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More than 1 million fewer students are in college

More than 1 million fewer students are enrolled in college now than before the pandemic began. According to new data released Thursday, U.S. colleges and universities saw a drop of nearly 500,000 undergraduate students in the fall of 2021, continuing a historic decline that began the previous fall.To get more news about undergraduate, you can visit wikifx.com official website.

"It's very frightening," says Doug Shapiro, who leads the research center at the National Student Clearinghouse, where the new data comes from. "Far from filling the hole of [2020's] enrollment declines, we are still digging it deeper."

Compared with the fall of 2019, the last fall semester before the coronavirus pandemic, undergraduate enrollment has fallen a total of 6.6%. That represents the largest two-year decrease in more than 50 years, Shapiro says.The nation's community colleges are continuing to feel the bulk of the decline, with a 13% enrollment drop over the course of the pandemic. But the fall 2021 numbers show that bachelor's degree-seeking students at four-year colleges are making up about half of the shrinkage in undergraduate students, a big shift from the fall of 2020, when the vast majority of the declines were among associate degree seekers.

"The phenomenon of students sitting out of college seems to be more widespread. It's not just the community colleges anymore," says Shapiro. "That could be the beginning of a whole generation of students rethinking the value of college itself. I think if that were the case, this is much more serious than just a temporary pandemic-related disruption."Graduate program enrollment, which saw an increase in the fall of 2020, declined slightly, down by nearly 11,000 in the fall of 2021.

Overall, enrollment in undergraduate and graduate programs has been trending downward since around 2012, but the pandemic turbocharged the declines at the undergrad level.Many were hopeful that would-be undergraduates who chose to take a year off in 2020 would return in 2021, especially given the expanded opportunities for in-person learning. But the pandemic gap year appears to be a myth: The National Student Clearinghouse found that of the 2020 high school graduates who chose not to enroll in college after graduation, only 2% ended up enrolling a year later, in the fall of 2021.

"The easiest assumption is that they're out there working," says Shapiro. "Unemployment is down. The labor market is good. Wages are rising for workers in low-skilled jobs. So if you have a high school diploma, this seems like a pretty good time to be out there making some money."

Wages at the bottom of the economy have increased dramatically, making minimum-wage jobs especially appealing to young people as an alternative to college. In December, for example, jobs for non-managers working in leisure and hospitality paid 15% more than a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics."It's very tempting for high school graduates, but the fear is that they are trading a short-term gain for a long-term loss," Shapiro says. "And the longer they stay away from college, you know, life starts to happen and it becomes harder and harder to start thinking about yourself going back into a classroom."

For Brian Williams, who graduated from high school early in the pandemic, the long-term plan is to go to college.

He postponed enrolling in 2020 because he was tired of remote learning; instead, he got a job at a Jimmy John's sandwich store near his home in the suburbs of Houston so he could start saving up. When it was time to enroll in fall 2021 classes, he postponed again — he says he was more interested in finding a job that paid more than in giving up much of his paycheck to go to school. In August, Williams left Jimmy John's and got a job at an Amazon warehouse; his hourly earnings jumped up by $4.50.

Deciding When to Start Kindergarten

The transition into kindergarten has always been a big one for kids. And as this first year of elementary school has become increasingly academic, some parents wonder whether it’s best to enroll children as soon as they’re eligible, or wait an additional year until they’re more mature.To get more news about kindergarten, you can visit wikifx.com official website.

Considerations may feel especially fraught now, as fewer kids attended preschool during the pandemic.

Experts say that delaying kindergarten – a practice known as “redshirting” – may benefit kids in certain circumstances, but caution that there are also disadvantages to waiting.

When Are Kids Required to Start School?
In most states, children must be 5 years old by August or September to enter kindergarten that academic year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

But the age when kids are legally required to start school is often older, and state laws and school districts’ policies can vary greatly. Sometimes the enrollment cutoff date falls after the school year has started, so children as young as 4 are eligible for kindergarten. Some states don’t require kindergarten, and some districts, such as New York City's, don’t allow redshirting. In practice, these disparate policies mean that caregivers are frequently given a lot of latitude around the decision.
“When you look across the country at children who are age-appropriate for kindergarten, the large majority are in fact going,” says Mary Kay Irwin, director of school health services at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. A 2013 NCES report showed that 87% of kindergartners nationally enrolled on time in the 2010-2011 academic year, and only 6% had been redshirted (another 6% repeated kindergarten for a second year). That could be because for most working parents, delaying kindergarten means another year of paying for child care. The report found that more affluent households – those with incomes over 200% of the federal poverty line – were the most likely to redshirt.

Irwin notes there are cases in which delaying kindergarten might be a good idea. These include for children with developmental delays (though access to early intervention services, which are available in public schools, should be a consideration for these families); and for children who have experienced trauma.

She says some children with birthdays close to the cutoff date may be helped by another year of early learning and time to mature, but encourages families to talk to their pediatrician about their concerns first.For some parents, the decision is more about the long-term. Scott Odachowski, the father of a 4-year-old with a summer birthday in Broadview Heights, Ohio, decided to wait an extra year before enrolling his daughter in kindergarten. Though Odachowski says his daughter's pre-K teachers report she is academically and socially prepared, he is concerned about how her age might affect her future experiences. He says milestones like driving and puberty that he and his wife “didn’t want her to be last on,” were a factor in their choice.

Being young compared to other students in the grade has been associated with higher rates of certain diagnoses. A 2018 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed students who were young for their grade were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. And research published by the education news site Chalkbeat in 2020 found New York City students born in the last two months of the year were more likely to be identified as having a learning disability than their older peers.

Preschool teachers often talk about a less tangible benefit of waiting: extending the experience of early childhood. Odachowski says teachers at his daughter’s pre-K program called it “gifting your child another year.”

Florida elementary school temporarily bars ‘Ruby Bridges’ film following parent’s complaint

A Florida school district has temporarily barred students from viewing a historical film about real-life civil rights pioneer Ruby Bridges at an elementary school after a parent filed a complaint this month.To get more news about elementary, you can visit wikifx.com official website.

The film “Ruby Bridges,” a historical drama about 6-year-old Bridges integrating a New Orleans elementary school in 1960, was shown at North Shore Elementary in St. Petersburg, Florida, to approximately 60 second grade students on March 2. Each child required a signed permission slip to view the film, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The parents of two students declined to allow their children to watch the film, and one of those parents filed a complaint on March 6, after watching the first 50 minutes of the film. The parent alleged that the film teaches students about racial slurs and how “white people hate black people,” according to the complaint, which was acquired by NBC News.

After the parent requested that the school district remove the movie from the school’s list of approved films, Pinellas County Schools officials temporarily banned “Ruby Bridges” from the elementary school until it’s assessed by a committee. A link to the trailer was provided in the permission slips for all parents to review, Pinellas County Schools public information officer Isabel Mascareñas told NBC News.

After the complaint was filed, Mascareñas said in a statement to NBC News, “it was communicated with the parent that the school would not have any future showings during this school year as the movie had already been shown.” She also said the movie, which is not rated, remains available through the district’s licensed movie library.
The 1998 Disney film portrays Bridges experiencing racist encounters while seeking an education. Directed by Euzhan Palcy and written by Toni Ann Johnson, “Ruby Bridges” earned several accolades, including a Christopher Award and a Gold Apple from the National Educational Media Network. The film was also a 1999 NAACP Image Award nominee for outstanding television movie or mini-series.

Pinellas County Schools previously faced pushback earlier year after it banned Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” from all high schools following a parent’s complaint about the book’s rape scene. Following the ban, several students protested for the book to return to their advanced literature curriculum.

Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law the Stop WOKE Act, which restricts race-inclusive teachings in schools. In January, DeSantis’ administration blocked an Advanced Placement course on African American studies from being taught in the state’s high schools.While “Ruby Bridges” is not permanently banned in the school district, the move has prompted some Black-led organizations, such as the Concerned Organization for Quality Education for Black Students, to implement a call of action to protect the teaching of Black history in schools. The organization’s efforts aim to ensure Pinellas County Schools provides quality education to Black students.

“Many from historically marginalized communities are asking whether this so-called integrated education system in Pinellas County can even serve the diverse community fairly and equitably,” Ric Davis, the organization’s president, wrote in a letter, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Goliath Davis III, a former police chief in St. Petersburg, also criticized the district’s move in an op-ed in The Weekly Challenger on Saturday.

“Isn’t it curious that the district purports to value ‘cultural competency and ‘integrity,’ encourage the celebration of Black History Month and within three months, ban a book by an award-winning Black writer and a film on the life of a 6-year-old Black girl attempting to obtain a quality education while facing death threats and racial epithets?” he wrote.

5 Best Forex Brokers For 2023

Are you someone who is always looking up foreign exchange rates on the internet and have a knack for predicting changes in foreign currency exchange rates?If yes, then investing your money in the forex market might just be what you need. You can trade currencies using the best forex brokers on the internet.To get more news about BEST 5 FOREX BROKER, you can visit wikifx.com official website.

However, we understand it is not easy to find a trustworthy site or app when there are hundreds of forex brokers to choose from. After extensive research, we have shortlisted the top 5 best brokers where you can trade your foreign currencies right away!
We will now walk you through an in-depth analysis of all the forex brokers we have listed, their highlights, pros, and cons. After going through each of them, you can make your decision on which trader is the best for you.

AvaTrade is an Irish forex broker that has been in the market since 2006. They have wide-ranging trading tools which have helped traders in their daily exchanges. With time, this broker has made it to the top forex brokers that most traders recommend. They focus mainly on copy trading using software like DupliTrade, MQL5, and ZuluTrade.

Trading Platforms
AvaTrade has a large number of trading platforms to choose from, and most of them are automated. They also have their proprietary AvaOptions, WebTrader, and AvaTradeGO mobile app, which won an award, giving more credibility to their excellence in service.

Customer Service
AvaTrade ensures that the user experience across all their trading platforms solely focuses on their clients. They also have 24X7 customer service in 14 different languages.

Regulations
Traders trust AvaTrade because it follows seven regulations from across the world, making them the most secure forex broker. The Central Bank of Ireland is one of the many authorities regulating them.

Withdrawal And Deposit
They offer fast withdrawals, which have extra protection as their clients’ money is kept in different accounts.

Security
Regulated by seven regulations, AvaTrade has 256-bit SSL encryption on all its apps, stopping identity theft and credit card fraud. You can be stress-free regarding losing your money to fraud or hackers as AvaTrade ensures maximum money and identity protection.
llXTB Online trading has been one of the largest and most popular forex brokers in the foreign exchange market across the world. Regulated by several well-known authorities like the Financial Conduct Authority, XTB is known for the level of safety it provides.

With access to more than 1,500 global markets like commodity exchange, crypto markets, and forex markets, XTB is a trader’s, right-hand man.

Over the past 15 years, they have risen as the best forex broker in the industry. Their user-friendliness and premium execution speed make their platforms very attractive, especially for new entrants into the trading world.