Almost three quarters of the public believe that teachers are among those that contribute the most to society’s wellbeing, according to a survey. New research has revealed that 73% of people feel teachers give as much to society as firefighters, with only doctors (87%) and hospital workers (81%) ranking higher. The YouGov survey showed that teachers were ranked ahead of nine other professions, including police officers (67%), scientists (53%) and engineers (34%). Read more
In the run-up to UN World Teachers’ Day on 5 October, Reuters photographers documented schools around the world. Those featured range from an education centre without books and electricity in Vietnam to an elite institution formerly attended by Winston Churchill and Benedict Cumberbatch. View the picture gallery
Writing on the Edutopia site of the George Lucas Education Foundation, leadership coach and parent Elena Aguilar offers five tips for teachers to help with parent meetings. The aim is to make conversations meaningful and rewarding for everyone involved. Read more
Children in England are turning to the internet for advice on mental health instead of talking to their school nurse or GP. Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield says children do not have the confidence to go to the doctor with mental health issues. A small survey of youngsters suggests 62% have done a general internet search on issues such as depression. Read more
Large numbers of young people are leaving school without being given any formal education on how to manage finances, according to two new surveys. Financial educational charity, ifs University College, published its Young Persons’ Money Index after polling the views of 2,000 15 to 18-year-olds to find almost 70 per cent will leave school ‘dangerously unprepared’. Read more
A third of pre-school children in the UK have their own iPad or a similar tablet that they use for an average of one hour and 19 minutes every weekday, often on their own without a parent or guardian, according to research. They are most likely to use them from 4-6pm during the week, but use is more evenly spread at the weekend when children play on their tablets for an extra four minutes each day on average. Read more
The National Union of Teachers has published results of a survey in which 53% of teachers in England and 46% in Wales said they were: ‘thinking of leaving the profession in the next two years.’ The NUT argues that misguided government policy has led to this collapse in morale. So is this a systemic motivational crisis in the profession? Read more
An over-reliance on using computers and search engines is weakening people’s memories, according to a study. It showed many people use computers instead of memorising information. Many adults who could still recall their phone numbers from childhood could not remember their current work number or numbers of family members. Read more