Daily roundup 27 May: Child benefit, youth services, and Latin

More than two million middle-class families will have lost their child benefit entitlement within 10 years, economists have warned. The Daily Mail reports that 1.2 million families currently lose all or part of their child benefit because one of them has a taxable income of £50,000 or more. The Institute for Fiscal Studies, an independent think-tank, estimates that the figure will more than double by 2025 due to wage inflation.


The former children’s commissioner for Wales Keith Towler has called for the country’s councils to provide youth services by law. ITV News reports that Towler made the call after figures revealed that at least 69 clubs and 99 workers have been axed in the last five years as Welsh councils try to save money.


Deprived children in Glasgow will be taught Latin as part of efforts to improve literacy. The programme, also known as the Literacy through Latin project, will begin in October and see classics students from the University of Glasgow teach hour-long classes each week throughout the school year, the Scotsman reports.


A dangerous social media craze, known as the paracetamol challenge, is putting children’s lives at risk, police have warned. The challenge involves young people taking “excessive amounts” of painkillers on social networking sites Instagram and Facebook. Taking too many painkillers can cause brain damage, haemorrhaging and liver damage, ITV News reports.


Action on Addiction has appointed a new chief executive after Nick Barton, chief executive of the charity since 2008, announced he is stepping down. Graham Beech, the acting chief executive of crime reduction charity Nacro, will take over the role from September.


Head teachers at underperforming English schools should be replaced, Ofsted's chief inspector has said. Sir Michael Wilshaw also told BBC News that he backs government plans to intervene in schools that are consistently rated less than good.