
Zhegngzhou Responds to Multiple Fainting Incidents at Bathhouses, Individuals Hospitalized and Facilities Shut Down for Rectification
President Yoon, who was elected in a landslide victory just over a year ago, has been at the center of a growing scandal involving allegations of bribery, influence-peddling, and financial improprieties. The decision to arrest him comes after months of mounting pressure from opposition parties, civil society groups, and the public at large, who have grown increasingly disillusioned with his administration and its perceived lack of transparency and accountability.Double shift primary schools deprive the children of up to a third of the student contact hours compared to the schools with just one shift. Last year, 81 percent of the 65,567 government primary schools took classes divided in shifts: one group attended in the morning and another later in the day. Student contact hours are the time pupils spend learning in contact with a teacher. Class 1 and 2 students at the double shift schools had 137 fewer teacher-student contact hours than the children who went to single-shift schools in 2023, according to the Directorate of Primary Education. Class 3, 4, and 5 students had 515 fewer, or 34 percent less, contact hours at double shift schools. "Students of double shift schools are facing discrimination," said Prof Hosne Ara Begum, acting director of the Institute of Education and Research (IER) at Dhaka University. Since they have fewer contact hours, they almost certainly learn less, she said. Compared to many other countries, the duration of learning time at double shift schools in Bangladesh is short, said Prof Siddiqur Rahman, former director of the IER. "The curriculum is designed with the assumption that all students will attend single shift schools," he added. Farid Ahmed, secretary at the primary education ministry, said the government was gradually transforming the double shift schools to single shift ones. The government in June announced that it would transform 12,515 double shift government primary schools into single shift from January next year, he added. DISCRIMINATION More than 1 crore children go to 65,567 government primary schools across the country, according to the Annual Primary School Census 2023. Of the schools, only 12,515 were single shift. The government's 4th Primary Education Development Programme aimed to raise contact hours at single shift schools to 1,000 for classes 1 and 2 and 1,500 hours for classes 3, 4 and 5, said the Annual Sector Performance Report 2021 of the Directorate of Primary Education. At double shift schools, the target is 800 hours for classes 1 and 2 and 1,000 hours for classes 3, 4 and 5. The most ambitious target is to lower the number of double shift schools by 50 percent within June 2025. But the progress has been slow: 14 percent of the schools were single shift in 2019; 15 percent in 2020 and 2021; 17 percent in 2022; and 19 percent in 2023. The 5th Primary Education Development Programme will target making all government primary schools single shift, said Secretary Farid. TEACHERS UNDER STRESS At Chanpur Government Primary School in Mymensingh, the duration of the first class in both shifts is 35 to 40 minutes while the other classes are 30 to 35 minutes, said Head Teacher Abul Kashem. At single shift schools in the town, every class is around 50 minutes, he added. Teachers in double-shift schools are under constant pressure to complete the curriculum, which may result in rushed lessons, he said. Since each shift operates like a mini-school day but within a shared space, the teachers may have less time to prepare for a class, he added. "Sometimes it feels like we are racing against the clock. I know some students are falling behind, but there's just not enough time to give them extra attention," he said. The same set of teachers working two shifts often get tired by the end of a day, which may affect the lessons. CONTACT HOUR IN OTHER COUNTRIES In India, a primary school student gets, 1,276 hours in 220 school days a year. On an average, primary school students in OECD countries get 805 hours, and lower secondary students 916 hours. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries with high-income economies, and a very high Human Development Index. A top DPE official said teachers' absenteeism, late entry in classrooms and school closures due to cyclones, floods and political unrest reduce contact hours in thousands of schools.
2024 was poised to be the year of the AI smartphone. Tech giants and ambitious startups alike teased devices that could anticipate our needs, personalize our experiences, and redefine mobile computing as we knew it. Yet, as the year draws to a close, those grand promises remain largely unfulfilled. While existing smartphones saw incremental upgrades to existing AI features like camera optimization and voice assistants, the truly transformative AI-powered handsets failed to materialize. This article delves into the reasons behind this unexpected stagnation, exploring the technological hurdles, market realities, and perhaps, a touch of overblown hype that contributed to 2024’s missing AI smartphone revolution. The Hype Cycle and the Reality Check The year began with a flurry of announcements. Companies were eager to capitalize on the public’s fascination with AI, with marketing campaigns touting “unmatched capabilities” and “revolutionary experiences.” AI was the buzzword on everyone’s lips, and it seemed inevitable that smartphones would be the next frontier for this transformative technology. However, a disconnect quickly emerged between the marketing hype and the reality of AI development. Many of the promised features, like real-time language translation, advanced on-device image generation, and personalized health monitoring, were still in their nascent stages, far from ready for prime time. Technological Bottlenecks One of the primary reasons for this discrepancy lies in the inherent limitations of current AI technology. Market Realities and Consumer Hesitation Beyond the technological hurdles, market realities also played a role in the muted arrival of AI smartphones. My Personal Experience As a tech enthusiast, I eagerly awaited the arrival of these AI smartphones. I envisioned a device that could seamlessly integrate with my lifestyle, anticipating my needs and simplifying my daily tasks. However, as I tested the latest smartphone releases throughout the year, I found myself underwhelmed. The AI features felt more like incremental improvements than groundbreaking innovations. Voice assistants were slightly more responsive, cameras slightly more intelligent, but the transformative experiences promised by manufacturers remained elusive. This isn’t to say that progress hasn’t been made. The gradual refinement of existing AI features is laying the groundwork for more sophisticated applications in the future. But the reality is that the AI revolution in the smartphone sector is unfolding at a much slower pace than many anticipated. Looking Ahead: The Future of AI Smartphones Despite the setbacks of 2024, the future of AI smartphones remains bright. As AI technology continues to evolve, and as developers gain a better understanding of consumer needs and concerns, we can expect to see more meaningful integration of AI into our mobile devices. Here are some potential areas of development: While 2024 may not have been the year of the AI smartphone, it’s clear that AI will play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of mobile technology. The key lies in striking a balance between ambition and realism, focusing on developing AI applications that genuinely enhance the user experience without compromising privacy or practicality. As consumers, we need to be discerning, demanding meaningful innovation rather than falling prey to marketing hype. The journey towards truly intelligent smartphones may be longer and more complex than we initially anticipated, but the destination promises to be transformative.None