Educational Visits Thought to be too Expensive

May 26, 2015 By Leave a Comment

According to a study by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), around a third of parents feel that the cost of sending children on educational visits is too expensive.  A third of parents also believe that school uniforms are too costly, with three quarters of those taking part, agreeing that there should be a limit on the charges made to parents by the school per educational year.

tripWhile many parents believe that any and all extracurricular activities should be covered by the school, the sheer cost of this undertaking would simply make it impossible.

Unfortunately in these cases it is the underprivileged children who miss out, although in many cases this cannot be helped.

Some schools have made extracurricular trips optional, whereas others have chosen to make them mandatory, although this presents a problem for families who struggle to make ends meet.

Schools are still in need of government funding for building repairs, supplies, teacher salaries, sports equipment and more. To insist schools pay for extracurricular activities will only send them into deeper trouble. The only other option would be for schools to cancel extracurricular activities altogether, at a great loss to the children. It is a national dilemma and one that doesn’t seem to have a solution at this time. Currently we can only remain grateful for parental support which enables children to attend trips and visits beneficial to their education.

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3 Jobs that Teaching also Encompasses

May 21, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Teaching is a full time career, with thirty small people to look after seven hours a day, each with their own unique way of thinking, likes and dislikes. Sometimes it takes a miracle to get them all in order and somehow teachers manage to do that every single day. But they are not just teachers!

In times of need they can also be;

Entertainers

Children respond well to a teacher who doesn’t take themselves too seriously and can make them laugh. By making lessons fun and engaging, children will be more encouraged to learn and the lessons that they learn will also remain in their minds for longer.

Sports Coach and Referee

You’ll only need a basic grasp of sports in order to help your kids, as well as being able to break up any fights that occur, whether in the class or on the playground. These sorts of rules aren’t taught at university, so it is often learnt while on the job!

comfortTherapist or Confidant

Times can be tough for teachers, particularly if they have children in their class who are struggling due to problems at home. You have to be able to allow them to confide in you whilst remaining professional and this can get very difficult sometimes, especially when things aren’t quite right at home.

Teachers are wonderful people with such capacity that it is hard to know where they get their energy from. So if you’re ever tired and worried, just remember that there are at least thirty small people who are far better off with you than without. Rock on!

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Share Aware Campaign Launched

May 18, 2015 By Leave a Comment

The NSPCC has recently launched a national campaign that aims to help young children and their parents become more aware about the importance of staying safe online, particularly on social networking. The campaign is being called ‘Share Aware’ and follows an increase in children getting smart phones, tablets or games consoles for Christmas and birthdays.

internetWhile tablets make great learning devices, with a number of helpful apps designed to help children with their spelling, grammar, punctuation, maths and more, it is also necessary to remind children of the importance of online security.

Like adults would teach their children not to speak to strangers, so it is also important to show your kids how strangers could potentially target them on social networks.

The campaign is designed to provide parents with essential advice that helps them to ‘untangle the web’ of the internet. So even if they themselves are not familiar with social networking and online communications, they can still feel confident talking to their children about online safety. Some people may not consider online relationships as much of a threat as day-to- day communications, but so much personal information can be easily shared over the internet. It is crucial that teachers and parents work together to help children become more aware of their ‘online’ surroundings.

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School to Start Serving Cold Lunches

May 14, 2015 By Leave a Comment

While school lunches must be healthy, nutritious and fulfilling, they don’t necessarily have to be hot in order to give children everything they need for a balanced diet. West Dunbartonshire Council are looking at ways of saving money by potentially scrapping hot school dinners on Fridays. lunch

This might be a risky move on the schools part, particularly with parents perhaps preferring hot meals to take place at school rather than the evening at home, but it may be a smart choice. The change in school dinners could see pupils being offered a sandwich with salad and fruit instead of a hot meal, which seems like a very sensible choice. After all, how often do we grab a sandwich for lunch while working in the office or out and about? It is a’ go to’ snack that is easy to prepare and can be both delicious and healthy.

The decision could save around £258,000 annually, which is a pretty reasonable price for the loss of one hot meal a week. This could be used to fund IT rooms, provide extra facilities for educational supplies and library reading, or even assist in helping those less fortunate than ourselves. The possibilities are endless.

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