Schools

KKR, PSP Investments inject capital to boost Lighthouse Learning network

KKR and PSP Investments have injected fresh capital into Lighthouse Learning to help the education group expand its school network, boost teaching and tech capabilities, improve operations

Dharmendra Pradhan launches incubation centre to boost AI in schools

Technologies to be available in the centre include Google Cloud's unified AI platforms like Vertex AI and Gemini Enterprise

England to teach school kids about fake news, AI in curriculum overhaul

In what is being dubbed as the biggest curriculum shake-up in a decade, pupils in England will be taught about identifying fake news and learn more about artificial intelligence as part of a UK government revitalisation drive for schools. Responding to the recommendations of a Curriculum and Assessment Review' by an academic on Wednesday, the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed steps to ensure every young person is equipped with the knowledge and skills required over the next decades. The review also recommends cutting the overall volume of exams faced by teenagers by 10 per cent, with the current examination levels seen as "excessive". From the fundamentals of reading to the present danger of spotting fake news, as part of our Plan for Change, these landmark reforms will help young people step boldly into the future, with the knowledge to achieve and the skills to thrive as the world around us continues to rapidly evolve, said Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. It has be

Explosion at Harvard Medical School intentional, no injuries reported

There was an explosion early Saturday at Harvard Medical School that appears to have been intentional, but no one was injured, authorities said. A university police officer who responded to a fire alarm tried to stop two unidentified people who ran from the Goldenson Building before going to where the alert was triggered, university police said in a statement. The Boston Fire Department determined that the explosion was intentional and officers did not find additional devices in a sweep of the building, police said. Police released grainy photos of two people wearing face coverings and what looked like sweatshirts.

Educational reality show to spotlight school excellence in Kerala

Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) is set to launch the fourth edition of its unique-in-India educational reality show, 'Haritha Vidyalayam,' this December. KITE is the technical arm of the state General Education Department. Haritha Vidyalayam is a pioneering initiative aims to showcase the achievements and best practices of the state's public education sector on a national platform, officials said in a statement here on Sunday. Government and aided schools are invited to apply for this edition by November 15. Applications are sought separately for primary schools and high school/higher secondary school categories. K Anvar Sadath, CEO, KITE, said schools will be selected for the preliminary round based on various crucial parameters, including academic and co-curricular activities, infrastructural facilities, social participation, digital education integration, recognised accolades, and unique, innovative school-specific activities. "The primary objective o

About 8k schools with zero enrolment employ 20k teachers in India: Report

Close to 8,000 schools across the country had zero enrolments during the 2024-25 academic session, with West Bengal accounting for most such schools, followed by Telangana, according to official data. A total of 20,817 teachers were employed in the schools with zero enrolments. In a peculiar case, West Bengal accounted for 17,965 such teachers, along with the highest number of schools without enrolments (3,812). According to the Ministry of Education's statistics, 7,993 schools had zero enrolments, down by over 5,000 from the previous year's count of 12,954. Meanwhile, Haryana, Maharashtra, Goa, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura had no such schools. "School education is a state subject, states have been advised to address the issue of zero enrolments in schools. Some states have merged some schools for optimum utilisation of resources such as infrastructure as well as staff," a senior official told PTI. There were no schools with zero enrolment i

Barring hijab in school denies girls secular education: Kerala govt to HC

The Kerala government on Friday told the High Court here that not permitting a Muslim girl to wear her headscarf (hijab) to school was an "invasion" of her privacy and dignity and a "denial of her right to secular education". The government said the right of the girl to wear a headscarf in her house and outside it, "does not stop at the school gate". The submissions were made in an affidavit filed in response to a plea moved by the church-run St Rita's Public School at Palluruthy here challenging the General Education Department's directive to permit the Muslim girl to attend classes wearing her religious headscarf or 'hijab'. The school had also challenged the department's notice, which stated there was "serious malfunctioning" at the institute. When the matter was taken up on Friday, the lawyer appearing for the girl said that her parents had decided to discontinue her studies at the school and admit her to another institution. In view of the submission on behalf of the student'

Heavy rains lash Puducherry, schools and colleges closed on Oct 22

Puducherry has been hit by incessant rains since Tuesday noon, disrupting normal life, with nearly three cm recorded between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, an official said. Home and Education Minister A Namassivayam said, "Due to heavy rains pounding the union territory, all schools and colleges in Puducherry and Karaikal regions will remain closed on Wednesday." Several roads were waterlogged, disrupting traffic across the region. Minister K Lakshminarayanan convened an emergency meeting with officials from the revenue, PWD, and local administration departments to review the situation. He instructed authorities to prepare all machinery to respond to any exigency.

Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates school hackathon 'Viksit Bharat Buildathon'

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday inaugurated the 'Viksit Bharat Buildathon', a nationwide initiative to engage students of classes 6-12 to develop innovative ideas that address real-life challenges. Set up to be the largest-ever school hackathon, it goes live with events across schools nationwide on Monday. As part of the initiative, more than one crore students from 2.5 lakh schools across the country are being mobilised to ideate, design and develop prototypes under four pre-decided themes. "The buildathon is not only a competition but a mission, a movement to encourage innovation," Pradhan said. Events related to the Buildathon are being held on Monday and the winners will be announced in December. It was launched on September 23 It is being organised by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Atal Innovation Mission. The Buildathon calls upon students studying in classes 6-12 to join teams, think creatively, and develop ideas and prototypes that address

Indonesia school collapse death toll rises to 14, dozens still missing

The death toll from a school collapse in Indonesia rose to 14 on Friday after recovery crews pulled multiple bodies from beneath the rubble. Dozens of students remain unaccounted for and the death toll is expected to rise. Rescuers initially searched by hand for survivors after the building caved in Monday. But with no more signs of life detected by Thursday they turned to heavy excavators equipped with jackhammers to help them progress more rapidly. By Friday evening, they had found nine bodies, bringing the confirmed death toll to 14, with nearly 50 students still unaccounted for. The structure fell on top of hundreds of people on Monday in a prayer hall at the century-old al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo on the eastern side of Indonesia's Java island. Two of the bodies found Friday were in the prayer hall area and one was found closer to an exit as if he had been attempting to escape, according to Suharyanto, the head of Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation ...

Schools up to class 8 to reopen in Leh as situation returns to normal

With the situation limping back to normalcy after violent clashes on September 24 left four people dead in Leh, the authorities have ordered reopening of all schools up to Class 8 from Friday. However, they called for strict adherence to the prohibitory orders that ban assembly of five or more persons, an official order said. "It is hereby ordered that all shops and schools up to Class 8 within Leh district shall remain open, and small buses (public transport) shall be permitted to ply between 10 am and 6 pm on October 3, subject to strict adherence to the restrictions laid down under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita," it read. The order was issued by Assistant Commissioner (Revenue) Shabbir Hussain on directions of the district magistrate. The situation in the district began getting back on track when authorities relaxed the curfew for seven hours on September 30 and gradually increased the duration on Wednesday and Thursday.

Rescuers use heavy machinery at collapsed Indonesian school as hope fades

Indonesian rescue authorities made the tough decision on Thursday to start using heavy machinery to move large sections of a collapsed school, with no more signs of life from beneath the rubble and nearly 60 teenage students still unaccounted for three days after the building caved in. Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Cultural Affairs Pratikno told reporters on the scene in Sidoarjo that the decision had been made in consultation with the families of those still missing. Five students were rescued Wednesday by workers who tunnelled into the rubble using only hand tools. Pratikno said on Thursday work would proceed with extreme caution even though no more signs of life could be detected. In any case, we will be very, very careful when using the heavy machines, said Pratikno, who only goes by one name as is common in Indonesia. The structure fell on top of hundreds of people on Monday in the prayer hall at the century-old al Khoziny Islamic boarding school

Over 300 Delhi schools, several airports across country hit by bomb hoax

More than 300 schools and institutes in Delhi and several airports received bomb threats on Sunday morning, which were later declared a hoax, officials said. The mails were sent by a group 'Terrorizers111', which had earlier also sent such threatening communications. The messages landed in the inboxes at 6.08 am of more than 300 e-mail addresses belonging to schools and institutions in Delhi. It was also sent to Delhi Airport among other airports in the country, a police officer said. The subject line of the e-mail read 'Bombs placed around your building, react or face the disaster.' "To the administration of schools and airports, I am the leader of terroristic group also known as terrorizers 111, through heaven and earth in this accursed world which in never anything goes as planned I alone am the untouchable one, I can't push myself to my limits because I am the limitless one, I am the child of evil, I am the meaning of hatred," the mail read. "Bombs have been placed around your

Schools shut, flights cancelled as China braces for super typhoon Ragasa

Southern Chinese cities scaled back many aspects of daily life on Tuesday with school and business closures and flight cancellations as the region braced for one of the strongest typhoons in years that has already killed three people and led to the displacement of thousands of others in the Philippines. Hong Kong's observatory said Super Typhoon Ragasa, which was packing maximum sustained winds near the centre of about 230 kph, is expected to move west-northwest at about 22 kph across the northern part of the South China Sea and edge closer to the coast of Guangdong province, the southern Chinese economic powerhouse. China's National Meteorological Centre forecast the typhoon would make landfall in the coastal area between Shenzhen city and Xuwen county in Guangdong province on Wednesday. Already hoisting a strong wind signal, the observatory in Hong Kong will issue storm warning signal No. 8, the third-highest in the city's weather alert system, on Tuesday afternoon and will assess

Haryana govt bans sale of tobacco, gutkha within 100 yards of schools

In 2024, the Haryana Assembly passed a bill amending the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act to ban hookah bars across the state

From copying books to creative tasks: How school homework is changing

Once synonymous with pages of repetitive math problems and essay writing, homework in Indian schools has gradually evolved into a more diverse and learner-friendly practice, reflecting broader changes in education philosophy. As classrooms across India adapt to evolving learning models, the humble homework assignment is quietly undergoing a transformation -- shifting from a dreaded chore to a potential tool for exploration, collaboration and creativity. Educators say homework, once rooted in rote learning, is now being reshaped by policy shifts, digital tools and new teaching approaches that emphasise creativity, critical thinking and student well-being. "Earlier, homework meant memorising multiplication tables, copying paragraphs or solving the same exercise multiple times. Today, many schools focus on project-based assignments, presentations, and even community engagement activities," said RC Jain, chairman of a school in the national capital and President of Delhi State Public ..

Datanomics: A changing educational landscape for India's schools

As many as 50.9 per cent of teachers are still employed in the government sector in FY25

Punjab govt extends closure of schools, colleges till Sept 7 due to floods

The Punjab government on Wednesday extended the closure of all schools, colleges and universities till September 7 due to the prevailing flood situation in the state. An announcement in this regard was made by Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains. "As directed by Hon'ble CM Punjab Shree Bhagwant Singh Mann Ji, in view of the flood situation, all govt/aided/recognised & private schools, colleges, universities & Polytechnics across Punjab will remain closed till 7th Sept 2025. "Everyone is requested to strictly follow the local administration's guidelines," said Bains on X. Earlier, the government had declared holidays in all schools and colleges till September 3. Punjab is facing massive floods, caused by the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets following heavy rains in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Rains in Punjab have also worsened the flood situation in the state. Entire Punjab has been impacted by nature's ...

Mumbai rains: Vihar lake overflows, schools shut; latest updates | Mumbai monsoon

Mumbai rains continue to wreak havoc, disrupting daily life and commute with no relief in sight.

Mumbai rains: BMC announces holiday for all schools on August 19

The civic body had earlier declared a holiday for schools and colleges operating in the afternoon shift on Monday, citing safety concerns