A combination of terrible (or non-existent) parenting, constantly checking phones and thus having no concentration or attention span, and most recently, the growth of AI as the answer to everything (so learning how to think for oneself or do anything for oneself is now seen as obsolete), is bringing about actual brainrot in young people. It seems to be widespread globally in the 'developed' world.
In the "Arabian Nights" ( The Thousand and One Nights) story collection, a young Persian queen named Scheherazade prevents the king's plans to execute her by telling a succession of stories so enthralling that the king doesn't want to miss the endings. In "The Crow and the Pitcher," one of Aesop's fables, a thirsty crow can't reach the water in a tall jug, so it drops pebbles into the jug until the water rises to its beak.
A criminal complaint alleges that in 2024, Dawson committed wage theft against 47 teachers and other staff members, as well as embezzled retirement contributions from six teachers. Prosecutors said Dawson deducted money for the victims' retirement savings from their paychecks and used those deductions for his own benefit. In addition, Dawson evaded paying state taxes and payroll taxes by failing to file the necessary tax returns, while deducting payroll taxes from the teachers' paychecks and using those deductions for his own benefit,
Danish architecture studio Henning Larsen has been selected to redesign and expand Glyvra School in the Faroe Islands, proposing a landscape-driven educational campus that responds directly to the region's topography and climate. Conceived as a "learning village," the project rethinks the role of the school in a small coastal community, positioning architecture and outdoor space as integral parts of everyday learning.
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to King in 1964, four years before he was assassinated. He earned it. King did not beg for it or annoyingly insist that it should be awarded to him. He did not make boastful claims about all he had single-handedly done to help end human suffering in America and abroad. Instead, he bravely put his life on the line for peace and justice, not for a prize.
Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
Dementia is linked to changes in the brain. Health professionals used to assume that brain damage and dementia symptoms always went hand in hand. More recent research, however, shows that some people have significant brain damage yet never develop dementia. How can that be? In a previous post, I shared that dementia is defined by the inability to function in everyday life, such as getting lost in familiar places, having difficulty managing finances, forgetting to turn off the stove, or struggling with basic tasks.
In the early hours of Friday 24 June 2016, the result glowed on my phone: 52%. Barely a majority, but nonetheless a verdict. I lay in my rented bedroom in Devon, still in pyjamas, watching everything I'd planned dissolve. When I saw the headline UK votes to leave EU, my first thought wasn't political. It was: What does this mean for me? It was the final day of my second school placement, the culmination of my teacher training for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).
Among the people working in the drug business in Brazil's favelas, there are those who once dreamed of being an airline pilot, an astronaut, a teacher or a writer but, as they say around here, took the wrong path. Now, their dream is a house of their own and a stable source of income away from crime. A luxury car or motorbike are also on their wish list.
When they meet, share stories and learn together, they build empathy and understanding that lasts a lifetime, Linda Cowie and Meg Grant said of the children who participate in the schools linking network they help run. The project, which now operates in 26 local authorities, pairs schools so pupils from different faiths, cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds can meet, spend time together and discover what they have in common.
William Gib­son famous­ly observed that the future is already here, it's just not even­ly dis­trib­uted. That line is often thought to have been inspired by Japan, which was already pro­ject­ing a thor­ough­ly futur­is­tic image, at least in pop­u­lar cul­ture, by the time he made his debut with Neu­ro­mancer in 1984. But as any­one who's spent enough time in the coun­try under­stands - albeit not with­out frus­tra­tion - even twen­ty-first-cen­tu­ry Japan remains in many ways a pre-dig­i­tal soci­ety.
Ireland and China are both "major technological economies" which have transformed the lives of their people, Taoiseach Micheál Martin told one of the highest-ranking Chinese politicians during a bilateral meeting on Tuesday.
Artificial intelligence (AI) played a significant role in the tech skills landscape in 2025, from helping teachers do their jobs to becoming a vital skill for people to learn. On the other hand, hiring across the technology sector was less predictable, with fewer jobs advertised, though having the right skills was found to increase job security. Skills will continue to be important going forward, regardless of where AI takes the sector.
I was entirely on my own when I was 19. While I was enrolled in college, I worked full-time at night in the call center of a fintech company, Jack Henry & Associates. It was a gritty, hands-on role, but an exciting time to be with the company, which was growing quickly. I didn't have a typical college experience. I worked a lot so I could pay for my car and home. At work, I put my hand up any chance I could. I was never the smartest person, but I worked really hard and was always willing to figure out problems. Even if I'd never done something, I would figure it out. I couldn't afford to fail, personally or professionally.
Think AI makes you smarter? Probably not, according to Saul Perlmutter, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who was credited for discovering that the universe's expansion is accelerating. He said AI's biggest danger is psychological: it can give people the illusion they understand something when they don't, weakening judgment just as the technology becomes more embedded in our daily work and learning.
Teachers will be given training to spot the signs of misogyny and tackle it in the classroom as part of the government's long-awaited strategy to halve violence against women and girls within the next decade. The plans - which focus on preventing the radicalisation of young men - are due to be unveiled on Thursday, after being pushed back three times this year.
"I feel like there's a narrative sometimes that our little actions don't matter," Neurodiversity Alliance CEO David Flink said. "That's just not true. And this proves it. Lots of little actions that happen every day in our work, collectively over time, reached the ears of folks like Lauren and Jeff."
As long as the Taliban remain the reality on the ground in Afghanistan, we cannot afford to waste time doing nothing. In my role, I have tried to help smooth the discussions between the IOC and those currently in control, focusing on the sport rights of women and girls and particularly primary school girls who are still inside Afghanistan. They are not about legitimising any government, but they are very important for creating tangible opportunities for future generations of young boys and girls in Afghanistan.
Kids are struggling academically and teachers are struggling right beside them as they deal with issues like politics in the classroom, low pay, and lack of resources. In other words: education is a struggle right now. One third grade teacher, who shares content as @salami4prez on TikTok, posted a simple video saying that things would improve if parents just consistently sent their kids to school.
Tadgh O'Donovan, science teacher in Carrigaline Community School and content creator @teachwithtadgh, took a chance during the pandemic, and he hasn't looked back since
"The first step should always be to teach young people skills," Quentin Gartner of the German National Students' Conference. He added that minors need to learn how to behave responsibly online, rather than simply being blocked. Australia's new law, which came into effect on Wednesday, requires major platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook to block accounts of users under 16 or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (30 million).
She enjoyed a distinguished career in public education, remembered for her intelligence, articulate teaching style, and dedication to preserving history and culture. Beyond the classroom, Ms. Boyce was celebrated for her joy in singing and her beautiful operatic voice. She performed widely, bringing to life African American spirituals, operatic arias, Broadway classics, and art songs. Her recitals often included sing-alongs, inviting audiences to share in the music and storytelling traditions she cherished.
At the end of every school year, many parents ask me to write a personal note to their student as an inscription in a certain children's book. They request this of all of their kids' teachers, then give the book as a graduation gift. It's a cute idea, but what it amounts to is a large stack of paperwork at a time of the school year when I'm already drowning in paperwork.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
New data, however, suggests that the profession's talent crunch may be - cautiously - easing. Graduates who earned a bachelor's or master's degree in accounting fell to 55,152 in the 2023-24 academic year, according to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). That's a 6.6% decline from the year prior - still a drop, but a slower one than the 9.6% decline in 2022-23
Montano is a retired schoolteacher who has long been a figure in Milpitas public office. She served for eight years as a school board trustee for Milpitas Unified School District starting in 2000, before being elected to city council in 2012, where she served for two non-consecutive terms. In 2022, Montano made history when she became the first woman to be elected mayor of Milpitas, and in 2024 was re-elected in a close race with a crowded field of four candidates.
