Divorce, modern-day pressures, teenage suicides and the cult of celebrity – are all contributing to an unhappy generation of children.
A motion to be debated this week by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers will look at 'the mental health of primary age children and the pressures they face in modern society'.
British teachers want to call for an independent Royal Commission to look at the reasons why so many children in our country are unhappy.
One of the solutions to the problem could be the scrapping of compulsory homework for primary school pupils. 'I think a lot of homework is a waste of time,' Dr Mary Bousted, the ATL general-secretary told The Independent newspaper. 'It puts a huge amount of stress on disadvantaged children. Middle-class children can go home and get help from their parents to do their homework. Disadvantaged children do not necessarily have the extra learning support that the middle-class children have and consequently it doesn't tell you much about the relative abilities of different children.'
A spokesperson for the Department for Children, Schools and Families rejected claims that children were unhappy saying: 'For most children, 2008 is a great time to be a child. Most children are happy, most are achieving to a higher level than ever before, enjoying better health, more opportunities to travel, to engage in sport or cultural activities than was the case for any previous generation.'
March 2008
Back To Our Main News Section
Look At Other News Snippets Here | 
Parents Won't Let Kids Play Outside
