Factors associated with initiation and use of snus among adolescents

Aim: We investigated factors associated with the initiation and continuation of snus use in adolescents in Norway. The associations with adolescents’ own educational plans, the parents’ educational level(s) and tobacco habits were estimated. Methods: In this cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, 1465 patients aged 18–20 years participated. The questionnaire was administered at regular dental examinations in the public dental health service. To assess the association between individual factors and the initiation of tobacco habits, a generalised structural equation model with random effects at the clinic level was used. Binary responses were modelled using multilevel binary logistic regression, while the number of snus boxes used per month was modelled using a multilevel Poisson regression model. Results: Of current (daily and occasional) tobacco users, 85% were snus users, including dual users of both snus and cigarettes. The median age of snus initiation was 16 years. Both parental snus use and smoking were associated with an increased risk of snus initiation, snus use and a higher amount of use. An increased risk of using snus was associated with male gender and with no educational plans or planning for further vocational education. The amount of snus used was higher among current snus users with a prior smoking history and among those planning for further vocational education. Conclusions: These findings may aid in developing and targeting tobacco prevention strategies aimed at young people. Tobacco prevention measures should start at the elementary school level. The strong association with parental tobacco habits underlines the importance of parents’ influence on their children’s tobacco use.

Drop-out, stop-out or prolong? The effect of COVID-19 on students' choices

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to identify the causal effect of the COVID-19 induced crisis on students' decisions about their educational plans. The authors hypothesise that students adjusted their decisions by delaying graduation, dropping out or change the field of education because of increased uncertainty about future employment and monetary returns.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical approach is based on a survey done during the first wave of COVID-19 in Slovenia. The probability of dropping out, prolonging or stop-out is designed by applying probit and probit with insturmental variables empirical model.FindingsPrimary orientation towards work increases the probability of dropping out and financial constraints increase the probability of prolonging studies. The same holds after accounting for endogeneity. However, the authors do not find that poor job expectations due to COVID-19 affect students' decisions to prolong, drop-out or stop-out. The authors also find that the primary orientation toward work or study explains the differences in the probability of each outcome that is not influenced by enrolment in a particular field of study.Research limitations/implicationsThe results cannot be read as an objective prediction of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on college failures. However, the study provides insight into how students' expectations change their intentions to prolong, drop-out, or stop-out during periods of high uncertainty. The extent, to which measured intentions are realised, however, is uncertain.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the response diversity and motives behind students' study decisions represents extremely valuable insights for economic policy. Mapped apprehensions, augmented by heterogeneity in personal and financial characteristics, are relevant for policymakers. In terms of future research, it would be interesting to analyse what changes occurred over a five-year period, specifically which field of study was most affected by students' adjusted plans due to the pandemic.Social implicationsStudents have always been a special group in the labour market. After the initial shock of closing activities, studying online and the drastic decrease in student work due to COVID-19, the decision was made in spring 2020 to continue on the chosen path or not. This paper provides insight into the changing decision students made about their educational plans.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first to highlight the implications of COVID-19 for the adaptation of student plans in the transition from school-to work in Europe. It departs from the classical literature of college failures, as specific macroeconomic conditions influence students to reconsider their educational decisions. Moreover, the paper also contributes to the rapidly growing literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on household-level labour market outcomes, particularly with respect to job search and labour supply decisions in general.

Abortion Bans and College Drop-Outs

What seems like a resounding victory for pro-life advocates will have an unintended consequence: derailing the educational plans of millions of Americans—women and men.

Emergency Response in Educational Policies during COVID-19 in Nepal: A Critical Review

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought chaos in education across the world, including developing countries like Nepal. To respond to this educational disruption in this South Asian country, different educational plans and policies were formulated by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Government of Nepal. It is not known whether these policies were realistic and practicable, as there is no review of these documents to date. With this backdrop, this paper critically reviews the educational plans and policies that were developed to manage education during the crisis. It appraises the strengths of these policies in terms of their intent and practicalities of implementation in the given situation, and identifies gaps and challenges, and recommends some ways to realistically run the education system. The review reveals that these documents have several strengths, such as they plan to create data in terms of learners’ access to resources, value self-learning and parent education, and suggest several alternative ways to resume school. Yet, there are some gaps and challenges, the identification of which can guide the effective delivery of education in Nepal in any kind of crisis period both at present and in future. This paper is expected to help policy makers to revisit the existing policies or guide them when they form future educational policies that are designed to manage education in any kinds of crisis. It is also deemed helpful for teacher educators, practitioners and other educational stakeholders to understand about the educational plans and policies formed to deal with crises.

Eleição para diretores e diretoras das escolas municipais de Ponta Grossa – Paraná: Análise da estratégia 19.2 do Plano Municipal de Educação

O presente texto objetiva analisar os processos de eleição de diretores e diretoras realizados no município de Ponta Grossa - PG no período de 2001 a 2017, com vistas a identificar as mudanças instauradas após a aprovação do Plano Municipal de Educação - PME/PG (2015-2025). Especial destaque é dado à estratégia 19.2, que trata da nomeação de diretores e diretoras de acordo com critérios de mérito e participação. Para tanto, foi desenvolvida pesquisa documental, tendo como referência o Plano Nacional de Educação - PNE (2014-2024), o Plano Municipal de Educação do município supracitado, bem como documentos oriundos do município após a aprovação do referido PME. A conclusão é que a estratégia 19.2 do PME/PG (2015-2025) efetivou-se no município em análise desde 2001, quando, em convênio com o Instituto Ayrton Senna, a Secretaria Municipal de Educação passou a exigir, dos candidatos à função de direção de escola, a frequência em um curso e submissão a processo avaliativo. Tal constatação leva a inquirir sobre o grau de terceiro setor na definição de metas e estratégias dos planos educacionais no Brasil.Palavras-chave: Planos de Educação. Gestão democrática. Política educacional.Election for principals in municipal schools of Ponta Grossa – Paraná: Analysis of the strategy 19.2 of the Municipal Education PlanABSTRACT This work has as aim at analyzing the election processes for principals carried out in the municipality of Ponta Grossa - PG in the period from 2001 to 2017, in pursuance of identify changes established after the approval of the Municipal Education Plan - PME/PG (2015-2025). Special highlight is given to the strategy 19.2, which deals with the appointment of principals according to merit and participation criteria. Thereunto, a documental research was developed, based on the National Education Plan - NEP (2014-2024), the Municipal Education Plan of Ponta Grossa (PME - PG in Portuguese acronym), as well as documents from the municipality after the Municipal Education Plan already mentioned. The conclusion shows that the strategy 19.2 of the PME - PG (2015-2025) was effective in the municipality analyzed since 2001, when an agreement with Instituto Ayrton Senna and the Municipal Secretary of Education started to require attendance and assessment process from candidates to the principal position. Such findings lead to enquire on the influence degree of the Institute, as well as other organizations from the third sector on the definition of goals and strategies of educational plans in Brazil.Keywords: Education Plan. Democratic management. Educational Policy.Elección para directores y directoras de las escuelas municipales de Ponta Grossa – Paraná: Análisis de la estrategia 19.2 del Plan Municipal de EducaciónRESUMENEste trabajo tiene el objetivo de analizar los procesos de elección de directores y directoras realizados en el municipio de Ponta Grossa - PG en el periodo de 2001 hasta 2017, para identificar los cambios instauradas después de la aprobación del Plan Municipal de Educación - PME/PG (2015-2025). Especial despegue se hace de la estrategia 19.2, que trata del nombramiento de directores y directoras de acuerdo con criterios de mérito y participación. Para ello, una investigación documental fue realizada, con referencia en el Plan Nacional de Educación - PNE (2014-2024), el Plan Municipal de Educación del municipio mencionado anteriormente, así como en documentos del municipio después de la aprobación del PME ya mencionado. La conclusión es que la estrategia 19.2 del PME/PG (2015-2025) se ha efectivado en el municipio analizado desde 2001, cuando un acuerdo entre el Instituto Ayrton Senna y la Secretaria Municipal de Educación empezó a exigir, de los candidatos a la función de dirección de escuela, frecuencia en un curso y sumisión a proceso evaluativo. Tal constatación lleva a preguntar sobre el grado de influencia de ese Instituto, así como de otras organizaciones del tercer sector en la definición de metas y estrategias de los planes educacionales en Brasil.Palabras clave: Planes de Educación. Gestión democrática. Política educacional.

National Education Plans: hopes and contradictions

This paper is the result of studies carried out in the masters in education. It aims to discuss the trajectory of educational plans, gathering important elements that explain its historical constitution and the importance of the participation of society in the choice of public educational policies implemented in the different periods delimited in this text. This research, based on documentary sources, has shown a contradictory link between economic planning and educational plans, which are important documents for the organization of education systems. The National Education Plans, as a state policy, did not take place, remaining like another document that expresses intentions for educational area.