Monthly Archives:: May 2011

Parents have been encouraged to support schools' efforts to develop good literacy skills in youngsters. According to Swansea Council, children can benefit considerably if their mother and father teach them basic nursery rhymes and songs before they start school. Indeed, the authority said this can have a positive impact on their listening and speaking skills,… Read more »

Schools might want to invest in more key stage 2 books after a government minister suggested that poor literacy skills are partly behind a recent surge in truancy. According to new figures from the Department for Education, about 64,000 pupils are absent without permission on a typical school day. Schools minister Nick Gibb said this… Read more »

A teacher has insisted that digital media should not replace traditional reading material for youngsters, such as key stage 2 books. According to Darren Coxon, deputy principal at Parkside Federation in Cambridge, the impact that modern technology has had on children cannot be ignored. Indeed, he noted that boys in particular tend to be far… Read more »

Schools looking to invest in new key stage 2 books for youngsters should be able to find material that suits all tastes. According to Richard Wilkin, head teacher at St Bede's Inter-Church School in Cambridge, there are "well-written" books available that suit both girls and boys. Speaking to the Cambridge News, he said this means… Read more »

Schools in the UK might want to buy more key stage 2 books after experts said British schoolchildren have weaker literacy skills than those in other European countries. According to the Campaign for Real Education, youngsters in Britain are lagging behind their counterparts in several important areas, such as English and maths. Nick Seaton, secretary… Read more »

A student who was born in Mexico but lives in the UK has taken part in protests against her homeland's government. Cinthia Mena-Duran, who studies at the University of York, called on policymakers to change their strategy as they attempt to deal with continuing violence across the country. Speaking to the Yorker, she said: "We… Read more »

A police chief in Mexico has been arrested after claims of him aiding a drug cartel leader emerged. Commander Juan Bosco, a police chief in the Cuernavaca area, was allegedly handed thousands of dollars for warning criminals about movements and operations by the police and the military. The claims came from Victor Valdez, a drug… Read more »

Mexico's president Felipe Calderon has accused the US of being partly responsible for ongoing drug-related violence across the country. Speaking at this week's World Travel and Tourism Council, he noted that there are 8,000 gun shops on the American side of its border with Mexico. Furthermore, President Calderon said that 85 per cent of the… Read more »

Mexico's tourism minister has insisted that the country is still a safe place for holidaymakers to visit. Gloria Guevara acknowledged that issues such as drug-related violence and illegal human trafficking are proving to be a challenge. However, she told AFP that these problems are not directly affecting or taking place in holiday destinations. "The reality… Read more »

Police have intercepted over 500 illegal migrants being transported to the US from Mexico. A spokesman revealed that the people who were being smuggled had been forced to endure "inhumane conditions" during their journey. Speaking to AFP, he described this as the "largest ever such operation to rescue illegal migrants" travelling in this way. One… Read more »