IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 17 August
17-08-2010
by Sylvia Leatham
40pc of higher maths students need grinds | Hulu considers IPO: report
The Irish Times reports that a 1913 document ordering the detention of a young girl in a Cork industrial school has been put up for sale on eBay. The document details how Fr Gus Ahern of the "North Cathedral, Cork" sought the detention of Mary Bridget McSwiney at Clonakilty industrial school, at a court hearing in Blarney. The document has been put on eBay with opening bids beginning at USD29. It was placed there by Irish Celt, a Clare-based company which has been selling items of Irish memorabilia on eBay since 1998.
The paper also says that more than 40 percent of students taking higher-level maths took grinds to help them cope with the subject, according to a survey. The findings show that more resources were required to help students cope with higher maths, according to Engineers Ireland. The engineers' representative body polled students who took higher maths in the Leaving Cert and found that while 70 percent rated their maths teachers as excellent or good, two-fifths of students undertook grinds in the subject.
In related news, the Irish Independent says there has been a call for an end to the Leaving Certificate points system for entry to third level. New research from the ESRI shows that the points race is fostering a culture of cramming for the exam, while driving up stress levels among students. The findings triggered a call from the head of the Government's education advisory body for the points system to be replaced. Professor Tom Collins, chair of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), criticised the system for promoting rote learning while leaving students without the critical thinking skills necessary for third level.
The Financial Times reports that online video site Hulu is considering plans for an initial public offering, according to sources. The IPO, which could take place as early as this autumn, could value the US company at about USD2 billion. The joint venture between News Corp, NBC Universal, Walt Disney and Providence Equity Partners is hoping to raise cash to buy in content from a wider range of partners as rivals such as Netflix race to add more shows, the sources said. Hulu would not comment and one person familiar with the discussions said any IPO would depend on market appetite this year or in early 2011.
The paper also says that Asian component suppliers have responded to allegations they may have paid kickbacks to a former Apple procurement executive in return for business. One South Korean manufacturer denied any wrongdoing, while a Taiwanese company said it has suspended a manager while it investigates. Paul Devine, accused in a civil suit by Apple of taking more than USD1 million in improper payments from Asian suppliers, pleaded not guilty to criminal offences on Monday. Kaedar Electronics of China and Cresyn of South Korea benefited from Devine's information, the Apple suit says. Cresyn said it did not offer Devine any bribes nor did it give him any improper commissions. A Kaedar manager allegedly involved in the case was suspended pending an internal investigation.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the World Trade Organisation has ordered the European Union to strike down import tariffs on billions of dollars of high-tech goods or risk retaliatory trade sanctions. In dollar terms, the decision could be one of the biggest wins yet for the US at the WTO. The dispute concerns the 1996 Information Technology Agreement, a trade treaty signed by some 70 countries that set zero percent tariffs on a wide category of electronic goods. The ITA accounts for USD5 billion a year in tariffs that don't have to be paid, according to industry groups. The dispute among the signatories was over the definition of "high-tech." The EU had declined to designate as high-tech three categories of goods: television cable converter boxes, flat-panel computer screens, and printers that also scan, fax or copy.
The paper also says that PC maker Dell plans to purchase data-storage company 3PAR for about USD1.15 billion in cash. Dell said it will pay USD18 a share for 3PAR, an 87 percent premium to 3PAR's Friday closing price of USD9.65. The boards of both companies have approved the 3PAR deal, which Dell said will add to a certain measure of its earnings in its 2012 fiscal year. 3PAR has about 650 employees and earned USD194 million in revenue for its 2010 fiscal year. The company had net losses for both its 2010 and 2009 fiscal years.
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