Tory plan to make schools follow academy model

Tory plan to make schools follow academy model

The Conservatives are to propose that most schools are freed from local authority influence, along the lines of academies, in a bid to expand parental choice and tackle educational disadvantage.

The calls comes as a report from centre-right think-tank Policy Exchange shows some children are commuting up to 50 miles a day to a state school, with 250,000 attending schools outside their immediate neighbourhoods.

Meanwhile, the government is looking at introducing so-called “studio schools” to provide practical-based teaching for excluded and disaffected young people aged 14-19.

Source:- The Guardian Monday 19 November 2007 page 4

Backlash over Bill allowing lesbian couples to have baby ‘with no father’

MPs and religious leaders have reacted angrily to moves to allow lesbian couples to have children through fertility treatment without planning to involve the father in their care.

The measure is contained in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, which will be debated in the House of Lords today.

Source:- The Daily Telegraph Monday 19 November 2007 page 1

Youngsters having treatment for drug abuse up by a fifth

The number of children between nine and 15 sent for drug treatment shot up by a fifth last year, according to official figures.

More than 9,000 were sent on courses to try to curb the drug misuse that led them into crime and anti-social behaviour.

Source:- The Daily Mail Monday 19 November 2007 page 4

The scandal of kiddy coke

Concerns have been raised by the level of prescription of drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, including medication typically used to treat schizoprehnia.

Source:- The Daily Mail Monday 19 November 2007 page 30-31

Tiredness among 480 reasons people give for being unable to work

A document from the Department of Work and Pensions reveals that the government is paying out £7.5bn annually to incapacity benefit claimants who list tiredness, gout and acne as illnesses.

Source: – The Guardian, Monday November 19 2007, page 11

Employers ‘must prepare for flu calamity’

Researchers claim that over three quarters of companies are ill prepared for a flu pandemic.

Source: The Times, Monday November 19 2007, page 23