News
Rugby stars help maths students
A rugby-themed education programme designed to teach Year 4 school children basic numeracy skills, is receiving the support of a number of international rugby stars, including former England player Mark Cueto. Over 25,000 children in England will experience the MBNA Tackling Numbers sports educational campaign, which launched its 2012/2013 programme at the City of Salford Stadium in Manchester, home to Premiership Rugby’s Sale Sharks. Cueto was joined at the event by Sharks’ teammates Dave Seymour (Club Captain), Sam Tuitupou (Vice-Captain) and around 60 local school children to help deliver lessons from the award-winning programme.
Now in its third year, the scheme uses rugby to bring maths to life in a practical and enjoyable way for eight and nine year olds, involving activities such as point scoring and league tables, which are taught in the classroom and out on the rugby pitch. A study at the end of year two found that over 75 percent of teachers involved said Tackling Numbers had improved and strengthened pupils’ attitudes towards maths and numeracy.
Sarah Mason, Programme Creator, said: “Programmes like Tackling Numbers are even more important now, following the Government’s announcement that they will be restricting the use of calculators in primary school classrooms. It means it’s even more crucial that children are engaged in mental arithmetic from a young age.”
MBNA’s principal partners Sale Sharks, all of the other Aviva Premiership Rugby clubs and the Newcastle Falcons will continue to deliver the Tackling Numbers programme in schools across England throughout 2013.
Dennis the Menace backs safe cycling
Schools are being urged to promote safe cycling for children with the help of a familiar face. Dennis the Menace is encouraging children to use their heads and wear helmets while cycling, in a free poster for schools produced by the Beano in partnership with Brake, the road safety charity. Dennis and Gnasher also feature in a downloadable board game that gets kids thinking about simple steps to help them get home safely.
Teachers and community groups can order free copies of the poster from Brake's online shop thanks to sponsorship from personal injury solicitors, Bolt Burdon Kemp. The game, which featured in a recent edition of the Beano and the poster, are also available to download from Brake's shop for free.
Schools are encouraged to use the poster as part of lessons that teach children about the dangers of traffic and the importance of road safety, and as part of campaigning for safer roads for children in the community.
uFor more information or to sign up for an event, visit
www.brake.org.uk
University helping young people with hearing disabilities
A new social enterprise venture, supported by the University of Northampton, aimed at improving the physical and mental health of young people with hearing disabilities through adventure sports has been officially launched. iDID Northampton is an all inclusive adventure club for young adults between the ages of 14 and 25, but essentially provides individuals, who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, the opportunity to take part in specialist adventure programmes, such as rock climbing. wakeboarding, canoeing and snow sports. The enterprise was the brainchild of Susanne Rees, who is profoundly deaf and was the winner of the 2012 Big Ideas Bonanza – a unique initiative focused on developing socially innovative ideas, managed by the University of Northampton’s Enterprise Club.
After successfully completing a pilot to assess the needs of deaf people participating in rock climbing, iDID Northampton’s launch morning saw a range of individuals with a variety of disabilities taking part in rock climbing tuition, before competing for fantastic prizes! Susanne commented: “I’m passionate in my
belief that everyone should have access to these sports. The adventure club provide a radical alternative to traditional sporting pass times, and offer a unique opportunity for individuals to improve their problem solving skills.”
uTo sign up, go to
www.ididadventure.co.uk
Global experts call for lifelong learning to aid development
Over 100 representatives from UN agencies, donors, academia and civil society organizations have agreed to make quality lifelong learning at the heart of the development agenda. Participants at a gathering hosted by the Government of Senegal and co-organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) mapped out ways to ensure everyone - especially the most disadvantaged - is able to realize their right to learn. The conference is part of the ‘global conversation’ to discuss development goals as the 2015 target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaches. 61 million children of primary-school age are not in school and many live in disadvantaged communities.
March 2013
"Education is not only a human right, it's also an enabler for realizing other rights. We know that education is key in reducing mortality and morbidity rates; eradicating poverty and hunger; strengthening resilience to natural hazards and ending abuse, violence and armed conflict," said UNESCO's Assistant Director- General for Education, Qian Tang.
In Dakar, the delegates agreed that education for all remains an “unfinished agenda” and recommended further commitment from the international community, with a stronger focus on equity and quality.
The event follows online discussions on the UN’s World We Want web platform and regional consultations about education with nearly 15,000 people involved from around the world.
www.education-today.co.uk 5
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