Spotlight: Financial services: Banking within reach of more Mexicans

In 2008-09, Mexico was wracked by the global financial crisis, suffering its largest one-year economic contraction since at least the 1930s. But the banking sector withstood the shock and made important strides in one area--bringing previously unbanked households into the financial system. Boosting Mexico's economic development by helping small businesses fulfill their potential depends on improving access to finance and fully linking these engines of economic growth and opportunity to the formal economy.Banks and banking ; Finance, Personal ; Financial services industry ; Unbanked ; Mexico

Spotlight: Mexican financial market : new instruments, rules boost capital investment

Mexico’s financial markets have surged since 2010, recovering from the global financial crisis and benefiting from new capital instruments and rules. Among the most prominent instruments are Certificados de Capital de Desarrollo (CKDs), or trust securities, and the country’s first real estate investment trust.> ; Additionally, modernization of Mexico’s market operations has helped drive initial public equity offerings (IPOs) and debt issuance.Securities ; Real estate investment trusts

Reaching Mexico's unbanked

Banks and the government have mounted a major effort to extend financial services to those without them.Financial services industry ; Economic conditions - Mexico ; Banks and banking - Mexico

Laying the foundation for a mortgage industry in Mexico

Mortgage loans ; Poverty ; Financial markets ; Maquiladora ; Mortgage-backed securities

Teacher education in the UK in an era of performance management

In common with all education systems world wide, those of the United Kingdom have been subject to rapid change and development in recent years. Much of the management of this change has been supported by methods, including performance management of individuals, borrowed from industrial or commercial spheres of activity (Peters et al, 1999). This has led to a redefinition of concepts of teacher professionalism. In the two principal UK systems - those of England (often itself referred to as the UK system) and Scotland - there have been different emphases in terms of managing and developing the profession, although concerns of staff development and professional accountability are encapsulated in both. In this paper we argue, firstly, that staff development - of whatever variety - has to result in better learning for young people within schools. Secondly, we assert that the construction of teacher professionalism is a contested area in the UK, both in terms of initial teacher education and in terms of continuing professional development and that there has to be a recognition of this debate. Ultimately, however, both sides need to come together to create systems which support and develop pupil learning

Rising protectionist threat creates risks for Texas

Expanding trade has brought jobs and business to Texas, but has left the state particularly vulnerable to antitrade actions. Texas would suffer greatly if the U.S. and other countries implement protectionist measures.Economic conditions - Texas ; International trade ; Free trade ; North American Free Trade Agreement

Mexico's año horrible: global crisis stings economy

Initial optimism has been replaced by increasingly dire predictions for Mexico's near-term economic outlook in response to the global economic slump. World trade flows have dried up, which is particularly damaging for nations like Mexico whose economic activity depends critically on exports. At the same time, international financial uncertainty led investors to withdraw capital from emerging markets. Mexico was also confronted with a number of idiosyncratic shocks: a crackdown on drug cartels and local corruption, a flu epidemic and trade disputes with its most important partner. However, recent data suggest the financial system is exhibiting stability even as a severe recession plagues the country. This resilience demonstrates the strides Mexico has made toward reducing its financial vulnerability.Economic conditions - Mexico ; Recessions

Financial globalization: manna or menace? The case of Mexican banking

Banks and banking - Mexico

Mexico emerges from 10-year credit slump

Banks and banking - Mexico

Increasing Children’s Working Memory Capacity: Preliminary Evaluation of a Card-Based Programme

Working memory (WM) is recognised as universally foundational to children’s learning. While computerised training programmes can increase working memory capacity, their application in school contexts may be limited by resources and pedagogy, which may restrict use to pupils with the greatest difficulty. This research presents findings from a preliminary evaluation into the effectiveness of a novel, six-week, whole-class working memory programme, which involved pairs of children undertaking daily card-based activities within a single mainstream primary school classroom, involving 24 eight- and nine-year-old children. Post and follow-up measures demonstrated significant gains in children’s working memory and verbal short-term memory, with large effect sizes. While promising, these results should be interpreted with caution due to the sample size and age of participants. Before it can be concluded that this working memory training programme holds potential to increase children’s capacity to learn and achieve, further research needs to establish its usefulness for children with the most prominent WM difficulties, justify its application for children without WM difficulties and eliminate the possibility that gains could have occurred as a result of task-specific learning