Daily roundup: Children's commissioner powers, young soldiers and skateboarder fines
Neil Puffett, Gabriella Jozwiak, Tristan Donovan
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
A bid to give England's children's commissioner extra powers; calls to keep 16- and 17-year-olds out of the military, and fines for young skateboarders, all in the news today.
A Labour MP has tabled an amendment to the Children and Families Bill that would give the Children's Commissioner for England the power to talk to groups of children in residential settings to make sure they feel safe. Currently the commissioner can only enter residential premises to speak to an individual child who has raised a concern about abuse. Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell said: "By giving the children’s commissioner this explicit function we can go some way towards developing a culture that intervenes early and listens to vulnerable children when there are concerns about abuse."
A report by Child Soldiers International and ForcesWatch has called on the British armed forces to stop recruiting 16- and 17-year-olds. The report by the human rights groups said that the UK is only European Union country that still recruits under-18s into the military. It warned that the recruitment of under-18s raised legal and ethical concerns and has long-term consequences for young people's employability.
Children in Wales are being threatened with fines of up to £500 for skateboarding, WalesOnline.co.uk reports. Caerphilly Council introduced the bylaw, which is intended for children as young as 10. Councillors and locals have criticised the move, saying the children will be unable to pay the fines, which are higher than those for possessing cannabis and theft.
The British Youth Council's Youth Select Committee has launched an inquiry into the education system and national curriculum. The inquiry will look at the support available in schools to develop young people's life skills, including their understanding of personal finance, political education and cultural awareness.
The government has published proposals for a vocational qualification for 16- to 19-year-olds. The Technical Baccalaureate will be introduced from September 2014 and provide a Level 3 qualification, including maths and an “extended project” to develop writing, communication, research and self-discipline. Skills minister Matthew Hancock said: “We expect all bright students who want to go into technically skilled jobs or apprenticeships to aim for the TechBacc.”
And finally, Youth Scotland has appointed Ian McLaughlan as its new chief executive. McLaughlan, who is currently the chief executive of the Scottish Pre-School Play Association and chair of the Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations, will start on 22 July. He replaces Carol Downie who is leaving the youth charity to become chief executive of the Perth-based grant-giving charity The Gannochy Trust.