Education | Peter "Just Loves Flying"

Dublin student wins Young Scientist for maths project – Science News | Daily News from The Irish Times – Fri, Jan 10, 2014

January 13, 2014

Peter Singhatey Irish News Education, Ireland, peter singhateh, Research Leave a comment

Dublin student wins Young Scientist for maths project – Science News | Daily News from The Irish Times – Fri, Jan 10, 2014.

A Dublin student who found answers to previously unsolved mathematical problems has won the 50th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition at the RDS. Paul Clarke undertook months of research into complex mathematical theory to become the young scientist of the year.

A project by students from Kinsale seeking to understand people’s attitudes to older people in the work force took the prize for best group. The runner up individual award went to a Dublin student who developed a laboratory management system and the runner up group prize was claimed by students from Mayo who designed and built a gumshield communication device for managers and players…

Final phase of broadband in schools project – Education News | Primary, Secondary & Third Level | The Irish Time – Tue, Jan 07, 2014

January 7, 2014

Peter Singhatey Irish News Broadband Internet, Education, Ireland, peter singhateh Leave a comment

Final phase of broadband in schools project – Education News | Primary, Secondary & Third Level | The Irish Time – Tue, Jan 07, 2014.

Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte and Minister for Education RuairíQuinn announced that every secondary school will have access to 100Mbp/s connectivity by the beginning of the next school year, as they launched the final stage of the national project.

With high-speed broadband already installed in 516 schools through the project, yesterday’s announcement detailed a further 270 to be connected in counties Carlow, Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow.

“Completing the final phase of the national programme will mean all our post-primary schools have been equipped with top class, future-proofed broadband,” said Mr Rabbitte.

“This will enable and motivate them to grasp the teaching and learning opportunities that the internet provides.”

Foresight Africa: Top Priorities for the Continent in 2014 | Brookings Institution

January 7, 2014

Peter Singhatey African Center for Strategic Studies Africa, Development, Education, Gambia, People & Society, peter singhateh, Peter Singhatey Leave a comment

Foresight Africa: Top Priorities for the Continent in 2014 | Brookings Institution.

As Africa’s position in the world continues to grow and evolve in 2014, the Brookings Africa Growth Initiative continues its tradition of asking its experts and colleagues to identify what they consider to be the key issues for Africa in the coming year. Join the conversation on Twitter using #ForesightAfrica and tell us what you think are the critical issues Africa must pay attention to in 2014.

An Epidemic of Attention Deficit Disorder – NYTimes.com

January 2, 2014

Peter Singhatey Research ADHD, Development, Education, Gambia, Health, People & Society, peter singhateh Leave a comment

An Epidemic of Attention Deficit Disorder – NYTimes.com.

There is no doubt that a small percentage of children, perhaps 5 percent, have the disorder and that medication can alleviate the symptoms, such as inability to concentrate, that can impede success in school or in life. Some studies have shown that medications helped elementary schoolchildren who had been carefully evaluated for A.D.H.D. improve their concentration and their scores on reading and math tests.

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 15 percent of high-school-age children had been diagnosed with the disorder and that the number of children taking medication for it had soared to 3.5 million, up from 600,000 in 1990. Many of these children, it appears, had been diagnosed by unskilled doctors based on dubious symptoms…

Children from poorer homes ‘watch more TV and eat fattier foods’

December 4, 2013

Peter Singhatey Irish News Education, Health, obesity, People & Society, peter singhateh Leave a comment

Children from poorer homes ‘watch more TV and eat fattier foods’.

CHILDREN from disadvantaged homes consume 23pc more calories than better-off youngsters each day, and spend much more time in front of TV and computer screens.

A new Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) report highlights the widening health and social gap between Irish children by the time they are just five years old. It also lays bare the growing strain placed on families by the economic downturn. It reveals that the average five-year-old consumes approximately 1,500 calories per day, but children from less advantaged backgrounds, such as lower-income groups, consume 23pc more calories on average each day. And this higher calorie intake is clearly related to obesity rates. The report also shows that children whose mothers are educated to Junior Cert level or lower are more than twice as likely to be obese (9pc) as those whose mothers have a degree (4pc).

Bill Gates: Here\’s My Plan to Improve Our World — And How You Can Help | Wired Business | Wired.com

November 13, 2013

Peter Singhatey Uncategorized Bill Gates, Development, Education, People & Society, peter singhateh Leave a comment

Bill Gates: Here\’s My Plan to Improve Our World — And How You Can Help | Wired Business | Wired.com

via Bill Gates: Here\’s My Plan to Improve Our World — And How You Can Help | Wired Business | Wired.com.

I have known since my early thirties that I was going to give my wealth back to society. The success of Microsoft provided me with an enormous fortune, and I felt responsible for using it in a thoughtful way. I had read a lot about how governments underinvest in basic scientific research. I thought, that’s a big mistake. If we don’t give scientists the room to deepen our fundamental understanding of the world, we won’t provide a basis for the next generation of innovations. I figured, therefore, that I could help the most by creating an institute where the best minds would come to do research….

85% of children aged 9-12 using Facebook | Irish Examiner

November 8, 2013

Peter Singhatey Cyberbulling Cyberbulling, Education, Facebook, Ireland, People & Society, peter singhateh Leave a comment

85% of children aged 9-12 using Facebook | Irish Examiner.

Despite a minimum age limit of 13 years, 85% of nine to 12-year-olds are using social networking website Facebook, causing principals and teachers to have to deal with cyberbullying on an almost daily basis.

Irish anti-bullying service Bully 4U surveyed 1,720 children between nine and 17 years over the course of two months, asking them about their web usage. One section of the survey asked different age groups whether they were on Facebook and Twitter.

It found that 85% of nine to 12-year-olds were using Facebook and 35% were on Twitter. For 13 to 14-year-olds 97% were on Facebook and 50% were on Twitter. And in the 15 to 17-year-old category, 98% were on Facebook and 55% were on Twitter.

The huge presence of the youngest children surveyed on Facebook was a significant concern for Bully 4U director Jim Harding…

Research finds sleep a factor in childhood obesity – Health News | Irish Medical News | The Irish Times – Tue, Nov 05, 2013

November 6, 2013

Peter Singhatey Health Education, Health, obesity, People & Society, peter singhateh Leave a comment

Research finds sleep a factor in childhood obesity – Health News | Irish Medical News | The Irish Times – Tue, Nov 05, 2013.

Putting children to bed earlier may be a simple way to keep their weight down, research has shown.

Childhood obesity is not only caused by fast food, sugary drinks and lack of exercise, the new findings suggest. Lack of sleep also appears to be an important factor.

Scientists made the discovery after adjusting the sleep patterns of 37 children aged eight to 11, more than a quarter of whom were overweight or obese…