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News update: January / February 2008

Cookery lessons to be compulsory for 11-14 year olds

The Government announced on 22nd January that students in Key Stage 3 will learn to cook for an hour a week over one term. Students will be taught how to use simple ingredients to make simple recipes. The Government believes the initiative will help to tackle obesity (1 million children will be obese within a decade) and to improve health. The Government had allocated £2.5 million a year to subsidise the ingredients for poorer pupils. 85% of secondary schools currently offer cooking in some form. These schools will make the change immediately and the rest will be expected to make it by 2011. The initiative will be staffed by using HLTAs and an increase in training of Food Technology teachers.

Sedentary lifestyles seriously impeding physical development of pre-school and nursery children

Dr Madeleine Portwood, Senior Educational Psychologist with Durham County Council, assessed the movement skills of 400 youngsters aged 3½ through a series of exercises. It followed concerns about high levels of co-ordination problems among children aged 7 and upwards, in the region. 57% could not do tasks associated with their age. The reasons for these co-ordination problems could be linked to couch potato lifestyles, children engaging in less outdoor activities and preferring to play computer games and watch TV. Because of parents’ busy lifestyles children are transported by car. A 20 week activity programme has been devised to help movement and co-ordination. Following this course only 6% still experienced problems. The problem was caused by the lack of opportunity for children to practise the skills. The scheme is now being used by 700 children in 83 nurseries in Durham.

Unsupervised play is good for children

Professor Roger Mackett led a study by University College of London which found that children, who play unsupervised, grow up healthier and more sociable. The study of 330 pupils aged 8-11 in primary schools in Hertfordshire had their movements logged for 4 days including a weekend. Children allowed out without adults were found to be more active and burnt more calories than their constantly supervised peers. The study concluded that parents need to balance fears over ‘stranger danger’ with soaring levels of childhood obesity. The study also found that many neighbourhoods lack safe parks and other amenities where parents would feel safe letting their children play

Boys and girls behaving equally badly

Dr Jeremy Swinson, a Senior Educational Psychologist, observed classes in primary schools and noticed that teachers are five times more likely to tell off boys than girls even though they are equally badly behaved. Researchers suggest that teachers are more likely to pick on boys for their misbehaviour because it is louder than their female classmates. Girls are just as naughty but they misbehave more subtly and do not draw attention to themselves. The researchers found that teachers praised boys and girls equally.

Teenage pregnancy statistics

Recently published statistics suggest that in some areas of the UK 2% of girls aged 13-15 is having sex and getting pregnant, giving Britain the highest number of teenage mothers in Europe. Areas where there is low employment and high rates of family breakdown are the locations where the figures are highest. The under-16 conception rate increased by 4% in 2005. Academics and family campaigners are calling on a rethink on the Government’s Teenage Pregnancy Strategy.

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