A New study has revealed that
attitudes to education in some disadvantaged areas of the UK have not changed
from generation to generation. Children, especially boys from isolated white
working class communities are said to have the lowest educational aspirations,
which have been passed down from generation to generation. Attitudes
often form over generations as a response to the situations in which people
find themselves, but sometimes they linger on, even after the situations have
improved.
But the researchers did find higher levels of aspirations among young
people living in ethnically diverse, mobile, urban neighbourhoods. In these
places, about nine out of 10 young people intended to stay on at school after
the age of 16, the study found. The researchers also suggested that recent
migrants to Britain might have more positive, optimistic views of what they
could achieve.
In the UK, we have many examples of celebrities who came from
disadvantaged areas and still became successful through hard work and determination.
Our favourites are Sir Alan Sugar, Lewis Hamilton and Cheryl Cole. These people
prove that the situation you are born into shouldn’t dictate how successful you
become as an adult. Education is always the first step to achieving a better
future and it is sad that some children still have the same outlook as previous
generations even if so much has changed in these years. What do you think? Do
you have a similar outlook on education as your parents and grandparents and if
so, how is it different? Check out the
article here
The government has announced it aims to invest £4.9m on an "overhaul" of the way
restraint techniques are used on children in custody in England and Wales.
Force may still be used in “exceptional circumstances”, it says.
Earlier this year, MPs and peers
on the Joint Human Rights Committee demanded an end to the use of painful
restraint methods on youngsters.
We think £4.9m is quite a
significant investment on behalf of the government to overhaul methods of
restraint, but we are not sure if enough is being done to tackle the root
causes of youth violence and crime in the first place.What do you think? Do you think the
government is doing enough to tackle youth crime in the first place? Check out
the full story here.
Celebrating Christmas at 'Religiously Diverse' Schools
Teachers at ‘religiously diverse’ schools are questioning the
practice of Christmas celebrations in the classroom, reported The Daily Telegraph, today. Many
teachers see it as a way of building excitement for the biggest national
holiday of the year, and parents also tend to view it as a way of teaching
children about tradition, courteous behaviour, hospitality , letter-writing and
pretend play. However, many teachers are reluctant to over-emphasise it at
school.
Although the festival of Christmas is inspired by the
occasion of Christ’s birth, it is still observed by many non-Christian families,
who use the occasion as an excuse to get together, exchange presents, and enjoy
one another’s company over a delicious turkey lunch. Of course, most children
are counting on Father Christmas’ appearance on the night of the 24th
December, regardless of their race or creed!
What do you think?
Should Christmas be celebrated in primary schools? And if so, how should it be
celebrated? Check out article here .
