Daily roundup 14 January: Youth centre cuts, transgender children, and faith schools

Plans to cut funding for 22 youth centres in Dorset have been approved. The BBC reports that the plans will save Dorset City Council £1m of its yearly £2.2m youth services budget, and it hopes community groups will take over the running of services.


Children aged 16 would be able to change their gender legally under proposals set out by MPs. The Times reports that a report by MPs found that Britain still has a long way to go to ensure equality for the transgender community. Reducing the age from 18 to 16 to apply for a gender recognition certificate, the only way to change at present, would be a good start, they said.


Thousands of children are at risk of being beaten and prevented from learning English after being taken out of mainstream education and placed in unregulated faith schools, it has been claimed. The Independent reports documents submitted to a government consultation on the threat of radicalisation in British schools detail a catalogue of claims against “illegal” Orthodox Jewish schools.


Children that have wealthy parents are more likely to be outgoing, socially confident people, which could effect earnings in later life, a study has claimed. The Daily Mail reports research by the Universities of Cambridge and Kent suggests aspirations and personality have a strong link to social background.


An extra £500,000 has been pledged by Islington Council to keep young people safe after three young people died last year from stabbings. The Islington Gazette reports the funding will be spent on mentors that have a good track record of helping vulnerable young people turn their lives around.