Displaying items by tag: Children

Voice for Justice hope to raise 20,000 signatures on a petition calling on the National Union of Teachers to withdraw its motion to promote teaching lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT+) issues to children, starting at nursery. The first paragraph of the petition says, ‘The current campaign actively to promote LGBT+ issues starting at nursery is part of an ideological agenda to undermine and ultimately destroy the traditional values on which our society is based. While lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults may see the cultural and social normalisation of their sexual preferences as top priority, we maintain that to force such consciousness onto children, who by definition lack the emotional maturity to assimilate and process such behavioural “norms”, is a form of child abuse. This will inevitably encourage them to experiment with behaviours that wouldn’t normally occur at such an early age, but which carry the potential for enormous and long-lasting harm, both physical and mental.’ See also Prayer Alert world article 7, below.

The Church of England has about 4,700 schools, educating about one million children each year. A senior CofE official has suggested that parents should lose the right to withdraw their children from RE lessons, because it is being exploited by those who do not want their offspring to learn about Islam and by parents with ‘fundamentalist’ beliefs who do not want their children to learn other world views. Derek Holloway, head of RE in the CofE’s education office, said pupils risked being left with little understanding of religious belief and without the skills to live in a modern and diverse country. This is not confined to any one particular religion or area of the country. At present parents can insist that their children take no part in RE lessons and do not have to provide a reason. Schools must comply with their request.

Many children believe the Easter story because it's how their parents raised them, but they may not grasp the meaning of Easter. Others only know the secular Easter- eggs, bunnies, etc. Question: how do we help those who don't understand in their hearts that Jesus is the reason for this season? Answer:play a game with an Easter theme. Look around for crosses on necklaces, hospitals, churches and ask, ‘What do you think happened on that cross to make it so important?’ Say that Jesus happened on that cross. Because of this, his love transforms everything it touches. Or play 'Connect the Dots' with prophecy. Explain that everything about Easter was prophesied before it happened! Help children connect the dots of Messiah's long-foretold Passion (a list of prophecies can be found at: ). Then read the Easter story from a children's Bible.

Phil Togwell from Prayerspaces in Schools writes, ‘In the UK last year, more than 200,000 children and young people visited a creative prayer space in their school, and many of them tried praying for the first time in their lives. One 10-year-old wrote in the feedback book, ‘It was fun, and I now see God everywhere I look. God has spoken to me.’ Unless we become like little children ...

A worker for International Justice Mission (IJM) writes, ‘Please pray for our aftercare team who are teaching children rescued from slavery in Ghana about their rights to freedom. It became clear that many had no concept of what it meant to have rights under Ghanaian law, or that the law should protect them from abuse. Our aftercare team partnered with a Ghanaian artist to create a beautifully illustrated curriculum called ‘I Am Worthy’, which talks about rights in a way that children can understand. Pray that this curriculum will help survivors understand their own stories and believe in their inherent dignity and worth. We can praise God that a partnership has been formed between IJM and the Anglican Church of Uganda. The church’s vision of opening legal chambers will grow its role in serving widows and orphans in the community, by providing legal services to victims of property-grabbing.’

A House of Commons health committee has recommended tough new measures to tackle childhood obesity, including restricting supermarkets’ discount offers on unhealthy food. They are disappointed with the Government’s weak plans to fight obesity, and said that ministers had ignored experts’ advice to stop supermarkets discounting unhealthy food and drinks. The Government has curbed advertisements for high-fat and high-sugar foods on smartphones, but that was not enough. The report said, ‘We urge a re-examination of the case for further restrictions on advertising of high fat, salt and sugar food and drink in the light of the most recent research on the scale and consequences of childhood obesity.’

At a time when Google, Facebook and Twitter newsfeeds are crowded with negativity, Frankly Faraci is an inspirational new Dove Channel show that can be found across the web on tablets, TVs, smart phones, and laptops. It premiered on 21 March, and promises to uplift and entertain audiences of all ages. They want to encourage viewers that good does still exist - and remind them that God can use anyone who is willing to be part of His plan. There is a perception that Christians are judgmental, angry, holier than thou, and finger-wagging, but non-Christian viewers will see that Christians are amazing and fun and cool and the kind of people that they would want to hang out with. The show has an unhidden agenda, to push back against all the negativity. It is hoped that families will tune in and children learn that the sky's the limit, as the programme gives them great role models to look up to. That's really the heart of what they want to do.

John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister and cabinet secretary for education, has outlined his intent to relaunch the controversial Named Person Scheme. The Scottish Government was compelled to rethink its approach following the success of the No to Named Person Coalition, which argued before the Supreme Court that the scheme was incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. CARE also raised concerns that the scheme is an unwelcome intrusion which will undermine parental authority and potentially misuse private data; in practice, parents are best placed to take care of their children. Mr Swinney has not clarified whether the scheme will be proactive or will be responsive to parents’ needs. Whilst CARE is pleased that there has been a consultation on how data will be shared, there has been little attempt to define key terms in the bill which could potentially lead to huge discrepancies in its operation.

‘Sex and relationships’ education is to be made compulsory in all schools in England. All children from the age of four will be taught about safe and healthy relationships. Children will also be taught, at an appropriate age, about sex, but parents will continue to have a right to withdraw their children from such lessons. Until now, sex education has been compulsory only in council-run schools. Now all schools across the system will have to provide age-appropriate lessons on what constitutes healthy relationships, as well as the dangers of sexting, online pornography and sexual harassment. Schools will have flexibility over how they deliver these subjects, to develop integrated approaches sensitive to the local community, and faith schools will continue to teach in accordance with the tenets of their faith.

Cybersex trafficking is a new and devastating form of slavery. It is a rapidly growing problem as internet access increases everywhere. Now, paedophiles worldwide can direct the live sexual abuse of boys and girls, many under ten years old. For a crime, it’s low risk, easy to do, with high potential reward. 54% of victims rescued in International Justice Mission (IJM) cases are between one and twelve years old. Victims can be exploited in any location with a computer and the internet, or just a mobile phone. Philippine authorities are already receiving thousands of referrals a month, like Cassie, who was tricked to move to Manila when she was twelve. She had big dreams, but what she found was a nightmare - being forced to perform sex acts in front of a camera.