A new study has revealed that nearly a third of teachers across the UK are feeding hungry students in their classes. According to the survey, children are turning up for school too hungry to learn and teachers are bringing in food for desperate pupils. Trade unionists have blamed the hunger crisis on Tory austerity measures. The Mirror reports: Nearly one in three has resorted to feeding children in class – and some staff even give kids cash to buy food.
A new bill filed this week by Virginia Delegate Mark Cole would require that schools ensure students are using restrooms that correlate to their “correct anatomical sex”. The bill defines anatomical sex as: the physical condition of being male or female, which is determined by a person’s anatomy. Under the legislation, any student who violates the bathroom rules could be fined $50 by law enforcement. As noted by Crooks and Liars, under the bills definition, the only way for anyone to determine such a thing would be to examine the student’s genitalia as they enter the restroom.
I’ve been reading theology this week, preparing for my talks next weekend in Wichita. I came across a basic concept that clarified my thoughts: a symbol is something that both points to something greater, and participates in it.
With that in mind, this Inside Higher Education interview with Sidonie A. Smith, a “noted humanities professor” who has written a new book about the crisis in the humanities, is a symbol of that crisis. Observe how she talks:
Three quarters of pupils from a Blackpool school failed to show up for the first day of the new term after a terror message was posted online, threatening a gun massacre at the school by an unknown Facebook user. Officials say that the school is safe for students to return back to class. Some students may require counselling before they return. The police are investigating the threats and guarding the school.
7th graders in Rhode Island are to be forced to take a Gardasil HPV vaccine as part of strict rules about attending school. As reported by the Providence Journal, Starting this fall, seventh-graders in all public and private schools will be required to get a vaccine that protects against a sexually transmitted virus linked to various genital cancers, especially cervical cancer in women. Students who fail to get the vaccine for HPV — or the human papillomavirus — will be precluded from attending school unless their parents seek an exemption for medical or religious reasons.