Pushy parents can put children off reading for life, says new laureate

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/pushy-parents-can-put-children-off-reading-for-life-says-new-laureate-2294388.html

Julia Donaldson, the author that is most well known for her book The Gruffalo, is the new Children’s Laureate. Every two years an "eminent writer or illustrator of children's books" is rewarded with this title to celebrate his or her outstanding achievements in the field of youth literature. She thinks pushy parents are “a pain who take all enjoyment out of reading”. In her role of Laureate she hopes to go on a library tour. She strongly feels libraries are important for children en should be saved from closure. Julia Douëtil, coordinator for reading recovery at the University of London’s Institute of Education, doesn’t entirely agree with Donaldson. She thinks parents should start reading to their children at a very young age and shouldn’t stop doing this after they are able to read themselves. She does however agree parents shouldn’t become so paranoid about their children being able to read as soon as possible.

As a literary consultant I think children should be encouraged to read by making reading a fun activity. They shouldn’t be forced to read the books we would like them to read, but should be given a choice. As parents and teachers we can provide them with a wide range of reading matters. If a child likes to read comic books, provide it with different types of comic books. If a child likes history, give it a selection of history based books or magazines to choose from. This way children will experience reading as a nice pass time and they will expand their horizon on their own accord.

Campaigners call for stricter marriage visa rules

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/campaigners-call-for-stricter-marriage-visa-rules-2294006.html

According to campaigners stricter regulation is needed for British who want to marry a foreign partner, this to ensure confidence in the immigration system. Migration Watch UK says marriages arranged for immigration purposes only could be ‘harmful to the cohesion to our society’. Current interview process allows every opportunity for arranged marriages and campaigners would like to see this changed. There is a call for the introduction of a minimum wage plus 10 percent for every dependant, an increased language requirement and a five year wait after marriage before permanent settlement is granted.

Stricter rules for citizens who want to marry a foreigner are a good thing in my opinion, because of all the reasons named in this article. Partners from certain countries abroad often fail to integrate successfully into society and this causes lots of problems. Therefore I think it is a good thing to increase language requirement, since that is where it all starts off with. The introduction of a minimum wage could reduce marriage for immigration purposes only, because it makes it less attractive to come to the UK for this reason only. The Government is right to take measures against sham marriages.

School in ban on hugging

Parents are outraged at ‘extreme’ no-contact rules

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3603452/Parents-outrage-as-school-bans-hugs.html

A school in Craydon, South London, imposed a non-contact rule. Students are forbidden to give each other high fives, shake hands or hug. A fifteen year old girl got detention because she greeted a female classmate with a hug. She had to sit apart and missed out on break because of it. Parents think the rules are “extreme” and “ludicrous”. In their opinion they prevent students from developing social skills. According to the school physical contacts between students are associated with poor behavior and can lead to fights and bullying. The principal adds that "It creates a disciplined environment which is essential for learning and respect."

What a ridiculous policy! I agree that physical contact could lead to fights and bullying, but I’ve been teaching for seven years now and I have never seen a fight start with handshaking, hugging or giving high fives. In society shaking hands is considered polite and hugs are given to show affection or to comfort someone. I agree with the parents that this policy prevents children from developing certain social skills. What kind of example is given to the pupils by punishing them for showing socially accepted behavior? In school we need a disciplined environment, but there are other ways to achieve this. My students give me high fives when they enter the classroom. I don’t consider this being disrespectful, it just their way of saying ‘good morning miss’.

Woman judge has dogs taken away after her Alsatian 'attacks member of the public for the THIRD time

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1394738/Woman-judge-arrested-Alsatian-attacks-member-public-THIRD-time.html#ixzz1OWa59eal

Judge Beatrice Bolton was arrested after her dog attacked a jogger for the third time. Her pets were taken away from her by the police. Last year the judge was convicted for not being able to keep her dog under control. Back then she told a reporter she would never set foot in a court again. She also stated her conviction for owning a dangerous dog was ‘a f****** travesty’. The police state that the inquires are still ongoing, but they confirm that a 57 year old woman has been arrested in connection with the incident. She has been bailed.

Personally I don’t like the style of this newspaper. It is sensational and strongly gives me the unpleasant feeling I shouldn’t believe everything that’s written in it, like I’m reading a tabloid instead of a newspaper. Second I think it is only fair that the dogs were taken away from this woman. If a dog attacks a person for the third time, something is wrong. A good owner tries to prevent awkward incidents like this by making sure the dog is never off the leash and by muzzling the dog. Hopefully for the dog behavioral training will change its way with people, so they might be able to find him a new home.

Hero soldier killed saving pals

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/3619032/Hero-soldier-killed-saving-pals.html

Corporal Michael Pike, aged 26, died in enemy crossfire while on a mission in Afghanistan. His platoon was on patrol in the area of Pupalzay when it was suddenly attacked by rebels. The corporal fired back on the enemy allowing his men to move out of immediate danger. He leaves behind a wife and two children. Mrs Pike states that her husband would want everybody to know that he died doing a job he loved and that he loved his children with heart and soul. Also tributes made by friends and fellow soldiers praise the corporal’s quick reactions during the assault and make it clear he will be greatly missed.

A man who risks his own life in order to safe that of others is a true hero in my opinion. It is true that soldiers are trained for combat and situations like described in the article and it is a corporal’s duty to keep his platoon safe, but reality is always different from what you’ve learned in drills. I have deep respect for this young man. I don’t agree with the fact that soldiers are dying fighting for a cause that isn’t theirs, but I know military people look upon this differently than civilians like myself. I feel very sorry for all the people that have to deal with a great loss, but I think it makes them proud and it might even soothe the pain a little bit, knowing their loved one died with honor doing the job he was devoted to.

Sexualised music videos to get film-style age ratings

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/8554251/Sexualised-music-videos-to-get-film-style-age-ratings.html

According to this article there has been an inquiry into the sexualisation and commercialization of childhood, which resulted in the recommendation of stricter regulations for music videos. Most likely there will be an age-rating system for video clips similar to the one used for films. Other recommendations are to make it easier for parents to complain about overly sexualized products and to ban sexually tinted adverts from sites near schools. Retail, advertising and video companies will get 18 months to clear up their activities voluntarily before facing tougher Government regulations. Prime minister David Cameron commissioned the inquiry. He believes parents should be helped to “make sure their kids get a childhood and are not subject to unnecessary and inappropriate commercialization and sexualisation too young.”

I am greatly in favor of an age-rating system for video clips. It’s quite shocking what images young children get to see nowadays. Singers like Lady Gaga and Ryhanna are their idols and role models. Kids imitate their style of clothing and the moves they see in the video clips. In their innocence they don’t understand the sexual references in both lyrics and video clips. I do think parents play an important role in what they let their children watch and listen too, but it would be a great help for them if there would for example be restricted times for these type of videos to be shown.

Sofyen Belamouadden: Youths guilty of Victoria killing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13336835

In March 2010 Sofyen Belamouadden was hunted down and stabbed to death by a group of teenagers in a London Tube station. There were tensions between pupils of two west London schools. Some of the teenagers saw the station as their ‘home territory’ and an attack was planned on Facebook. The assault took place during rush hour and there were hundreds of witnesses. Two youth have been convinced for murder, three others for manslaughter. A number of other youths will face individual trial over the killing and they will be sentenced following the conclusion of these trials.

One of the convicts declared to the court he was joining in the violence ‘simply because everyone else was doing it.’ Where did this go wrong? A 17 year old boy guilty of such a serious crime is a very troubled teenager. Automatically our thoughts go to the victim’s family who has to suffer a great loss. They didn’t do anything wrong and yet they are sentenced for life. However, I believe we should also think about the offender in cases like this. I definitely think youths committing an adult crime should be punished like adults, but punishment alone is not enough. We should keep in mind that, even though this young boy did something unforgivable, he is only 17 years old. He still has a life ahead of him and people can change, especially people as young as this. If we are not prepared to offer help, two young lives will be lost; the victim’s and the offender’s.

Bringing babies into the workplace

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13316133

Due to nursery costs that rise twice as much as family incomes in some parts of the UK, it is difficult for mothers to decide whether to go back to work or not. For companies it is a huge problem to replace the employees that are on maternity or paternity leave. That is why a firm in Tamworth, Staffordshire, decided to conduct an experiment. They allowed their staff to bring in their babies and toddlers to the office. It turned out that working while supervising a toddler was more distracting than they expected, so this will not be taken up as a long-term childcare solution.

Bringing your child into the office is the most ridiculous thing. I’m not surprised to hear it causes distraction. How unfair it is to employees that don’t have children. They are expected to be a lot more productive than the mummies and daddies that also have to supervise their children, even though they get paid the same salary. Life is all about choices and if you choose to have children, you know beforehand you will have to pay a lot for childcare if you want to continue working. This is something you have to take into account. If you don’t want to pay a lot for other people to take care of your children, it’s your own responsibility to find another solution.

Jeffrey the footballing pony

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/05/07/jeffrey-the-footballing-pony-115875-23112368/

Jeffrey, a three-year-old pony, loves playing football. Not only is the tiny horse fond of playing footie, he also seems to be pretty good at it. When the little pony arrived at the Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary he was in a perfectly good shape. Manager Neil Martin explains Jeffrey was given a ball to keep him occupied, because stallions get easily bored. One of the shelters is used as a goal and Jeffrey runs down everyone who gets in his way while he is chasing the ball into it. Jeffrey the footballing pony is a big hit amongst visitors of the farm in Greater Manchester.

This is one of those articles that puts a big smile on your face after reading it. Animals are cute, animals performing special tricks are even cuter, but animals doing it only because they like to are the cutest. The article doesn’t say why Jeffrey was brought to the sanctuary, but judging on what the manager tells us and the pictures of him in action, I can only come to the conclusion he is fully enjoying his stay at this farm. It always makes me happy to find a feel-good article like this between all the misery and sorrow that fills the newspapers.

I drink human blood at vampire parties

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/3528565/I-drink-human-blood-at-vampire-parties.html

Some 3,000 people in the UK are official members of an underground vampire movement. The ‘vampires’ gather once a month at private parties to drink human blood directly from the body of their partner. According to Pyretta Blaze it’s an amazing experience that makes you feel reborn and energized. She says that the vampire lifestyle is a lifelong commitment with its own rituals. People who are attending the parties and want to become members of the movement are given a psychological test by the Elders to rule out movie obsessed kids who just think it’s cool. The whole blood sucking process is very safe, since every attendant has to have a clean STI test, instruments are being sterilized, the Elders teach where and how to cut the fed without causing scars and there is a nurse or doctor present at every party.

Disgusting was the first word that came to my mind when I read the title of this article. Grown up people pretending to be vampires should seriously consider the possibility of some kind of mental disorder. Apparently they have to undergo a psychological test, but it is performed by the Elders, so I wonder about the credibility of this test. I am afraid an independent psychological test might show a completely different outcome. After reading this article I can only come to the conclusion that this underground vampire movement looks a lot like a scary sect.

Is teaching racist? No more than Oxford University or 'Mastermind’

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/alasdair-palmer/8470027/Is-teaching-racist-No-more-than-Oxford-University-or-Mastermind.html

In this article Alasdair Palmer argues that we are too quick with throwing around accusations of racial discrimination. The Guardian called the profession of teacher an ‘institutionally racist’ one, because of the fact that black people make up 2 percent of the population while they only provide 0.7 percent of the head teachers. Palmer says it is only logical that “the proportion of a particular ethnic group in a particular position does not mirror that group's share of the population as a whole”. The failure of some ethnical groups is caused by different factors, in particular the sorts of things a child is exposed to, or not exposed to, before the age of seven. He argues it is wrong to benefit people because of ethnic or social class instead of qualities. Doing so destroys England’s top institutions.

In my opinion it is wrong indeed to benefit people because they belong to a specific ethnic group, social class or because of their gender. When a person is allowed entry into a top university it should be because he proved himself worthy. If a person is hired for a certain position, it should be because he’s the best candidate for the job. Like Palmer says in his article; no one is complaining about the fact that there are no white people in Britain’s Olympic sprinting team, simply because the fastest sprinters do not happen to be white. It’s too easy to explain data showing a particular group doesn’t mirror its overall population in a certain position as racial discrimination. It’s one of the possible explanations, but it shouldn’t be presented as a fact if the other options aren’t ruled out, yet.

Royal wedding: street parties list suggests class divide

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8468812/Royal-wedding-street-parties-list-suggests-class-divide.html


On the day of the royal wedding, lots of local communities are hosting street parties to celebrate the occasion. Official figures however implicate there is a class divide among those who host the parties. Middle class communities are quite enthusiastic about the idea, while the working class areas show a lot less enthusiasm. Experts believe the lack of motivation doesn’t necessarily have to do with a loss of affection for the monarchy, they believe a breakdown of community spirit in large cities makes people reluctant to take part in a mass celebration with their neighbors. Councils across the country have done everything to make organizing a street party as easy as possible, because they see it as their key role to stimulate communities to get together.

I like the idea of royal themed street parties on the day of the royal wedding. After all the royal family is ‘public property’ and I think it should be made possible for common people to take part in the celebrations. It surprises me that the working class in England doesn’t participate in hosting street parties, while the middle class seems to be very enthusiastic. In the Netherlands it is often the other way around. Lower class neighborhoods are famous for their street parties and community spirit during events like ‘Koninginnedag’ and the World Championship Football.

At home with the lion king

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/16/wildlife-family-lion-king?INTCMP=SRCH

Tony Fitzjohn was a wild explorer who lived at a lion reserve in Kenia when he met his wife Lucy. At the time Fitzjohn was an alcoholic and 22 years Lucy’s senior. Even so, they fell in love and Lucy ‘surprised’ her family by moving in with Fitzjohn who lived under severely primitive circumstances in a rural part of Africa. Their four children were born there. Becoming a father and settling down even amazed Fitzjohn himself, because it was everything he never wanted. Fitzjohn doesn’t want to keep his children isolated, so three of their kids are in boarding school and the family spend their holidays in England. According to Fitzjohn raising children is very similar to raising lion cubs; they both need food, protection and love and, just like lions, children become independent.

I think Tony Fitzjohn is doing the right thing in not keeping his children isolated in rural Africa. Children should experience the ‘real’ world in order to give them a fair chance to decide which way of life they prefer themselves once they are grown up. Since there are no schools near the lion reserve, boarding school is the only possible solution to give his children as much of the normal childhood stuff as possible. I agree there are similarities between raising children and raising lion cubs; the basic needs are the same, but when it comes to bringing up children, it takes more than just food, protection and love.

London Snorkelling Team – review

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/apr/13/london-snorkelling-team-review

According to the review the London Snorkelling Team combines jazz inspired music with images and comedy and the writer thinks doing so adds something beyond value to the show. Their strategy is to split the focus by showing childish drawings and the presence of two comedians. Even though this makes the show look like a “gig/fantasy radio broadcast and old-fashioned variety show” they do take music seriously indeed. In fact, the London Snorkelling Team’s way of handling things makes the show “brilliant and hilarious”, in the reviewer’s opinion.

Although jazz isn’t my favourite style of music, I believe I would like this show, because the addition of images and comedy sounds appealing to me. I agree with the writer that these additions could indeed add an extra value to the show. It’s like the proverb says: ‘A picture can say more than a thousand words.’ An image can capture a certain mood or emotion and can clarify a piece of music better than anyone could ever explain in words. However I don’t agree that the comedians add an extra something to the music. I think it’s the other way around; the music supports the comedians and makes their performance stronger than it would be without.