School's ban on boy's cornrows is 'indirect racial discrimination'

Summary

A 13-year-old boy who was refused entry to St Gregory’s Catholic Science College in London has won a court case he started against the school. The school had barred him for wearing his hair in cornrows, which goes against the traditional hair policy the school maintains. The judge ruled that the school had indirectly racial discriminated the boy, because wearing cornrows is part of the boy’s religion and heritage. The school’s hair regulations are meant to create a school atmosphere without gang mentality or discrimination, which is why the judge also concluded that the school had most likely made a mistake in not recognizing the cornrows as a part of the boy’s culture.

Reaction

I personally think that schools should not be in the business of deciding which haircuts pupils can and can not come to school with in the first place. Very extreme hairstyles should off course be banned in schools if they truly distract or upset fellow students, but I do not think that the school should have been sent home because of wearing his hair in cornrows, which is a relatively neat hairstyle.  Since wearing his hair in cornrows is a part of his cultural identity, I think it is a good thing that the boy has won the court case. 

Source:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jun/17/school-ban-cornrows-indirect-discrimination?INTCMP=SRCH

MILLION OF US ADMIT TO DRIVING ON DRUGS

Summary

A recent survey has pointed out that more than one million Britons have driven a car in the last year while under the influence of drugs. 35% of the people were high on cannabis or other forms of marihuana, while the other people were high on another form of narcotics. One out of three believed that they were able to drive well while high, while five percent of the people admitted that they had been in an accident while driving under the influence of drugs. The home office is testing a new device which will be able to point out drug use in drivers.

Reaction

I think that it is a very bad development that this many people are getting behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs. While people should decide for themselves whether they use drugs or not, they should never put other people in danger while doing it. Since 5 percent of all drugs-intoxicated car trips have ended in an accident, it is safe to say that the risks of “high” driving are to large to be taken. However, I do wonder if a drug test will be effective in lowering the number of intoxicated drivers, since — as far as I know — drug tests are very unreliable as they still give a positive reading days after drug use.

Source:  http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/251782/Million-of-us-admit-to-driving-on-drugs

Outrage as dance school offers pole-dancing lessons for children as young as 12

Summary

Sam Remmer, a dance school teacher from Plymouth, has started offering pole dance classes for girls starting at twelve. She claims the the pole dancing is not supposed to be sex-related, but that it makes the children fitter and stronger. Opinions on the subject are divided. Conservatives warn that it will worsen the sexualization of today’s youth, while others think that is a valid form of exercise and that it will boost the young girls’ self confidence. Remmer requires that adults accompany the children during their first session. She has offered similar classes to young girls before and she has received death threats because of that.

Reaction

I think that while pole dancing has a very strong connection with strip clubs, people are somewhat overreacting by assuming that the lessons promote the sexualization of children. A pole can be considered just another fitness equipment and as long as the children are not encouraged to make the dancing “sexy”, I think it could be a different and fun way to get young children to do sports. However, I still wonder whether there really is no other way to prompt young girls to be active. Pole dancing does have a strong association with exotic dancing, which can not be good for girls to learn at that age.

Source:  www.dailymail.co.uk/.../Uproar-dance-school-offers-pole-dancing-lessons- children-young-12.html

Schools ban parents from wearing pyjamas at drop off

Summary

Parents in Middlesbrough have been asked not to drop off or pick up their children in pajamas or other bedwear. Prior to the measure, many parents showed up at school not wearing “decent” clothing. Many parents agree with the new rule, because they feel that showing up in your PJs will set a bad example for children and because it will set your child up for ridicule by the other children. Since the measure has been adopted by all the schools in the area, more and more parents are coming to school properly dressed.

Reaction

I think it is absolutely ridiculous that schools are imposing a dress code on parents. Parents dropping off their children in clothes that they feel comfortable in  doesn’t seem like that big of a deal to me. While it may be true that children might be teased if their parents show up in pajamas, it is dimply absurd that schools are telling parents what and what not to wear. The parents who fully support the measure seem to have finally found a way to meddle with other people’s way of life. While wearing pajamas when bring your kids to school might not be the most tasteful thing to do, I think the schools are far out of line by introducing this rule.

Source:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8526732/Schools-ban-parents-from-wearing-pyjamas-at-drop-off.html

Abortion rates soar by a third among 'Sex and the City generation' of women in their 40s

Summary

Abortion rates among women aged 40 through 49 have risen by a third in the last ten years. Now, more than a quarter of all pregnancies in that age range are terminated. In the last decade, women have become more nonchalant about having sex and casual relationships, which has caused the abortion rate to sharply rise. Some people think that abortion is more and more being used as contraception rather than a last resort. The rise in abortions is also partly due to the increasing number of women terminating their pregnancy if tests point out that their baby has got a disorder like Down’s syndrome.

Reaction

First of all, I think that a woman should always be entitled to decide whether she wants to terminate a pregnancy or not. People should be able to do what they want in that regard. It is, however, quite disturbing that so many women are not being careful about getting pregnant. Since the women in this article are between 40 and 50 years old, they more or less should have enough life experience to practice safe sex. Aborting a pregnancy should be a last resort for people who really can’t or don’t want to have a baby. It shouldn’t be treated as a retroactive condom.

Source:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1392023/Sex-City-generation-women-40s-sees-abortion-rate-soar-third.html

Nine-year-old boy held for drink-driving

Summary

A nine-year-old boy from Cumbria has been caught by the police while driving a car. When he was breathalyzed, it was also discovered that he had been drinking. Being only nine years old, he was not charged because he is too young to be hold accountable. In the last two years, thousands of underaged children have been arrested for juvenile car crimes. There are now people lobbying for road safety education to be taught in school, so that children will form less of a danger to themselves and others. Children now often do not understand the dangers of driving without a license. 

Reaction

I think it is quite disconcerting that there are so many underaged children getting behind the wheel. On the surface it is quite funny that a nine-year-old boy was caught both driving a car and doing it drunk, but when looking at the numbers it is clear that there is a real problem. There does not seem to be an easy solution to this, because children already know that taking a joy ride is not the right thing to do. It seems that the best thing to do right now would be to teach more road safety education in schools, so that children will at least not be an extreme danger on the road when taking their parents’ car for a spin.

Source:  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/nineyearold-boy-held-for-drinkdriving-2284520.html

Smokers must pay £1 to spark up outside airport

Summary

Belfast International has begun charging people £1 for using the airport’s smoking area. Smoking is not allowed anywhere else inside or outside the airport. According to the airport, the special smoking area is a specialist facility which only caters to a small number of users, which is why it’s unreasonable that they charge people to use it. Pro-smoking group Forest is in favor of the facility, because it shows that the airport is making provisions for traveling smokers. The airport has also said that it will use all of the revenue for the maintenance of the smoking facility.

Reaction

I personally think it is ridiculous that Belfast International is charging people for smoking at the airport. While it is logical that people aren’t allowed to smoke in the common areas of the airport, there is absolutely no sensible reason why people should not be allowed to light up a cigarette outside. The airport management, however, makes it sound like there was no other option but to build an expensive smoking facility. Not allowing people to smoke in the open air and forcing them to pay a £1 charge to use some enclosed smoking box seems like nothing but an pathetic attempt at some extra revenue to me.

Source:  http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/05/07/smokers-must-pay-1-to-spark-up-outside-airport-115875-23112571/

‘HUMILIATED’ LESBIANS TO SUE HOTEL OVER NO-TWO-GIRLS RULE

Summary

A lesbian couple from Andover were denied a room upon arrival at a hotel in Brighton. The women claim that they had made a reservation in advance and that they were not given room because the hotel doesn’t allow either two women or two men to check into a room together. A man in the lobby had told them that he doesn’t accept rejects in his hotel. The hotel’s manager claims that the women had in fact not made a definite reservation and that his hotel’s policy is to welcome gay guests. The two women are now taking legal action against the hotel.

Reaction

I think that if the story the two women are telling is true, this is an unacceptable case of discrimination. A hotel does not have the right to deny people a room because of their sexual orientation. I can imagine that them publicly being barred from a hotel must have caused them to feel very ashamed and humiliated. While it is possible that the manager is telling the truth about them not reserving a room, I think that the women are telling the truth, because it’s very unlikely that they would make up this entire story. In that case, the hotel’s management should be taken to court, because this is quite an extreme example of discrimination.

Source:  http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/242200/-Humiliated-lesbians-to-sue-hotel-over-no-two-girls-rule

Stress drives teachers out of schools

Summary

There has been a major rise in the amount of teachers leaving education, because of the sharply risen amounts of stress teachers are subject to. 41.5% of teachers report themselves as highly stressed. The rise in work-related stress is mainly because of the pressure teachers are put under to meet government education targets. While measures to lower the teachers’ workload have been attempted, teachers are still very often faced with a 50-hour work week or longer. Much of this work does not involve teaching, but instead a lot of time is wasted on unnecessary bureaucratic procedures and other time consuming redundant formalities.

Reaction

I think that the UK government should realize the importance of education. First of all, work should be done in order to cut down the bureaucracy teachers are faced with. Emphasis should be put back on teaching, which will not only decrease the teacher’s workload, but it will also improve the quality of education. It is unacceptable that teachers are being subject to this much stress, because they have one of the most important tasks of all: educating and shaping the new generation of people. As long as teachers are faced with this much stress, teaching will remain an unpopular career choice and the schools will start to lack good teachers.

Source:  http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3575650/Dis-United-Kingdom-revealed.html

Dis-United Kingdom

Summary

In a recent poll, twenty-nine percent of Scottish people voted for Scotland’s independence from the United Kingdom, while forty-one percent of the English people would like Scotland to be an independent country. Fifty-one percent of the English people believe that Scotland leeches of off England and that Scotland would be worse off as their own nation. The latest figures, however, show that Scotland has a budget surplus of £1.3billion, while the entire UK has a budget deficit of £48.9billion. Since a majority of the population in both England and Scotland does not support Scottish independence, it is not likely that the UK will break up any time soon.

Reaction

I personally think that if a majority of Scottish people were to be in favor of an independent state, they should be able to form their own nation. Since there is no majority, I think that things should probably stay as they are. Since there are no real conflicts between the two countries at the moment, it would probably be best for them to work together in these economically tough times. The accusation by some of the English that Scotland mooches of off the rest of the UK does not seem to be correct, since the scottish actually have a budget surplus, while the entire UK is dealing with a huge deficit.

Source:  http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3575650/Dis-United-Kingdom-revealed.html

Pupils distracted by gadgets, say teachers

Summary

Children in the UK are getting more and more technologic devices, up to the point where they start to play a very large role in their lives. Children are starting to take all their mobile phones, iPods and other devices with them to school, while often not even bothering to take a pen, ruler or other basic school equipment with them. Schools are trying to combat this by requiring parents to make sure that their children take their school necessities with them. One of the effects all this technology has, is that children are forgetting how to write a well-constructed sentence, because they now often use a spellchecker on their phone. 

Reaction

I think that children should go to school to learn in the first place. Children forgetting to take the most important school equipment with them is a negative development. They spend too much time with their electronic devices, up to the point where they take it to school, which might affect their school performance. Times, however, are changing. Electronic devices have been growing in popularity for years, and the amount of information children are able to reach with their mobile devices is enormous. Perhaps it’s time that schools start to adapt their learning environment, which would allow electronic devices to stimulate school performance, instead of negatively affecting it.

Source:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8455659/Pupils-distracted-by-gadgets-say-teachers.html

HMV has water on the brain

Summary

HMV has had a very difficult time and now they have issued out their third profit warning in four months. Analysts had forecast HMV’s profit to be £80million, but in reality profits have only been £30million. Chief executive Simon Fox is in talks about selling the Waterstone’s book store chain, also owned by HMV. Analysts believe that HMV will have to close down many stores in the UK due to the disappointing sales. The chain is currently renegotiating its bank loans, which they hope will have the music store chain more breathing space in order to get its finances in order.

Reaction

I personally think that it is a shame that HMV is doing so poorly. HMV is one of the only big record store chains left in the UK and if they were to go bankrupt, it would be one step closer to the demise of music sales through a physical platform. People have gotten more and more used to buying music off the internet and if HMV were to go belly up, it might mean — apart from the independent record stores — that internet will be the only real option people will have to buy music, DVDs or otherwise.

Source:  http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/money/3511657/Break-up-of-HMV-looks-inevitable-after-new-profit-warning-from-crisis-hit-music-chain.html

Four girls of 16 caught with five bottles of vodka, three of cider and four alcopops... the recommended weekly limit for SEVEN women!

Summary

Four 16-year old girls have been caught carrying five small bottles of vodka, three bottles of cider and four alcopops by the police. This amount of alcohol adds up to 97 units, which the girls were planning to drink in one evening. Police are searching for a man who is believed to have bought the alcoholic beverages for the girls from a local supermarket. Alcohol carries great risks when consumed in these amounts, especially for children. Alcohol consumption has sharply increased among women in the last decade, with one in five consuming more than the recommended maximum of 14 units a week.

Reaction

I think that it is absolutely ridiculous that these girls were carrying this amount of alcohol. While it is fine for a person to have the occasional drink, it is quite staggering that they were planning on consuming enough alcohol for them to end up in the hospital. According to statistics binge drinking is a growing problem among young girls. It is however quite hard to say what has to be done about this. Drinking age limits don’t seem to work since the girls in the article were still able to get their hands on a enormous amount of alcohol. 

Source:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1378564/Binge-drinking-Four-girls-16-caught-weekly-alcohol-intake-7-women.html

European Supergrid Summary & Reaction

Summary
A high capacity energy cable has recently entered operation, running from Isle of Grain in Kent to Maasvlakte in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The high voltage cable is one of the first steps in creating a “European Supergrid”.  A supergrid will connect all of Europe’s power recources with each other, creating one large network. This network will distribute energy more efficiently among the European countries. Proponents of the supergrid claim that it will stimulate the use of green and renewable energy resources. All ten countries bordering the north sea have agreed to the plan in December. The next step in creating the European supergrid is likely going to be an energy cable running from Ireland to Wales.

Reaction
I personally agree with the creation of proposed European Supergrid. One of the largest problems with wind energy nowadays, is the possibility of there being too much or too little wind for the turbine to function and produce electricity. With the implementation of a continent-wide energy network, wind shortages or surpluses will be able to be compensated by other wind mills, making wind energy a more effective and reliable energy source. However, there is something to be said for the autonomy of European countries and these countries should have control over their own energy supply. Therefore, this energy network should not be directly controlled by the European Union in Brussels, but controlled by the individual participating countries instead.


Source:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/11/uk-netherlands-power-cable-britned/print