Daily roundup 9 March: Homework, failure, and child protection
Neil Puffett
Friday, March 9, 2018
British parents found to spend less time helping children with homework than other countries; founder of Wikipedia tells students of importance of failing; and inspectors warn of police child protection weaknesses in Lancashire, all in the news today.
British parents spend less time helping with homework, school projects and extra study than those in almost any other country, a study has found. The Times reports that the 3.6 hours per week average in Britain compares with nearly eight hours in Russia, 10 hours in Vietnam and more than 12 hours in India. German parents spend more than five hours a week helping and Spanish parents devote 4.8 hours. The only countries ranked lower than the UK were Finland with 3.1 hours and Japan with 2.6.
Young people should learn how to fail in order for them to feel more comfortable about taking risks in their careers, the founder of Wikipedia has said. iNews reports that Jimmy Wales, who created the online encyclopedia in 2001, told students at Norlington Boys School in Leyton, east London, that his success only came about after he suffered a string of failed business ventures in the 1990s.
Police are failing to protect some children from the risk of harm in Lancashire, inspectors have found. The BBC reports that HM Inspectorate of Constabulary graded 30 of the 79 cases it reviewed at Lancashire Constabulary as "inadequate". In one case, the force was criticised over its response to reports of a 25-year-old man messaging a 15-year-old girl with learning difficulties in a care home and attempting to meet her.
Derogatory attitudes towards pupils and failure to protect children's safety have led to a preschool being labelled "inadequate". The Oxford Mail reports that Grovelands Park Preschool was given Ofsted's worst rating, after an inspector criticised safety failures and saw children reduced to tears by staff. Ofsted said the 42-pupil preschool in Grove, near Wantage, has "declined significantly" since being rated "good" in 2016.
Plans for a new £6.5m youth zone in Warrington have moved a step closer after a planning application was submitted. Warrington Worldwide reports that the joint venture between national young people's charity OnSide and Warrington Borough Council will see a purpose-built facility for young people constructed.
