News And Views

Spain takes lead in closing down the websites that tell girls it’s good to be anorexic
Health authorities in Madrid have acted to close a pro-anorexia website, accusing it of endangering the lives of teenage girls. Four months after the city led the world in the Size 0 debate by banning ultra-skinny models from its catwalks, health officials are shining the spotlight on the growing number of “pro-ana” websites that glorify starvation diets. Their first strike is against The Great Ana Competition, a website that awards a diploma to the girl who eats the fewest calories in a two-week period. They have filed a suit against the competition, which uses a scoring system that doctors said “would cause malnutrition in normal women”.Last week the Eating Disorders Association said that there were more than 500 pro-anorexia sites on the internet with names such as Salvation through Starvation and Feast or Famine and slogans such as “Hunger hurts but starvation works”. Steve Bloomfield, of the association, said that the sites were often set up by young people with “no idea of the potentially deadly consequences of developing anorexia nervosa”. He added that they could be persuading sufferers to refuse treatment. “About one in five people who don’t get appropriate treatment diet.

Montessori brings calm to second state primary
The Montessori teaching method, in which children learn at their own pace and testing is banned, has been adopted by a second state primary school in
England. Teachers at the Stebbing Primary School, near Great Dunmow in Essex, which has 90 pupils, began to pilot Montessori teaching in September and say that it has already had a dramatic effect on the behaviour of pupils. Teachers removed brightly coloured wall displays and brought in natural wood furniture and equipment. The children now behave more calmly and can work effectively for three hours without a break. Janet Matthews, the head teacher, said that the school would evaluate the success of the move after a year before taking a final decision. “But what is overwhelmingly coming across is the calmness of the school,” she said. “Children are working for sustained periods of time on the activities they are choosing, and the maths and literacy levels seem pretty good. The classroom was a typical reception classroom, very bright displays, brightly coloured doors and floors. Over the summer holidays we calmed everything down.”

• The Montessori method is based on observing young children to learn about their characteristics and needs

• It puts children of various ages in the same classroom and features special educational materials, student-chosen work, a collaborative environment with mentors, no tests and instruction in social skills

• Most British Montessori education is at nursery level; there are a few primaries

• There is only one state-funded Montessori school in Britain, the 350-pupil Gorton Mount Primary in Manchester.

Divorce better than arguing, say children
For years children have been considered the real victims of divorce, doomed to a life of insecurity, underachievement and endless shuttling between two homes. But two studies have found that most children whose parents split up are happy with their new life and do not see divorce as a tragedy.

A poll of 2,000 adults and 350 children published today found that 80 per cent of 10 to 15-year-olds were “quite happy” or “very happy” with their family life. The same proportion said that things were “just as good” or “better” since the separationThe poll and the research found that children came off worst when parents continued to argue over access and ignored their wishes. One fifth of the children surveyed, mostly boys, complained that they did not have enough say over where they spent their time.

Times