The Dhaka Times Desk The 3-day British Council Schools Now! was held in Cape Town, South Africa. 2024 conference. This conference was held from 27 to 29 February.
More than 1000 leading personalities participated in the conference offline and online. The conference serves as an effective platform for sharing best practices and related insights in the field of international education and enhancing mutual cooperation. 28 delegates from Bangladesh participated in the conference. Among them were British Council, Academia, Cherry Blossoms International School and College, DPS STS School, Earth House Alternative School, Juvenile English Medium School, Manarat Dhaka International School and College, Maple Leaf International School, Mastermind English Medium School, Oxford International School, Playpen, Premier School Dhaka, Scholastica, Sir John Wilson School and Sunnydale Bangladesh are the representatives.
The conference held discussions on the themes of internationalization and context-based curriculum as well as digital learning, leadership, well-being and security. In addition to keynote presentations by speakers, workshops and panel discussions were also held. Representatives from institutions participating in the conference discussed innovative teaching methods, strategies for creating richer curricula and integration of technology in education.
Martin Loader, Head of Global Exams Services of the British Council said about this conference, “Schools Now! The purpose of the conference is to establish global connections among those working in the field of education and to explore opportunities for innovation and exchange of ideas and knowledge gained in international education.
By working on emerging issues, we aim to empower educators to address the complexities of a changing educational landscape to ensure positive outcomes for students.”
Maxim Reimann, Director of Examinations, British Council in Bangladesh, said, “The British Council Partner Schools Program supports over 175 partner schools in Bangladesh in securing UK International School Qualifications on behalf of UK awarding bodies. Our educational support helps schools enrich the learning experience for students and make education more rewarding.”
Sabina Mustafa, Scholastic's Head of Academic Affairs, said on the occasion, “The education sector is undergoing continuous transformation due to technological development. Online platforms and digital resources have revolutionized the access and availability of knowledge. Partnerships among stakeholders are important to address this change and ensure equity in education. For educators like us, 'The Schools Now!' The conference is a unique platform.”
Victoria Pendry, Chief Executive of Curriculum Foundation, delivered the welcome keynote at the conference. In his speech, he emphasized on curriculum development, monitoring and evaluation to empower schools. In his speech, he highlighted the importance of the interrelationship between digital education, leadership, wellness and safety as a foundation for quality and equitable education.
Other prominent speakers at the conference included Head of Wellbeing Division and Child Protection Lead of Al Rayan International School in Ghana. Funk Bafour-Awwah; British Council Education Consultant Kathleen O'Hare; Deputy Head Pamela O'Brien and Deputy Head Academic Joe Parkes of the British Council School Madrid. Tatiana Popa, Deputy Academic Director of Heritage International School, Moldova and ISC International Education Influencer 2023 moderated a session on 'Digital Learning' for virtual delegates. There, he discusses the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in schools and its implications for educational materials, teaching practices and other areas.
Kudzai Tarisai, Senior Lecturer at Stellenbosch University, Cape Town; An expert panel discussion on 'AI in Education' was held with the participation of Reham Ali and Joe Parkes, Director of Middle and High School Education, Nurmain Ismail International School, Egypt. They also discuss some valuable suggestions for what schools can do to ensure that students are prepared for future needs through the use of AI. Nearly 90 percent of participants spoke in favor of AI, identifying a positive attitude toward artificial intelligence. For details on the program's main content, visit The Schools Now! Website of:
https://www.britishcouncil.org/exam/partner-schools/schools-now-conference
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How to prevent dengue
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral fever. This fever is different from other viral or bacterial fevers. However, this fever is not contagious in any way. This viral fever can occur alone or in combination with other viruses (chikungunya, yellow fever, Burma forest, flu, respiratory syncytial) and bacteria (pneumococcus).
Dengue fever is divided into two categories depending on the severity of symptoms and fever.
1. Common dengue fever
2. Dengue fever with bleeding.
In the case of common dengue fever, the following symptoms are mainly seen-
1. Sudden high fever lasting 2 to 7 days.
2. Severe headache.
3. Pain behind the eyes.
4. Along with the fever, red rash appears all over the body.
5. Severe pain in whole body as well as back pain.
6. Nausea or vomiting.
7. A rash or red bumps on the skin.
In case of dengue fever with bleeding:
1. Bleeding from nose, mouth or vomiting with high fever within 2 to 48 hours.
2. Fluid accumulation in chest or abdomen along with fever.
If any of these symptoms appear, seek medical attention immediately.
On the other hand
Wait at home for the first 3 days of fever. On the other hand, sponge the whole body with water every now and then. This will reduce the level of fever. Drink enough water and rest. After that, if the fever does not decrease or if it continues to increase after some time, consult a doctor immediately.
Things to do to prevent Dengue:
1. Try to keep the surroundings of the house as clean as possible.
2. If there are flower tubs or broken plastic bottles, can shells, tires or polythene inside the house, clean them quickly and drain the accumulated water from the flower tubs.
3. Spray or fog at least 3 times a week to kill mosquitoes.
4. You can keep mosquito repellent cream with you while going out.
5. After evening, younger and older members of the household should use mosquito nets.
6. Clean up any accumulated rain water, as this is the time when Aedes mosquitoes lay their eggs.
7. On the other hand, you can use mats along with mosquito nets to avoid mosquito infestation.
8. Since Aedes mosquitoes bite during the day, it is important to avoid sleeping with mosquito nets while sleeping during the day. Source: https://dmpnews.org
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