BBC School Report Goes Live 15th March 2012
PM reveals he doesn’t dance around in Number 10 state rooms
15/03/2012
Last week, the PM was being interviewed by BBC School News Reporters when he revealed he has never been tempted to copy his alter ego played by Hugh Grant in the film Love Actually who dances around Downing Street.
Mr. Cameron said “I have never danced around the state rooms”
The interview was part of the BBC school report which allowed twelve pupils, including two from Bannockburn High School, to interview all three of the main UK party leaders in one day.
Bannockburn pupil, Vangie, was surprised by the party leaders- “regardless of any of my initial feelings, I realised the leaders were just down to earth human beings”.
The Pupils from Bannockburn High were the only students representing Scotland on the trip.
Jennifer said “it is not something many journalists can say they have done, interviewing all three”. She went on to say “It was a money can’t buy experience and being one of two pupils selected made it really unique”
The girls also got a chance to work with some of the BBC leading journalists including Martha Kearney and Andrew Bomford, to guide them on how to create and ask appropriate questions.
Teacher, Mrs Farley, who accompanied the students, said “this was an absolutely fantastic opportunity, not only for the two girls but for Bannockburn High
School” and added, “this enabled young people to meet with some of our leading politicians and let them know directly which issues are concerning them”
The PM wasn’t the only party leader revealing truths during the day on 8th March.
Deputy PM Nick Clegg admitted to doing his own shopping declaring himself a regular customer at both branched of his local Sainsbury’s and Waitrose supermarkets.
Meanwhile Leader of the opposition Ed Miliband claimed he and his brother do not argue. He even told the students that prior to competing against one another for the Labour Party leadership, they decided that they would not ‘bad mouth’ each other.
The leaders of the SNP and Plaid Cymru were also interviewed by BBC School Report journalists at another event.
More needs to be done to reduce maternal mortality
15/03/2012
That’s the message coming from students at Bannockburn High School in Stirling.
Pregnancy is the biggest killer of 15 to 19 year olds in the developing world, with around one thousand mothers dying each day.
Young people in Bannockburn have been outraged by the inequality in health care between the developing world and the United Kingdom and have been motivated to take action through this project and through raising the issue with their politicians.
The pupils, working as part of the Global Student Forum network, a national organisation for young people, are working to raise awareness of the fifth United Nations Millennium Development Goal which aims to reduce maternal mortality by 75% by 2015. However it is said to be unlikely for this goal to be achieved.
“One mother dies every minute somewhere in the world. That shocked us so much” said Siobhan, a pupil at the School, who went on to say “That’s why we feel so strongly about making a difference for mothers around the world”.
The pupils are organising a host of events this March to raise awareness and funds for maternal health charities. Events include a staff soup lunch, sponsored walk and staff v pupil football match.
“We’ve made our target to raise enough funds to kit out a maternity ward in the developing world” said Kirsty, a sixth year pupil “and we’ve been really encouraged so far by the generosity of the school and community.”
The pupils have also been busy informing the community and school about maternal mortality, hosting pupil workshops and running a t-shirt design competition and visiting church groups and local primary schools.
The group however say they still have a long way to go to reach their target, much like the United Nations itself.
Aid charities believe the key to success is giving education to women on how to plan their pregnancies and how to look after themselves and their baby with the support of trained health workers.
Is University really free for Scottish Students?
15/03/2012
There is controversy in the United Kingdom over the free university tuition for Scottish students. But what are the true costs of university?
Students at university have huge bills to pay on relatively low incomes.
Students in Dundee have estimated costs of £440 to £500 per month which is substantially higher in other Scottish cities.
In order to meet these costs the average 18-20 year old would have to work 100 hours per month at the UK minimum wage of £4.38 to cover these basic living costs. This is 100 hours spent working; on top of attending lectures, studying, cooking and cleaning, socialising and relaxing.
Alasdair, who is going to be attending Edinburgh University, next year, says ‘I think it is important for young people to be responsible with their money while at university and this may mean taking on a job. However, university work should still come first, meaning support is still essential to allow this balance”.
One of Scotland’s top universities, the University of Aberdeen, has a system in place called JobLink which helps students to find employment that works around their studying and social life. This system suggests that they should work 15 hours a week, or 60 hours in a month, at the most. This is approximately half the working hours required to pay for all students’ costs.
Vangie, a fifth year pupil at Bannockburn High says, “These costs are extremely off putting with regards to attending university. It is extremely disheartening to think that after four years of hard work, I will have to begin my working life with huge debts hanging over my head.”
However the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) do offer some support to students in the forms of loans and bursaries.
For a student to qualify for SAAS, including free tuition fees, they must apply.
Some students across Scotland were surprised to be handed a bill at the end of their first academic year, detailing how much they owed for their education.
This came as a result of these students being unaware of the need to apply to SAAS for their university fees which resulted in the responsibility for the payment of tuition fees falling upon them.
A number of last year’s undergraduate students did not expect to have to apply for this but assumed the payment was made automatically. SAAS states ‘you have to apply so we can pay… the college or university on your behalf’
However, some think that this process is not well advertised by schools and universities.
Jennifer, a 5th year pupil says “I was unaware that I had to apply to SAAS to receive my tuition for free and, as a Scottish student, I feel this should be more widely advertised among university undergraduate students”.
Scottish students have to reapply for their fees each academic year, and many argue that SAAS should be more lenient with students’ first payments. They believe that, even if the student has not applied, SAAS should pay out until this process becomes common knowledge in Scotland.
These huge expenses are not the sole responsibility of the student. Many better off parents are now being forced to subsidise their children’s education. Many prospective students are discovering problems for themselves due to their parents’ financial position. These students may only receive a maximum of around £78 per month in student loans.
This is viewed by many as being unjust. Children with less well off parents are set to receive higher student loans than those better off.
Who should decide Scotland’s future?
15/03/2012
The Scottish Independence referendum is a discussion point for many young people at this present time. In Autumn 2014, Scotland will decide whether or not they want to remain part of the UK.
But the biggest debate currently is who should be able to vote.
Alex Salmond, Scotland’s First Minister, is “favourable to 16 and 17-year-olds getting the vote”.
The Votes at 16 coalition say that this age group is entitled to have the chance to have an input on how the country is run as they are liable to pay tax, get married, have a child and hold a full time job.
Their website states “Over 1.5 million 16 and 17 year olds are currently denied the vote in the UK.” It then goes on to say “For years we have wanted the opportunity to have our say. Now the case for lowering the voting age is stronger than ever”.
However, Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore, stated that “sixteen and seventeen year-olds should be barred from voting in a referendum on independence for Scotland”.
A survey conducted by the BBC School News Report group at Bannockburn High School asked 60 pupils “Do you think sixteen and seventeen year olds should be included in voting in the Scottish referendum on independence for Scotland?”.
The survey concluded that 50% would want the vote while the remaining 50% did not.
Jennifer, one of the pupils surveyed thought “Many young people, although keen to vote do not want the responsibility of making such a large decision at such a young age”. She then went on to say “despite having an opinion on the matter, I still feel I am not aware of all the consequences which my vote would contribute to”.
Other people surveyed had other opinions regarding this matter.
“Sixteen-year-olds are able to get married with parents consent, I think the right to vote in the referendum should be subject to permission from parents” said Jade, a pupil at Bannockburn High School. “As parents will know whether they think their child is capable and mature enough to make such a decision.”
Objectors to votes at 16 believe that these young people are still children and lack the relevant knowledge in order to be given this level of responsibility.
However, Alasdair an S6 pupil states “while young people are still in school they can get the relevant education and information about elections which would hopefully raise the election turn out”. He followed this by saying “already the turnout is low amongst adults so it is wrong to suggest young people care less about their country than adults!”
Critics claim that young people are unlikely to take the time to look at the positives and negatives of the situation being proposed.
There is also concern from some, that votes at 16 are a case of gerrymandering by politicians.
However, decisions won’t be finalised until the end of the Scottish Government’s consultation on how the referendum should be run.
The Power of Social Networking
15/03/2012
We all know Osama Bin Laden, Colonel Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein – but how many young people know about Joseph Kony? Certainly more today, than last week.
This is due to the power of social networking.
The charity, Invisible Children, made a 30 minute long video promoting their charity, and within one day of posting it on YouTube, their campaign has gone viral – taking over Twitter, Facebook and many other social networking websites used by young people.
The organisation are urging that on April 20th 2012, after the sun goes down, millions of young people all over the world will ‘cover the night’ in aim of raising awareness of Invisible Children, to make Joseph Kony infamous and ensure that the issue of child soldiers is not ignored.
They will put up posters, flags, billboards, hangings and banners, so that when the world wakes up the following morning there will be a sea of red and the name ‘Joseph Kony’ will be plastered everywhere.
Young people are going to come together with one aim – making a difference. This is all down to the influence of social networking, and the speed at which information can be shared.
Social networking has allowed many different views to be shared – some in support of the ‘cover the night’ campaign whilst others criticise it and the work of the charity itself.
Live blogs, tweets and forums allow young people to debate on subjects such as these. It is because of this and the fact that it encourages young people to consider other people’s opinions, that we believe social networking encourages young minds to broaden and so should be an essential element of modern life.
However, social networking sites can have negative effects as they have been used for cyber bullying, and were key in the organisation of the UK riots last summer.
Everyone has an opinion on social networking. Whether it is positive or negative, the fact is that social networking is here to stay.
A selection of pictures from our news day
Special Report 9th February 2012
EURONEWS VISIT
PRACTICE NEWS REPORT -19/01/12
Breast Implants – Where Should the Incision be?
Scandal has hit the cosmetic surgery industry hard.
Most women, in a survey carried out byBannockburnstudents, were found to no longer consider breast implants for cosmetic reasons.
The story of the potentially dangerous PIP implants has shocked women, and men, alike across the country. It has been found that almost 40,000 women in theUKhave been fitted with PIP breast implants, and in this breaking news story, the implants were found to have begun to ‘rupture’ in many cases. This began the leaking of non-medical grade silicone into the women’s bodies, the same silicone used in building and plumbing.
A recent survey conducted by our group showed that after this news story broke out, 88%* of women would no longer consider implants for cosmetic reasons. However, out of the same women, 56% would still have implants placed for medical reasons, 32% would not and 12% were still unsure. One of those who were surveyed said ‘I was shocked that the silicone used in the PIP implants was not medical grade and this has totally destroyed my confidence in the cosmetic surgery industry’.
The Welsh Government has said they will both remove and replace all PIP implants for the women who were treated by the NHS and privately. However, Scottish and English Governments have said they will remove all implants but will only replace the implants that were completed under the National Health Service.
There have been a number of factors which have led to the Governments’ confusion over this controversial issue. Many women have been putting foreign objects into their body at their own risk and therefore they themselves were at fault, as they were also informed of the potential side effects but still went ahead with the procedure.
However, these implants were approved by the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and therefore local Health Boards should take overall responsibility as these women put their complete trust in to them and were mistakenly allowed to believe they would be given safe implants.
The story of PIP implants has undoubtedly shaken up many women who have been considering implants, and even those who have already had the procedure completed. This worry may even be fuelled by the fact that women no longer have the comfort of knowing that if they were to become diagnosed with breast cancer then they may not be able to trust the surgeons completely.
One of the worries of women is that the implants may not have the conformity mark “CE”, which certifies that a product such as a hip joint or breast implant has met European quality standards.
This lack of trust is likely to hit the cosmetic surgery industry hard, in that the numbers of people willing to have surgery purely for cosmetic reasons will be likely to drastically decline.
*survey completed by 25 women