Author: SchoolCouncilsUK-Mark

Thoughts about phones4schools…

Post author By SchoolCouncilsUK-Mark
Post date 20/06/2008
2 Comments on Thoughts about phones4schools…

I wrote a request on a green news forum for examples of ways that people try to be green yet end up with unintended consequences: Following reply

“How about the truly horrible and totally counterproductive national “phones4schools” project – which encourages recycling in kids – supposedly – by rewarding them with revolting, tacky, totally non-sustainable rubbish toys for each mobile phone they bring in to school. The more mobile phones you bring in, the more toys your child gets…

I have several major problems with this project:”(continued)

I’ve had my reservations about this project too, but haven’t stopped to think it through until now. Is this too controversial to debate through VoiceBox/ website? what do people think. Mark

Tags school councils uk

SchoolCouncilsUK-archive

Becta, open source and education: Too little, too late?

Post author By SchoolCouncilsUK-Mark
Post date 17/06/2008

By Richard Hillesley, writes (12 Jun 2008 at 03:13):

Inertia, fear of the unknown and agreements with vendors have lead to slow adoption of open source and free software in UK schools.

Back in 2005, Becta – the body that advises the UK government on IT policy in education – issued a report which concluded that free and open source software could reduce the cost of deploying, supporting and maintaining computer systems in primary schools by between 20 and 50 per cent.

Becta’s report was the conclusion of a study of 48 schools over a period of three years, which compared 33 schools running traditional proprietary systems, against 15 that were running open source solutions. Link here

Mark

Tags school councils uk, Technology

SchoolCouncilsUK-archive

More website feedback

Post author By SchoolCouncilsUK-Mark
Post date 15/06/2008

(respondent had, a cookie problem so couldn’t log in) Limited responses to questions below:

1. What do I like about the site?

Tags online, school councils uk

SchoolCouncilsUK-archive

Spreading the use of Oyster north of Finsbury Park station

Post author By SchoolCouncilsUK-Mark
Post date 03/06/2008

Lynne Featherstone writes:
“Tap in and tap out: yes please

It’s one of the great successes of Transport for London. Yes – you heard right – TfL and the word ‘success’ in the same breath. I’m talking Oyster!

Now we tap in and tap out without a second thought. We nimbly flit from tube to bus – tap in / tap out. And then we try and nimbly flit from tube to bus to train – and oh dear – we can’t!

Tags Just for fun, school councils uk, Stories

SchoolCouncilsUK-archive

Joint birth registration: recording responsibility announced

Post author By SchoolCouncilsUK-Mark
Post date 03/06/2008

Plans to change the law to require dads, as well as mums to be named on the birth certificate are being announced by Secretary of State for Work James Purnell and Children’s Secretary Ed Balls in a joint White Paper published today.

The change, which will be implemented in the next session’s Welfare Reform Bill, will put parental responsibility centre stage by giving mothers or fathers a right to insist that the other parent acknowledges their responsibilities to their child by registering on the birth certificate… Link

This sounds reasonable, but I wonder what the counter argument is to this?

Mark