Education

Millions of children are facing a "catastrophic education emergency" as coronavirus lockdowns have closed schools worldwide , the UN's main organization for children said on Wednesday. UNICEF said schools for more than 168 million children in 14 countries had been completely shut for almost an entire year because of the pandemic. It warned that 214 million children globally — or 1 in 7 — had missed more than three-quarters of their in-person learning since March 2020. UNICEF chief Henrietta Fore said pupils were paying the heaviest price "As we approach the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are again reminded of the catastrophic education emergency worldwide lockdowns have created," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said. "With every day that goes by, children unable to access in-person schooling fall further and further behind, with the most marginalized paying the heaviest price," she said. "No effort should be spared to keep schools open, or … [Read more...] about Coronavirus: UN warns of ‘catastrophic education emergency’

Tory Rishi Sunak today announced changes to tax, furlough and Stamp Duty in his 2021 Budget . The Chancellor said he must take "unpopular" and "honest" decisions as he reversed some Tory Corporation Tax cuts and cancelled an Income Tax break for millions of Brits. He warned next year borrowing will hit £234bn or 10.3% of GDP - “an amount so large it has only one rival in recent history, this year”. And Covid spending including fiscal support has hit £407bn. But in reality the Chancellor put off many of the most painful decisions until later and gave businesses a huge tax break for now - one he claimed was the biggest in history. He also extended several breaks and Covid support schemes beyond the end of the roadmap. Mr Sunak said more than 700,000 people have lost their jobs since March and the economy has fallen by more than 10% - the fastest fall in more than 300 years. “It’s going to take this country and the whole world a long time to recover from this extraordinary … [Read more...] about Budget 2021 summary: Key announcements at a glance as Covid spending hits £407bn

Will Smith shared his personal experiences of racism as a black man in America, as he addressed the idea of one day running for office. The film star said he had been called the N-word to his face on 'five or six times'. He said none of the people racially abusing him were "smart", which at first made him thing all racists were stupid. Will told the Pod Save America podcast, hosted by former Obama aides aides Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer and Tommy Vietor about the experience. He said: "Fortunately for my psyche, I've never been called N-word by a smart person. So I grew up with the impression that racists and racism are stupid and they are easy to get around, I just had to be smarter." Looking into the eyes of those abusing him he "[never] saw anything I perceived as intellect." However when the 52-year-old started to make it in Hollywood, he realised the reality of racism wasn't so clear cut. As he grew older his view changed. "I started seeing the ideas of … [Read more...] about Will Smith says most racists are stupid not evil as he hints at running for office

Three quarters of children are washing their hands more than ever, a study has revealed. Research of 500 kids aged five-11 and their parents found youngsters typically wash their hands nine times a day. And 41 per cent of children even revealed they have had to remind their mums and dads to wash their hands – putting parents firmly on the "naughty list" this festive season. A further 28 per cent believe Christmas will be different this year because Santa will have to use sanitiser. And parents have planned new "tradition"’ to put in place this festive season including almost three in 10 (29 per cent)planning to leave out hand gel for the big man. Another 43 per cent admitted they’ll have to remember to clean their hands more regularly this festive season. Benoit Roger-Machart, spokesman for Lifebuoy, which commissioned the research, said: “This research shows how well children have understood the changes in 2020 but it is clear that we all need constant reminders and a … [Read more...] about Children are washing hands 9 times a day during coronavirus pandemic, study shows

A snap announcement from the Welsh Government to allow all children back to school before Easter has lead to a warning of 'chaotic scenes' Ministers in Wales had previously insisted that pupils of exam years only will return to secondary schools, along with older primary pupils, from March 15. But on Wednesday it announced that children in years seven to nine will return for "check-ins". The Association of School and College Leaders warned that giving schools just eight days to prepare for the change of plan risks the return to school “descending into chaotic scenes”. Headteachers had a mixed response with Stephen Garthwaite saying the proposals were badly communicated and showed a lack of regard for school planning. But the headteacher of Ysgol y Grango in Wrexham , said he wanted to see pupils back. He told Wales Online : “There was no prior warning of this development, and this represents poor communication from Welsh Government and a disregard of the logistical … [Read more...] about Warnings of ‘chaotic scenes’ when all children in Wales go back to school before Easter