THIS WEEK
24-30 AUGUST 2013
SATURDAY
Breaking up is hard to do
Summer holidays may be a carefree time for children but they can be too much for their parents. A survey released this week revealed that a fifth of parents said their relationships had been put under strain by the long break.
SUNDAY
Arresting moves
A group of police officers went viral after being filmed gyrating their way through a “dance-off” at London’s Notting Hill Carnival. Perhaps they could teach principals a thing or two about community relations.
MONDAY
Court date
Inspiring schoolchildren everywhere to pick up a tennis racket, the US Open got under way. Britain’s Andy Murray began his title defence, while top women’s seed Serena Williams demolished her first opponent.
TUESDAY
It’s not black and white
The badger cull that began today in south-west England provides perfect material for classroom ethics debates. Campaigners want to save the animals but farmers argue that they spread bovine tuberculosis.
WEDNESDAY
Still dreaming
The 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech - food for thought for teachers preparing lessons for the new term. Expect the spotlight to be shone on current racial inequality in the US.
THURSDAY
Heightened protest
A woman who scaled London’s 310m-high Shard in July to protest against oil drilling in the Arctic was due to appear in court charged with aggravated trespass. Alison Garrigan’s fellow climbers received a police caution.
FRIDAY
Bitter pill
A report from The Migraine Trust was due to warn that migraine sufferers do not get the support they need from the health services. Headache-prone teachers of naughty 12-year-olds will appreciate the research.
NEXT WEEK
31 AUGUST - 6 SEPTEMBER 2013
SATURDAY
No more silliness, now
It’s the last day of August and officially the end of the media’s “silly season”. Misshapen vegetables give way to heavyweight political stories; holiday fun gives way to relentless work and anxiety. Roll on Christmas.
SUNDAY
Eyes on the skies
The new Boeing Dreamliner has been beset by technical problems over the past year, so all eyes will be on British Airways as the company debuts its long-haul service from London to Toronto using the jet.
MONDAY
Rise and shine
Alarm clocks will cruelly cut short the sleep of teachers in Britain this morning as most of them go back to work for the new school year. For many it will be a day of training and nervous staffroom chit-chat.
TUESDAY
Lessons from the past
Start the autumn term with a heavyweight historical lesson by remembering that today marks the anniversary of Britain and France declaring war on Germany in 1939, after Adolf Hitler invaded Poland.
WEDNESDAY
Ahead of its time
On this day in the UK in 1957, the Wolfenden report said that homosexuality should no longer be a crime. As gay rights protests continue in Russia, activists say there is still a long way to go.
THURSDAY
Shana Tova!
Sound the shofar (a horn): the two-day Jewish festival of Rosh Hashanah is now in full swing. It marks the Jewish New Year, and people traditionally eat apples dipped in honey to symbolise sweetness ahead.
FRIDAY
Rain or shine?
The weather is increasingly tricky to predict, so the Royal Meteorological Society’s student conference in Reading, England - which begins today - is vital for nurturing the next generation of forecasters.
