Domain Of Singapore Tutoring Experts

Better Believe It......Because They Actually Happen(ed) Collection 78
Universities Suspend Final Exams After Canvas Hack The breach of the learning management system used by two out of every five North American higher ed institutions continues to reverberate. By Ryan Quinn The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Baylor and Arizona State universities have all reported impacts. Image: Shapecharge/Getty Images Colleges and universities across the country have postponed final exams and due dates for assignments after Canvas, a learning management system used by 41 percent of North American higher ed institutions, temporarily went offline due to a hack. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign postponed “all final exams and assignments, including papers, projects, etc., scheduled for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday,” provost John Coleman wrote to students and employees Thursday night. He added that, for “consistency and clarity,” the postponement affects all classes—even those that don't use Canvas. Baylor University provost Nancy Brickhouse told students and employees her university planned to restore access to its Canvas system at 1 p.m. local time Friday—after Instructure, the company that owns Canvas, restored universities’ access nationally overnight. She said final exams that were set to take place Friday have been rescheduled for Thursday of next week and will be administered online. “We ask faculty to build in flexibility so that students who are traveling or have other post-semester commitments can complete their exams when their schedules permit,” she wrote. “We recognize that this change presents challenges regarding test security.” To reduce risks—and in case Canvas goes down again—she asked faculty to export grade books and download important course materials onto their computers, among other things. The exam postponements even affect move-out dates; the deadline for students to leave dorms “remains 24 hours after the completion of their last final exam.” Full story at Inside Higher Ed (May 2026)
After backlash, Mexico cancels plan to cut school year for World Cup The World Cup tournament – hosted jointly by Mexico, the US and Canada – kicks off on June 11 when Mexico takes on South Africa at home in Mexico City. Photo: AFP Mexico cancelled plans to shorten its school year ahead of the World Cup after widespread backlash from parents, think-tanks and the local authorities, a government source told AFP on May 11. On May 8, Education Secretary Mario Delgado unexpectedly announced that the school year would end about 40 days early, on June 5, arguing the decision was also based on a heatwave. Education and other government officials met on May 11 to gather input from parents and consider options at a meeting announced by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who expressed scepticism about the proposed shortening. At the meeting, it was agreed on to keep the school calendar as originally planned and have it end on July 15, with classes resuming on Aug 31, the Education Department said. The World Cup tournament – hosted jointly by Mexico, the US and Canada – kicks off on June 11 when Mexico takes on South Africa at home in Mexico City. “The idea is to keep the vacation period to six weeks, as it has always been, and perhaps some students will start early, while others will continue with the previous schedule,” Ms Sheinbaum said earlier. “The goal is for it to be a consensus decision,” she said. “Now we need to listen.” Two states rejected the plan before it was ultimately cancelled. Parents also have questioned the measure, which, according to the think-tank Mexico Evalua, will cause students to fall behind in their studies. “The decision...will reduce effective learning time even more for 23.4 million students,” Mexico Evalua wrote in a report. Full story at AFP (May 2026)
Canvas' parent company reaches agreement with hacking group behind breach By A.J. Vicens Students walk on campus at Columbia University during the first day of the fall semester in New York City, U.S., September 2, 2025. REUTERS/Ryan Murphy/File Photo May 12 (Reuters) - The hacking group that targeted the Canvas educational tool ‌and the parent company that owns the software struck a deal to secure stolen student and school data, the company said in a statement late Monday. In a statement posted to its website, the company said it "reached an agreement with the unauthorized actor involved with this incident." As part of the agreement, all data was returned to the company, the company received digital confirmation of data destruction, and the company was informed that "no Instructure customers will be extorted as a result of this incident, publicly or otherwise." The agreement covers all affected Instructure customers, ⁠the statement said, "and there is no need for individual customers to attempt to engage with the unauthorized actor." Reuters reported on Friday that schools and organizations whose data was included in the hack were in contact with the group trying to prevent their data from being released. A representative for ShinyHunters, the group that claimed responsibility for the breach, said in a message to Reuters that the "data is deleted, gone. The company and its customers will not further be targeted or contacted for payment by us." The representative declined to answer specific questions about the agreement. TO PAY OR NOT Kurtis Minder, a ransomware negotiator, said it's "fair to conclude that some money was sent." The decision of whether to pay can be complex, Minder said, and depends on case specifics, the company's values and the type of criminal group making the demand. "You could make an argument in either direction," Minder said on ‌Tuesday. "Understanding what ⁠happens to the money after you send it is paramount." ShinyHunters, a hacking group with a history of targeting global companies for extortion, said in a May 3 post on its website that it had stolen data from Instructure's Canvas platform, which schools use for class assignments, information sharing and messaging. The hacking group claimed to have student names, email addresses and messages related to nearly 9,000 schools. On May 5, the hacking group said in a message that Instructure had not been ⁠in contact with it, and posted a list of schools and districts whose data the group claimed was stolen. In a status message the following day, Instructure said the situation was resolved and the platform was fully operational. Full story at Reuters (May 2026)
‘Massive’ child abuse scandal in France as school staff investigated for violence and sexual assault Paris police looking into more than 100 allegations of mistreatment by ‘monitors’ after parents’ groups said they had fought for years to be taken seriously Mothers gather outside Paris city hall to protest against child sexual abuse by staff in schools and after-school care centres. Photograph: Amaury Cornu/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images By Angelique Chrisafis France is facing a child abuse scandal as ‘monitors’ at dozens of state nursery and primary schools are investigated for violence, sexual assault and rape. Paris police are examining more than 100 allegations of mistreatment, physical violence and rape of children as young as three by school monitors during lunch breaks, nap times and after-school activities, prosecutors have confirmed. “We have investigations under way in 84 preschools, about 20 primary schools and about 10 daycare centres,” said Paris’s top prosecutor, Laure Beccuau. Lawyers said the investigations included the alleged rape of children as young as three and four years old. Parents’ groups said they had fought for years for allegations to be taken seriously. They said failures in the recruitment process and checking of school monitors had allowed abuse to continue. Co-founder of the #MeTooEcole collective, Barka Zerouali, centre, speaking at a press briefing in front of Paris city hall. Photograph: Amaury Cornu/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images “It’s a massive scandal,” said Florian Lastelle, a lawyer for three Paris families who have filed police complaints over the alleged abuse of their children. “The state school system is a source of pride in this country, but unfortunately in France today it’s not possible to say that the public service guarantees children’s safety.” School monitors are adults who are in charge of children during lunch, breaktime, naps and after-school activities, sometimes spending more time with children than teachers. They are not employed directly by schools or the education ministry, but are instead recruited by city hall or local authorities – often without training or professional diplomas and increasingly on a casual basis, with many paid by the hour. Nursery school is mandatory in France from the age of three, and school monitors are a key daily presence for children aged from three to 11. Accusations against school monitors reported by parents across France include children being screamed at, pushed, having their hair pulled, being denied food, forced to eat until they vomited and being sexually assaulted or raped. Full story at The Guardian (May 2026)
Florida sues OpenAI, alleging it’s unsafe for children By Hadas Gold CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman speaks in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 2026. Photo Credit: Kylie Cooper/Reuters Florida is suing OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, alleging they know ChatGPT is not safe, especially for minors. The state becomes the first to sue OpenAI over the alleged dangers of its product. “Sam Altman and ChatGPT have chosen the AI race over the safety and security of our kids. They have chosen profit over public safety, and we’re not going to stand for it here in Florida,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said at a press conference on Monday. The lawsuit, filed on Monday in Florida’s tenth circuit, accuses OpenAI of deceptive and unfair trade practices, negligence and violating product liability laws. It also seeks to hold Altman “personally liable for the harm he has caused Floridians,” including his alleged “utter disregard for the risk to human life caused by his firms’ conduct.” The lawsuit lists a litany of accusations against ChatGPT, including helping mass shooters, encouraging suicide, causing “public humiliation,” getting minors addicted to a tool with “no parental oversight” and causing users to lose “critical thinking skills.” OpenAI said in a statement that it believes minors “need significant protection” and that it has “put in place industry leading protections and policies.” “In particular we built safety for minors directly into our products, including a more protective experience specifically for minors, an age prediction tool, defaulting users whose age we are not confident into our more protective experience, and giving parents tools to monitor their kids’ use of AI. We know pointing to this work will not bring a child back, but we’re committed to getting this right,” the company said. Uthemier said they ultimately need OpenAI to “change their programming” and that they could be liable for “potentially billions of dollars.” The lawsuit specifically focuses on accusations that OpenAI lacks effective parental controls for young users, noting the free version of ChatGPT has “no gatekeeping or age verification mechanism” and that OpenAI does not require children’s accounts to be linked to a parent’s account. The lawsuit also says that even if accounts are linked, OpenAI will only notify parents of concerning content in “limited situations” and “in no event can a parent request access to what information a child has provided ChatGPT.” The civil lawsuit builds on the first ever criminal investigation into OpenAI which Uthmeier launched in April, over whether the company “bears criminal responsibility” for a mass shooting at Florida State University last year. The accused shooter in that case had extensive conversations with ChatGPT in the leadup to the shooting, including on specifics about mass shootings at the university and advice on how to use the weapons, Florida authorities allege. Full story at CNN (June 2026)
Hong Kong principal fired for swearing at security guards on Singapore school trip Lee Cheuk-hing submitted his resignation letter on May 28, with his requested last day to be August 31. Photo: Handout By Theodora Yu A Hong Kong school principal has been fired after he swore at security guards during a student trip to Singapore last month, the institution has announced. The management committee of San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School in Tuen Mun announced on Wednesday (Jun 3) the immediate dismissal of principal Lee Cheuk-hing and its refusal to accept his resignation, submitted about a week after the confrontation. The committee received Lee’s resignation letter on May 28, with his requested last day to be Aug 31. “If he were to remain in office as principal before Aug 31, it would gravely disrupt the operation of the school and prevent the school’s teachers and students from moving forward as soon as possible,” the management committee said. “This constitutes the immediate dismissal of Mr Lee and the removal of all his duties at the school.” The statement added that the school confirmed Lee’s “vulgar” behaviour during the exchange tour violated the professional code of conduct for teaching staff, especially guidelines stipulated by the Education Bureau. The committee emphasised that as the head of the institution, Lee was held to a higher standard by parents and the public to set a positive example. Edmund Wong Chun-sek, a former lawmaker and currently a manager of the school, said the one-off incident would not affect the hiring of Lee’s replacement. “I believe an isolated incident will not discourage dedicated, capable and aspiring educators from applying for this principalship,” Wong said." He added that the decision to fire Lee was guided by the best interests and well-being of students. Full story at South China Morning Post (June 2026)
Majority of City Council Members Urge Mamdani to Pause A.I. in Schools The demand from 29 members comes as the Department of Education is updating its guidance for how teachers should use the technology in their work and classrooms. Council Member Alexa Avilés joined an April rally supporting a proposed moratorium on artificial intelligence in New York City classrooms. Photo Credit: Madison Swart for The New York Times By Matthew Haag A majority of New York City Council members on Tuesday urged the mayor and the schools chancellor to pause the use of artificial intelligence in the city’s schools, saying that the technology poses a “risk to student learning and mental health.” The request was conveyed in a letter signed by 29 of the city’s 51 council members, who said that they had a range of concerns with A.I. in the classroom, including the technology’s effect on students’ cognitive development, critical thinking and privacy. The council members joined a growing roster of parents across the city who have spoken out against the technology as well as screens in the classroom, with some demanding a moratorium on A.I. in schools. “We urge you to hold off and pause the use of A.I. in our schools except for education on the multiple risks in employing the technology until rigorous guardrails can be developed with public and expert input, to prevent serious damage to N.Y.C. children and their future,” the council members wrote. The letter adds to the pressure that Mayor Zohran Mamdani has faced in recent weeks to rein in the technology in public schools. Mr. Mamdani has repeatedly sidestepped questions about his opinion on an A.I. pause. But he has said that he understands parents’ concerns about technology and suggested he supports reducing screen time at school. School districts across the United States have deployed A.I. chatbots and software for teaching and learning, and some have gone further, creating A.I.-themed schools. The New York City school system, led by Kamar Samuels, the chancellor, has moved relatively slower, even temporarily blocking access to ChatGPT after it was first released, and has yet to fully embrace the technology like some of its peers. But the use of A.I. applications by teachers and students has expanded in New York schools, and officials at the city’s Department of Education have been working in recent months on the school system’s first guide to how teachers can incorporate artificial intelligence into their work and classrooms. The final version is expected to be published this summer. The school system released a preliminary version of the guide in March. It explains when A.I. is prohibited, when it should be used with caution and when it could be a helpful tool. Teachers could use A.I. to create lesson plans, for instance, but not to grade homework. More than 6,000 people submitted feedback about the guide to the Education Department, with many making comments critical of the technology. In New York City and beyond, the pushback to A.I. has grown in recent months, uniting parents across age groups and backgrounds. The backlash in the city contributed to the Education Department’s decision in April to pause the creation of an A.I.-focused high school in Manhattan for next school year. Parents have complained about the lack of insight into which A.I. applications are used at their children’s schools and the data that they may collect. They also worry that the larger embrace of technology in the classroom, including watching YouTube videos during recess and playing video games to learn math, undermines restrictions on screen time at home. “Chancellor Samuels has a chance right now to come out and have some really strong regulation on technology,” said Kailee Graham, whose oldest daughter is in kindergarten in a Manhattan school. “We have lost control and need to bring books back.” Full story at The New York Times (June 2026)
AI glasses used in TOEIC cheating case in Korea for 1st time Getty Images By Park Ung Cheating attempts using artificial intelligence (AI) smart glasses were caught during a Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) last month, the first such cases detected on one of Korea's most widely taken English proficiency exams. YBM Korea TOEIC Committee, which administers the exam in Korea, said Tuesday that two such attempts were caught during last month's regular session, with proctors noticing examinees wearing the devices. One examinee wore glasses that can be purchased through an overseas online retailer, while the other wore a model not yet available in Korea. AI smart glasses are wearable devices that combine cameras, microphones and speakers with generative AI. First released in Korea last month, the glasses can analyze whatever the camera captures and display the results directly on the lens, with no smartphone required. An examinee looking at a test sheet could see answers and translations appear in real time, making the devices highly susceptible to misuse. To address the risk, the committee has been training proctors to identify various forms of electronic device-based cheating, including AI smart glasses. At test venues, it conducts identity verification, device management and patrol supervision, and follows up after exams with answer similarity analysis and checks for irregular test-taking patterns. The committee said both cases are being handled through its standard procedures. If cheating is confirmed, scores will be invalidated and the examinee may be barred from taking the exam for up to five years, depending on the severity. Cases involving question leakage or copyright infringement may also result in civil or criminal liability. Full story at The Korea Times (June 2026)
India Turns to Military to Beef Up Security After Exam Scandals A demonstration against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Patna, India, on June 6. Photo Credit: Santosh Kumar/Hindustan Times/Getty Images By Rajesh Roy and Aryan Gupta India is taking unprecedented measures to restore confidence in its national student examination system after a series of scandals fuelled angry protests from young people and put pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. In May, the authorities took the extraordinary step of cancelling the medical entrance exam results of more than two million students after allegations of widespread leaking of the papers. For the retest on June 21, the government will now deploy the Indian Air Force for the first time ever to transport question papers, according to officials familiar with the matter. Individuals involved in setting the exams will be kept under strict surveillance with restricted access to phones and communications, the officials said, asking not to be identified because the details are not public. Modi’s government is trying to curb the fallout of the entrance exam scandal as a separate controversy involving erroneous school marks linked to a new online system simmers. The two issues have fuelled protests by Gen Zs in India and been channelled into a political movement called the Cockroach Janta Party, which is calling for the education minister to resign. Entrance exams are a crucial gateway for students to enter university, find jobs and improve the economic and social status for their families. The stakes are especially high since unemployment for 25- to 29-year-olds is estimated at 20 per cent, according to Azim Premji University. To restore public integrity, officials have effectively created controlled environments around the printing facilities for exam papers, and restricted the communication and movement of staff involved in preparing the examination material, officials said. New Delhi sees the fallout as temporary and expects the issues to be fixed. India’s federal investigative agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation, has launched a probe into the alleged paper leak involving the medical entrance examination. “The Prime Minister himself is personally looking into it,” Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told reporters on June 9. “We will rectify the errors that occurred and ensure the examination is conducted properly.” The minister has not responded to demands that he step down. The minister and the National Testing Agency did not respond to requests for comment. The deployment of military aircraft reflects the government’s seriousness in safeguarding the exam papers after the leaks. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has agreed to extend its help under the aide-civil-authority charter of the military, according to officials familiar with the matter. It will largely use helicopters to transport question papers to more than two dozen locations, they said. Full story at Bloomberg (June 2026)
Global demand for teachers' World Cup school pack By Victoria Cookand and Gem O'Reilly Ravi Khalsa and Michael Donaghy are delighted at the international interest in the pack they designed for their own students Two teachers from Hayes, west London, and Berkshire, have created an educational World Cup football activity pack which has proved so popular online it will be used in schools across London. Ravi Khalsa, from Hayes Park School, and Michael Donaghy, at St Paul's CofE Junior School in Wokingham, came together to create the worksheets for primary aged children when they felt there was a lack of World Cup themed resources available. The Mayor of London's Healthy schools programme will now be distributing the packs to more than 2,000 schools for free. The FIFA World Cup is being jointly hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States, and will run from 11 June to 19 July. The World Cup packs have taught children about cultures from all over the world Khalsa and Donaghy designed their pack to allow teacher to use the global event as a learning opportunity for children. Khalsa said: "Initially the idea was to just make a couple of worksheets for mine and Michael's classes in our respective schools. "Then, since we put them online we've heard of community groups sharing the pack on Facebook groups on WhatsApp groups, and teachers all over the world." The World Cup packs have taught children about cultures from all over the world The 2026 World Cup tournament is the largest ever, with 48 countries competing. The packs teach the children about the different countries and cultures of people taking part in the competition, and integrates a wide range of subjects from maths and English to art. Donaghy, who produced the illustrations for the books, said drawing was a favourite hobby anyway, and said he was shocked at how far the pack had travelled. "I'm just sitting in my classroom or in my house in my free time doing these drawings on my iPad and then suddenly kids on the other side of the world and teachers from all over are really enjoying the resource," he said. So far, the activity pack has had more than 5,000 downloads across the world. Full story at BBC News (June 2026)