Readers’ Letters: Mental health of kids harmed
As children and young people return to homeschooling due to the new lockdown, there is no doubt this will have a continued detrimental impact on mental health and wellbeing.
Children
TikTok tightens privacy rules for under-16s
The accounts of TikTok users under the age of 16 will now be private by default, the company has announced, meaning only people approved by the user can view their videos.
Contents of some food parcels sent to families ‘unacceptable’, says Number 10
Downing Street has said the contents of some free school meal food parcels sent to families are “completely unacceptable” and the Government is looking into the issue.
Online child sexual abuse imagery created by children ‘up 77% in a year’
The number of child sexual abuse images and videos created by children has soared by more than three-quarters in a year, figures show.
High demand for school places prompts concerns about Covid-19 transmission risks
Fears about the risks of transmission of Covid-19 have been raised amid reports that more than half of pupils are on site in some primary schools.
‘Sinister and depraved’ Aberdeen pervert jailed for asking five-year-old to watch him defecate in garden
A "sinister and depraved" pervert who asked a five-year-old child to watch him defecate in an Aberdeen garden has been jailed.
Nurseries opt for partial closures amid safety fears, says Early Years Alliance
A number of nurseries in England have taken the decision to partially close amid concerns about coronavirus transmission risks, an education charity has warned.
UK cannot duck challenges of tackling inequalities post-coronavirus – review
The UK “cannot duck” challenges of tackling inequalities of health, ethnicity, education and occupation post-coronavirus, a review is warning.
Putting the Bugatti Baby II through its paces
How much would you spend on your children and grandchildren at Christmas? Fifty pounds if they’ve been well-behaved this year, maybe?
Christmas disruption and Covid pressure ‘heightening risk of domestic abuse’
Families should check in with loved ones they fear may be victims of domestic abuse over Christmas ahead of an anticipated rise in reports, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner is urging.
Jail for pervert who sent vile sexual images to girls as young as 10
Callum Findlay, who was caught after a mum posed as a 14-year-old girl on Snapchat to help snare him, was sentenced by Sheriff Graham Buchanan who deemed the offences too serious to be dealt with any other way.
‘Radical reform’ of youth justice needed, report says
“Radical reforms” are needed to the youth justice system to prevent children becoming embroiled in crime and help them turn their lives around when they have spiralled out of control, a new report has found.
Children should have the right to take private sector to court, MSPs say
Children should be able to take court action against fee-paying schools, childcare providers and other private-sector bodies that deliver public services if they infringe on their rights, MSPs have said.
Unicef helps feed hungry children ‘as part of first UK response’
Unicef is helping to feed hungry children in the UK as part of the charity’s first domestic emergency response in its 70-year history.
Autism campaigners welcome ‘life-changing’ action plan to improve education
Teacher training is to be changed to ensure all those studying for a career in the classroom are better informed about autism.
Childline gives north-east parents advice on internet safety for children
This December marks five years since the NSPCC joined with O2 to create the website Net Aware, which gives parents and carers advice on how to keep their children safe online.
‘Next generation of children put at risk by worsening health inequalities’
A failure to tackle health inequalities made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic risks “condemning” the next generation of children to “less flourishing” lives than their parents, a health expert has warned.
Number of children adopted from care in England drops for fifth year running
The number of children adopted from care in England has fallen for the fifth year running as numbers of looked-after children continue to rise, new figures show.
Hospital issues health warning over button batteries and magnetic balls
Button batteries and magnetic balls found in children’s toys can cause life-changing injuries if swallowed, Christmas shoppers have been warned.
Children delayed in going to primary school to receive free childcare
Children whose parents decide to defer primary school attendance will receive an extra year of free childcare from 2023, the children’s minister has announced.
Children struggling to see themselves in books they read, study suggests
One in three children do not see themselves in the books they read, a study suggests.
Child cruelty and neglect offences rise 53% in three years – NSPCC
Recorded offences involving child cruelty and neglect have risen by more than half in three years, according to analysis of police figures.
Ofsted: Teaching climate change without science could become ‘morality tale’
Teaching about climate change without a grounding in science risks becoming a “morality tale” or “quasi-religious”, the Ofsted chief inspector has warned.
Children with special educational needs ‘to suffer lasting harm’ from pandemic
Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will suffer “lasting harm” as a result of the pandemic after support services were cut, Ofsted has warned.
Ofsted: Pandemic’s impact on vulnerable children should be a ‘national concern’
The invisibility of vulnerable children as a result of the pandemic should be a matter of national concern, the Ofsted chief inspector will warn.
Parental loneliness ‘rocketed’ during coronavirus pandemic
Parental loneliness has “rocketed” during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study led by the Duchess of Cambridge.
Mothercare losses widen after major restructuring
Baby products group Mothercare saw its losses widen for the past six months after sales slumped following its major restructure which it said is almost complete.
Care system failing thousands of young people – Children’s Commissioner
The state can be so negligent to children in the care system that it would risk its children being taken away if it were an actual parent, the Children’s Commissioner is set to warn.
Supervision for north-east man caught with hundreds of indecent images of children
A north-east man has been handed a supervision order after being caught in possession of more than 400 indecent images of children - of those, 71, as well as four videos, were classed as category A – the most serious.
More than half of teachers have worked with homeless children, survey finds
The majority of teachers have worked in a school with children who were homeless, or became homeless in recent years, a survey suggests.