Displaying items by tag: Children

Friday, 25 October 2019 09:54

Children gamble with their own money

The Gambling Commission published its 2019 survey of gambling trends of 11- to 16-year-olds in the UK. 36% had spent money on gambling. Those who had gambled in the previous week spent £17 on average. Bets with friends, scratch-cards, and slot machines were the most popular; online gambling continues to be a particular problem. 12% had played an online gambling-style computer game, 47% of them doing so on an app. 52% had heard of in-game items, with 44% playing by using birthday or Christmas present money. Sadly 41% of young people do not believe gambling is dangerous, but the commission is partnering with GambleAware to develop education and prevention programmes to increase awareness and protect such vulnerable people from the harms of gambling.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 17 October 2019 22:19

LGBT teaching row continues

About 70 schools have experienced resistance from parents on relationships education. The Department of Education has published a document stating that councils could enforce action if pupils are withdrawn from school when parents disagree with teaching material. It also suggests that, if demonstrators are outside school gates, head teachers could liaise with police. Teachers who read the document told of their frustration at not being consulted beforehand. They feel unsupported to tackle a sensitive situation. New relationship education is planned for all primary pupils from September 2020. Meanwhile Maureen Griffith, a Christian school governor, was suspended after questioning LGBT reading material. She became concerned that parents had not been properly consulted about plans for reading lists tying in with LGBTQ+ Pride Month, to be introduced for the next school year. Parents believe that whoever influences what children think, and teaches values to live by, controls the future direction of our society. See

Published in British Isles

Nicky Morgan has said the Government will not be requiring visitors to adult websites to upload proof of their age; thus protecting people under 18 from the damaging effects of adult content on the web. She said that the duty of care on companies to improve online safety would instead be delivered through a proposed online harms regulatory regime. CARE said that the Government announcement was a ‘betrayal’ of young people who are better protected offline than online. A survey has found that half of British children aged 11-13 had seen adult content, with some aged 7 or 8 having seen it online. CARE said a poll conducted in 2015 found that proposals to introduce age verification checks were supported by a majority of the public, and there was ‘no logic’ in giving up the scheme.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 17 October 2019 21:36

Syria: orphans of the Caliphate

The families of suspected IS militants are being held at a number of camps for displaced people in northern Syria. Al-Hol camp houses almost 70,000 people, of whom 11,000 are foreign nationals; 94% are women and children. In these camps there are thousands of terrified orphaned children whose parents supported IS. Most of their home countries don't want them back. Please pray for these lost children of the caliphate, orphans of IS fighters fending for themselves in camps now being bombed in Turkish offensives as the war in Syria reignites. In one camp are three children from London, whose parents joined IS five years ago, and were subsequently killed in the fighting. The children - Amira, Heba and Hamza - are stranded and in danger. They want to come home to a grandmother in England. Ain Issa camp held 12,000 displaced people, including 1,000 foreign women and children. It is now empty of women, according to Save the Children.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 10 October 2019 22:23

Australia: children display anti-Semitism

A five-year-old boy, from a family of Holocaust survivors, suffered anti-Semitic harassment at a school in Melbourne where pupils hounded him in the school toilets, calling him a ‘Jewish cockroach’. He was chased continuously to the bathroom and laughed at for being circumcised, to the point that he started to wet himself in class rather than using the toilet. His mother said that after behaving strangely for months, one morning he burst out crying over breakfast and literally fell down on the floor, saying, ‘Mummy, you shouldn’t love me. I’m a worthless Jewish rodent. I’m vermin’. Meanwhile a 12-year-old Jewish student was forced to kneel and kiss the shoes of a Muslim classmate. Then nine boys beat him up. Because the incident happened outside school, education officials denied responsibility for the incident. Melbourne media also reported other acts of anti-Semitism.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 04 October 2019 09:49

Halloween and sharing the hope of Jesus

Halloween is a great time to share the hope of Jesus with all those who come knocking at your door. Each ‘bag of hope’ from UCB and World Vision contains a full-colour, Bible-based booklet and activity sheet. Picture the scene. It is 31 October, the night is drawing in, and the doorbell rings. The Christians in the house know it will probably be trick-or-treaters, so they have two choices. They can pretend not to be in (dim the lights, quick!) or they could greet callers with a big smile and a brand new bag of hope. The bags are free and suitable for children aged 5 to 10. Praise God for the Christian input on that day with church light parties, and resources like the bags of hope.

Published in British Isles
Friday, 04 October 2019 09:42

Children told: ‘over 100 gender identities’

A BBC teaching video states that there are 100, if not more, gender identities as well as male and female. Among the ‘trusted adult’ speakers is transgender activist Leo Lardie, and the 9- to 11- year- olds appear uncomfortable as she talks about her genitals. She says that people who criticise transgenderism ‘don’t know any better yet’. A gay head teacher tells the youngsters they should not just accept differences between people but ‘celebrate them’. Finally, the children are threatened into conforming by being told that ‘people can go to prison if it is shown they’re disrespecting or being hateful to people because of a difference that person perceives’. Coalition for Marriage said, ‘These claims are nonsensical. The video series is supposed to help teachers deal with sensitive subjects in age-appropriate and honest ways. It does neither.’ Meanwhile a Christian mother is mobilising parents against LGBT lessons.

Published in British Isles
Friday, 04 October 2019 09:39

Schools - religious education laws

A study by religious education teachers has reported more schools failing to meet UK legal requirements around religious education provision. 40% of community schools without a religious character failed to meet requirements to provide RE, up from 34% last year. 50% of academy schools with a religious character skipped RE provision for ages 14 to 16. UK state schools are required to provide RE lessons to everyone, regardless of whether they have chosen the subject for GCSE. However, 64% of age 14-15 and 59% of age 13-14 had received no RE at Key Stage 4. Many schools were getting away with making no RE provision because of ‘failing’ accountability structures. In some schools where RE was provided, parents took steps to remove their children from the lessons. 80% of schools did not plan to make GCSE RE short course entries in the 2018/19 academic year.

Published in British Isles
Friday, 06 September 2019 10:27

New environments, new challenges

Thousands of children started school for the first time this week and most settle well into a new routine, but there will be some who do not. Instead, probably on Mondays there will be tears, tummy-aches and tantrums because they are not adjusting well. Children need to feel safe and connected to an adult. Pray for teachers working with reception class children to notice those who are not settling in and make a special effort to reach out to them. Every year thousands of students enrol in higher institutions (universities / colleges) for the first time. Pray for students enrolled far from homes, being independent for the first time without parents or guardians around to assist. Pray that they will be wise in their choice of companions and friends, quickly forming constructive relationships that take them on the paths that God has prepared for them.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 01 August 2019 23:57

Where hope comes to life

Through Africa Renewal Ministries in Uganda abandoned babies, child sponsorship, and children's transition care programmes are bringing hope and renewal to thousands of vulnerable children. Each age-appropriate programme (0-19 years) focuses on discipleship, education, healthcare, and leadership. Participants include Loving Hearts Babies Home, Early Childhood Development Programme, Child Development Programme, Bethany Children's Village, and the Mwangaza Children's Choir.

Published in Praise Reports