Please see the video below, which briefly outlines the legislation controls the government has been placing on our children's early years education (0-5yrs). The OpenEYE campaign (www.savechildhood.org) has raised awareness of this legislation, and demands our children's right to childhood.
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Monday, 29 March 2010
Saturday, 6 March 2010
London Events this weekend: International Womens Day plus more!
Its international womens day on monday and as such there are lots of
feminist events happening in london this weekend.
Million Women Rise - Saturday 6th of march from 12 - march and rally. 3rd
national women only march to celebrate International Women's Day and
demonstrate against violence against women.
From the million women rise website at http://www.millionwomenrise.com.
"Million Women Rise is a coalition of individual women and representatives
from the Women’s Voluntary and Community Sector who have come together to
organise an annual national demonstration against male violence which
coincides with International Women’s Day in March each year.
On the demonstration, we celebrate and honour women’s activism, courage
and achievements and continued struggle against global male violence in
all its forms. Million Women Rise is an expression of women’s continued
resistance and struggle against global male violence. The first
demonstration in 2008 saw 5000 women and children take to the streets of
London. It was the largest, recent demonstration of women in UK history
and the most diverse demonstration many of us had ever attended."
London anarcha feminist kolektiv will be on the march. if you would like
to march with us we will be meeting at the meeting point (park lane,
oppopsite speakers corner) from 12. We will converge near the back, look
for the black and pink banner).
Please note this a women only event, although the rally at trafalgar
square is all-genders.
Sunday 7th March
Reclaiming birth march and rally
This event is happening because AIMS, NCT, RCM, IMUK, Albany Mums and
Midwifery Practice, many parents and midwives are so concerned about the
state of maternity services and the lack of options available to women.
Matters were brought to a head by the sudden closure of the highly
successful and loved Albany Midwifery Practice in south London.
1pm Assemble in Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park,
Lambeth Road, London SE1 4EQ
March to whitehall for rally.
For full details visit http://www.aims.org.uk/reclaimingbirth.htm. this is
an all genders event - please support
LAFK are suuporting this campaign and will be in attendance, please look
for our banner if you'd like to march with us.
London Freeschool, 195 Mare Street - all weekend. for full details visit
http://londonfreeschool.wordpress.com/
Friday 5th March
————————————————————————————————————
•19.30 – 21.00 : Safer Space Policy discussion
•21.00 onwards : food/social
————————————————————————————————————
Saturday 6th March
————————————————————————————————————
Bar / Chill out space
•12.00 – 12.30 : Discussion/presentation of the Safer Space Policy •All
day Free tutorials for humanities students (turn up and ask for the
facilitators)
Workshop Space 1
•12.30 – 14.30 : Direct Action/ Blockading
•14.30 – 16.00 : Spanish lesson
•16.00 – 19.00 : A DIY Radio Workshop
Workshop space 2
•12.30 – 14.30 : Sexual Consent
•14.30 – 16.00 : Charm Offensive: a group discussion on charisma and
authority.
•16.00 – 17.30 : What have feminism tendencies brought to autonomous
politics in the seventies? How the perspective of feminism transcends
marxist/anarchist perspectives?
•17.30 – 19.00 : What are Children For?
Workshop Space 3
•12.30 – 14.30 : Downloading Workshop
•14.30 – 16.00 : Free and Open Source Software
•16.00 – 17.30 : Free Art/Expression workshop
Workshop Space 4
•All day: Welding (just come round and ask the facilitator to show
you!)Movie space
•… schedule to be made
Welding will happen all day
19.30 : Daily general debrief
————————————————————————————————————
Sunday 7th March
————————————————————————————————————
Bar / Chill out space
•12.00 – 12.30 : Discussion/presentation of the Safer Space Policy •All
day Free tutorials for humanities students (turn up and ask for the
facilitators)
Workshop Space 1
•12.30 – 14.00 : Misogyny, Oppression and Gyoza
•14.00 – 15.30 : French lesson
•15.30 – 17.00 : Experiences and politics of the menstrual cycle (self
identified women only)
•17.00 – 18.30 : Feminist Self Defence (self identified women only) •20.00
– 21.30 : Making Beards & Homemade Stuffers (self identified women only)
Workshop Space 2
•12.30 – 14.00 : Surprisingly empowering “women’s” work
•14.00 – 15.30 : Gender & Mental Health: Dora’s Case
•15.30 – 17.00 : London Profeminist Mens Group presentation
•17.00 – 18.30 : Workshop of Nothing
Workshop Space 3
•12.30 – 16.30 : Costume / Underwear Making
Workshop Space 4
•All day: Welding
Movie Space
•12.30 – 16.00 : The Game of War
•16.00 – 17.30 : Nomadic Queer Movie night
19.00 : Daily general debrief
Followed by a social / dressing up party!
——-
Other Workshop happening but yet to be scheduled :
Puppet Making
Bike Repair
For full details of whats happening over the next few days and weeks to
celebrate international womens day visit, http://iwd2010.wordpress.com/.
for more information about international womens day and its history
(herstory) visit http://www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp
feminist events happening in london this weekend.
Million Women Rise - Saturday 6th of march from 12 - march and rally. 3rd
national women only march to celebrate International Women's Day and
demonstrate against violence against women.
From the million women rise website at http://www.millionwomenrise.com.
"Million Women Rise is a coalition of individual women and representatives
from the Women’s Voluntary and Community Sector who have come together to
organise an annual national demonstration against male violence which
coincides with International Women’s Day in March each year.
On the demonstration, we celebrate and honour women’s activism, courage
and achievements and continued struggle against global male violence in
all its forms. Million Women Rise is an expression of women’s continued
resistance and struggle against global male violence. The first
demonstration in 2008 saw 5000 women and children take to the streets of
London. It was the largest, recent demonstration of women in UK history
and the most diverse demonstration many of us had ever attended."
London anarcha feminist kolektiv will be on the march. if you would like
to march with us we will be meeting at the meeting point (park lane,
oppopsite speakers corner) from 12. We will converge near the back, look
for the black and pink banner).
Please note this a women only event, although the rally at trafalgar
square is all-genders.
Sunday 7th March
Reclaiming birth march and rally
This event is happening because AIMS, NCT, RCM, IMUK, Albany Mums and
Midwifery Practice, many parents and midwives are so concerned about the
state of maternity services and the lack of options available to women.
Matters were brought to a head by the sudden closure of the highly
successful and loved Albany Midwifery Practice in south London.
1pm Assemble in Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park,
Lambeth Road, London SE1 4EQ
March to whitehall for rally.
For full details visit http://www.aims.org.uk/reclaimingbirth.htm. this is
an all genders event - please support
LAFK are suuporting this campaign and will be in attendance, please look
for our banner if you'd like to march with us.
London Freeschool, 195 Mare Street - all weekend. for full details visit
http://londonfreeschool.wordpress.com/
Friday 5th March
————————————————————————————————————
•19.30 – 21.00 : Safer Space Policy discussion
•21.00 onwards : food/social
————————————————————————————————————
Saturday 6th March
————————————————————————————————————
Bar / Chill out space
•12.00 – 12.30 : Discussion/presentation of the Safer Space Policy •All
day Free tutorials for humanities students (turn up and ask for the
facilitators)
Workshop Space 1
•12.30 – 14.30 : Direct Action/ Blockading
•14.30 – 16.00 : Spanish lesson
•16.00 – 19.00 : A DIY Radio Workshop
Workshop space 2
•12.30 – 14.30 : Sexual Consent
•14.30 – 16.00 : Charm Offensive: a group discussion on charisma and
authority.
•16.00 – 17.30 : What have feminism tendencies brought to autonomous
politics in the seventies? How the perspective of feminism transcends
marxist/anarchist perspectives?
•17.30 – 19.00 : What are Children For?
Workshop Space 3
•12.30 – 14.30 : Downloading Workshop
•14.30 – 16.00 : Free and Open Source Software
•16.00 – 17.30 : Free Art/Expression workshop
Workshop Space 4
•All day: Welding (just come round and ask the facilitator to show
you!)Movie space
•… schedule to be made
Welding will happen all day
19.30 : Daily general debrief
————————————————————————————————————
Sunday 7th March
————————————————————————————————————
Bar / Chill out space
•12.00 – 12.30 : Discussion/presentation of the Safer Space Policy •All
day Free tutorials for humanities students (turn up and ask for the
facilitators)
Workshop Space 1
•12.30 – 14.00 : Misogyny, Oppression and Gyoza
•14.00 – 15.30 : French lesson
•15.30 – 17.00 : Experiences and politics of the menstrual cycle (self
identified women only)
•17.00 – 18.30 : Feminist Self Defence (self identified women only) •20.00
– 21.30 : Making Beards & Homemade Stuffers (self identified women only)
Workshop Space 2
•12.30 – 14.00 : Surprisingly empowering “women’s” work
•14.00 – 15.30 : Gender & Mental Health: Dora’s Case
•15.30 – 17.00 : London Profeminist Mens Group presentation
•17.00 – 18.30 : Workshop of Nothing
Workshop Space 3
•12.30 – 16.30 : Costume / Underwear Making
Workshop Space 4
•All day: Welding
Movie Space
•12.30 – 16.00 : The Game of War
•16.00 – 17.30 : Nomadic Queer Movie night
19.00 : Daily general debrief
Followed by a social / dressing up party!
——-
Other Workshop happening but yet to be scheduled :
Puppet Making
Bike Repair
For full details of whats happening over the next few days and weeks to
celebrate international womens day visit, http://iwd2010.wordpress.com/.
for more information about international womens day and its history
(herstory) visit http://www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Anarcho-feminist Conference in Barcelona, Spain this weekend
Iberia - Anarchist Communist Event
Saturday March 06 2010
Start Time: 11:00 AM
Barcelona: Anarcho-Feminist Conference
This year - 2010 - the CNT celebrates 100 years since it was founded, in
a context very different from today's. For this reason, we want to
analyze and reflect on the path that this class-struggle union has
followed throughout its history and examine its role today. There is no
doubt that the people who have been members of the CNT have mostly been
women and men with a capacity for critical thought, sometimes well ahead
of their time, and there have been times when the CNT has played a vital
role, as in the social revolution of 1936. Today we ask ourselves how it
sees itself as a union that fights against every form of authority, and
especially against something as important as patriarchy which, along
with capitalism, inhibits the freedom of many living beings and is
destroying the planet.
So, this Feminist Conference arise from the need of various female
members of the CNT to visualize the vital role that women play in the
anarchist movement, to reflect on the connection between anarchism and
feminism, to challenge traditional gender roles, female and male, on
which patriarchy are based.
The Conference on Women and Anarchism will be an opportunity to get
closer to the realities of female militancy. We intend to analyze,
discuss and highlight the participation and organization of women who
identify with libertarian principles without giving up their gender
identity. We want to see the problems that affect us as women in the
various areas where we operate: labour, educational, organizational,
health, emotional, etc., and the problems arising from a patriarchal and
capitalist society such as ours that affects us and our comrades, male
and female alike.
To this end, we will try to deal with the subject on two levels: one
level is our own situation as female workers and union activists in a
class-struggle, revolutionary and libertarian union, covering the
historical perspective and the needs that we see today. The second level
is feminist women's participation in the various organizations that seek
to contribute to social change. We are interested in highlighting these
daily struggles, the projects that result from them, the difficulties
that exist and the contradictions that we encounter. We also wish to
work on these aspects by collecting multiple experiences from the past
and others that are in progress today all over the world.
To try to cover these objectives, we have organized five topics:
1. Women, work and the union
2. A historical reference: the Mujeres Libres
3. Anarcho-feminism: organized women
4. Women in the press and propaganda of The Idea
5. Sexual diversity and anarchism.
Everyone is invited to participate in these reflections on our/your part
so that we can try to get closer to achieving our/your utopian society.
Let our thoughts become action.
PROGRAMME:
- Saturday 6 March 11.00 a.m.
Women and Anarcho-syndicalism: with Ana Sigüenza (first Secretary
General of the CNT) and Laura Vicente (Doctor of Contemporary History at
the University of Alicante), author of "Teresa Claramunt. Pionera del
feminismo obrerista anarquista".
Venue: Centre Cívic Drassanes - Sala d'Actes. C/Nou de la Rambla 43. (
L-3: Liceu, Drassanes ó Paralel).
- Sunday 7 March 5.00 p.m.
Workshop - Self-managing our health (women-only event - prior
registration required: libertariascnt@hotmail.com)
Venue: Casa de la Solidaridad. C/Vistalegre, 15. ( L-2: Sant Antoni)
- Wednesday 10 March 7.00 p.m.
Cine forum: "Adrift (by casual women workers)" Authors: precarias a la
deriva.
Venue: Espai Obert. C/Violant d'Hongria 71, 1º. ( L-5: Plaça de Sants i
Badal; L-3: Plaça del Centre)
- Friday 12 Marzo 7.00 p.m.
Anarcho-feminist Theory & Practice, with La Katino Anarkista (member of
the Red Anarcofeminista de Mujeres and creator of the publication
"Alejandra") and Vanessa Ortíz, from the Juana Julia Guzmán collective
(Bogota).
Venue: Fundació d'Estudis Llibertaris i Anarcosindicalistes - FELLA.
C/Joaquin Costa 34. ( L-3: Catalunya ó L-1 i L-2 Universitat).
- Saturday 13 March 5.00 p.m.
Anarchist women propagandizing The Idea, with María Ángeles García
Maroto, anarcho-feminist journalist and writer, member of the Alcoi SOV,
and Antonina Rodrigo, writer, author of the book "Amparo Poch y Gascón,
médica y anarquista".
Presentation of feminist publications. RAG (Ireland), Herstory
(Barcelona), Histeria (Barcelona), Mujeres Preokupando 8 (Barcelona) and
others...
Venue: Centre Cívic Pati Llimona. C/Regomir 3. ( L-3: Liceu ó L-4 Jaume I).
- Sunday 14 March 5.00 p.m.
Feminist self-defence workshop. Organized by a Barcelona self-defence
group (women-only event - prior registration required:
libertariascnt@hotmail.com).
Venue: Casa de la Solidaridad. C/Vistalegre, 15. ( L-2: Sant Antoni)
- Friday 19 March 7.00 p.m.
Animal liberation, liberation of the land and liberation of women.
Natalia, Maria, Isabella and Clara.
Venue: Espai Obert. C/Violant d'Hongria 71, 1º. ( L-5: Plaça de Sants i
Badal; L-3: Plaça del Centre)
- Saturday 20 March 5.00 p.m.
Mujeres Libres, yesterday and today, with Martha Ackelsberg, professor
of Political Science and Women's & Gender Studies at Smith College,
Northampton, MA (USA) and author of "Free Women of Spain: Anarchism and
the Struggle for the Emancipation of Women", together with comrades from
the Mujeres Libres in Extremadura and Madrid.
Venue: CCCB -- Aula 2. C/ Montalegre, 5 ( L-3: Catalunya ó L-1 i L-2
Universitat).
- Friday 26 March 7.00 a.m.
Gender, race and class. Carla.
Venue: Espai Obert. C/Violant d'Hongria 71, 1º. ( L-5: Plaça de Sants i
Badal; L-3: Plaça del Centre)
- Saturday 27 March 11.00 a.m.
Sexual Diversity and anarchism: debate organized by D-género, a
pro-sexual liberation libertarian collective from Madrid, Karolina,
Filipo Brenda and Maricarmen.
Venue: Centre Cívic Barceloneta. C/Conreria 1 -- 9. ( L-4: Barceloneta).
* Workshops are for women only. Prior registration is required - write
to: libertariascnt@hotmail.com . Dates for the workshops are subject to
change, and in this case participants will be advised by email. Further
workshops may be organized if the maximum number of participants is
exceeded.
Organized by: Comisión del CeNTenario (Barcelona)
English translation by FdCA-International Relations Office
Related Link: http://www.cnt.es/centenario
Source http://www.anarkismo.net/article/15927
Saturday March 06 2010
Start Time: 11:00 AM
Barcelona: Anarcho-Feminist Conference
This year - 2010 - the CNT celebrates 100 years since it was founded, in
a context very different from today's. For this reason, we want to
analyze and reflect on the path that this class-struggle union has
followed throughout its history and examine its role today. There is no
doubt that the people who have been members of the CNT have mostly been
women and men with a capacity for critical thought, sometimes well ahead
of their time, and there have been times when the CNT has played a vital
role, as in the social revolution of 1936. Today we ask ourselves how it
sees itself as a union that fights against every form of authority, and
especially against something as important as patriarchy which, along
with capitalism, inhibits the freedom of many living beings and is
destroying the planet.
So, this Feminist Conference arise from the need of various female
members of the CNT to visualize the vital role that women play in the
anarchist movement, to reflect on the connection between anarchism and
feminism, to challenge traditional gender roles, female and male, on
which patriarchy are based.
The Conference on Women and Anarchism will be an opportunity to get
closer to the realities of female militancy. We intend to analyze,
discuss and highlight the participation and organization of women who
identify with libertarian principles without giving up their gender
identity. We want to see the problems that affect us as women in the
various areas where we operate: labour, educational, organizational,
health, emotional, etc., and the problems arising from a patriarchal and
capitalist society such as ours that affects us and our comrades, male
and female alike.
To this end, we will try to deal with the subject on two levels: one
level is our own situation as female workers and union activists in a
class-struggle, revolutionary and libertarian union, covering the
historical perspective and the needs that we see today. The second level
is feminist women's participation in the various organizations that seek
to contribute to social change. We are interested in highlighting these
daily struggles, the projects that result from them, the difficulties
that exist and the contradictions that we encounter. We also wish to
work on these aspects by collecting multiple experiences from the past
and others that are in progress today all over the world.
To try to cover these objectives, we have organized five topics:
1. Women, work and the union
2. A historical reference: the Mujeres Libres
3. Anarcho-feminism: organized women
4. Women in the press and propaganda of The Idea
5. Sexual diversity and anarchism.
Everyone is invited to participate in these reflections on our/your part
so that we can try to get closer to achieving our/your utopian society.
Let our thoughts become action.
PROGRAMME:
- Saturday 6 March 11.00 a.m.
Women and Anarcho-syndicalism: with Ana Sigüenza (first Secretary
General of the CNT) and Laura Vicente (Doctor of Contemporary History at
the University of Alicante), author of "Teresa Claramunt. Pionera del
feminismo obrerista anarquista".
Venue: Centre Cívic Drassanes - Sala d'Actes. C/Nou de la Rambla 43. (
L-3: Liceu, Drassanes ó Paralel).
- Sunday 7 March 5.00 p.m.
Workshop - Self-managing our health (women-only event - prior
registration required: libertariascnt@hotmail.com)
Venue: Casa de la Solidaridad. C/Vistalegre, 15. ( L-2: Sant Antoni)
- Wednesday 10 March 7.00 p.m.
Cine forum: "Adrift (by casual women workers)" Authors: precarias a la
deriva.
Venue: Espai Obert. C/Violant d'Hongria 71, 1º. ( L-5: Plaça de Sants i
Badal; L-3: Plaça del Centre)
- Friday 12 Marzo 7.00 p.m.
Anarcho-feminist Theory & Practice, with La Katino Anarkista (member of
the Red Anarcofeminista de Mujeres and creator of the publication
"Alejandra") and Vanessa Ortíz, from the Juana Julia Guzmán collective
(Bogota).
Venue: Fundació d'Estudis Llibertaris i Anarcosindicalistes - FELLA.
C/Joaquin Costa 34. ( L-3: Catalunya ó L-1 i L-2 Universitat).
- Saturday 13 March 5.00 p.m.
Anarchist women propagandizing The Idea, with María Ángeles García
Maroto, anarcho-feminist journalist and writer, member of the Alcoi SOV,
and Antonina Rodrigo, writer, author of the book "Amparo Poch y Gascón,
médica y anarquista".
Presentation of feminist publications. RAG (Ireland), Herstory
(Barcelona), Histeria (Barcelona), Mujeres Preokupando 8 (Barcelona) and
others...
Venue: Centre Cívic Pati Llimona. C/Regomir 3. ( L-3: Liceu ó L-4 Jaume I).
- Sunday 14 March 5.00 p.m.
Feminist self-defence workshop. Organized by a Barcelona self-defence
group (women-only event - prior registration required:
libertariascnt@hotmail.com).
Venue: Casa de la Solidaridad. C/Vistalegre, 15. ( L-2: Sant Antoni)
- Friday 19 March 7.00 p.m.
Animal liberation, liberation of the land and liberation of women.
Natalia, Maria, Isabella and Clara.
Venue: Espai Obert. C/Violant d'Hongria 71, 1º. ( L-5: Plaça de Sants i
Badal; L-3: Plaça del Centre)
- Saturday 20 March 5.00 p.m.
Mujeres Libres, yesterday and today, with Martha Ackelsberg, professor
of Political Science and Women's & Gender Studies at Smith College,
Northampton, MA (USA) and author of "Free Women of Spain: Anarchism and
the Struggle for the Emancipation of Women", together with comrades from
the Mujeres Libres in Extremadura and Madrid.
Venue: CCCB -- Aula 2. C/ Montalegre, 5 ( L-3: Catalunya ó L-1 i L-2
Universitat).
- Friday 26 March 7.00 a.m.
Gender, race and class. Carla.
Venue: Espai Obert. C/Violant d'Hongria 71, 1º. ( L-5: Plaça de Sants i
Badal; L-3: Plaça del Centre)
- Saturday 27 March 11.00 a.m.
Sexual Diversity and anarchism: debate organized by D-género, a
pro-sexual liberation libertarian collective from Madrid, Karolina,
Filipo Brenda and Maricarmen.
Venue: Centre Cívic Barceloneta. C/Conreria 1 -- 9. ( L-4: Barceloneta).
* Workshops are for women only. Prior registration is required - write
to: libertariascnt@hotmail.com . Dates for the workshops are subject to
change, and in this case participants will be advised by email. Further
workshops may be organized if the maximum number of participants is
exceeded.
Organized by: Comisión del CeNTenario (Barcelona)
English translation by FdCA-International Relations Office
Related Link: http://www.cnt.es/centenario
Source http://www.anarkismo.net/article/15927
Saturday, 14 November 2009
Celebrity Culture Intruding on Children's Understanding and Exploration of Nature
[This article is from www.kidsloveearth.co.uk and research carried out by Robinsons be Natural products. Please contact them for more info if necessary]
"School children know less about nature and more about David Beckham
Research released today has found that British primary school children can list almost four times as many celebrities as they can wildflowers, birds and wild animals. The research, which sought to uncover how much children know about nature, also found that one in four children are not aware that a tadpole develops into a frog in later life.
When asked to identify celebrities, children aged 6-11 years could list on average 8 celebs with pop sensation, Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana) as the number one pick, followed closely by David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Zach Efron from High School Musical. Other popular picks for girls included Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue, whilst boys reeled off famous faces such as Steven Gerrard, Simon Cowell and Michael Jackson.
Conversely, when asked to turn their focus to the British countryside, children could only name on average 2 wild flowers, 3 wild animals and 4 garden birds. Children were however able to spin off the names of 10 cartoon characters in addition to the 8 celebrities.
Interestingly, almost half of children surveyed (47%) said playing outside was their favourite playtime activity. Yet despite this passion for the outdoors, the research results showed that children know very little about the world around them.
The survey, undertaken by Robinsons be Natural involved more than 1,000 families across the UK. Other key findings from the research are listed below.
- 1/4 of children in the Midlands believe the dolphin is a common wild animal found in the UK
- 14% of children could not list any wild animals in the UK countryside. The figures were highest in Wales with 25% of Welsh children unable to list any wild animals
- 27% of children in Northern Ireland were not aware a caterpillar develops into a butterfly in later life
- Children in London listed the tomato as a common British wild flower, whilst children in the North West named the penguin as a garden bird residing in the UK
Top 5 Celebrities Named:
1. Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana)
2. David Beckham
3. Wayne Rooney
4. Zach Efron
5. Britney Spears
Top 5 Cartoon Characters Named:
1. Spongebob Squarepants
2. Simpsons Characters (Bart/Homer)
3. Tom and Jerry
4. Scooby Doo
5. Mickey Mouse
Top 5 Wild Flowers Named:
1. Daisy
2. Buttercup
3. Dandilion
4. Bluebell
5. Poppy
Top 5 Wild Animals Named:
1. Fox
2. Rabbit
3. Squirrel
4. Deer
5. Badger
Top 5 Garden Birds Named:
1. Robin
2. Blackbird
3. Pigeon
4. Blue Tit
5. Chaffinch
http://www.kidsloveearth.co.uk/downloads/School%20children%20know%20less%20about%20nature%20and%20more%20about%20David%20Beckham.doc "
Readers must bare in mind that this research has been carried out by a corporation (Robinsons be Natural) in pursuit of profit, but nevertheless its research results have been constantly replicated by many other studies and research in this field.
We are witnessing the first generations of children and young adults that understand and experience more from the media than the natural world, and whom are influenced more by celebrity culture than ever before. All at a time when the need for action to counteract climate change is long overdue, and many studies on the topic show what we already know: that the media perpetuates sexist, racist and homophobic influences within society, and therefore within the individual: especially the growing child.
Is this a harmless societal 'progression' (or 'regression') that we must accept? Or are we shamefully failing the next generation of young adults by not addressing these issues?
"School children know less about nature and more about David Beckham
Research released today has found that British primary school children can list almost four times as many celebrities as they can wildflowers, birds and wild animals. The research, which sought to uncover how much children know about nature, also found that one in four children are not aware that a tadpole develops into a frog in later life.
When asked to identify celebrities, children aged 6-11 years could list on average 8 celebs with pop sensation, Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana) as the number one pick, followed closely by David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Zach Efron from High School Musical. Other popular picks for girls included Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue, whilst boys reeled off famous faces such as Steven Gerrard, Simon Cowell and Michael Jackson.
Conversely, when asked to turn their focus to the British countryside, children could only name on average 2 wild flowers, 3 wild animals and 4 garden birds. Children were however able to spin off the names of 10 cartoon characters in addition to the 8 celebrities.
Interestingly, almost half of children surveyed (47%) said playing outside was their favourite playtime activity. Yet despite this passion for the outdoors, the research results showed that children know very little about the world around them.
The survey, undertaken by Robinsons be Natural involved more than 1,000 families across the UK. Other key findings from the research are listed below.
- 1/4 of children in the Midlands believe the dolphin is a common wild animal found in the UK
- 14% of children could not list any wild animals in the UK countryside. The figures were highest in Wales with 25% of Welsh children unable to list any wild animals
- 27% of children in Northern Ireland were not aware a caterpillar develops into a butterfly in later life
- Children in London listed the tomato as a common British wild flower, whilst children in the North West named the penguin as a garden bird residing in the UK
Top 5 Celebrities Named:
1. Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana)
2. David Beckham
3. Wayne Rooney
4. Zach Efron
5. Britney Spears
Top 5 Cartoon Characters Named:
1. Spongebob Squarepants
2. Simpsons Characters (Bart/Homer)
3. Tom and Jerry
4. Scooby Doo
5. Mickey Mouse
Top 5 Wild Flowers Named:
1. Daisy
2. Buttercup
3. Dandilion
4. Bluebell
5. Poppy
Top 5 Wild Animals Named:
1. Fox
2. Rabbit
3. Squirrel
4. Deer
5. Badger
Top 5 Garden Birds Named:
1. Robin
2. Blackbird
3. Pigeon
4. Blue Tit
5. Chaffinch
http://www.kidsloveearth.co.uk/downloads/School%20children%20know%20less%20about%20nature%20and%20more%20about%20David%20Beckham.doc "
Readers must bare in mind that this research has been carried out by a corporation (Robinsons be Natural) in pursuit of profit, but nevertheless its research results have been constantly replicated by many other studies and research in this field.
We are witnessing the first generations of children and young adults that understand and experience more from the media than the natural world, and whom are influenced more by celebrity culture than ever before. All at a time when the need for action to counteract climate change is long overdue, and many studies on the topic show what we already know: that the media perpetuates sexist, racist and homophobic influences within society, and therefore within the individual: especially the growing child.
Is this a harmless societal 'progression' (or 'regression') that we must accept? Or are we shamefully failing the next generation of young adults by not addressing these issues?
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
URGENT: Lewisham School Eviction Order Tommorrow!
Parents in London have been occupying their children's empty primary school in protest at Lewisham councils plans to demolish the (now grade 2 listed building) school to make way for an exclusive school run by the ancient society of Leathersellers (the society sounds more akin to the Illuminati and their secret handshakes, than those selling tanned hydes...)An eviction order has been served for tommorrow wednesday 24th june at 10.30am.
They need as much support as possible to resist eviction: please head down there tommorrow in support of the parents, kids and their community campaign.
Lewisham is in South-East London. See this link for more info: http://london.indymedia.org.uk/events/1670
This link is to their blog: http://defendeducationlewisham.wordpress.com/
In support and solidarity.
Sunday, 7 June 2009
Welfare Reform and Home Education
Campaigners in London have been exposing and protesting against the government's shameful pushing through of their 'welfare reform bill'- otherwise known as their welfare ABOLITION bill. please see www.lcap.org.uk for more info (london coalition against poverty).The government has been wanting to push through these changes for a long time, and is using the excuse of the economic crises as a cover. The bill will adversely affect those in the most vulnerable groups, and those on benefit eg. single parents on income support, are being scapegoated for cash grabbing, all the while that the government is bailing out the greedy bankers and politicians are claiming tax payers money for moat-cleaning!
The bill will mean eg. single mothers on income support will be forced back to work when their child is still very young.
I’ve been wondering what this bill will mean to those of us home educating/planning to.
Thankfully this issue has not gone unnoticed, and the home ed charity ‘Education Otherwise’ (www.education-otherwise.org) have been looking into this issue also and are lobbying parliament etc. Please see the website below for more info on what this bill will mean for home education in the future: http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/welfarereform.htm
It is really important that we all inform ourselves and keep up-to-date on issues relating to the freedom and autonomy of educating our children, otherwise legislation will be against us before we know it. Even if we have chosen to send our children to school or do not have kids at all, we still must recognize that this is a CHOICE, and Home Ed is legal (despite what some may think), and respect other parents’ decisions to provide independent education for their kids outside out the mainstream system. Obviously the 'choice' to home educate is made more difficult for those with less money, less support, less time etc. But everyone who wants to home educate should be facilitated to do so, and it is discriminatory not to support this. However, the implementation of the Welfare Reform Bill will do exactly that- not only discriminate against the less privileged in this society, but force upon them a system of education that they do not agree with, and will make it even more difficult for them to home educate their kids.
We must also dispel the common myth that Home Educating means keeping your kids at home with no friends for company! There are many Home Ed community groups, so kids have continuous 'class' mates, and an amazingly varied and rich education. It can be really empowering and an educational experience for the parents too, by being involved in their children's 'curriculum'. Children can also opt to take GCSEs, A-Levels, and progress to University if they wish. There are many support groups out there, and even a Home Ed Camp once a year in the UK, to get together and have fun with other like-minded people from all across the UK (see http://www.home-education.org.uk/ and (http://www.hesfes.co.uk/).
And finally.... a brief thought for those who accuse single parents on income support of being daytime-telly-watching money grabbers: if those of us on income support all home educate, just imagine all the money we are saving the government on school fees! Surely then, it is THEM who should be paying US for home educating? Home Educators would like a 30grand salary too cheers!
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
QUIZ for KIDZ!
1 - How many of the 646 mps (members of parliament) in the British house of commons are female?
a) 323, b) 200 or c)125
2 – How many mps in the UK are from an ethnic minority?
a) – 15, b) 119, c) 35.
3 – In what year were women first allowed the vote in the UK?
a) 1850, b) 1918 or c) 1925
4 - What date is International Women’s Day?
a) 25 December, b) 15 January, c) 8 March
5 – Who in June 1963 became the first woman to go to space?
a) Margaret Thatcher, b) Valentina Tereshkova, c) Mary Flybot
6 – What act made it illegal for a woman to be excluded from a job because of her sex?
a) Sex Discrimination Act, b) Sex Disqualification Removal Act, c) Equal Franchise Act
7 – In the UK, Women working full-time earn on average how much less than men?
a) – 17%, b) – 5%, c) – 33%
8 – How many of the world’s poor are women and girls?
a) 3 out of 10, b) 7 out of 10, c) 10 out of 10
9 – Of the 800 million people in the world who can’t read or write, how many are women?
a) one third, b) two thirds, c) all 800 million
10 – Who were the real ‘witches’, and what did they do?
a) women who used herbs to heal the sick, b) black-hatted women who invented the flying broomstick, c) men who sang karaoke
11 – How many women and children were murdered in total as part of the ‘witch hunts’ between the 14-17th century in Europe?
a) over 700 b) over 7000 C) over 7 million
12 – Which of these statements is in the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights?
a) “All human beings should be judged by the United Nations and given rights accordingly, b) “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”, c) “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, unless they have committed a crime”.
Answers: 1- c)125, 2 –a)15 (there are only 2 black female mps, there has never been an asian woman mp), 3 – b)1918 (although this was only for women over 30 who owned houses. It was only in 1928 that all women over the age of 21 were allowed to vote)., 4 – c)8 March., 5 – b) Valentina Tereshkova, 6 – b) Sex Disqualification Removal Act which was passed in 1919, 7- a) 17% (women working part-time earn on average 36% less than men), 8- b) 7 out of 10 (study by World food programme), 9 – b) over two thirds. 10 – a) witches were real women who healed people in villages using herbs and other natural medicinal practises. 11 – c) a shocking 9 million people (85% women and kids) were probably burned at the stake for ‘witchcraft’. 12 – b) although this statement is ideological, and in real life not everybody is treated with dignity and have rights, especially women and kids.
a) 323, b) 200 or c)125
2 – How many mps in the UK are from an ethnic minority?
a) – 15, b) 119, c) 35.
3 – In what year were women first allowed the vote in the UK?
a) 1850, b) 1918 or c) 1925
4 - What date is International Women’s Day?
a) 25 December, b) 15 January, c) 8 March
5 – Who in June 1963 became the first woman to go to space?
a) Margaret Thatcher, b) Valentina Tereshkova, c) Mary Flybot
6 – What act made it illegal for a woman to be excluded from a job because of her sex?
a) Sex Discrimination Act, b) Sex Disqualification Removal Act, c) Equal Franchise Act
7 – In the UK, Women working full-time earn on average how much less than men?
a) – 17%, b) – 5%, c) – 33%
8 – How many of the world’s poor are women and girls?
a) 3 out of 10, b) 7 out of 10, c) 10 out of 10
9 – Of the 800 million people in the world who can’t read or write, how many are women?
a) one third, b) two thirds, c) all 800 million
10 – Who were the real ‘witches’, and what did they do?
a) women who used herbs to heal the sick, b) black-hatted women who invented the flying broomstick, c) men who sang karaoke
11 – How many women and children were murdered in total as part of the ‘witch hunts’ between the 14-17th century in Europe?
a) over 700 b) over 7000 C) over 7 million
12 – Which of these statements is in the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights?
a) “All human beings should be judged by the United Nations and given rights accordingly, b) “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”, c) “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, unless they have committed a crime”.
Answers: 1- c)125, 2 –a)15 (there are only 2 black female mps, there has never been an asian woman mp), 3 – b)1918 (although this was only for women over 30 who owned houses. It was only in 1928 that all women over the age of 21 were allowed to vote)., 4 – c)8 March., 5 – b) Valentina Tereshkova, 6 – b) Sex Disqualification Removal Act which was passed in 1919, 7- a) 17% (women working part-time earn on average 36% less than men), 8- b) 7 out of 10 (study by World food programme), 9 – b) over two thirds. 10 – a) witches were real women who healed people in villages using herbs and other natural medicinal practises. 11 – c) a shocking 9 million people (85% women and kids) were probably burned at the stake for ‘witchcraft’. 12 – b) although this statement is ideological, and in real life not everybody is treated with dignity and have rights, especially women and kids.
Herstory of Witches for Kids: Re-writing, Re-learning, Re-membering
Who were the real witches? Traditionally witches were ‘wise women’, poor women in the village that knew how to use herbs and other healing practises. So witches were real women who healed real people: they were ‘doctors without degrees’, passing down their knowledge by word-of-mouth from grandmother to mother to daughter. Instead of the ‘Devil worship’ they were accused of, they mostly were Pagans, and had a much more indepth understanding of nature and the human body than we could ever dream of.
If they were so good, then why does everyone think witches are bad? The very idea that, with some knowledge, you could heal your own illnesses with herbs growing wild or in your own garden, annoyed a lot of people. In the middle ages, no money was to be made from witches and their craft, and a new invention called ‘science’ was intended to take over, with professional male doctors charging for new medicines in central hospitals. This made more money for the rich in power, whilst the poor suffered. Witches were demonised as being evil, so they could be gotten rid of, and so that the new scientific medicine could take its place. Whilst the women healers were still around, people wouldn’t want to pay for the new medicines from the professional doctors.
What does ‘witchcraft’ mean? It’s the use of supernatural or magical powers. Witches were blamed for many things: disagreeing with the Government, disobeying the Church, for being sexually-aware women, for organizing amongst themselves, and for using magic powers both to harm and to heal. The Church and the State (those in power) saw their attack as being upon pagan magic: to them herbalism was not medicine, it was magic. Although many of the modern medicines we take today were derived from herbs and their healing uses- probably discovered by witches! The equivalent of the Church’s prayers, were the witches charms, and so the beginnings of modern medicine had more similarity with the witches crafts than with science as we see it today, and many doctors actually learnt about the body parts from witches.
What were the witch-hunts? They were the pre-planned hunting down, torture and murder of people accused of ‘witchcraft’, by those in favour of a new political, medical, and scientific system. Namely, the rich men in power within the Government and The Church. It is thought that, in Europe over 9 million people were killed, often burnt alive at the stake, for ‘witchcraft’. Over 85% of these deaths were of women and even children. They occurred in Europe between 400 and 700 years ago. In the witch trials, Women were accused of practising ‘witchcraft’ (healing the sick, of being ‘witches’, for unexplainable events like the death of cattle) and the professional ‘doctors’ would decide if the action was ‘witchcraft’, or natural body illnesses. The witch-hunts did not totally wipe out the poor women healers, but it labelled them as magical and possibly bad, and they have been demonised ever since.
Is this a Feminist issue? Yes! The main crime that the witches were accused of committing is that of being a woman! And a woman with healing knowledge, at that! Herbalism meant that poorer people could heal themselves for free, and meant that women (who were banned from studying/working as doctors) could also be involved. When learning about the herstory of witches, you are learning about the beginnings of institutional sexism itself. The beginnings of capitalism. The beginnings of the patriarchal system that governs us today. Over 7 million women and children are estimated to have been murdered in Europe alone, in the most horrible way, over a period of hundreds of years! This is an important part of women’s history, and essential to understand how we live today. The witch-hunts were deeply political, religious and- of course- sexist to the core.
Why weren’t we taught this in school? Good question. The History you are taught in school is only a small selection of the major events that have happened. In a nutshell, rich men in charge of popular education narrowed the History that THEY see as important down, and sexism is still affecting History education today. Feminist Herstory should be part of school History lessons. You have a right to question the education you receive in school, and to learn about topics that were essential to our lives then, as they are today. Many topics that are taught do not include enough work, history, thought, on by or about, women- especially poor women This is sexist. Both boys and girls will miss out on the knowledge that women’s herstory could bring. Don’t accept what they tell you- ask the questions they don’t want you to ask! Ask about the witch-hunts.
Anti-copyright: article taken from 'Spratz! a feminist kidzine'. Most of this info was adapted from ‘Witches, Midwives and Nurses’ zine and http://www.suppressedhistories.net/
Which Witch? a herstorical poem for kids
I am a witch.
A which?
A witch! A witch with an itch.
Yes. There’s something bothering me just a titch.
Y’see, I don’t have a black cat.
Or a tall pointy hat.
Or long ginger hair that I wear in a plait.
Fancy that!
I AM a witch…
But I don’t dress in black.
And a steel cauldron I lack.
And legs of a frog?! Well, you can put them RIGHT back!
Yet, I am a witch.
A which?
A witch! Are you thick?!
A witch who’s never even SEEN a broom-stick!
Don’t you understand?
We’re not like Dorothy’s witches in OZ-land!
Real witches aren’t like those for Hallowe’en,
We’re not scary with faces all green.
In fact, we’re not like any good or bad witch in a book.
So forget what you’ve learnt, and take another look!
Put those useless stories back on the shelf,
Learn something new- become a witch yourself!
Witches are wise women,
Wiccans, Pagans, Herbalists too.
Healing the sick and cheering up the blue:
Those old wives tales were true!
So. I am a witch.
Ahh a WITCH? So am I!
I never knew it ‘til now, and now I know why...
I thought witches flew in the sky!
Relearn the history!
Rewrite the books!
Ask teacher about the Witch-hunts,
And the true numbers THEY took.
Millions of women and children,
Killed by Church and State.
For crimes of ‘witchcraft’: burnt at the stake.
Learn about THIS- for goodness sake.
So next Hallowe’en- dress up and have fun.
But understand that real witches aren’t like those ones.
And if you understand that, then ask yourself this:
Whose truth are you believing?
Are the textbooks really teaching…or ARE they deceiving?
I am a WITCH! Shout it out loud.
I’m a witch too! And PROUD!
We both are witches. It’s great and it’s true.
But the big question is…
Which witch are YOU?
Anti-copyright Tumbleweed 2009 (Taken from Spratz! a feminist kidzine)
If they were so good, then why does everyone think witches are bad? The very idea that, with some knowledge, you could heal your own illnesses with herbs growing wild or in your own garden, annoyed a lot of people. In the middle ages, no money was to be made from witches and their craft, and a new invention called ‘science’ was intended to take over, with professional male doctors charging for new medicines in central hospitals. This made more money for the rich in power, whilst the poor suffered. Witches were demonised as being evil, so they could be gotten rid of, and so that the new scientific medicine could take its place. Whilst the women healers were still around, people wouldn’t want to pay for the new medicines from the professional doctors.
What does ‘witchcraft’ mean? It’s the use of supernatural or magical powers. Witches were blamed for many things: disagreeing with the Government, disobeying the Church, for being sexually-aware women, for organizing amongst themselves, and for using magic powers both to harm and to heal. The Church and the State (those in power) saw their attack as being upon pagan magic: to them herbalism was not medicine, it was magic. Although many of the modern medicines we take today were derived from herbs and their healing uses- probably discovered by witches! The equivalent of the Church’s prayers, were the witches charms, and so the beginnings of modern medicine had more similarity with the witches crafts than with science as we see it today, and many doctors actually learnt about the body parts from witches.
What were the witch-hunts? They were the pre-planned hunting down, torture and murder of people accused of ‘witchcraft’, by those in favour of a new political, medical, and scientific system. Namely, the rich men in power within the Government and The Church. It is thought that, in Europe over 9 million people were killed, often burnt alive at the stake, for ‘witchcraft’. Over 85% of these deaths were of women and even children. They occurred in Europe between 400 and 700 years ago. In the witch trials, Women were accused of practising ‘witchcraft’ (healing the sick, of being ‘witches’, for unexplainable events like the death of cattle) and the professional ‘doctors’ would decide if the action was ‘witchcraft’, or natural body illnesses. The witch-hunts did not totally wipe out the poor women healers, but it labelled them as magical and possibly bad, and they have been demonised ever since.
Is this a Feminist issue? Yes! The main crime that the witches were accused of committing is that of being a woman! And a woman with healing knowledge, at that! Herbalism meant that poorer people could heal themselves for free, and meant that women (who were banned from studying/working as doctors) could also be involved. When learning about the herstory of witches, you are learning about the beginnings of institutional sexism itself. The beginnings of capitalism. The beginnings of the patriarchal system that governs us today. Over 7 million women and children are estimated to have been murdered in Europe alone, in the most horrible way, over a period of hundreds of years! This is an important part of women’s history, and essential to understand how we live today. The witch-hunts were deeply political, religious and- of course- sexist to the core.
Why weren’t we taught this in school? Good question. The History you are taught in school is only a small selection of the major events that have happened. In a nutshell, rich men in charge of popular education narrowed the History that THEY see as important down, and sexism is still affecting History education today. Feminist Herstory should be part of school History lessons. You have a right to question the education you receive in school, and to learn about topics that were essential to our lives then, as they are today. Many topics that are taught do not include enough work, history, thought, on by or about, women- especially poor women This is sexist. Both boys and girls will miss out on the knowledge that women’s herstory could bring. Don’t accept what they tell you- ask the questions they don’t want you to ask! Ask about the witch-hunts.
Anti-copyright: article taken from 'Spratz! a feminist kidzine'. Most of this info was adapted from ‘Witches, Midwives and Nurses’ zine and http://www.suppressedhistories.net/
Which Witch? a herstorical poem for kids
I am a witch.
A which?
A witch! A witch with an itch.
Yes. There’s something bothering me just a titch.
Y’see, I don’t have a black cat.
Or a tall pointy hat.
Or long ginger hair that I wear in a plait.
Fancy that!
I AM a witch…
But I don’t dress in black.
And a steel cauldron I lack.
And legs of a frog?! Well, you can put them RIGHT back!
Yet, I am a witch.
A which?
A witch! Are you thick?!
A witch who’s never even SEEN a broom-stick!
Don’t you understand?
We’re not like Dorothy’s witches in OZ-land!
Real witches aren’t like those for Hallowe’en,
We’re not scary with faces all green.
In fact, we’re not like any good or bad witch in a book.
So forget what you’ve learnt, and take another look!
Put those useless stories back on the shelf,
Learn something new- become a witch yourself!
Witches are wise women,
Wiccans, Pagans, Herbalists too.
Healing the sick and cheering up the blue:
Those old wives tales were true!
So. I am a witch.
Ahh a WITCH? So am I!
I never knew it ‘til now, and now I know why...
I thought witches flew in the sky!
Relearn the history!
Rewrite the books!
Ask teacher about the Witch-hunts,
And the true numbers THEY took.
Millions of women and children,
Killed by Church and State.
For crimes of ‘witchcraft’: burnt at the stake.
Learn about THIS- for goodness sake.
So next Hallowe’en- dress up and have fun.
But understand that real witches aren’t like those ones.
And if you understand that, then ask yourself this:
Whose truth are you believing?
Are the textbooks really teaching…or ARE they deceiving?
I am a WITCH! Shout it out loud.
I’m a witch too! And PROUD!
We both are witches. It’s great and it’s true.
But the big question is…
Which witch are YOU?
Anti-copyright Tumbleweed 2009 (Taken from Spratz! a feminist kidzine)
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