Education

22 November 2010

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/2010/11/22/british-children-taught-brutal-sharia-law-in-weekend-schools-across-the-country-115875-22730937/

British children taught brutal Sharia Law in weekend schools across the country

Summary

Weekend schools are not being checked by Ofsted jet but that should change soon. Approximately 5000 Muslim children go to a weekend school where they get thought about the Saudi national curriculum. In the textbooks and exercise books they use is, for example, a list about the bad qualities of Jews and how to punish thieves by chopping of their hands or feet. They also learn that people who die and did not believe in the Islam will go to hell. The Secretary of Education said that that this kind of education does not belong in English education.

Reaction

First of all I think weekend schools should definitely be checked because it is important to know what children learn in every school. It is shocking that they learn about things like how to punish other people who have a different believe or that the Islam is the only true belief. There should be more control about what children get taught about a certain belief, also in other weekend schools like bible schools. It is of course important to learn something about your own believe but they also should learn to respect other believes than their own.

Health

21 November 2010

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11796903

Make cigarette packaging plain, government urges

Summary

Cigarette packets should be less attractive. It should help children not to start smoking and it would help people who want to stop smoking. Packaging is very important for more sales because it could mislead smokers by its looks. Next year shops need to cover up displays of cigarettes already but it might take a while before the packets will be a plain colour. It would be good if this approach will help because the rates of bad health and deaths from smoking is still very high. Not everybody agrees though that plain packaging will help to get the smoking rates down.

Reaction

I think it might be a good idea to give the packets a plain colour and only put information about health risks on them. Covering up displays of cigarettes and plain packaging could prevent children to start smoking but I do not think it will help smokers to stop smoking. It does not matter how that packet looks, if you are addicted then you need something else to help you stop than a change of colour on a packet. I do think that if displays of cigarettes and cigarettes are more out of sight in shops people might buy them less often.

Politics

Friday 19 November 2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/nov/19/ministers-cut-vat-drink-pubs

Ministers urged to cut VAT in pubs

Summary

Buying alcohol in a pub is much more expensive than buying it in a supermarket. This results in drinking on the streets and that causes all sorts of alcohol related problems like antisocial behaviour. If the VAT is lowered from 20% to 12% pubs would be able to compete with supermarkets. This would help the pubs, who have problems, to increase their yearly income and keep the drinkers of the streets. Many think this is a new and practical idea to the problems there are due to cheap alcohol that is sold in many supermarkets.

Reaction

I am not sure if this idea of lowering the VAT on alcohol in pubs will help preventing the problems there are due to cheap alcohol. The pubs will now be able to compete with supermarkets and that could maybe lead to higher prices in supermarkets because they might sell less alcoholic drinks. I think though that people will start to drink more in pubs because the alcoholic drinks are cheaper than before and that could mean that we would still have the problem with drunk people on the streets because they have to get home eventually.

Royal News

Friday 19 November 2010

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/11/19/prince-william-and-kate-middleton-wedding-day-every-second-will-be-meticulously-planned-115875-22724195/

Prince William and Kate Middleton wedding day: Every second will be meticulously planned

Summary

Finally Prince William and Kate will marry. Just as all the other Royal marriages the wedding will be completely planned. Prince William and Kate will marry in the Westminster Abbey, they will not spend the night together the day before and Kate will have her four minute walk up the aisle, where, at the end, Prince William will wait for her in his RAF uniform. After the wedding they will drive back to Buckingham Palace, where they will stand on the balcony and have their first public kiss as husband and wife.

Reaction

Almost everybody is trilled that Prince William and Kate will finally marry. There will be millions of people around the Westminster Abbey days before the wedding to have the best spot. During the wedding there will be few things that we do not know yet, like Kate’s wedding dress and parts of the ceremony, but apart from that we basically know every part of their wedding from the first minute till the end. I think this is a pity, although it probably is due to security reasons and tradition, but there is not much space for their own things to make it their special and personal wedding.

Debate blog for the Speakers' Corner

Friday 12 November 2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/nov/12/british-colonel-giles-iraq-inquiry

British colonel keeps rank despite being branded 'unreliable witness'

Summary:

Colonel Dudley Giles is a very important witness in a military police investigation that dismissed the claim that British soldiers crippled and killed 20 unarmed Iraqi civilians during a gunfight that now is known as the Battle of Danny Boy. Giles lied in court about this case. He also emailed his staff to ask them to change their witness statement. He wanted them to leave out the fact that they were overworked and that they asked for support from other military police investigators. Gail’s is now described as an unreliable witness.

Despite the fact that he lied and is an unreliable witness he still keeps his position as Deputy Provost Marshal, second in command of the Royal Military Police, within the military police.

Reaction:

Colonel Dudley Giles should have been discharged from his post as Deputy Provost Marshal. He is unreliable as leader because he ignores important details and lies during an investigation. It is also very scary that his staff listens to him, when he asks them to change their witness statement.

The MoD states that although Giles keeps his post, he will not be responsible for investigations any more. I do not think this is enough. Giles still has a high position within the Royal Military Police and, therefore, is still in a position to influence the investigation and the people involved.

Real life

9 November 2010 Last updated at 12:55 GMT
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11719467

Cardiff girl's stolen wheelchair found damaged

Summary:

The wheelchair of Olivia, ten years old, has been stolen when she was visiting her grandmother. It has been found but it is damaged and Olivia cannot use it at the moment.  The police arrested a 13-year old boy, who they suspect has done it.

It would be for the best if Olivia could get a new wheelchair but her mother has been told that Olivia cannot get a new wheelchair because she has one at school. It is unfortunately not possible to use that one at home because otherwise she would not have a wheelchair at school.

Reaction:

It should not be possible that a little girl, who cannot get around without a wheelchair, cannot get a new wheelchair. It is not Olivia’s fault that her wheelchair got stolen and got damaged so badly. Until her old wheelchair gets fixed she will have to get around in her wheelchair from when she was three years old. This is of course ridicules because it is too small for Olivia, who is now then years old.

We all have to make a stand against this because people should be helped in times like these. People should not accept it when they are told they cannot get help.

Dear readers

On this blog I will summarize and react to articles I have read in several British newspapers. The articles will be about different topics like education, politics, history etc. I hope you all enjoy reading my blog and will join me in the discussion!

Maria