Below is a list of some of the press coverage for the Primary Review's interim reports released in October. Click here to see the interim reports and their accompanying briefings and press releases.
1. Community Soundings: report on the Primary Review regional witness sessions (released 12.10.07)
12.10.07
• BBC Online - Primary children 'suffer stress': Primary school children and their parents are suffering from "deep anxiety" about modern life, according to a study of education in England.
• The Guardian - Study reveals stressed out 7-11 year-olds - Polly Curtis.
• The Guardian - Testing, testing - too much for our children? - Donald McLeod blog:
"When it comes to tests children themselves gave mixed messages to the Cambridge University researchers and seemed less hostile to them than teachers and parents...".
• ATL Online - 'Primary Review publishes first report'.
• The Times Online - Pressure of tests 'means primary school pupils lose their childhood' - Alexandra Frean.
• The Independent - The primary cause for concern: Our young children are anxious, badly behaved, stressed, depressed and obsessed... - Richard Gerver.
• Earthtimes.org.uk - Annual tests stressing primary school children in the UK - Jayesh P. Yadav.
• Times Educational Supplement - Our primaries are heaven - Helen Ward.
• Times Educational Supplement - Backlash against testing regime - Helen Ward.
• Times Educational Supplement - Bleak vision of our world - Jonathan Milne.
• politics.co.uk - Report author explains results.
• politics.co.uk - 'Consumerist' fear for children is common.
• Press Association – story circulated to all regional and local newspapers.
13.10.07
• The Guardian letters page - Reclaim the streets for our children.
• The Times Online - Teachers struggle to balance cultures and 'inclusiveness' - Ruth Gledhill.
• Cambridge Evening News - Report says pupils 'stressed out'.
14.10.07
• The Sunday Times - We stop our children being childish – that’s why they’re anxious - Rod Liddle.
• The Independent - The kids are perfectly all right - Tim Lott:
"Gun crime, gang violence, exam overload, traffic – these are the things said to be troubling our children. But they are never bored and are having the time of their lives..."
15.10.07
• The Telegraph - Pushy parents fuel exam stress for children - Graeme Paton.
16.10.07
• Spiked Online - The myth of stressed and depressed schoolkids: If we’re not careful, claims that young people can’t cope with the ‘intense pressure’ of exams could become a self-fulfilling prophecy - Helene Guldberg.
