English in Madrid

Spanish PM leads outcry over students filmed chanting abuse at women’s halls Ministers join censure after male student cheered on by mob for calling women in Madrid residence ‘whores’ and ‘nymphomaniacs’ Source: You Tube (Guardian News) Key Words: Students Sexist Insults Madrid Senior Spanish government figures, including the prime minister, have condemned the behaviour of a group of male university students who were filmed cheering and howling after one of them hurled threatening , obscene and sexist insults at female students in a neighbouring block . Footage of the incident, shot on Sunday at the Elías Ahuja hall of residence in Madrid, shows one student calling women in the Santa Mónica hall “whores” and “fucking nymphomaniacs” and telling them to come “out of your dens like rabbits”. His words are met with roars and cheers from dozens of others in the block, who throw open their window shutters in unison to join in . Authorities at the hall, which is run by the Augus...

Source: You Tube (New York Post) Key Words: male teacher skirts Spain Source: You Tube (Milenio) Key Words: maestros en faldas Male teachers turn up in SKIRTS across Spain to support boy who was expelled and made to visit a psychologist for wearing one to class  Male teachers in Spain have been wearing skirts to class as part of the campaign  The Clothes Have No Gender movement was started in November by Jose Piñas  Comes after Mikel Gomez, 15, was expelled for wear ing a skirt to Basque school Male teachers in Spain have been wearing skirts to school as part of a campaign challenging gender stereotypes.  The Clothes Have No Gender (#LaRopaNoTieneGenero) movement was launched by Maths teacher Jose Piñas in November after one of his students was expelled and forced to visit a psychologist after wearing a skirt to school.  The drive gathered pace again last month when Manuel Ortega, 37, and Borja Velaquez, 36, of Virgen de Sacedon primary school in ...

Spanish princess Leonor to attend UWC Atlantic College in Wales The heir to the Spanish throne is to study in Wales from this summer, it has been announced.  Princess Leonor de Borbon, 15, the elder of two daughters of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, will attend Atlantic College, based at St Donat's Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan.  The princess, who turns 16 in October, will begin her £67,000 two-year course at the boarding school this summer.  King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will personally meet the cost of the course.   She applied for a place through the United World Colleges (UWC)'s Spanish committee. Princess Leonor went through the entire selection process, part of which is conducted anonymously, along with all other candidates.  "We are looking forward to welcom ing HRH Princess Leonor of Asturias as one of the Spanish nominees to attend UWC Atlantic in 2021," said Peter T. Howe, principal of the college.  "We hope very much she...

Source: Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash Coronavirus: Spain's children run free from lockdown - but not all When Spain's government announced a national lockdown in mid- March, in reaction to coronavirus, not everyone was dismayed at the prospect of spending several weeks at home. Miguel Sánchez, a 15-year-old from Madrid, was delighted he wouldn't have to go to school for the foreseeable   future . Six weeks later, hav ing not left the family's flat once, the lockdown has lost some of its shine for him and he still does not know when he will be able to go out. Restrictions have been partially lifted for children under the age of 14 for the first time. That means Miguel's younger brother, Jaime, can now go out each day. But Miguel cannot. 'He misses his friends' "It does bother   him, because he says 'Why can my brother go out and I can't?'," says their mother, Cristina Carrasco, a primary school teacher. Miguel has ...

Image source: Wikipedia (Alex E. Proimos) Student union bans clapping to make events 'inclusive'  The University of Manchester's student union wants praise communicated using jazz hands instead - and cheering is also banned. Clapping has been banned by a student union in a move to be more inclusive towards those with anxiety or sensory issues . Jazz hands - British Sign Language (BSL) clapping - will replace clapping, cheering and whooping at the University of Manchester's student union events. According to student newspaper Mancunion, the ban was agreed at the first union meeting of the year. "It resolved to swap out audible clapping for BSL clapping at SU events, and to encourage student groups and societies to do the same, and to include BSL clapping as a part of inclusion training ," the student paper reads. The motion was authored by liberation and access officer Sara Khan, and received little opposition. Ms Khan has made t...

Source:  Annie Spratt en Unsplash Spain parents urged to put children on weekend homework strike   Parents associations group calls for month-long boycott by state schools pupils in protest against "unacceptable" workload   Parents in Spain are being urged to go on a weekend homework strike this month in protest against the “unacceptable” amount of after-school tasks their children are given. The homework load of Spanish children has long been a sore point with some parents, who argue that the burden is too great, places too much pressure on pupils and eats into family time. According to a 2012 study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Spanish 15-year-olds have 6.5 hours of homework a week compared with an average of 4.9 across the 38 OECD countries. The Spanish Confederation of Associations of Mothers and Fathers of Students (Ceapa) has decided that enough is enough and is calling on parents whose children attend Spa...

Source: Kyle Head on Unsplash   Italian teenagers to receive €500 'cultural bonus' from government Italian school leavers may face the dismal prospect of 40 per cent youth unemployment , but at least they have one thing to look forward to – a €500 “culture bonus”, courtesy of the government. From next month, every 18-year-old will be entitled to claim the money and spend it on culturally enriching pursuits such as going to theatres, concerts and museums, visiting archaeological sites, and buying books. The scheme, which starts on Sept 15, will benefit 575,000 teenagers, at a cost to the government of €290 million (£250 million). Young people who turn 18 this year will be able to register online and then spend the money through a special app, called 18app.it, which can be downloaded on a smart phone, tablet or computer. They will have until the end of next year to spend all the credit. They will be spoilt for choice – the country that gave the world Mich...

Half of Britons can't spell common words Forty per cent of Britons rely on autocorrect, survey reveals as occasionally, rhythm and conscience make it into the top words which stump writers Embarrassment, occasionally and necessary have been listed among the words Britons have most difficulty spelling. Researchers who studied 2,000 adults found that more than half had problems spelling commonly used words. The list included accommodate, questionnaire and rhythm. Conscience also proved tricky, along with occurrence, restaurant and guarantee. Source: Telegraph     Vocabulary : to rely on stg/sb  - a survey - to stump - a researcher - research (UNC) - to tend to do stg - to struggle - to rate stg -       Read this other post about spelling and the tricks to remember how to spell certain words.

Gay Teacher Fights to Get Catholic School Job Back A (1) P.E. teacher at an Ohio Catholic school is fighting to get her job back after being fired . Carla Hale worked at Bishop Watterson High School for 19 years —  the termination came after she published her partner’s name in her mother’s obituary back in February. A parent wrote an anonymous letter to The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus saying they were surprised a parochial school would employ someone who contradicted the (2) of the church. Hale told NBC she had no problem putting her partner Julie’s name in her mother’s obituary. CARLA HALE: “I told Julie what I (3) done. She instantly questioned me and she said, ‘ Are you sure you want to do this?’” The Columbus Diocese has not publicly commented to any news outlets , but has given a (4) that said, “The Catholic Church respects the fundamental dignity of all persons but also must insist those in its employ respect the tenet...

Schoolboy in a skirt: Pupil protests at rule forcing boys to wear trousers during hot weather It's not necessarily a photo Chris Whitehead’s parents will be framing and keeping on the mantelpiece .  But they are certainly proud of him. The 12-year-old wore a skirt to school yesterday to protest against ‘discriminatory’ rules which ban boys from wear ing shorts.  He says it is unfair that girls can change into skirts during the hot weather, while boys have to swelter in long trousers. This, he says, affects their concentration and ability to learn.  The schoolboy is taking advantage of a ‘silly loophole ’ in the uniform policy at Impington Village College, near Cambridge, that means boys can wear skirts as the school would be guilty of discrimination if it tried to stop them. ‘In the summer months, girl students are allowed to wear skirts but boys are not allowed to wear shorts,’ Chris explained yesterday before his protest. ‘It discriminates against boys. I will ma...

Madrid school to pay 40,000 € compensation for case of bullying It's the highest amount a school has ever had to pay in Spain A school run by a religious order in Alcorcón has been ordered to pay 40,000 € compensation to the parents of an ex pupil who suffered constant bullying by a group of schoolmates during his primary school studies. The amount set by First Instance Court No. 44 in the Spanish capital is the highest ever ruled on a Spanish school for a case of bullying. The court considered there was no record that the directors of the school had spoken with the parents of the children who were involved in the bullying campaign, even though they had been informed of what was happening. The bullying took place over a period of more than two years, producing in the child, according to a psychological assessment which was presented as evidence in court, chronic post-traumatic syndrome. It’s understood that the school, which is run by the Congregación Hermanas del Am...

NASUWT teaching union attacks school phone powers Plans to allow teachers in England to search pupils for mobile phones and examine the phones' content have been called " reckless " by a teaching union . The measures in the new Education Bill are designed to combat cyber- bullying . But the NASUWT says it will create conflict between teachers and pupils and their parents. The government insists the measures help assert the authority of teachers and will allow them to deal with problems in schools more effectively. Schools have developed different policies on pupils using mobile phones. Many teachers have found themselves challenged by students and parents when they try to confiscate them. 'Disproportionate powers' The Education Bill for England will give the teachers a legal right to search pupils and take their phones - and also look at and delete any messages and pictures they deem necessary. NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates says the p...

Source: Erik Mclean on Unsplash European Court of Human Rights rules crucifixes are allowed in state schools Strasbourg judgment overturns 2009 ruling that crucifixes violate secular principles, calling them an 'essentially passive symbol' The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that crucifixes are acceptable in the continent's state school classrooms, describing them as an "essentially passive symbol" with no obvious religious influence. In its judgment, handed down in Strasbourg, the court found that while the crucifix was "above all a religious symbol" there was no evidence that its display on classroom walls might have an influence on pupils. The ruling reverses   their earlier, unanimous decision from 2009 in favour of a Finnish-born mother who said that state schools in the Italian town of Abano Terme, where she lives, refused to remove the Roman Catholic symbols from classrooms. Soile Lautsi said the crucifix violated the secula...

Scottish teenagers to receive sleep training in schools Resources to teach teenagers how to get enough sleep are to be offered to schools across Scotland. The teaching pack created by the charity Sleep Scotland is to be used as part of the curriculum for excellence. It aims to raise awareness of the importance of sleep for young people's emotional and physical wellbeing. The charity said watching television and using computers and mobile phones at night can prevent teenagers getting the nine hours of sleep they need. Sleep Scotland, which also offers a sleep counselling service, said getting enough sleep can boost academic performance and physical health. However, going without can be linked to obesity, pupils' failure to reach their potential height and a greater risk of depression. Jet lag A pilot scheme in secondary schools in Glasgow was launched by the charity last year as part of the development of the new resource pack for teachers. Jane Ansell, di...