SCHOOLS MUST ‘BUILD CHARACTER’
A survey carried out by Populus for the University of Birmingham’s Jubilee Centre for Character and Values has revealed that 87 per cent of parents think that schools have a wider role to play than just producing academic results. Those asked wanted schools to encourage values such as honesty and fairness in pupils.
NEW RESOURCES FROM YFC
YFC has had a busy few months. Tackling head on the issue of NEETs, the national youth organisation has launched myLife, a flexible online toolkit to help young people develop character and acquire essential life, social and thinking skills for work. YFC has also relaunched its popular RE website, RE:quest, which seeks to equip, educate and enable teachers and pupils of all ages and abilities to ask and answer the big questions around Christianity.
FAITH AT UNIVERSITY According to a report titled ‘Christianity and the university experience’, faith is alive and well at university. The researchers have uncovered key insights, the most important being that, contrary to expectations, ‘Christian students – much like UK Christians in general – comprise a sizeable and diverse group’ at universities in this country.
REBOOT
The OCCA ran its first ever Youth Apologetics Conference in September, giving the 400 teenagers gathered the opportunity to explore tricky subjects and ask their own questions. Michael Ramsden, Amy Orr Ewing and Vince Vitale spoke and facilitated questions and answers throughout the day. A steady flow of sweets helped feed the brain and the day was rounded off with pizzas.
FEED THE HUNGRY
In the run up to Christmas, many families across the UK will go hungry. Premier Media Group (which Youthwork is a part of) is launching ‘Feed the hungry’ – to facilitate churches in collecting food for local food banks and shelters. Could this be something your youth group might get involved with? Find out more at www.premier.org.uk/feedthehungry
