English from first grade in Saudi schools
Saudi Arabia’s state schools will start to teach English as a subject from the first grade of primary school starting from the 2021 academic...
Taiwan’s “Bilingual by 2030” too ambitious
The governments’ “Bilingual by 2030” plan, which aims to have the island speaking English within a decade (see www.elgazette. com/global-perspective-taiwan/) has drawn criticism from...
Cyprus to promote EMI universities
The Parliament of Cyprus in early September debated a Bill to promote English-medium public sector universities on the island, which Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou...
English test for Aussie spousal visas
Australia’s federal budget in October included a surprise announcement that an English language test would be introduced for applicants for a “Subclass 300 Prospective...
Netherlands student visas down 50 per cent
Figures for student visa applications for the Netherlands, released at the end of August, are believed to be around 50 per cent down on...
Indian government mother-tongue education policy not mandatory
Following the Indian government’s recent adoption of a National Education Policy recommending teaching in “mother tongue or local language” rather than English “where possible,”...
