EDUCATION-JAN10-PG06-11:Page 6 06/01/2010 09:33 Page 10
News
New science and engineering education
scheme targets hard to reach schools
services, communications and administrative support to its constituent
programmes, enabling them to focus on inspiring students with a better
appreciation of engineering and engineering careers.
Reaching out to children, teachers and parents alike, Tomorrow’s Engineers
will address the fact that young people’s experiences in their childhood and
early teens are a major factor in determining their pursuit of science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, with a quarter
(28%) of practitioners claiming to have started thinking about a career in
STEM before the age of 11 and a further third (35%) between the ages of 12
and 14. 1
Paul Jackson, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK, said:
“EngineeringUK, The Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust and The Royal
Academy of Engineering have developed Tomorrow’s Engineers to inspire
young people at an age when it really counts – by engaging them with
inspirational engineering activities during their formative years. We hope that
the Tomorrow’s Engineers partnership will inspire the next generation of
O
n January 7th 2010 EngineeringUK, The Royal Academy of Engineering engineers in 2010 and beyond.”
and The Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust, will jointly launch Philip Greenish, Chief Executive of The Royal Academy of Engineering
Tomorrow’s Engineers, a new enhancement and enrichment partnership to said:
improve levels of science and engineering engagement in hard to reach “With so many challenges facing society, it is vital that the nation has a good
schools across the UK. The scheme, which will be announced to teachers at supply of enthusiastic and innovative engineers and technicians. The Royal
the Association for Science Education Conference in Nottingham, will Academy of Engineering has supported engineering activities in schools for
initially support hands-on engineering activities to 30,000 children and over 20 years and the new Tomorrow’s Engineers partnership provides a
young people aged five to nineteen in 2010. welcome extension to that effort.”
Supported by Airbus, E-ON, the IET, and Thales, Tomorrow’s Engineers will Michael Franklin, Director of The Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust,
target children who have the potential to do well in maths and science but added:
whose schools are not yet actively engaged in engineering activities. The “The UK and the world at large is in desperate need of more top class
partnership will bring together programmes provided by the Engineering engineers and scientists to help deal with the immense challenges we face in
Development Trust, the Industrial Trust, Primary Engineer, Sentinus, the the 21st Century. This new partnership programme will lead the way in the
Smallpeice Trust, STEM Cymru, Young Engineers and Young Engineers & effort to achieve this objective.”
Science Clubs Scotland, and expand them to provide places for an additional
30,000 children in 2010. Tomorrow’s Engineers will also provide funding, uwww.EngineeringUK.com
Witnesses to bullying may face more
mental health risks than bullies and victims
Psychological problems present even when witnesses had never been victims
S
tudents who watch as their peers endure witnessed or been the victim of any of these experiencing it all over again psychologically,”
the verbal or physical abuses of another behaviors during the previous nine-week school said Rivers. “Meanwhile, those who are witnesses
student could become as psychologically term and, if so, how often. The majority, 63 may worry that they, too, will be the bully’s target
distressed, if not more so, by the events than percent, said they witnessed peers being bullied. sometime in the future and that causes great
the victims themselves, new research 34 percent of respondents said they had been distress and anxiety.”
suggests. victims and 20 percent said they had been Previous research has shown that students who
Bullies and bystanders may also be more likely perpetrators. Approximately 28 percent said they witness acts of bullying, but are not directly
to take drugs and drink alcohol, according to the were completely uninvolved in any bullying involved, feel guilty for not interceding on the
findings, which are reported in the December episodes. Girls reported seeing bullying more than victim’s behalf, which may help explain the higher
issue of School Psychology Quarterly, published by boys. levels of mental distress.
the American Psychological Association. The students also answered whether they Rivers, along with his co-author Paul Poteat,
“It’s well documented that children and experienced certain symptoms of psychological PhD, of Boston College (US), hope this study will
adolescents who are exposed to violence within distress, such as feelings of depression, anxiety, encourage schools to be more aware of the
their families or outside of school are at a greater hostility and inferiority. They also were asked if possible impact simply witnessing acts of bullying
risk for mental health problems than those they had ever tried or used cigarettes, alcohol and can have upon the mental health of their
children who are not exposed to any violence,” other drugs. students. “School psychologists can help students
said the study’s lead author, Professor Ian Rivers Students who witnessed acts of bullying were realize that they don’t have to be a bystander.
from Brunel University. “It should not be a more likely to report greater psychological distress They can be a defender,” added Rivers.
surprise that violence at school will pose the same than those students who were bullies or victims,
kind of risk.” according to the results. This was the case even Article: "Observing Bullying at School: The
Researchers surveyed 2,002 students ages 12 for students who had not been victims Mental Health Implications of Witness Status," Ian
to 16 at 14 schools in England. The students were themselves, although being both a witness and a Rivers, PhD, Brunel University; V. Paul Poteat, PhD,
presented with a list of numerous bullying victim did also significantly predict mental health Boston College; Nathalie Noret, PhD, York St.
behaviours, such as name-calling, kicking, hitting, problems. John University; Nigel Ashurst, PhD, Kent and
spreading rumors and threatening violence. The “It is possible that those students who had Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust;
students indicated whether they had committed, been victimized at different times may be School Psychology Quarterly, Vol. 24, No. 4.
10
January 2010
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54