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| home> newsletter archive 2008 > under5s newsletter no.13 |
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| Under5s Newsletter No.13 |
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This week 1. Did you know
1. DID YOU KNOW
PENS AND PAINTBRUSHES AT THE READY - Daycare Trust launches children's art and creative writing competition Daycare Trust has just announced this year's art and writing competition for children to celebrate National childcare week (2-9 June 2008) and the National Year of Reading. The National Literacy Trust, who lead the consortium that deliver the National Year of Reading, enthusiastically support the competition. The competition is sponsored by The Children's Mutual, the only UK company specialising in long-term savings and investments for families with children. This year's theme is 'Building brighter futures'. The competition is for children aged two to 14, and is split into two categories: The first competition asks children aged two to 10 to choose their favourite book and design a new cover for it. The second competition invites children aged five to 14 to write a short story about what the future holds for all of us. Each competition will be divided into three age groups. "The JK Rowlings and Quentin Blakes of tomorrow are developing their talents at childcare settings and schools today. We want this year's National childcare week to be a celebration of children and their creativity, and to bring the young writers and artists of the nation to a wider audience," said Joint-Chief Executive Alison Garnham. "We're asking parents, carers, teachers and anyone who works with children to encourage them to take up their pens and paintbrushes and enter our competition." Tony Anderson, Marketing Director at The Children's Mutual said, "We're delighted to support the Daycare Trust in their mission to build brighter futures for children. We are committed to making families' lives easier, and within that recognise the absolute importance of accessible, affordable, quality childcare. It's also vital to encourage creativity amongst children. It can be a superb reflection of personality, and it's great to explore and develop ways of self-expression. We invite children to enter the competition, not just for the chance to win, but to support a very worthwhile charity." The closing date for receipt of entries is 16 May 2008. The winners will be contacted on 30 May and invited to an Awards ceremony on Monday 2 June at an exciting location (to be announced) in central London, where they will each receive a prize for themselves and their childcare setting/school. National childcare week is designed to promote the importance of investing in childcare, out-of-school activities and early years provision for children to strengthen and contribute to children's play and learning. http://www.daycaretrust.org.uk/ MAKE CHATTER MATTER THIS APRIL I CAN, the children's communication charity,
is celebrating hitting the midway milestone of its flagship campaign
to make children's speech, language and communication development a national
priority by holding an awareness raising Make Chatter Matter Month this
April.
Make Chatter Matter, sponsored by the BT
Better World campaign, Openreach and Capital Shopping Centres, is I CAN's
three year campaign to highlight the importance of children's communication
development as the foundation for learning and social development. The
campaign is also supported by a diverse coalition of 65 organisations and
individuals including the CBI, Early Learning Centre, The Children's Society,
Dr Tanya Byron and Whizz Kidz.
The campaign was launched in October 2006,
following growing evidence that in some parts of the UK 40-50% of children
are starting primary school without the basic speech and language skills
they need to learn and make friends. I CAN estimates that on top of this,
10% of children (an average of three in every classroom) have speech, language
and communication needs (SLCN) - either as their primary disability or
as part of another condition such as autism, dyslexia or cerebral palsy.
Virginia Beardshaw , I CAN Chief Executive
said: "Chatter matters for each and every child in the UK. Communication
is the foundation life skill, the bedrock on which everything else rests.
Put simply, children who find communication difficult, find life difficult.
April's Make Chatter Matter Month marks an important milestone in our campaigning
work. Speech, language and communication is emerging as a national issue
after decades of being misunderstood, overlooked and under-funded.
"Children's communication is a stated priority
for the DCSF. Ed Balls, Secretary of State, is speaking at our flagship
parliamentary event this month along with John Bercow MP. This is indicative
of how far the issue has risen on the political agenda. The Bercow Review
into speech and language provision represents a significant opportunity
to ensure that children's SLCN are embedded in policy and translated into
practice. I CAN is delighted to contribute to this review as a member of
the expert advisory panel. "
There are a number of ways to Make Chatter
Matter over April including:
Raise your voice and show your support;
Support the search for the nation's favourite nursery rhyme by voting at www.rhymestars.co.uk. For every vote I CAN will receive £1 from Openreach. This will unlock a £50,000 target donation to the charity. Tell us your story . This will enable us to highlight the importance of children's speech and language and its impact on individuals and families. Support our marathon runners. A ten-strong
team will be running the London Marathon on April 13th. Support our
runners by going to www.justgiving.com/ianwilson36 and www.justgiving.com/wallyfreeman
Beardshaw continues, "We still have a long
way to go but the issue of children's speech, language and communication
is at an important tipping point. All of this is testament to the support
of our partners and I would like to thank the BT Better World campaign,
Openreach, Capital Shopping Centres and members of the coalition for sharing
our belief that communication is the foundation life skill for the 21st
century. This month is everyone's opportunity to Make Chatter Matter by
supporting our work and campaign asks. Together we will ensure that each
and every child is given the very best start in life."
2. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK Teaching Science in the Foundation Stage Explores how science fits into the early learning goals and what it is like to teach science to a foundation class. This unit has been created with the help of SCIcentre: National Centre for Initial Teacher Training in Primary School Science and the University of Leicester School of Education: Tina Jarvis and Wendy Suschitzky http://www.azteachscience.co.uk/code/development/ear_years.asp
3. UNDER5S DOWNLOAD CENTRE DON'T FORGET - you can find 24 different plans in the Download Centre and all of our planning is available to download today. Don't miss the fantastic Let's Sign signing resources. Childminders - if you are struggling with Birth to Three, take a look at the Birth to Three Planning Guidance. http://cnb-host4.clickandbuild.com/cnb/shop/under5s?op=catalogue-categories-null EARLY LEARNING FORUMS Join Us ! To discuss early years issues. To find support and advice on early years education. To relax and chat amongst friends. Come on in and have a look... http://www.earlylearningforums.co.uk 4. DATE FOR YOUR DIARY NDNA REVEALS DETAILS OF 2008 ANNUAL CONFERENCE - AND ANNOUNCES SEARCH FOR NDNA DAY NURSERY AND NURSERY CARER OF THE YEAR IS ON NDNA announces inspirational speaker line up and topics for 2008 National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has revealed that its Annual Conference and Awards will be taking place at The Lowry Arts Centre, Manchester on 19-20 June and announced that nominations for the NDNA Nursery Carer of the Year, supported by Oral-B Stages, and NDNA Day Nursery of the Year, supported by Hope Education, are now being taken. Entitled 'your invitation to inspiration', the two-day conference has a line up of speakers all selected to help delegates find new and innovative ways to strengthen their nursery businesses and find solutions to challenges such as the implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the move to self-evaluation. Once again, NDNA is celebrating excellence in the childcare sector with its Annual Awards ceremony which takes place on the evening of 19 June. The glittering event will be presented by Debra Stephenson who is famous for her roles on Coronation Street and Bad Girls. Debra, herself a mum of young children, will crown the winners of the NDNA Nursery Carer of the Year, supported by Oral-B Stages and the NDNA Day Nursery of the Year, supported by Hope Education. Entry packs have been mailed to all NDNA member nurseries, and non-member nurseries that wish to enter can download a pack from http://www.ndna.org.uk Now in its ninth year, the two-day conference enables delegates to gain a real insight into current developments in childcare and day one will see Purnima Tanuku talk about the role day nurseries play in transforming children's futures. The first day will be chaired by Jayne Barrett from BBC Northwest Tonight and Beverley Hughes, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families will update delegates about the Government's childcare policy. A session on the Early Years Foundation Stage with presentations from Primary and National Strategies, Ofsted and a pilot nursery will also give everyone an insight into what to expect from September 2008. Karen Marshall, a parenting coach, will speak about working in partnership with parents. Following feedback from delegates at last year's conference, attendees will be able to opt for a number of workshops on day one covering topics including flexible working, which includes a presentation from Sarah Jackson, Chief Executive of Working Families, a 'healthy body, happy me' workshop with live demonstrations about music, oral hygiene and yoga, or a session about self-evaluation. The day will close with a speech from Professor Mary Rudolf, Consultant paediatrician and Professor of Child Health who will share her insights into health and nutrition from an early age. After opening remarks from day two chair Sarah Carr OBE, the second part of the conference offers further inspirational ideas. This year's key note speech from Ian Rose, current Paralympic silver medallist and former World and European champion, will reveal how he overcame significant challenges to achieve a winning performance. Diane Rich, television panellist, will share how to provide creative learning opportunities for children and 'Lincolnshire Business Woman of the Year' Sarah Steel will reveal the secrets of her success. The afternoon's workshops give a real focus on ways to support the nursery as a business, with a session about how to be a 'green nursery', a workshop about securing funding, and an interactive option about partnership working between local authorities and nurseries. Purnima Tanuku, Chief Executive of NDNA
comments: "Our Annual Conference and Awards are always an unmissable event,
and this year is no different. Each speaker and workshop has been selected
to ensure delegates gain new ideas and tips to take back to their settings
about important areas including sustainability, the EYFS and childcare
practice. The Annual Awards are also now open for entries, and we look
forward to once again receiving some great nominations which share the
excellent work happening in day nurseries across the UK. The conference
is a must attend event and is an excellent training opportunity which will
provide nurseries with a real insight into achieving excellence as part
of a process of continuous improvement."
CHILD'S PLAY? Ensuring that early years practitioners the families have the right kind of training, information and support to make the Early Years Foundation Stage a success for the under 5s is the theme of the Pre-school Learning Alliance's annual conference, exhibition and AGM taking place on Friday 20 June. Entitled, Child's Play?, and taking place only a few months before the EYFS is to become statutory, this timely conference will be held at the Novotel London West Hotel and Convention Centre, Hammersmith. The conference's key note speech will be given by Sheila Scales, Director, Early Years, Extended Schools and Special Needs Department for Children, Schools and Families. Other speakers are Sue Palmer, educationalist and author of Toxic Childhood and Peter Dixon, educationalist, author and poet. Workshops and sessions include: EYFS - sharing best practice. Ruth Pimentel, National Director, Early Years at National Strategies How Ofsted will regulate and inspect settings against the EYFS framework. Dee Gasson Assistant Divisional Manager, Children's Policy and Frameworks,Ofsted Inspiring children's confidence and learning with outdoor play. Diane Hall, Early Years Forest School Project Coordinator Promoting and sharing best practice for involving children in the EYFS Aimed at childcare practitioners and those running early years services, Child's Play is open to non-members, as well as members, of the Pre-school Learning Alliance. The conference takes place from 09.30am-17.30pm. Price for non members is £176.25 (inclusive of VAT). For further information or to book a place please call 020 7697 2576 or go to http://www.pre-school.org.uk.
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| 5. NEWS
FOR LOVE OR MONEY: Pay, progression and professionalisation in the 'early years' workforce Author: Graeme Cooke and Kayte Lawton The first report from ippr's Working out
of Poverty series highlighted the significant and growing problem of poverty
among working people and their families. The aim of this report is to investigate
how these issues play out in one particular low wage sector - the early
years - highlighting both challenges that are common across low wage sectors
and those that are distinctive to the early years.
Full report available here
See related news article 'Majority of nursery
staff are poorly qualified'
NDNA RESPONDS TO IPPR'S REPORT 'FOR LOVE OR MONEY' AND AGREES PAY IMPORTANT IN SOLVING WORKFORCE ISSUES NDNA recognises issues report highlights but say increased direct investment is essential National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) today responded to the IPPR's latest report 'For Love or Money: pay, progression and professionalisation in the early years workforce.' Whilst recognising the validity of many of the points the report makes, NDNA said that without further increased direct investment, it would be a real challenge to address the issues identified. The report reveals it can be difficult for the sector to develop staff qualifications at higher levels, an issue which the report claims is perpetuated by low pay. Whilst the report does recognise the challenges nurseries face in terms of difficult market conditions and relatively inelastic income, NDNA said that without direct Government investment in place for salaries, the sector could not work to national or local payscales. Purnima Tanuku, Chief Executive of NDNA
comments: "Whilst this report highlights a number of challenges, it is
important to recognise that nurseries and staff teams are committed to
their own professional development and do have a real focus on delivering
high quality childcare. The vast majority of nurseries are already providing
an excellent service for families. However, developing staff skills and
qualifications further has large costs attached for private, voluntary
and independent nurseries, both in terms of the physical cost of doing
this and also the expectation of increased salaries. The report recognises
how low pay causes difficulty in raising the qualifications of the workforce
further, and indeed the issue of salaries can cause people to leave for
better paid jobs elsewhere. We were also pleased that the report recognises
the large constraints upon the sector in developing the workforce at higher
levels, in terms of a reliance on parental fees. The report also s!
She adds: "In addition, whilst we agree
that pay does need to be addressed, establishing an institutional framework
for agreeing wage floors will not work unless funding commitment is made
first. Already, 80% of parental fees go directly on staff salaries and
nurseries simply cannot commit to raising wages without either support
in place for this or parents being able to pay increased fees. NDNA is
also concerned by the suggestion that Government support should go to those
providing the universal free entitlement - there are still many issues
to be addressed with this to ensure that this element is sustainable and
NDNA believes that this is an area that in itself requires increased investment.
It is also important that local authorities do not become 'enforcers' of
local pay scales with the potential to 'freeze out' providers who do not
meet them. There could be a real danger of unrealistic payscales and local
authorities have a role in supporting providers, not regulating t!
NEXT STEPS ON CHILDREN'S PLAN - DEVELOPING THE CHILDREN'S WORKFORCE AND CHILDREN'S TRUSTS Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children,
Schools and Families announced next steps on the Children's Plan today
with packages investing in play, youth facilities and children's workforce,
as well as next steps for Children's Trusts.
The announcement was made at a major conference attended by more than a hundred Directors of Children's Services from around the country, to look at the leadership challenges and opportunities in delivering the Government's ambitious Children's Plan. In the Children's Plan published in December Ed Balls set out his ambition to make this country the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up. And for the first time ever the Department for Children, Schools and Families has organised a one-off conference to discuss with Directors of Children's Services and key partners how to take this forward. More details on a package of investment measures worth nearly £400m in the children's workforce has also been announced alongside new guidance for Children's Trusts. Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said: "Publishing the Children's Plan in December was just the start of the process to make this country the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up. But this is not something we can do alone - it will need real local leadership to deliver improvements on the ground and I'm delighted that so many Directors of Children's Services - who have already set a fantastic example - can join us here today. "At the heart of delivering our ambitions in the Children's Plan are those who work with children, so I'm also publishing today our next steps for the children's workforce. "Everyone who works with a child or young person or with their family has a role to play in supporting their development. The way in which they are able to provide that support will be critical to the achievement of our aspirations for children and young people in the 21st Century. "Delivering the ambitions in the Children's Plan will require excellent local partnerships and the new statutory guidance on Children's Trusts is the next stage in the process of examining whether they need to be strengthened - including by introducing further legislation." Children's Workforce It is the practitioners who work directly with children who will make the difference in achieving the ambitions set out in the Children's Plan. Building Brighter Futures: next steps for the Children's Workforce sets out the Government's plans for investment in the sector over the next three years. In particular, it gives more detail about the implementation of commitments in the Children's Plan to: . Invest £73m in package of proposals to improve training, recruitment and professional development of social workers; . Invest £305m in early years to provide greater graduate leadership of practice in private, voluntary and independent settings towards our ambition of a graduate Early Years Professional in every full day care setting by 2015; . Invest £7.5m in the play workforce including to give 4,000 play workers access to Level 3 qualifications, starting from autumn 2008. As part of the plan, Ministers today also announced plans for a new expert group, which will bring together champions from different parts of the workforce - unions, representative organisations and people who provide frontline services. The Expert Group will work with the Government to develop a long term strategy which will further support and develop people who work with children and young people and ensure that we have a world class children's workforce, providing the highest quality of personalised and integrated services. Alongside this document we are also publishing a professional development framework for those leading and managing children's services. Leading and managing Children's Services in England: a national professional development framework describes the knowledge, skills and behaviours relevant to all leaders and managers of children's services and will support the development of effective and innovative leaders across the workforce. Children's Trusts Delivering the ambitions in the Children's Plan requires excellent local leadership. Children's Trusts, now in place across the country and with local authorities at their heart, have shown that they can provide this leadership. Children's Trusts are local partnerships aimed at bringing together the key local agencies who work with children and helping them to deliver services that really meet the needs of children, young people and their families. Children's Trusts are also putting children at the centre of planning and delivery of services, and the Children's Plan set high expectations that they deliver measurable improvements for all children and young people. But we need to strengthen the framework for Children's Trusts if we are to achieve the ambitions of the Children's Plan consistently across the country. Secretary of State, Ed Balls, therefore today issued new statutory guidance for consultation to help Children's Trusts to raise their game and further improve the lives of children, young people and their families. The Secretary of State also announced that he would welcome advice and comment from Children's Trust partners such as the health service and police on whether further changes, including to the legislative framework for Children's Trusts, are needed to fulfil the challenging remit of the Children's Plan. Children's Plan implementation All Directors of Children's Services attending the conference received a pack of material that we are making available more widely to show how the commitments in the Children's Plan will be taken forward. The material includes an updated version of the Every Child Matters outcomes framework, showing how the Children's Plan and other national programmes will work together to help children and young people be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution to society and enjoy economic wellbeing. Progress will be driven forward through Public Service Agreements (PSAs) and tracked in each local area through the National Indicator Set of measures. The Children's Plan contained many commitments across the full range of services for children and young people, for example to publish more detailed plans and strategies on a range of issues and to offer new funding for a range of important initiatives such as improving children's play. A timeline is now available to show when professionals can expect to see progress on these commitments. FAIR PLAY MINISTERS CALL FOR:
Children across the country are to get an extra 3,500 play areas and 30 local authorities will get £2 million each to build new adventure playgrounds, as part of £235m Government investment on children's play. Ed Balls and Andy Burnham also vowed to help tackle bullying and crime in play areas and other public spaces, improve road safety and work with town planners and developers to create more child friendly public spaces, ending the 'no ball games' culture. The Ministers promised to investigate whether local authorities were being over cautious with play equipment and to support parents in balancing risk against opportunity. For the first time ever the Government will have a new play indicator, meaning that every year children and young people will be asked how satisfied they are with their local play areas and parks. To help them improve their play facilities, all councils will get funding for play (3,500 play areas), with 30 play pathfinder authorities getting extra £2 million for adventure playgrounds, and 43 playbuilder authorities receiving an additional £1 million for play areas. Funding of £225 million was announced for play in the Children's Plan, but an additional £10 million has been added to this fund, as Ministers underlined the importance of play and how it should be taken seriously by every council in the country. Children's Play Consultation In order to create more high quality places to play, the Government proposes to: 1. Invest £235m over the next three years to develop up to 3,500 public play areas 2. Support 30 local authorities to develop adventure playgrounds or play parks aimed at 8-13 year olds in disadvantaged areas (20 will be announced today and a further 10 in the autumn) 3. Work with councils to ensure play areas are stimulating, exciting and attractive to children - working closely to involve children, families and communities 4. Drive local performance with a new national play indicator from 2009 5. Develop and test volunteering opportunities to support play 6. Work with planners, developers and transport officers to create neighbourhoods that meet the needs of children and families 7. Boost the qualifications and skills of the workforce The Fair Play consultation was announced in a written ministerial statement, by the Departments of Children, Schools and Families and Culture, Media and Sport, which also included further information on how the Government intends to take forward the Children's Plan, Children's Trusts, the Youth Facilities Fund and the children's workforce action plan. Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls, said: "The ability to play safely and independently is one of the defining characteristics of a good childhood. Play is first and foremost to help children have fun - but it can also keep them happy and healthy and allow them to develop and achieve their full potential. I want every child in this country to be able to benefit which is why I'm announcing today the biggest investment in play ever so that we can see 3,500 more playgrounds and 30 adventure playgrounds around the country. "We need exciting and stimulating places for children to play which are close to where they live and easy for them to get to. But this is not just about designated spaces - public play spaces are an essential part of any community. I want local communities and children themselves to play a key role in making public spaces more child friendly. Let's see an end to the no ball games culture and a start of a new era where children's needs and children's play areas are at the heart of the planning process from start to finish. "As parents we all want to keep our children safe and that means making sure they can play safely. But we also know that as our children get older they need to be able to learn to take risks so that they can thrive. Play is a vital way of helping them do that and if we can provide safe environments for our children and young people then as parents we can step back and let them learn from experience." Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham said: "Good play areas are well used by children and parents alike and provide an excellent social focus for the community, but they don't exist everywhere. That's why we're launching this strategy, to give children a stimulating and safe environment where they can let off steam, mix with others and get active. The enjoyment children get from play can give them a life long love of being active and also build up a passion for sport. "Of course it is important that children are kept safe but this does not mean we have to wrap them up in cotton wool. I want to get children outside where they can enjoy the many possibilities that play offers rather than spending all day in front of the computer. Play can help children explore their creative side while at the same time improve their fitness. New and improved play areas will give children fantastic opportunities to do just that." Adrian Voce, Director of Play England, said: "The challenge of opening up public space for play is huge. It needs a bold vision and the play strategy rises to this challenge. The proposed steps should put children at the heart of their communities - not rhetorically, but physically, out playing where they belong. "In so doing, the government has finally come good on the full scope of Every Child Matters, recognising that children's enjoyment of play and their freedom and safety as stakeholders in public space is as important as any outcome. "The proposed strategy is a massive step towards England again becoming a more child-friendly country. For it and the funding to have the impact they need, local authorities must now make play the priority that it has always been for children." The Children's Plan set out a new agenda
on how Departments will work together to support children to play. In this,
the Government announced the biggest ever investment in play of £225
million. We have now added an extra £10 million to this, meaning
that over the next three years we'll be spending £235 million on
helping children to play.
6. INTERNATIONAL NEWS MANY PEACE TREATIES DO NOT INCLUDE EDUCATION, NEW REPORT FINDS Save the Children today is launching a global debate to raise the priority of education in furthering the peace process in conflict-affected countries. The humanitarian agency is sponsoring events across the world, including a roundtable discussion today in New York City. The New York event will bring together numerous global organizations involved in building lasting peace, UN Member States, civil society and UN agencies. The roundtable is part of Save the Children's Rewrite the Future campaign, which advocates for the 37 million children who cannot go to school because of conflict in their countries. The 5-year initiative, launched in 2006, is dedicated to bringing 3 million children living in conflict-affected countries into school and to ensuring that another 5 million children in conflict-affected countries receive a better-quality education. Save the Children is working to make schools safe and to encourage national governments and international institutions to prioritize quality education. Also as part of Rewrite the Future, Save the Children has released a new report, Where Peace Begins, with the premise that education can mitigate the effects of conflict on children and help build peace in countries affected by armed conflict. While the report notes that education should be recognized as key to long-lasting stability, it also points out that nearly a third of all recent peace agreements make no mention of education at all. According to the report, of the 37 full peace agreements signed between 1989 and 2005 that are publicly available, 11 omit mention of education. And in the other agreements, there is great variation in the way education is addressed, according to the report. Save the Children is calling for political leaders, the international community and donors to prioritize education in future peace negotiations so that fragile states have a better chance for a more stable, democratic future. Full funding for inclusive, quality education will enable citizens of all ages to move beyond ethnic or social divisions. The damage to education systems during conflicts is often severe. Examples in the new report show that students, teachers and administrative staff are often targeted for intimidation, recruitment and indoctrination during conflict. School premises are destroyed or occupied by fighters, and teachers and curricula may become subject to manipulation. In addition, evidence shows that, if misused, education may contribute to conflict by encouraging children to perpetuate hate or continue the fight. "Education is fundamental to ensuring that a peace process holds and a country can rebuild. Schools that are free, in the community and welcoming to all students are integral to healing wounded societies," says Charles MacCormack, CEO of Save the Children USA. "Our practical experience on the ground shows that schools must be safe from attack and must be perceived as places where intellectual curiosity and respect for universal human rights is fostered. Education systems must apply a non-biased curriculum and relevant materials. And finally, the opinions of children, parents and the community must be taken into consideration. With these expectations children will thrive, and so will their countries." According to the report, the various social benefits of education (including hope, greater possibilities for the future, mitigation of the cycle of poverty and improved levels of socioeconomic development) can raise the opportunity cost of participating in armed conflict. In addition, quality education delivered in violence-free, cooperative learning environments teach children critical lessons about non-violent conflict resolution. "Educating children is key if nations are to maintain peace and to protect children from violence, exploitation and abuse", says David Morley, President and CEO of Save the Children Canada. "In my experience, conflict has a significant and damaging impact on education. However, this can be changed through informed debate and changes in peace agreement priorities." Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change for children in need around the world. For more than 80 years, Save the Children has been helping children survive and thrive by improving their health, education and economic opportunities and, in times of acute crisis, mobilizing rapid lifesaving assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters. http://www.savethechildren.org/publications/rewrite-the-future/Where_Peace_Begins_Summary.pdf
7. MORE EDUCATIONAL SITES For more educational sites visit Sites for Teachers http://www.sitesforteachers.com/perl/rankem.pcgi?id=under5s
Kind regards
The Under5s Team
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