Research: Children reveal global worries
Catherine Gaunt
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Today's young children are worried about climate change, global warming and terrorism as much as they are about a shortage of safe play areas, gangs and guns, according to the first report in a major independent review of primary school education.
It says children are more 'upbeat' in schools that have started ecoprojects giving them a sense that they can do something about suchproblems.
Professor Robin Alexander, director of the Primary Review, said that ittook 'the educational temperature' of what children, parents, teachersand communities were most concerned about.
He said the resulting consensus was 'striking', with 'unease about thepresent and pessimism about the future', regardless of where peoplelived.
Community Soundings, the first of 32 interim reports, is based on 87discussions around England between January and March with 750 people,including 197 children and 74 parents.
The report said, 'We were frequently told children are under intensepressure from the policy-driven demands of their schools and thecommercially-driven values of the wider society; that there is apervasive loss of respect and empathy both within and betweengenerations; that life outside the school gates is increasingly insecureand dangerous.'
Parents were concerned about the 'suddenness with which children couldfind themselves pitched into the 3Rs regime' and 'preferred a moregradual transition, with a continuing emphasis on play and thedevelopment of social and motor skills'.
Further information: www.primaryreview.org.uk.
