Page 8 - ELG1903 Mar-Apr Issue 464

GLOBAL NEWS .

USA:
The state of Arizona has passed
a law ending the requirement
of four hours a day of segregated
instruction for English Language gl bal
Learners (ELLs) in schools.
Previously, these four hours were
devoted to grammar, vocabulary
and preparation for the English
language tests that ELLs needed
to take in order to progress to the perspective
mainstream curriculum. However,
ELLs struggled to gain credit
needed for high school graduation
under this system, as they missed The Gazette editorial team’s
out on other subjects.
Governor Doug Ducey signed selection of ELT news from
into law SB 1014, following around the world
its unanimous approval by the
state lawmakers. The law ends
the “restrictive”, 20-year-old, next biggest provider markets,
four-hours-a-day ELL regime, GSA.GOV SWEDEN: Finland, Germany and France
described by Superintendent of International enrolments for are all in the EU, The fifth-largest
Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman Stockholm’s 18 higher education provider market, India, is also
as a “misguided policy that left institutions are back up to the growing rapidly – up 16 per cent
them [ELLs] isolated”. levels they were in 2011, when year-on-year.
Ducey said the new law, which tuition fees for non-EU students
halves the number of segregated were introduced. Enrolments from
hours, gives teachers “the China, up 18 per cent in the last year, ISRAEL:
flexibility they need” to ensure Milwaukee federal courthouse account for much of the increase. Only five per cent of
better outcomes for students. A report by the Stockholm undergraduate students who had
Other “research-based methods While working with Chinese Academic Forum states that applied successfully for places on
of English instruction” can be children, US national Christopher attractions for foreign students teacher training colleges to start
taught instead, subject to Board Eklund came to the attention of include “democratic values” and a bachelor’s degree in English
of Education approval. an FBI investigation into online teachers which are approachable language education earned a high
networks sharing pornographic and who can be called by their enough score in their bagrut high
ARIZONAGOV.GOV Eklund’s online posts claiming speaks English” means foreign them from mandatory English
first name. The fact that “everyone
images.
school leaving exam to exempt
The investigation uncovered
language courses during their
students feel less isolated, while
studie, Haaretz newspaper reports.
that he had “thousands” of
the low crime rate is attractive to
images of children to share. After
This figure, from the Central
There are now 9,750 international
downloading some of these, parents. Bureau of Statistics, compares
the FBI alerted the Chinese students in Stockholm, 11 per with 21 per cent of students
authorities. cent of the Swedish capital’s total across all of those entering high
Elklund was arrested in China student body. More than 800 of education who had enough
and served two years in prison these are from China, while three language skills to be exempted
there. He was then deported. from having to study English.
Following his arrival in the US, Students bound for universities
he was arrested and pled guilty to SU.SE received an average of 111 in the
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey one charge of distributing child bagrut (including ‘bonus points’),
pornography. while entrants to teacher training
Court documents for his trial in colleges (for all subjects) picked up
CHINA: a US Federal court in Milwaukee 95 points on average. The national
An English language teacher reveal that Eklund had molested average for all undergraduates
who was imprisoned in China has children in China, and that he was 102. The article did not give
been sentenced to eight years for possessed two terabytes of child the threshold score at which
possession of child pornography, pornography at the time of his Students attending students were exempted from
after returning to the US. arrest. Stockholm University compulsory English modules.

8 March/April 2019