The continuing fall in birth rates has left the child population in Japan at a record low since comparable data became available in 1950. Of countries with a population over 40 million, Japan has the lowest proportion of children in the population. 12.1% of the Japanese population are children, South Korea is similar with 12.9%, with Italy and Germany the next lowest at 13.4%. In Japan the current population is 126 million, however it is…
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Teenagers across the globe are taking action into their own hands by organising large-scale protests in Europe and the States against two very important issues: climate change and gun violence. But protesting is not a new phenomenon, today’s young activists are vocal on matters in ways that do not require them to vote since many are, in fact, too young to vote. Thousands of teens marched through the streets of London, Brussels, and Berlin in…
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Figures from BookTrust Represents recently revealed that between 2007-2017, only 5.6% of published children’s authors and illustrators were from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. While the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) found that of all published children’s books in 2018, only 4% featured BAME characters and even fewer, 1%, featured a BAME lead character. The analysis also found that these books tended towards themes of social justice and conflict rather than fun or magical…
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Albinism is a genetic disease, inherited from both parents, that causes a lack of pigmentation in the skin, hair and eyes. While praised in some countries, in parts of Africa Albinos are often highly discriminated against. Tanzania has the highest Albino birth rate, with one in every 1500 children born with the condition, but these children are at risk from birth as there is still a belief in witchcraft that can put these children in…
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A study from the United Nations Population Fund has reviewed the consequences of giving out condoms in secondary schools. The review concluded that providing condoms to young people does not increase the likelihood that they will engage in sexual activity or lead to them engaging in sexual activity at a younger age. The introduction of condoms was also found to reduce sexually transmitted infections. However, the research also stated that teenage pregnancy rates are unaffected….
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A report from academics at the University of Plymouth and Plymouth Marjan University has revealed that rural and coastal schools can feel isolated from government support. Specifically, these schools struggle to access externally-funded educational interventions. The researchers concluded that urban schools having higher levels of connection to national funding schools than rural and coastal schools, which increases disparities in school funding. These schools are more likely to express isolation from initiatives aiming to improve social…
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While the United States has strict rules regarding the type of environments children can work in, agricultural jobs for young people are still common with an estimated 500,000 labourers under the age of 18. A mixture of state and federal guidelines allows children to be employed in this sector as long as their work hours do not interfere with school and they are kept out of harms way. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration agrees, saying children…
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Educational Review has recently published findings that highlight problems facing many teachers within the UK today. The in-depth research with 39 teachers from England and Wales found widespread  mental health issues were being experienced amongst the cohort. Demanding workloads, considerable paperwork, reaching academic targets and rapid policy changes were discussed. Many felt that these issues were getting in the way of their primary focus – the children they teach – by making them devote more…
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‘Preparing for change: How tech parents view education and the future of work’ is a new report by techUK. The study surveyed over a hundred parents working in tech companies and found that the majority are optimistic about technological job opportunities of the future. Despite public negativity surrounding automation and new technologies, 64% of tech parents were optimistic or very optimistic about the future job opportunities that would be available to their children. Having said…
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The impact of parental break-ups has been studied by researchers from University College London. Data from over 6,000 children, gathered as part of the longitudinal Millennium Cohort Study, has been analysed to assess children’s mental health at age 3, 5, 7, 11, and 14. A fifth of the sample experienced parental splits during this time. The findings suggest that family breaks-ups in late childhood and early adolescence are most likely to lead to behavioural and…
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