Daily roundup 13 July: Talking, rugby, and household income

Parents only spend 44 minutes a day talking to their children, it has been claimed. The Sun reports that research commissioned by Fruittella, based on a survey of 2,000 parents of children aged four to 16, showed that despite spending more than eight hours a day together, families chat for less than 10 per cent of that time. Conversations between mums and dads and their children last for just nine minutes before it is time for school and a further 14 minutes after school before the children go off to entertain themselves.


Children should be banned from tackling in rugby because of the risk of serious head injuries, academics have said. The Daily Mail reports that almost a quarter of players aged between 14 and 18 will get hurt in a season, with about six per cent suffering a head injury. Researchers from Newcastle University said head injuries can lead to poor memory and sight loss and are linked to Parkinson's and depression.


Teachers should be offered subsidised housing as a reward for working in deprived areas in order to tackle geographical disparities between England's schools, a cross-party commission has recommended. The Guardian reports that the Social Market Foundation's commission on inequality in education, headed by former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, said the government should experiment with subsidised housing to raise the quality of teaching in worse-off areas.


Household income affects children's cognitive abilities, and can impact their educational prospects, new research has found. The Telegraph reports that a study published by the London School of Economics found that children's physical health and social and behavioural development are also impacted, with family income proving a crucial factor in children's home environment.


An inquiry into emotional and mental health support for children and young people in Wales has been launched. The South Wales Argus reports that the Welsh Assembly's children, young people and education committee will look at the current state of mental health services for young people and whether improvements ordered in 2014 have been implemented.