Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer, has been charged with drawing up the new guidelines which are expected to be ready for publication in the spring, according to reports. The Government is also reviewing whether the current age at which it is legal to drink should remain at five. Current guidance on safe drinking levels exists only for those over 18. But health department officials say the gap between five and 18 is significant given the risks of drinking to health and development children are greater for children than for …

The BBC is planning to show a “gory” version of Hansel and Gretel on Christmas Day that shows dummies of dead children hanging by ropes. The Royal Opera House production, which it has described as “perfect family fare for everyone at holiday time” will be aired at 3pm on BBC2. Children’s campaigners have criticised the BBC’s decision to broadcast it at a time when young children will be watching.Even the Royal Opera House has recommended that children younger than eight should not see the two-hour show, which culminates in a …

The report focuses on a new regime introduced in 2005. The new short, sharp Ofsted inspections present a “superficial snapshot” of England’s schools and rely too much on test and exam results, a report claims. The report by the think tank Civitas says poorly trained inspectors take a “tick-box” approach to gauging quality. Civitas says Ofsted reports – used by many parents to judge schools – do not give a “well-rounded picture”. Ofsted denies relying on test results, and says it considers other evidence, including the observation of …

Why are we as a nation so obsessed with homework, we send our children to school at an earlier age than any other country and our school day is longer, we have shorter holidays and our children have more homework than other country. The results of all this are we getting better educated children, no, higher result than others, no.
I would never suggest we should not help our children at home, help them to read and write and if they ask help with maths or what ever subject they …

All parents face difficult questions from their children asking, “where do I come from ?” “how did I get here ?” etc. It happens at different ages and depending on the age should depend on the answer they are given. I am sure most parents will agree the truth is the very best answer but it is the degree of detail that is so important. No five year old wants the full story in Technicolor regarding their parents sex life or anyone else’s they are satisfied with …

“Helicopter parents take over every aspect of children’s future” (Guardian)
It is understandable that parents as the main finance source are keen to be involved in their young adults future in university this has always been the case to a degree. The danger now is we have many more universities and thousands more student attending, student who would have been in college and attending from home and many who would have been working so we are now talking about another level of student who would not have in past …

Way back in the early 1980′s I took part in a Granada programme on the then concern for use of violent arcade

We are continually being told, well at most teacher conferences, that schools avoid doing events and outing because parents are always ready to sue for any mishap. Well I have asked many many parents from both primary and secondary one, would they sue and two, do they know anyone who has and to date and not one has come to light. I have no doubt there will those amongst you who can point me to an example but in the grand scale of things these are a …

Interesting and irritating to read the Director of Play England criticising parents for being over protective of children perhaps he should read the news more closely, it is schools who have banned conkers as they have stopped many of the playground games we remember. Is it schools carrying the health and safety policy to far or is local education authorities who put out these edicts. In the last few weeks of term we heard about sports days not allowing the egg and spoon race or the …

It is really concerning for many parents that we have yet another teacher’s union leader going to conference with such a negative approach to parents and parenting skills. We are all aware of the problems in today’s society but to label parents in the national press in this way does little good and does not affect those who are being discussed. I worked for 13 years as an OFSTED lay inspector and way back in the early 1990′s I visited some school in certain areas where children were neglect and …