Daily roundup: GCSE marking fiasco, NSPCC guidance on sexual abuse, and safeguarding UK children abroad
Neil Puffett
Friday, November 2, 2012
Over-generous coursework marks blamed for GCSE grades fiasco, new guidance on sexual abuse from the NSPCC, and UK court rulings on children to be upheld abroad, all in the news today.
Teachers who gave pupils “over-generous” marks for coursework indirectly forced external examiners to raise grade boundaries for this summer’s GCSE English exams, a report by exams watchdog Ofqual has claimed. Ofqual chief executive Glenys Stacey said: “Our report reinforces the need for strong and independent regulation. We have learnt lessons and found areas where we might have done better. Others must also reflect on the findings of the report and consider how, together, we can continue to improve the rigour and credibility of examinations." Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), accused Ofqual of “shifting the blame” for the fiasco onto teachers.
The NSPCC has launched new guidance on how to protect children from sexual abuse, highlighting the key role of parents. The charity said more than one in three contacts it receives about child sexual abuse are made by the child’s own parent. It said that while neighbours or teachers may spot the signs of physical abuse or neglect of such as bruises or marks, the signs of sexual abuse are usually less obvious. John Cameron, head of the NSPCC's helpline, said: “We know that reporting concerns is not easy, particularly when the abuser is someone that the parent knows and perhaps trusts. But to protect children, people need to act and we provide sensitive professional help and support.”
Court decisions relating to children from the UK will be upheld if they move to countries outside the European Union, after a convention came into effect today. The Ministry of Justice has announced that countries that have opted into the the 1996 Hague Convention treaty will now “uphold and enforce” any court orders involving the protection of a child. Justice minister Lord McNally said: “The government will ensure children from the UK and from other countries are protected – no matter where they or their parents live. By enforcing child protection orders we are ensuring that children from the UK will receive the best possible care as decided by the court.”
Children living in poverty in Scotland are twice as likely to start school with developmental difficulties, research has found. The Thrive at Five report by Save the Children also found that children in poverty in Scotland are twice as likely to face emotional difficulties when they start school and are 40 per cent more likely to be behind in their cognitive development. Douglas Hamilton, Save the Children’s head of Scotland, said support for children in poverty must be prioritised. “The forthcoming Children and Young People’s Bill provides an opportunity for the Scottish government to commit to investing in early years education,” he said. “Unless these actions benefit young children we will never stop this vicious cycle that keeps people poor – generation after generation.”
And finally, a petition asking the government to grant fathers a legal entitlement to take time off work for antenatal appointments is being backed by the Fatherhood Institute. The appeal was launched by Jeszemma Garratt, national practice development manager at the organisation, after her partner was denied leave to accompany her on a midwife appointment. “We want equality in families' lives,” said Garratt. “My personal campaign is that employers should be made aware that if they support their employees to attend appointments, they’re more likely to be more faithful and happier at work.”