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More children would eat lunches and dinners at school under legislation passed Thursday by the House and sent to the president, part of…

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Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (AHN) – Manitoba Education Minister Nancy Allan announced Thursday the province will push for a new law that would increase the truancy age to 18. That means young residents would be required to acquire an education or training until they reach 18.

Allan said the change was necessary because of global educational and work benchmarks going higher and that a high school diploma is often not sufficient to acquire a good job or carve a successful career.

Allan said in a statement, “Success in the modern economy will be dependent on students having every opportunity to pursue post-secondary education, training and apprenticeships. Those opportunities are lost when a young person does not have a high-school diploma or equivalent. Raising the compulsory education age to 18 will help ensure kids stay in school and are well prepared for life beyond the classroom.”

The current law in Manitoba requires students to remain in school until they reach 16. While the present truancy age has yielded an improvement in high school graduation rate to 80.9 percent in 2009 from 72.4 percent in 2001, Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger said the planned change should not be seen as dictating to the youth what they should do, but as helping them become successful in life.

Ontario and New Brunswick were the first Canadian provinces to adjust upward their truancy age to 18 in 2006. Alberta will discuss a similar measure this weekend. Nova Scotia is mulling a similar policy.

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West Bank, Palestinian Territory David E. Miller – Schools and clinics are shuttered, and garbage has been piling up on streets across the West Bank’s 19 refugee camps, as some 5,000 striking employees of the United Nations Works and Relief Agency (UNRWA) have brought critical public services to a halt in a pay dispute.

With the labor action now entering its second month, residents are growing angry and frustrated, and blame UNRWA for the problem. Dozens of people from the Deheisheh and Izza refugee camps near Bethlehem took to the streets Saturday in protest against what they termed the organization’s unwavering position towards its staff.

“The strike is greatly harming Palestinian refugees,” Isma’il Abu-Hashash, a striking UNRWA school principal from the Al-Fawwar refugee camp near Hebron, told The Media Line. “The biggest damage is caused to pupils, who have lost a month of school, in what has become a kind of prolonged summer vacation.”

The camps, which have evolved over the decades since they were established into towns, are home to a large percentage of West Bank Palestinians, with the UN organization providing educational, health and social services. Some 56,000 pupils attend UNRWA schools and the organization operates about 30 clinics. Its annual budget of several-hundred-million dollars comes mainly from donor countries and the European Union.

In refugee camps across the West Bank piles of garbage were removed by private companies, volunteers and non-unionized UNRWA workers. Abu-Hashash said patients have found alternatives to UNRWA clinics in government hospitals or private clinics, but the lost school days were irretrievable.

“Our youth wander the streets unsupervised,” he said. “This has resulted in serious social problems, which only exacerbate existing academic weaknesses.”

UNRWA, a UN agency established in 1948, provides services to 4.8 million registered Palestinian refugees. Registered refugees are defined by UNRWA as residents of Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 “who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.” Descendents are also eligible for registration.

UNRWA’s Union of Arab Employees ordered members to walk off their jobs Oct. 14 after demands to be compensated for missed work during a strike in June went unanswered. The union claimed that a memorandum signed with management guaranteed them compensation for six of the days they were on strike – half of them by direct payment and half by working overtime. But, Sami Mshasha, a spokesman for UNRWA, denied any such agreement was reached.

“UNRWA maintains a policy of ‘no work – no pay’,” he told The Media Line. “It’s unfortunate that a minor disagreement led the union to such an extreme measure, which harms hundreds of thousands of pupils. This issue could have been resolved at the negotiating table.”

In fact, the labor dispute has generated personal animosities, with strikers blaming Barbara Shenstone, the West Bank field office director, for the deadlock and calling on her to leave the West Bank. Mshahsa condemned what he called the ad hominem attacks.

“It’s lamentable and disgraceful that some union representatives turned the dispute into a personal matter,” he said. “This has never happened before. Such ad hominem attacks against devoted UNRWA officials are unacceptable.”

Despite the tensions, Abu-Hashash said he expected the dispute would soon be resolved due to direct intervention by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and UNRWA Commissioner-General Filippo Grandi.

“The union shouldn’t have been so rash in deciding on an open-ended strike in response to an unimportant issue,” Abu-Hashash said. “However, UNRWA was very adamant in its negotiations. It should have been more flexible in finding a solution.”

UNRWA claims that 1.4 million Palestinians, comprising 29 percent of all Palestinian refugees, reside in 58 recognized camps in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as in the neighboring Arab countries Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. It teaches half a million children in nearly 700 schools, making it one of the largest school systems in the Middle East.

The strike, which is confined to the West Bank, is only one of several problems confronting UNRWA, which many in Israel accuse of perpetuating the Palestinian refugee problem and abetting violence against Israelis. Last month, Israel’s Defense Ministry rejected a UNRWA request to establish new schools in the Gaza Strip, contending that they would be built on land provided by Hamas and adjacent Hamas military installations.

Among Palestinians, UNRWA’s activities have also generated opposition. Last May, a group of 30 armed men set fire to an UNRWA construction site in Gaza, leaving a threatening letter containing four bullets to Gaza UNRWA Director John Ging. Last week, Israel allowed four automatic weapons to enter Gaza to be used by UNWRA workers for self-defense.

Some commentators say that after more than six decades of UNRWA assistance, Palestinian society has grown too dependent on aid. Last January, the Canadian government redirected help previously earmarked to UNRWA to democracy-building and accountability projects in the Palestinian Authority.

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Need candidates for office – Can you help? The header on the “urgent call to action” email sent out by the chair of the San Diego County Republican Party delivered its message in unambiguous terms. In case there was any doubt about the theme, the first sentence amplified the point: “I need your help to field candidates for specific office where an incumbent did not file for re-election, and we don’t have enough (in some cases, any) Republicans running.” Coming from the chair of the local Republican Party, this plea for more Republican candidates seemed an appropriate call to action. It did, that is, until one read the offices listed in the email for which Republicans were being sought – among them, school board races. I thought school board races were supposed to be nonpartisan. How naïve of me. I was brought to my senses after reading all of Republican Party Chair Tony Krvaric’s email blast, wherein he implored recipients to recruit Republican candidates for 40 races county-wide – among them 21 school board races, including the north county school districts of Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, San Dieguito, Cardiff and Carlsbad. The letter was sent Aug. 10, one day before the filing deadline for races where an incumbent chose not to run again. “The opportunity is tremendous; we can pick up seats and win by default if no one else filed,” the letter continued. “We can make sure that the Democrat who filed has a contest and doesn’t win by default, and – with an incumbent not filing – we have a great chance to win seats.” Krvaric’s letter concluded with the following statement: “Thank you for helping us put more Republicans in office throughout San Diego County. As you very well know, these offices are stepping stones to higher office, and I’ll be darned if I will sit idly by and allow Democrats to get on these. As a wise man once told me, ‘Little Democrats become big Democrats.’” When contacted about this email, Krvaric wrote, “We’re here to elect Republicans to ALL offices. There are no nonpartisan offices. All offices are opportunities to put Republican ideas of smaller government, lower taxes and fiscal responsibility into action.” It would be hard to argue with those three particular ideas, not exclusively Republican by the way. It’s the other, more controversial positions endorsed by many ultra-conservatives in the Republican Party that, when applied to school districts and children, are more problematic. School boards are no place for partisan politics. Remember the debacle the past two years over Obama’s innocuous speech to school children at the start of school, asking them to work hard and be good citizens? You would have thought he was asking each child to join the Communist Party, the way conservatives protested. The Republican agenda has at times included such far-right ideology as the promotion of creationism over evolution in biology classes, distortion of historical facts in textbooks, censorship of English literature and library books, prayer and religious activity in school, questionable First Amendment rights positions, anti-gay views and undue interference in health and sex education classes. Obviously, not every Republican on every school board thinks it appropriate to advocate any of these views at their schools. But the point of having nonpartisan elections for school boards is to avoid exposing children to the kinds of coarse political shenanigans we see at the national and state levels. What happened with the Obama speech underscores the risk we run when we allow politics into our classrooms. Krvaric’s description of school board seats as stepping stones to higher office is objectionable. School boards are no place for Republican or Democratic party platforms – and for no agendas other than the daily syllabus. Local Republican endorsements With this in mind, it was disconcerting to discover that two of the five candidates for the Del Mar Union School District’s Board of Education, Steven McDowell and Scott Wooden, include on their Web sites that they are endorsed by the San Diego County Republican Party. The same with John Salazar in the San Dieguito Union High School District election. People registered as Democrats or Republicans are usually endorsed by their respective political party, and that’s one thing. But to announce it and include that endorsement on one’s Web page seems quite another. In Del Mar, neither McDowell nor Wooden seem particularly taken with right-wing ideology, which makes their public proclamations slightly puzzling. An incumbent, McDowell has a track record of not applying political litmus tests to issues, and Wooden’s long list of endorsements by people across the political spectrum offers some assurance that he too, if elected, would not inject party politics into the boardroom. Although recent letters to the editor have been focused on the Del Mar election, it’s San Dieguito that voters should be more concerned about. There, the situation is more worrisome, because Salazar, unlike McDowell and Wooden, wears his Republicanism on his sleeve and lacks both history in office and broad-based endorsements that could serve to reassure voters that he has no political agenda. Six candidates are vying for three seats in the San Dieguito district, and only one incumbent – Barbara Groth – is running for re-election. (As an aside, the district mourns the departure of outstanding board members Linda Friedman and Dee Rich who have chosen not to run again. Both trustees have been instrumental in helping the district achieve its enviable level of innovation and excellence, and their replacements will have large shoes to fill.) A candidates’ forum on Oct. 13 introduced the public to five of the six candidates: Groth, Salazar, Andrew Brown, Sandra Timmons and Amy Herman. Candidate Rick Shea was unable to attend. In answer to a question about the role of partisanship in a school board race, Salazar and Brown both said they were Republicans. Timmons and Herman did not state any party affiliation, while Groth, in an interview later, said she was registered nonpartisan. Brown said the district should focus on what’s in the best interest of the kids. Although Republican, he did not list the Republican Party on the League of Women Voters “Smart Voter” list of key endorsements, an indication that party politics is not relevant to his candidacy. Timmons said the issue was not important “as long as board members can focus on student achievement.” Herman said she did not seek any political endorsement. Groth said it’s important to keep school boards nonpartisan. “Our kids are nonpartisan,” she said. Salazar called it a complicated question. He said he is proud to be a Republican but he “did not solicit the endorsement of the Republican Party,” even though he included this on his Smart Voter list of endorsements. Blood from a turnip Salazar’s pledge on his Smart voter page “to find and eliminate administrative wasteful spending [and] protect taxpayers by ensuring all money spent benefits students and not the bloated bureaucracy” implies mismanagement of the district’s finances. But these charges ring hollow. The top-ranked district has done a remarkable job maintaining high standards with fewer and fewer dollars, thanks in no small measure to direction from current school board members, which includes Groth. Are there problems? Surely. Increased class sizes is an unfortunate consequence of the state’s bleak financial condition. But the district runs a tight ship in tough times, with talented administrators at the top and a solid board behind them. At San Dieguito, it sometimes seems you really can squeeze blood from a turnip. After hearing both Brown and Salazar repeatedly defer to Groth at the forum to address questions they could not answer, it was apparent that even her opponents consider her the go-to person who best understands the district, its priorities and how it functions. And Groth’s track record of years of nonpartisan service on the San Dieguito school board demonstrates her apolitical approach to school governance. Timmons and Herman both come armed with a long list of volunteer activity and years of involvement in the district, especially Timmons who offered sensible, thoughtful comments on a wide range of issues. And they, like Groth, appear to have no interest in promoting personal political agendas. Voters should look for experience in the school district and knowledge of district funding and operations, as well as an open, inquisitive, civil attitude that will contribute meaningfully to the difficult discussions sure to come. San Dieguito needs trustees who can set aside distracting allegiances, clearing the way for sound decisions made purely on the basis of what’s best for students.

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Independence, AR, United States (AHN) – The Arkansas school official who posted anti-gay comments on Facebook has resigned amid pressure from advocacy groups and uproar nationwide.

Clint McCance stepped down as vice president of the board of the Midland School District only a month after he was re-elected. He announced his decision on CNN.

“I’m sorry I made those ignorant comments and hurt people on a broad spectrum,” he told Anderson Cooper on Thursday, the same day protesters gathered outside Midland High School to call for him to quit.

The nation’s largest LGBT advocacy group, the Human Rights Campaign, called the resignation a “step forward” but made clear, “What remains troubling is that Mr. McCance focused his regret on particular word choices not the animus behind those words.”

The group had announced a full-page ad in the local newspaper featuring McCance’s controversial comments and calling for him to step down.

McCance posted on his personal Facebook page last week, “Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers committed suicide. The only way I’m wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide.”

He later added, “Being a fag doesn’t give you the right to ruin the rest of our lives. If you get easily offended by being called a fag then don’t tell anyone…. I like that fags can’t procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other AIDS and die.. I would disown my kids if they were gay.”

McCance was reacting to the “Go Purple” campaign of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to fight bullying and honor five teens who committed suicide after allegedly being harassed for their sexual orientation. One of the victims was a Rutgers University music student, Tyler Clementi, who jumped off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate and another student secretly videotaped him having sex with a man inside his dorm room and streamed the encounter online.

The Facebook posts by McCance were reported in a letter to school district officials by Anthony Turner, who graduated from Midland High School in 1998.

Midland School District Superintendent Dean Stanley responded to the letter on Thursday, when a Facebook page calling for McCance to quit was supported by more than 60,000 people, and a day after Arkansas education commissioner Tom Kimbrell condemned the anti-gay comments.

“Despite these unfortunate events, it is my utmost hope that the students in the Midland School District and across the state of Arkansas clearly understand that they are all valued and have intellectual and human worth, and they deserve the best education we can offer,” Kimbrell said.

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London, Ontario, Canada (AHN) – Officials of the Thames Valley District School Board ordered a tightening of internet security over the weekend after the passwords of 27,000 high school students were exposed.

The students’ passwords, grades and schedules were made available on a page on popular social networking site Facebook. After the incident, which took place Wednesday, the board temporarily shut down the website the following day.

The computer system upgrade is expected to be finished in a few weeks. The upgrade would encrypt the passwords and webpages for students.

Valerie Nielsen, superintendent of education responsible for information technology of the board, advised students who use the same passwords in their other accounts, such as private emails or other social networking sites, to change their password information as soon as possible.

Police from London, Ontario, are probing how the hacking was done.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Fifteen Tennessee communities will receive loans for new construction projects through the state’s Qualified School Construction Bond program with no net interest costs.

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Montreal, Quebec, Canada (AHN) – Almost 40 percent of Quebec male high school students are dropping out of the educational system. In worst cases, such as at Pierre-Dupuy, the dropout rate is almost 80 percent.

Pierre-Dupuy Principal Ginette Rioux explained the unusually high rate of male dropouts in their school to having students with developmental delays and autism, students who opt to study trades and high poverty levels which forces some students to find employment instead.

Many of the students drop out when they reached Secondary Two and Three, which coincides with them turning 16 and making them employable.

The results are not surprising since a survey of 5,000 high school students found out that at age 12 or 13 when the students enter high school, the academic performance and career aspirations of male students are much lower than females.

The alarming data came after the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released a study last week that pushed governments to expand tertiary education to increase job creation and tax revenues.

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria said improvement should not be based on national, but global standards for countries to succeed.

Gurria said in a statement, “With the worldwide recession continuing to weigh on employment levels, education is an essential investment for responding to the changes in technology and demographics that are reshaping labor markets.”

Gurria pointed out the recent global crisis emphasized the value of education since the worst hit groups were young people with low levels of education. From 2008 to 2009, unemployment rates for that group of people went up by about five percent across OECD nations. In contrast, unemployment rate for people with tertiary degrees for the same years was less than two percent.

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Being a student can be very tough. The long hours you have to spend studying and cramming just to get by for your final exam can be very exhausting. Being successful is school can be a mental game if you happen to have a lot of projects at hand.

Sometimes you might find yourself cramming additional units every semester just so that you can graduate on time. The last thing you need to be worrying about is how you can get a loan for school. For most people being able to go back to school and qualify for a loan that they need can be the dealbreaker.

You have several options when it comes to getting back to school loans. One option is to opt for a private loan and your other option is to apply for a federal loan. If you’re deciding to sign up for a federal loan there is no need to get a cosigner.

But if you’re interested in getting a private back to school loan you might need a cosigner if your credit isn’t the best. Usually federal loans will not cover the full cost of your tuition expenses. When you end of coming up short you have the option of getting a private loan or possibly a scholarship award.

In most cases, students end up signing up for scholarships. Scholarships are free sign-up for and they are relatively easy to qualify for. It takes only about five minutes to fill out the required information for a scholarship application.

For the majority of young people, it is a dream to get into a great college. They want to do this as an accomplishment for themselves, as well as a way to make a living as an adult. The problem that many students face though, is the inability to get student loans. This is where private loans for students come into play. Because they are designed for students, you will not have to worry about having a bad credit score, or no credit whatsoever. For many students, this is the first type of loan they are getting, so their credit score is not even a factor.

The great thing about these private loans that students use is that they can use them for anything school related. If your actual schooling already is paid for but you are lacking the funds for everything else, you can use these loans. They can pay for your room and board or even just for your books and supplies. In the past, most students had to work long hours at little pay to afford to pay for all these things. All that work usually got in the way of their school work, which causes a big problem. With the loans, you do not have to worry about work getting in the way of school.

Another reason why private loans for students is a good idea is because it is a great way to establish credit. You will be getting the money that you need, so that is good. But you also will be paying back your loan, which means that your credit score will increase. Getting this type of loan as a student actually makes it easier to get a larger loan in the future because you have a good credit score established.

You should not put off going to school because you cannot afford it. If you do not qualify for the larger loans, consider taking out private loans for students. They will get you the money that you need to pay for school, which in turn will help get you a better job upon graduation. The better your education, the better job you will be able to get, which will mean that you will be making more money. All this is possible because you got out a loan to help you when you were in college.