News

News update from Dave Vizard – July / August 2006:

Time to Junk ‘Junk Food’

A full ban on the advertising of Junk food on television has been proposed by the ‘Food Standards Agency.’ Experts within the agency claim drastic action is needed to protect children up to the age of 15 from being bombarded with commercials. However, Ofcom, the Governments TV and Communications Regulator, have argued for a limited ban, preventing adverts for Junk food around children’s conventional viewing times. A recent poll by the British Heart Foundation found that 68% of parents support a ban on junk food advertising before 9pm, with Peter Hollins, director of the foundation, claiming the a pre-watershed ban would “make a significant contribution to improving children’s food choices – a key factor in tackling the childhood obesity epidemic”.

In similar news, parents have been blasted for pandering to their children’s pleas for junk food. TV chef Antony Worral Thompson has accused parents of “wimping out” of dinner table arguments, and allowing children to eat what they want. He claimed “there is a certain amount of the guilt factor going on where both parents feel very guilty about having to go to work”. However, Carole Sharkey, a dietician and mother of four from North Yorkshire, said it is tough for parents to “do it all”. She said “the answer is to make schools start doing more exercise during the day and stop blaming the parents. There is only so much they can do.” In Britain, almost one third of children under 16 are over weight and 17 per cent are clinically obese.

Fish for Thought

Researchers have found that a daily dose of fish oil is better at treating hyperactivity than controversial drugs such as Ritalin. Six capsules a day of the naturally-occurring oil, known as Omega 3, can vastly improve children’s behaviour without the side-effects of Ritalin. Psychiatrist Dr Sami Timimi said how “this is a non-toxic way of doing something that might make a difference.” Omega 3, a compound found naturally in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna, is responsible for a range of health benefits, such as combating heart disease and to boosting intelligence. The Education Department has asked the Food Standards Agency to provide a definitive opinion on the benefits of daily Omega 3 supplements for children.

Teachers Not Taught Discipline:

Research has found that many trainee teachers receive no more than one half-day lecture on how to maintain discipline in the classroom. Julie Henry, Educational Correspondent for the Telegraph, reports how students on one-year teacher-training courses found a lack of tuition in class management was leaving some unable to deal with unruly children.

The findings, based on a report of 5 000 NQTs, found almost one in four secondary school trainees felt they needed more guidance on keeping control in lessons. The National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers recently complained that NQTs were often left to “sink or swim” in dealing with poor behaviour. A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills has highlighted the importance of behaviour management in the training of NQTs, and has said the Educational Bill will be amended to “also deliver a clear and unambiguous legal right to discipline, strengthening teachers’ authority and sending a strong signal to parents and pupils that poor behaviour will not be tolerated”.

Rise in Youngsters Carrying Knifes

Recent Government Figures have found the number of schoolchildren convicted of carrying a knife has almost doubled in the last five years. The figures, published during the recent knife amnesty, highlights the danger of Britain’s growing knife culture among the young.

David Morris, director of ‘Be Safe’, an organisation working with the Home Office to educate pupils about knives, said “In an average school you will get around 30 per cent of the children admitting they’ve carried a knife at some point,” with children “identifying cars which are regularly parked near the school and are stashing the weapons in the wheel arches.” The rising numbers of children convicted of carrying knives has also been highlighted by the Shadow Home Secretary David Davis, who said “the Government needs to act to halt the rise in knife crime rather than simply rely on headline grabbing initiatives. Tougher sentences are needed to deter youngsters in particular from carrying knives.”

Playgrounds too boring

It has been claimed children are putting themselves at unnecessary risk because ‘compensation culture’ has made playgrounds too ‘boring’. Town Halls are attempting to eliminate all risk from playgrounds to avoid costly lawsuits if children hurt themselves. However, play experts are warning that children are looking for other ways to amuse themselves – including climbing scaffolding on building sites and factory roofs. David Yearley, of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said youngsters need to be exposed to controlled risk to help them make responsible decisions as adults. He said playgrounds should be “as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible”. Mr Yearley said “parents need to recognise children have to interact with their natural world, otherwise they’re not going to develop fully”.

With these claims in mind, sales in the book “The Dangerous Book for Boys,” written by brothers Conn and Hal Iggulden, have increased by 700% last month. The book, which features old style pursuits such as fishing and skimming stones, is available now in hardback from HarperCollins Publishers.

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