Free Republic

The Australian government said Thursday it was prepared to relax its proposed English language test for new citizens as a compromise to get other tough new restrictions on attaining citizenship through Parliament. Immigration and Borden Protection Minister Peter Dutton said his conservative government was prepared to reduce its proposed English-language skill threshold from “competent” to “modest:” a level of basic communication with many mistakes. The change would be from level six to five on the nine-level International English Language Testing System scale. Language skills are not currently tested in the Australian citizenship process although some English is required. ”We believe...

The number of New York students passing state reading and math exams dropped drastically this year, education officials reported on Wednesday, unsettling parents, principals and teachers and posing new challenges to a national effort to toughen academic standards. In New York City, 26 percent of students in third through eighth grade passed the tests in English, and 30 percent passed in math, according to the New York State Education Department. The exams were some of the first in the nation to be aligned with a more rigorous set of standards known as the Common Core, which emphasize deep analysis and...

PEOPLE wanting to become Australian citizens will have to pass an English test and another 45-minute quiz of up to 30 questions testing knowledge on everything from the judiciary to indigenous people. Potential citizens could also be asked to sign a pledge of commitment as part of the Howard Government's toughening of citizenship requirements. The pledge could include expressions of loyalty to the nation, its laws and system of government.