GM of Education and Workforce Policy (and former Code.org Chief Academic Officer) Pat Yongpradit posted an obituary of sorts for coders. “Computer programmers and software developers are codified differently in the BLS [Bureau of Labor Statistics] data,” Yongpradit wrote. “The modern AI-infused world needs less … ⌘ Read more

What’s the Point of School When AI Can Do Your Homework?
An anonymous reader quotes a report from 404 Media: There’s a new agentic AI called Einstein that will, according to its developers, live the life of a student for them. Einstein’s website claims that the AI will attend lectures for you, write your papers, and even log into EdTech platforms like Canvas to take tests and participate in discussions. Educators told m … ⌘ Read more

Code.org President Steps Down Citing ‘Upending’ of CS By AI
Long-time Slashdot reader theodp writes:

Last July, as Microsoft pledged $4 billion to advance AI education in K-12 schools, Microsoft President Brad Smith told nonprofit Code.org CEO/Founder Hadi Partovi it was time to “switch hats” from coding to AI. He added that “the last 12 years have been about the Hour of Code, but the future involves the Hour of AI.” … ⌘ Read more

OpenAI Starts Running Ads in ChatGPT
OpenAI has started testing ads inside ChatGPT for logged-in adult users on the Free and Go subscription tiers in the United States, the company said. The Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education tiers remain ad-free. Ads are matched to users based on conversation topics, past chats, and prior ad interactions, and appear clearly labeled as “sponsored” and visually separated from ChatGPT’s organic respo … ⌘ Read more

The Risks of AI in Schools Outweigh the Benefits, Report Says
This month saw results from a yearlong global study of “potential negative risks that generative AI poses to student”. The study (by the Brookings Institution’s Center for Universal Education) also suggests how to prevent risks and maximize benefits:

After interviews, focus groups, and consultations with over 500 students, teachers, parents, education … ⌘ Read more

Great article by Ploum about chatbots/AI and education: https://ploum.net/2026-01-19-exam-with-chatbots.html

2026’s Breakthrough Technologies? MIT Technology Review Chooses Sodium-ion Batteries, Commercial Space Stations
As 2026 begins, MIT Technology Review publishes “educated guesses” on emerging technologies that will define the future, advances “we think will drive progress or incite the most change — for better or worse — in the years ahead.”

This year’s list incl … ⌘ Read more

Identity and Ideology in the School Boardroom
The abstract of a paper on NBER: School boards have statutory authority over most elementary and secondary education policies, but receive little attention compared to other actors in education systems. A fundamental challenge to understanding the importance of boards is the absence of data on the policy goals of board members – i.e., their ideologies – forcing researchers to condu … ⌘ Read more

‘The College Backlash is a Mirage’
Public opinion surveys paint a picture of Americans souring dramatically on higher education, as Pew found that the share of adults calling college “very important” dropped from 70% in 2013 to just 35% today, and NBC polling shows that 63% now believe a degree is “not worth the cost,” up from 40% over the same period. Yet enrollment data tells a different story.

Four-year institutions awarded 2 million bac … ⌘ Read more

‘Why Academics Should Do More Consulting’
A group of researchers is calling on universities to treat consulting work as a strategic priority, arguing that bureaucratic obstacles and inconsistent policies have left a massive revenue stream largely untapped even as higher education institutions face mounting financial pressures. (Consulting work refers to academics offering their advice and expertise to outside organizations – industry, … ⌘ Read more

Why Are There No Large Market Cap Companies Globally in Edtech?
Goldman Sachs, in a note this week, via India Dispatch: There are various reasons that explains this: (i) A large part of the global education spend goes towards formal education (schools, colleges and universities), which are typically either run by governments or are not-for-profit institutions;

(ii) It is difficult to replicate education quality … ⌘ Read more

Purdue University Approves New AI Requirement For All Undergrads
Nonprofit Code.org released its 2025 State of AI & Computer Science Education report this week with a state-by-state analysis of school policies complaining that “0 out of 50 states require AI+CS for graduation.”

But meanwhile, at the college level, “Purdue University will begin requiring that all of its undergraduate students demonstrate basic … ⌘ Read more

Arkansas Becoming 1st State To Sever Ties With PBS, Effective July 1
joshuark writes: Arkansas is becoming the first state to officially end its public television affiliation with PBS. The Arkansas Educational Television Commission, whose members are all appointed by the governor, voted to disaffiliate from PBS effective July 1, 2026, citing the $2.5 million annual membership dues as “not feasible. … ⌘ Read more

Alright, Advent of Code is over:

https://www.uninformativ.de/blog/postings/2025-12-12/0/POSTING-en.html

It’s been quite the time sink, especially with the DOS games on top, but it was fun. 🥳

In case you’re wondering: All puzzles (except for part 2 of day 10) were doable in Python 1 on SuSE Linux 6.4 and ran in a finite time on the Pentium 133. Puzzle 10/2 might have been doable as well if I had better education. 🤣

North Queenslanders split over new crocodile management plan
The new management plan sees the expansion of crocodile removal zones across north and far north Queensland. Some say it will not increase safety without better community education. ⌘ Read more

‘Colleges Oversold Education. Now They Must Sell Connection’
A tenured USC professor is arguing that universities need to fundamentally rethink their value proposition as AI rapidly closes the gap on human instruction and a loneliness epidemic grips the generation most likely to be sitting in their lecture halls. Eric Anicich, an associate professor at USC’s Marshall School of Business, wrote in the Los Angeles Times … ⌘ Read more

Tasmanian public schools to close amid ongoing industrial action — here’s what you should know
Most public schools in Burnie, Launceston and Hobart will close for half a day this Friday, as union members demand action on rising school violence and unfair wages. ⌘ Read more

Young people on benefits to be offered construction and hospitality work
The government says it will fund training and work experience for 350,000 not in work or education. ⌘ Read more

Young people on benefits to be offered construction and hospitality work
The government says it will fund training and work experience for 350,000 not in work or education. ⌘ Read more

‘Irresponsible and harmful’: News Corp attacked by school leaders over NAPLAN
Forty-one signatories to an open letter say they are “dismayed” and that school rankings cause “harm to our communities”. ⌘ Read more