p.8 news 9:Page 6 03/09/2009 12:59 Page 8
News
New International Guidelines spell out
Cash awards available
what sexuality education needs to teach
for London school
Reducing HIV infection in young people and Richmond, UNESCO Director of the Division for
grounds transformation
improving their sexual and reproductive health the Coordination of UN Priorities in Education,
require effective education programmes. and UNESCO Global Coordinator for HIV and
All schools in London can now apply for a cash award to
However, such programmes are still not available AIDS. “However, evidence tells us that by and
transform their grounds into an environment for
in many parts of the world. UNESCO and its large young people do not have access to the
learning, creative play, activity, discovery and social
partners have now developed new guidelines to knowledge that could help them make informed
development.
address this problem. decisions and thereby avoid tragic consequences.
The John Laing Charitable Trust - School Grounds
The “International Guidelines on Sexuality The new guidelines contribute to filling this gap.
Awards are offering over 50 awards, including cash
Education”, which are voluntary and non- “The document is not a curriculum,” Mr
prizes of £5,000, £2,000 and £1,000 to schools across
mandatory in character, provide educators with Richmond added. “Instead, it focuses on the
London to improve their outdoor environments.
guidance on how children and young people can ‘why’ and ‘what’ issues that require attention in
The awards - managed in partnership with Learning
best acquire the knowledge they need to protect strategies to introduce or strengthen sexuality
through Landscapes, the national school grounds charity
themselves from coercion, abuse and exploitation, education.”
- are open to all LEA maintained nursery, primary,
unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted The International Guidelines were co-authored
secondary and special schools within the Greater London
infections, including HIV. by leading researcher Douglas Kirby of
area.
According to UNAIDS and the World Health Education,Training and Research Associates (ETR),
Designed to support schools in providing opportunities
Organization (WHO), more than five million young and Nanette Ecker, former director of
for children to learn and develop in stimulating and
people are living with the HIV virus worldwide and International Education and Training at the
innovative school grounds the Trust will fund projects
45 percent of all new infections occur among Sexuality Information and Education Council of
that may be educational, environmental, health-
young people aged from 15 to 24 years. Data the United States (SIECUS).
promoting or simply enhance play or social development.
from the International Planned Parenthood The publication is evidence-informed and
Prizes will include:
Federation show that, each year, at least 111 rights-based. It draws on 87 studies from around
u 1 x £5,000 cash award
million new cases of curable sexually transmitted the world and a review of curricula from 12
u 1 x £2,000 cash award
infections occur among young people aged countries, as well as the Guidelines for
u 1 x £1,000 cash award
between 10 and 24, and up to 4.4 million girls Comprehensive Sexuality Education
u Over 50 x Schoolgrounds - UK or Early Years
aged 15 to 19 seek abortions, the majority of developed by SIECUS. It is designed to help
Outdoors memberships (worth over £3,000 in total)
which will be unsafe. Ten percent of births education, health and other relevant authorities
worldwide are to teenage mothers, who involved in the development and implementation
Schools and early year settings in London can apply now
experience higher rates of maternal mortality than of school-based sexuality education programmes
by downloading an application at:
older women. and materials.
www.ltl.org.uk/johnlaingawards.htm
“At the moment, education is the best weapon
The closing date for applications is Monday 26th
we have for dealing with these issues,” said Mark uwww.unseco.org/education
October 2009.
Active consoles encourage healthier living
C
’hief Medical Officer, Liam
Donaldson's, recent annual
report called for children to be
encouraged to use active computer
consoles such as the Nintendo Wii
to help tackle the increasing rates of
obesity in children and young
people – a method which is already
being used as at The Whitminster
Centre, part of Cotswold and Stroud
continually refused to do any PE lessons.
Pupil Referral Service and part of
He was quite large for his age and
The National Healthy Schools
suffers with very low stamina, but he
Programme.
decided to try out a boxing game on
Paul Barns, PE Specialist at The
the Wii.”
Whitminster Centre explains how
“Very soon his personal fitness levels,
games consoles are beginning to
stamina, as well as confidence, vastly
change their pupils’ attitudes and
improved, which are all important as he
behaviours.
is looking to join the Fire Service next
“Last year, we began introducing
year. This kind of achievement is
interactive video games for use during
fantastic and confirms the benefits of
break times and lunch hours. We
this approach to physical activity for
wanted to provide opportunities that
those who would not traditionally
would encourage pupils’ participation
participate.”
and get them active, but also offer
something that they would enjoy.
Creating new opportunities for a
range of extended physical activity in
schools is crucial to generating healthy
lifestyle habits which not only improve
concentration and motivation in class,
but also have long-term health benefits
as well.
Paul continues, “I am particularly
proud of one young man who
8
www.education-today.co.uk September 2009
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