No advantage to setting – experts say May 16, 2008
Posted by Hilery Williams in : Mental Health , add a commenthttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7403434.stm
The BBC reports that setting in primary schools by ability has no clear advantages, but can have a detrimental effect on children in the bottom groups, a new report says.
‘Setting is when children are in ability groups for different subjects. Those in the top group work faster and have enhanced learning opportunities, with teachers expecting more from them, a team of academics from London said. But those in the lower groups can be stigmatised, and often have their activities restricted, the report said. The findings come nearly a decade after then prime minister Tony Blair said schools needed to “take account of different abilities, for example by setting”. Another finding of the paper, published as part of the Primary Review - a wide-ranging examination of primary school education - suggested class sizes should be cut to a maximum of 25 to help young children who struggle with reading. It also suggested that smaller classes could help children in the first year of secondary school.’
Survey finds 1 in 4 teenagers depressed April 25, 2008
Posted by Hilery Williams in : Mental Health , 1 comment so farhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/apr/24/mentalhealth.children
The Guardian reports that a mental health crisis in Britain’s secondary schools was revealed in a survey showing a quarter of young teenagers are frequently depressed.
The Children’s Society charity, which carried out the poll, said young people were being ground down by multiple pressures at home and school.
Its inquiry into what it feels like to be a child at the start of the 21st century found most young people want to be free from worry. But many said they were subjected to academic stress at school, peer group pressure from classmates and high expectations within the family. Bullying and an inferiority complex about the way they look were also cited as problems among children contacted by the inquiry. The charity questioned a representative sample of 8,000 children aged 14-16, and found 27% agreed with the statement: “I often feel depressed.”
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Mental Health and Young People: All In The Mind? February 7, 2008
Posted by Joan MacRae in : Additional Support, Home Teaching, Mental Health , add a comment
We all meet some brilliantly inspiring characters in East Lothian Schools and I don’t just mean teachers.
Some of the young people we teach are struggling to come to terms with illness and become anxious about falling behind in school work.
Occasionally they look well but their illnesses are of a psychological nature and they need all the help we can give to ensure that they are well supported to achieve and reach their potential. (more…)
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