October 24th marks the United Nations Day, which serves as a reminder of the importance of international cooperation and peace. However, for millions of children in the Middle East, ongoing military actions deprive them of something fundamental: the opportunity to learn, feel safe, and simply be children.
A special report by CGTN examines how war disrupts the educational process in the region and what steps are necessary to help these children build a future free from destruction.
The director of a school in the Free State was suspended after allegedly preventing a student from taking a final exam due to outstanding school fees. This situation prompted urgent intervention from the provincial department of education.
The student was scheduled to take an English language exam on October 15th at Selekelela Secondary School in Kwaakwa, where the director also served as the chief invigilator. According to the Free State Department of Education, the student's access to the examination hall was supposedly restricted due to existing payment arrears.
The department subsequently provided psychosocial support to the student and confirmed that the candidate is continuing with the exams. A department representative, Howard Ndaba, stated that an emergency virtual meeting was convened with chief invigilators from public, private, and independent schools to re-clarify examination procedures.
Ndaba stated: 'The department called an emergency virtual meeting with chief invigilators from all public, private, and independent schools to emphasize that no candidate should be denied access to the examination hall because of unpaid school fees or any other issue unrelated to the right to sit for the exam.' He warned that non-compliance with examination instructions would not be tolerated.
The department reiterated that directors and chief invigilators are obliged to protect the right of relevant candidates to take exams. Currently, the deputy director has been appointed as the chief invigilator for the remainder of the examinations.
The Ministry of Education and Science has published information regarding the issuance of passes for upcoming exams intended for the allocation of 1,452 state grants. These grants are available for foreign and non-state higher education institutions and their branches, and 200 targeted quotas are also provided for youth from Karakalpakstan.
According to the established regulations, the test assessments are scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Candidates wishing to participate in the selection process can obtain their pass through their personal account on the portal my.uzbmb.uz. This document will specify the exact date, location, and time of the testing, and applicants are instructed to arrive at the venue without any delays.
Applications for participation in the competition to receive state grants for students of foreign and non-state universities were accepted from October 10 to October 17. The department also drew participants' attention to the admission requirements: entry into the buildings where the exams are held is permitted only upon presentation of an identification document, such as a passport or ID card.
Furthermore, participants are strictly prohibited from bringing any personal belongings onto the testing grounds, including bags, books, stationery, and electronic devices.
In one of the universities in China, students are given an assignment aimed at boosting their self-confidence, which can cause significant nervousness. They must call strangers and conduct interviews with them. Notably, they cannot rely on help from friends or family to complete this task; the interaction must be with a complete stranger.
Although this task may seem simple at first glance, in the current era where people often avoid answering calls from unknown numbers, initiating a conversation with a stranger becomes a serious test. This course, implemented at Nanjing University in China, was created specifically to overcome this fear and teach students free communication.
At Nanjing University, located in Jiangsu Province, a course called 'Oral Expression' is conducted. The goal of this course is to teach students how to articulate their thoughts more coherently, engage in dialogue with others, and speak confidently in front of an audience. The course was launched in 2015 by Shu Kai, who previously worked as a television producer and director. He observed that many students who demonstrated good academic performance struggled with open self-expression and communicating with new people.
To solve this problem, he developed this course. In it, students are taught not only from textbooks but are also given assignments that allow them to practice real-life communication. Over time, this course has become popular among the university's students.
The most interesting part of this course is conducting an interview with a random person over the phone. Students must independently contact someone they do not know beforehand. Then, they need to start the conversation and conduct the interview by asking a series of questions. However, the real challenge arises when the interviewee refuses to answer the call or suddenly interrupts the conversation.
One student, Hung Yimin, called more than 30 unknown numbers. Only five people answered the call. Three immediately hung up, and one person suspected the call might be fraudulent. Ultimately, one person agreed to talk to him. This person worked in the IT sector. During the conversation, he told the student about his career plans, how he spends his free time in Nanjing, and about his two cats. Thus, a task that seemed difficult turned into valuable learning experience for the student.
This assignment is not easy for every participant in the course. Some students faced such difficulties in communicating by phone with strangers that they decided to drop out of the course entirely. A significant reason is that nowadays people are highly cautious about calls from unknown numbers, fearing that the caller might be a scammer or a harasser. Under these conditions, it becomes harder for students to explain their purpose and convince someone to give an interview.
Nevertheless, the students who managed to overcome this challenge reported to the instructor that this assignment should not be canceled. They believe that this task, which seems difficult at first, helps them better understand themselves and overcome shyness. Instructor Shu Kai believes that good communication is not just about talking about oneself. It is important to be able to listen to the interlocutor, understand their situation, and value their time. When a student calls a stranger, they must realize that the other person is not obligated to help them. Therefore, they need to articulate their thoughts correctly and respect the other person's time. The instructor believes that such practice increases students' confidence. They learn to cope with discomfort during conversations and gradually become more comfortable meeting new people.
As part of this lesson, students are also taught the basics of facial expressions, eye contact, gesturing, and body language. That is, attention is paid not only to words but also to a person's overall behavior during the dialogue.
Today, many people consider communication through messages or social media easier. A phone call, face-to-face interaction, or starting a conversation with a stranger sometimes seems complicated. In such cases, activities like these can help students prepare for real-life situations. In addition to college studies, it is necessary to be able to pass interviews, communicate with colleagues at work, and establish contacts with new people.
The Nanjing University course gives students the opportunity to practice these aspects. This is why, despite the difficulty of the tasks, many students find them beneficial for their development.
