This paper starts with a brief background of the link between creativity and education, including the beginning of the most recent interest in the two. There is a short summary of the reasons for this renewed interest. This is followed by a discussion into the dissatisfactions over current education and its changing role in the light of increasing importance being accorded to creativity. Lastly, evidence in educational policy documents from around the world is presented to show the steps being taken for implementation of creativity in education

Any policy reform in education is highly effective when it is planned and implemented ‘holistically’ and yet, it is the most challenging way forward. Many countries in Asia have reformed their English language policies and syllabi in the last two decades due to the increasing value of the language worldwide. Motivated by a ‘communicative approach’ to English language teaching, Bangladesh was one of the countries that launched such a reform in the 1990s. However, this reform has been criticised for imposing the changes on teachers without preparing them sufficiently. More importantly, there is limited evidence as to how much the secondary English language assessment system is aligned with the changes introduced in the curriculum. In order to explore this gap, a medium‐scale study was conducted in 38 secondary schools in Bangladesh, following a mixed methods approach. The findings highlighted a ‘mismatch’ between the intended English language learning outcomes and current assessment practices, including the resulting challenges faced by the teachers. This paper argues that language education reform is likely to fail if the assessment system is not aligned with the curriculum.

In the Least Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs), School Based Teacher Development (SBTD) is sometimes advocated as a potential mechanism for improving the classroom practices experienced by millions of children in a complete school system, as quickly as possible. Robust evidence is required for approaches to be implemented with some confidence by Government development agencies, such as the UK Department for International Development (DFID). SBTD has a long history stemming from ideas of school-based curriculum development, which underlay the ideas on teacher-as-researcher, and is typically advocated in the developed world based on a view of the teacher as a professional. How might such notions play out, and to what effect, in LEDC contexts? This article examines the issues at stake in introducing SBTD in LEDCs, by examining: the nature of the evidence for various forms of teacher development, the nature of SBTD in particular and the evidence for its effectiveness. The latter issues will be illustrated through examination of English in Action (EIA, www.eiabd.com), a large-scale SBTD programme for primary and secondary English language (EL) teachers serving government schools across Bangladesh.

Background: The ideal urological method for treating complex, large renal calculi is Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Its instruments, surgical techniques, and positions have all been adjusted as a result of its ever-changing nature. In PCNL, the supine position is advantageous compared to the prone position due to its several advantages, including the absence of cardiopulmonary risks, fewer post operative complications and shorter operative time. This study was designed for comparison of PCNL in prone and supine positions. Methods: After receiving ethical and research committee approval, this retrospective cohort study (comparative study?) was conducted from 2015 to 2021. Out of 623 patients, PCNL in prone position was performed on 258 patients and 365 patients in modified supine position. The patients' demographics, stone size and location, number of tracts, operating time, hospital stay, stone clearance rate, and post-operative complications were all compared. Results: The gender and age of the patients, the size and number of tracts, and location of the stones were all comparable (p>0.05). Operative time for prone position was 82 min±2.49 SD VS 65 min±2.95 SD, for modified supine position, p<0.001), hospital stay was 58 hrs.±1.66 SD for prone VS 51 Hrs.±1.65 SD, for modified supine position, p<0.01) and analgesia requirements for prone position was 41% VS 23% for modified supine position, p<0.001). The stone clearance rate was 87% in supine position and 89% in the prone positioning group (p=0.47). Urinary leakage from tract site was 0.38% in prone vs. 0% in supine position and temperature >99 °F was 12.4% in prone vs. 11.3% in supine position were the most common post-operative complications. Angioembolization was not observed in either group. Blood transfusions were given to 4.26% in prone position and in 3.58% of cases in supine PCNL. Conclusion:  Percutaneous nephrolithotomy in the supine position had a short operating time, short hospital stays, and less analgesia requirements than PCNL in the prone position. In view of the above findings, supine PCNL is easy, quick to perform and having less complications rate as compare to Prone PCNL.

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