Anti-Facebook film is an internet hit
Scotland on Sunday
A YouTube film made by a Scottish teacher living in South Korea, about the perils of using social-networking site Facebook, has racked up almost 2.5 million hits online - the same number as Madonna’s recent single, Revolver. The film, You Need To Get Off Facebook, was made by Ross Gardiner, 24, from Ballachulish, who had become frustrated by the grip Facebook was exercising over young people.
Top school switches to national curriculum
The Scotsman
An exclusive private school, where classes as small as 12 are taught in a converted Victorian castle, has given its backing to Scotland’s national curriculum after scrapping its traditional exam structure. Richard Toley, headteacher of Lathallan School near Montrose, said he had “nailed his colours to the mast” by endorsing the Curriculum for Excellence and abandoning the Common Entrance Exam.
Hamleys: where boys can be boys - but so can girls
The Times
Hamleys, the famous toy store, has abandoned its traditional separate floors for boys and girls after a campaign on Twitter accused them of “gender apartheid”. New signs now state what type of toys are sold on each floor, rather than suggesting who should play with them. The campaign was started by Laura Nelson, a political blogger known as “Delilah”, who trained as a neuroscientist.
Study warns of higher ME rates among pupils
The Guardian
Far more children than previously thought miss a lot of schooling because of undiagnosed chronic fatigue syndrome, according to research. The study suggests more needs to be done to identify sufferers. About one in 100 secondary-age pupils suffer from the condition, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), the findings in online medical journal BMJ Open claim.
Gruffalo author gets behind libraries
Daily Record
Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson is campaigning hard to make sure future generations are able to visit libraries, which face closure amid spending cuts. “People might say we can read ebooks on things like Kindle, but if you don’t have libraries and if children don’t become enthusiastic readers, there won’t be anyone wanting to read ebooks,” she said.
