The Ferret: Commons football draws Speaker's ire

Well, it seems a group of MPs has taken things a step (over) too far by organising a kickabout in the debating chamber.

The group - including former minister for sport and civil society Tracey Crouch and Labour ex-shadow childcare minister Alison McGovern - were filmed doing keepy-uppies in a deserted Commons' chamber one night.

They were due to play for the UK Women's Parliamentary Football Club, but had to cancel a match due to voting commitments.

The group's antics did not go down well with Speaker of the House John Bercow, who issued yellow cards to the MPs.

Considering the impasse over the UK's divorce from the European Union, perhaps the matter could be settled over a Commons football match?!

Votes at six could give new life to democracy

Successive governments have introduced citizenship lessons at school in an attempt to engage the youth of today in the virtues of democracy.

There are signs that young people's apathy is starting to be overcome - there is genuine cross-party support for lowering the voting age to 16, and high turnout among 18- to 24-year-olds at the 2017 election was cited as a key factor for Labour's resurgence.

However, Cambridge University academic David Runciman has another, more radical, solution - lowering the voting age to six!

In the Talking Politics podcast, professor Runciman said giving children the vote is "the final frontier of enfranchisement". Not only would it give a "new lease of life" to democracy, he likened it to historical decisions to extend the vote to poorer people, women and ethnic minorities.

Runciman told the Guardian that he had been inundated with largely critical emails and attacks on social media since his idea was reported. Critics highlighted the risk that children's votes could be influenced by parents. But Runciman retorted that we could not be "entirely sure" children would pay attention to their parents' views.

Ferret thinks six maybe a little young, but Runicman is right that lowering the voting age will get politicians to give greater attention to children's issues.

Rally drivers to raise cash for pre-schoolers

Early years education charity Parenta Trust is hitting the open road to raise money for disadvantaged children across the world.

The Kent-based charity is calling for teams to take part in a five-day rally from Maidstone to Monaco held in late June. The 2,000 mile trip takes in eight countries, traverses the Alps and involves camping out under the stars.

This will be the sixth year the rally has been run, and for the first time two-wheel vehicles will be allowed to enter.

Proceeds will go to building pre-schools for children in deprived parts of the world. Funds raised from the 2018 rally will see Parenta open a fifth school later this year.

Ferret is dusting down his driving goggles in anticipation.

Teachers tooled-up to deal with toilet terrors

Ofsted chief inspectors and teachers' unions regularly warn that increasing numbers of children start school unable to use the toilet. This, they say, results in classroom staff having to use valuable teaching time on helping children with personal care or clearing up after "accidents".

Now, however, company Aroma Care Solutions has come up with a kit to help teachers clean up. Named The Little Accident Box, the kit "contains all they need to mop up after an accident", including a bio enzyme formula that eliminates odours "which might otherwise hang around the classroom".

The box also includes disposable aprons, nitrile gloves, charcoal masks, bio-hazard sealed bags, anti-bacterial wipes, sachets of absorbent aromatic granules and a textile cleansing formula. With such an arsenal at their disposal, teachers could double as school cleaners?!

Queen opens Coram children's rights centre

Her Majesty the Queen attended the official opening of Coram's new children's rights centre at a ceremony in London last month. The Queen Elizabeth II Centre is a three-storey, 20,000 square feet block at Coram's base in Brunswick Square and includes office, conference and learning facilities dedicated to promoting children's rights and best practice. The Queen met pupils from Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Primary School, which receives lessons from Coram For Life (CFL), and CFL mascot Harold the Giraffe!