Latest news with #primaryeducation
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Teachers reveal shocking extent of drug use in school and say kids at PRIMARY are high on cannabis
One in five teachers say their pupils use cannabis at school including some who are still primary-aged, a poll has found. A survey of almost 4,000 teachers found many pupils are abusing drugs and alcohol on school grounds – with ketamine and cocaine also rife. The NASUWT union, which conducted the study, said substance abuse is contributing to 'violent and abusive' behaviour in class. It called on the Government to take more action to stop pupils accessing drugs as schools 'cannot solve it alone'. The poll found 19 per cent of teachers said their pupils used cannabis within school, and 9 per cent said pupils used spice. Meanwhile, 13 per cent were aware of pupils using nicotine pouches or snus in school, 7 per cent said the same of alcohol, and 5 per cent said it of other drugs. The most commonly-cited drugs aside from cannabis were ketamine and cocaine. The poll also found 4 per cent said pupils had used nitrous oxide – or laughing gas – in school. The respondents were all secondary teachers aside from a very small handful of those in primary schools. However, five primary teachers said they were aware of pupils using cannabis in school and one primary respondent said pupils drank alcohol in school. One teacher said: 'They tend to present as disengaged from school once they become habitual or heavy users of cannabis or alcohol.' Another said of drug-taking pupils: 'They are not focusing in class; they are usually very tired and will often sleep in the lesson if not noticed.' A third said: 'They become volatile and disconnected and are hard to engage or refuse to take ownership of their studies.' Matt Wrack, NASUWT Acting General Secretary, said: 'Not only are many of these activities illegal or prohibited for young people aged under 18, they are contributing to the rise we are seeing in disruptive, violent and abusive behaviour in schools. 'NASUWT teachers tell us that along with increased tiredness and lack of focus and interest in learning, they are causing irritability, mood swings and erratic behaviour among the pupils they teach. 'This is clearly not an issue that schools can solve alone, we need greater action from government and other expert services to help deter young people from using or accessing illegal or prohibited substances.' The survey also showed energy drinks which send pupils 'hyper' are becoming a problem, with 71 per cent of teachers saying these were consumed in school. Meanwhile, 6 per cent said they knew pupils used gambling websites at their school. A respondent said: 'The gambling issue seems to fly under the radar a lot but it's a very real concern, especially for the post-16 students. 'Some are not sleeping and instead gambling all night and come into school half asleep.' The NASUWT is calling for partnerships with health, police and youth justice services to solve the problem, and for every school to have a counsellor. The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.
The Guardian
11-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘The impact has been profound': the headteacher bringing play back to the classroom
When Tina Farr visits the year 2 classroom at her Oxford primary school, she can feel the changed atmosphere since play was put firmly back on the curriculum. 'When I walk in there, I just feel the energy. The children come running up with things they have made, there is always a shop on the go so they will be pricing up something or finding change. They are always working together,' the headteacher says. It might not seem radical to see six- and seven-year-olds busy in a world of imagination, but in the majority of primary schools it is not how children this age learn. Play-based learning – letting children move around, interact with friends, make up games and explore within loosely guided activities – usually stops when they leave reception. Lessons then become desk-based, focused on reading and writing. Farr had long championed the value of play, working hard to bring it into breaktimes through the Opal play scheme. But the eureka moment for the school came when her year 2 teacher suggested incorporating play-based learning into her lessons – extending it beyond reception. After reading the Department for Education's guidelines, Farr realised she had the freedom to decide how to deliver the national curriculum. 'It says we are free to arrange the school day any way we like – it actually says that at point 3.4 in the national curriculum. 'Teachers would recognise what we do as learning, but we do it through play. For example we might explain money and maths to them with a PowerPoint then they move on to games and play on that theme, it doesn't take any more planning than the standard approach.' With play-based learning in place for her year 1 and 2 children, Farr then looked at where else she could change any practices that weren't working. 'There is so much that we can do within our current system. We just think we can't. If a practice isn't aligned with healthy child development, why are we doing it? The school's year 5 children – aged nine and 10 – were struggling to sit still in a cramped room so she removed all the furniture. 'Children are shamed for needing to move their bodies in cramped classrooms,' she says. 'So we took out all the tables and chairs and decided to let them sit or lie or stand where they liked. It wasn't expensive, it was almost free as an experiment.' She added beanbags, comfy chairs and lap trays, as well as a high desks for children to stand at. 'The impact was immediate and profound particularly for the neurodiverse learners. Children now choose where and how to learn, relocating without permission when needed. A class once struggling with attention is now calm, focused, and engaged.' One of the year 5 children said: 'I like flexible seating. I find it very calming. A normal classroom is a bit overwhelming. I like that you don't have to sit at a table but can sit anywhere. I prefer a spinny seat because it makes less noise when you turn your chair around. You can choose who you sit with during the day.' And according to the teacher: 'Their self-regulation has improved immensely. They are much calmer and can have space from someone if they wish. They settle down to work much more readily, and I have more of an opportunity to see their level of engagement which has been deep.' Farr believes the outdated system needs to urgently change. 'If a time traveller arrived from Victorian times into a school they would recognise it immediately. But the world has changed and what we know about the brain has changed. We have the neuroscience to know children learn through play.' In June the school sailed through its Ofsted inspection. 'The inspector was great and really understood our play based learning. They didn't question it and they wrote us a lovely report.' Farr's message for other professionals is that her approach can be replicated. 'It's blown my mind how engaged the children are. It's phenomenal,' she says. 'Don't call our school progressive or maverick. We are teaching the national curriculum but through play.'
South China Morning Post
30-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
79.7% of pupils get Hong Kong schools in their top 3 picks via allocation system
About 80 per cent of children set to enter Hong Kong's public primary schools in September were assigned one of their top three choices under the city's central allocation system, down from around 84 per cent last year. The figure from the Education Bureau on Friday was the third highest over the past 17 years. This year also saw the second-lowest number of pupils since 1997 join the central allocation system. In Hong Kong, Primary One places at public schools are allocated using a two-stage process. The results of the first stage, known as the discretionary admission phase, for the 2025-26 academic year were announced in November, while those for the second part, the central allocation system, will be shared with parents on Wednesday of next week. The bureau announced on Friday that 15,538 out of 19,489 children, or 79.7 per cent, were allocated a spot at one of their top three choices under the second stage. Pupils submitted their preferences in January. The latest allocation rate marked a drop from last year's 83.7 per cent.
