Latest news with #schools
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Former teacher says phone ban will not be easy
A former teacher and union rep has said a decision to ban mobile phones in Jersey schools and colleges "may encourage children to actually talk to each other".The Government of Jersey said the ban would include break and lunch times and apply to all students up the end of Key Stage Mauger from the NASUWT teacher union welcomed the change and said she spent much time in her teaching days telling students to put their phones away or down, and believed children would said: "I don't think it will be easy. 'Easy to enforce' "I think initially while children are getting used to this ban, they will try every manoeuvre they can to retain and use their phone in school."If a school has a good behaviour policy, which all Jersey schools do have, then it should be easy for teachers to enforce."Outside of school, she believes it is the responsibility of parents to monitor how their children are using their phones, including social ban is set to come in from September, and she thinks it will help reduce the amount of "horrible things" seen by children online. Local play champion and smartphone free childhood campaigner Emily Jennings said the parent community was heartened to see the guidance and recommendations for mobile-free Jennings believes the next steps for the government was to work with mobile phone manufactures to create more non-smart mobile phones for children."Currently if you walk into a mobile phone shop on the high street, there are very few," she said."Most of them are designed for old people with big buttons which are not cool for kids." She said the announcement by the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning Deputy Rob Ward promoting non-smart phone ownership for children was a first for the UK."They may not bring the phone to school, and they may have the smartphone that their parents may have given them before, but the education minister has recommended that parents don't buy their children a smart phone," said Ms Jennings."There are safer phones for children that do not have internet on them." 'Win for childhood' Ms Jennings said the ban of the devices at school was a "real win for childhood". "Children are free to play with each other in real life without distraction from dopamine devices is just extraordinary," added Ms Jennings."This is a radical step and a real win for childhood."
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
How you can keep kids safe on the roads
Ottawa Watch As school gets out for the summer, more kids will be outside playing on roads. We share some reminders on how to keep them safe.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Iconic US city gripped by public health crisis as thousands are exposed to cancer-causing toxin
Thousands of students and teachers in Philadelphia are being put at risk of cancer in classrooms, an investigation has found. Asbestos is often used as insulation in schools, but can release tiny cancer-causing fibers if disturbed — with schools told to inspect it for damage every six months. But a five-year secret federal probe has found that the School District of Philadelphia — the eighth-largest in the US — routinely failed to carry out the inspections at some of its schools. And in many cases, school officials were reportedly aware of exposed asbestos in classrooms, hallways and gymnasiums for years, but took no action. Investigators also said that repair jobs were inadequate when completed, in some cases using duct tape to try to cover the cladding. Federal investigators did not test asbestos levels in classrooms, but 2020 tests carried out by the teachers union found 'alarming' levels at one of the schools. The failures were revealed as federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against the school system Thursday — the first time authorities have taken action over asbestos failures in schools. At least two teachers fear asbestos caused their cancer, including veteran educator Lea DiRusso — who used to hang children's work on asbestos-clad pipes. And at least three of the district's 317 schools have been forced to close over asbestos contamination in their buildings, forcing students into other schools or into online classes. Asbestos was heavily used in the early 1940s to the 1980s as insulation for roofs and pipes because of its heat- and fire-resistant properties. It's harmless when left in place, but scientists have found that when the fibers are exposed and breathed in by humans they raise the risk of cancerous mutations in cells. Almost all cases of mesothelioma, a highly aggressive cancer in the lining of organs that only one in ten patients survive, are linked to asbestos exposure. The cancer can take decades to develop. Asbestos has also been linked to other cancers, including lung cancer, laryngeal cancer — a cancer in the neck, and ovarian cancer. In Philadelphia, about 300 of the 339 buildings run by the school district contain asbestos, investigators said, with the schools serving 200,000 students and 12,000 staff every year. The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said there is a 'longstanding and widespread problem' of asbestos contamination in Philadelphia's schools that had 'endangered' students and staff. It detected 31 school buildings that had asbestos problems between April 2015 and November 2023, with some having multiple areas of asbestos damage. Seven schools were highlighted for having major asbestos problems: William Meredith Elementary; Building 21 Alternative High School; Southwark Elementary; S. Weir Mitchell Elementary; Charles W. Henry Elementary; Universal Vare Charter School; and Frankford High School. And the above shows a child sucking his thumb while hugging an asbestos-covered pipe One of these, Frankford High School, has now been shuttered for at least two years while staff prepare to start work to remove the asbestos. In a deal with the district, the school has agreed to undertake work to rectify the issues in order to avoid prosecution. The school district has blamed funding for the issues, but says it has now employed a team of 39 employees at its environmental office to allow it to carry out the inspections. Under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), public buildings like schools are required to conduct basic inspections for damaged asbestos every six months — and repair any they find. They are also required to conduct in-depth inspections of their buildings every three years to check for asbestos. These inspections often take several days to complete and require students and staff not to be present. Lea DiRusso, speaking in 2019, said both herself and colleagues were totally unaware that their building contained asbestos. 'When you come into a room on a Monday morning, and you're starting to set up, and you see dust across your desk, or dust on the ground... you just scoop it up, you clean it up, and you move on,' she said. Asbestos problems in Philadelphia's schools were first revealed in 2018, after a Philadelphia Inquirer article warned of the widespread risk of exposure in many of the district's schools. This led the school system to begin a $37million renovation project, which quickly revealed damaged asbestos in several of the schools. School closures and the relocation of thousands of students quickly followed, as work was undertaken to extract asbestos from the buildings. Federal prosecutors began their investigation in 2020 amid concerns, demanding that the school system hand over its asbestos inspection records.
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
The AI Education Gap: Why Schools Need Policies Now
Schools need clearer AI policies that support teachers and students. American educators have rapidly adopted AI, but a critical gap has emerged: most schools aren't teaching students how to use these powerful AI tools responsibly. Sixty percent of teachers now report using AI in their lessons, yet a stark disconnect exists between AI adoption and implementation. Survey data from the RAND American Educator Panels indicate that only 25% of teachers have integrated AI into their instruction, while 35% stated that their school has established guidelines for AI use, and 27% reported that their school has no AI rules in place. This disparity reveals a concerning pattern across U.S. K-12 education: AI tools like ChatGPT are proliferating in classrooms without the necessary guardrails or educational frameworks to maximize their potential. Teachers Adopt AI, Schools Lag Behind The numbers tell a story of individual innovation outpacing institutional planning. While three in five teachers experiment with AI tools, only one in four has moved beyond casual use to meaningful classroom integration. Teachers describe using AI for lesson planning, generating discussion prompts, and creating differentiated materials. Some craft personalized math problems for students interested in sports statistics or business scenarios. Others use AI to translate materials for English language learners or generate reading comprehension questions at varying difficulty levels. However, this experimentation often occurs in isolation. Without formal training or institutional support, educators navigate AI implementation through trial and error. AI Policy Vacuum Creates Wild West Environment More than eight in ten schools operate without clear guidelines on when, how, or whether to use AI in educational settings. This approach leaves teachers uncertain about boundaries: The absence of guidance creates inconsistent experiences for students. AI use might be encouraged in one classroom, prohibited in another, and ignored entirely in a third—all within the same building. Missing the AI Educational Opportunity The real challenge isn't AI adoption—it's educating about AI. Schools that rush to implement tools without teaching responsible use miss a fundamental opportunity to prepare students for a technology-integrated future. Students require instruction on prompt engineering, understanding AI limitations, recognizing bias in AI-generated outputs, and maintaining academic integrity when utilizing AI assistance. These skills represent essential digital literacy for the next generation. Some forward-thinking educators have begun incorporating AI literacy into their curricula. Students learn to critically evaluate AI-generated content, understand when human expertise remains irreplaceable, and develop strategies for ethical collaboration with AI. The AI Integration Challenge Proper integration requires rethinking lesson design, assessment strategies, and learning objectives. It requires understanding how AI can enhance, rather than replace, critical thinking, creativity, and human connection in the educational process. Teachers deserve clear direction and dedicated time to master these tools effectively. Professional development cannot be a one-time workshop or brief orientation. Instead, educators deserve ongoing training that recognizes the rapidly advancing capabilities of AI. This includes practical sessions on tool selection, classroom management with AI present, and designing assignments that leverage AI strengths while developing student capabilities. Equally important is teaching students to develop discernment and ethical practices regarding the use of AI. Students must learn to critically evaluate AI-generated content, understanding when outputs may contain errors, bias, or inappropriate information. They need instruction on academic integrity boundaries—when AI assistance enhances learning versus when it undermines skill development. Successful AI integration also requires teaching students to ask better questions. The quality of AI responses depends heavily on prompt engineering skills. Students who learn to craft thoughtful, specific prompts develop stronger analytical thinking than those who rely on basic queries. Ethical considerations extend beyond cheating prevention. Students should understand AI's limitations, recognize when human expertise remains essential, and develop strategies for maintaining their own creative and critical thinking abilities while using AI as a collaborative tool. Without this foundation of discernment and ethics, AI tools risk becoming crutches rather than enhancement tools that prepare students for responsible AI use throughout their academic and professional careers. Building A Responsible AI Culture Schools that have successfully integrated AI share common characteristics: clear policies, comprehensive teacher training, and explicit instruction on responsible use. These institutions treat AI as they would any powerful educational tool—with intentionality, preparation, and ongoing evaluation. They establish guidelines that protect academic integrity while encouraging innovation. At WIT (Whatever It Takes), the educational organization I founded in 2009, we recognized early that AI adoption required proactive policy development and usage practices. This led us to create WITY, a platform that teaches AI usage with transparency and accountability. Our experience revealed how schools can effectively integrate AI tools while maintaining educational integrity. The AI Path Forward Schools can either harness AI's educational potential through thoughtful implementation or allow haphazard adoption, which can undermine learning outcomes. Three priorities emerge for educational leaders: Develop comprehensive AI policies that provide clear guidance for educators and students while remaining flexible enough to evolve with rapidly changing technology. Invest in educator training that moves beyond basic tool familiarity to pedagogical integration and ethical considerations. Develop AI literacy curricula that educate students to utilize these tools effectively, responsibly, and with a comprehensive understanding of their capabilities and limitations. The 60% adoption rate demonstrates educators' recognition of AI's potential. Now, schools must catch up with policies, training, and instruction that match this technological enthusiasm with educational wisdom. Students deserve more than exposure to AI tools—they need education about how to wield them thoughtfully. The future workplace will demand these AI skills. Schools that act now to build responsible AI integration will prepare students for success. Those that don't risk leaving graduates behind in an increasingly AI-integrated world. The AI technology has arrived in classrooms. The question now is whether schools will rise to meet the educational moment.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Plan to merge 36 Bristol schools into one academy approved
Two schools trusts are planning to merge, after the Department for Education confirmed that it has approved their Learning Partnership and Olympus Academy Trust want to join forces "to create one of the largest and strongest educational organisations in the region".The plans involve 36 schools across across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, B&NES, North Somerset and agreed, the new trust – to be called Halcyon – is expected to launch early in 2026. The planned Halcyon trust would be led by Gary Schlick, CEO of Futura, Dave Baker, CEO of Olympus taking on another undisclosed Schlick said: "The trustees of Futura and Olympus believe strongly that this proposed merger will be in the best interests of learners and staff and will secure the future of both trusts."The merger would affect nearly 20,000 children aged two to 19 as well as 2,350 learners and families at the 25 primary, one all-through and 10 secondary schools will now be consulted on the plans before a final decision is taken by the two trust boards.
