Every school should have a pond and bird box to help children appreciate nature, Country Life magazine has declared.
The publication’s editor Mark Hedges said that to get pupils interested in the environment, they needed to witness nature first-hand.
He believes having a pond and a ‘swift brick’ bird box – a small box specifically built for nesting swifts – will turn the ‘heads and hearts’ of children alongside the launch of a natural history GCSE.
The qualification was introduced by the previous Tory government and aims to increase understanding of the climate and natural world.
This Government will publish a report on the proposed subject content this autumn.
But Mr Hedges claimed children won’t appreciate nature if it’s compulsory.
He said: ‘The disconnect of children from flora, fauna and farming, apart from a few admirable but isolated initiatives, and the soulless barrenness of young lives with faces transfixed by mobile phones, is an issue of these times.
‘It was so much easier “back in the day”. A child’s love of all things countryside came naturally through home life – walks with grandparents, accompanying father on a “gone fishing” trip or weeding alongside mother.
Every school should have a pond and bird box to help children appreciate nature, Country Life magazine has declared. Pictured: File photo
The publication’s editor Mark Hedges said that to get pupils interested in the environment, they needed to witness nature first-hand. Pictured: File photo
He believes having a pond and a ‘swift brick’ bird box – a small box specifically built for nesting swifts – will turn the ‘heads and hearts’ of children alongside the launch of a natural history GCSE. Pictured: File photo
‘There is a danger with the [natural history] GCSE, although absolutely laudable, that school, on which so much responsibility is lumped, will assign nature appreciation to following an academic syllabus.
‘We would suggest a right-here, bottom-up approach. Every school would have a pond and a swift brick. These are achievable even in the inner city.’
…or how about a £2,700 outfit from Burberry?
It promises to take ‘childrenswear from the playground to the classroom in style’.
But Burberry’s back-to-school range will cost parents thousands for the privilege – with a pencil case alone costing £210.
In the luxury British brand’s new range for stylish children, a full ensemble – which includes a hat, coat, polo shirt, trousers, socks, trainers, backpack and the pencil case – is £2,700.
Inspired by its heritage styles, a trench coat in shower-resistant cotton gabardine is £1,050.
Style site Fashion Network said: ‘Burberry is taking childrenswear from the playground to the classroom in style with its Winter campaign.
‘With Burberry, this means mini iterations of its house codes alongside playful new prints.’
It promises to take ‘childrenswear from the playground to the classroom in style’. But Burberry’s back-to-school range (pictured) will cost parents thousands for the privilege – with a pencil case alone costing £210
In the luxury British brand’s new range for stylish children (pictured), a full ensemble – which includes a hat, coat, polo shirt, trousers, socks, trainers, backpack and the pencil case – is £2,700
