World News Service for Children
Back in the early 50s when I was in primary school I remember that one of the highlights of the week was to listen in class to the radio. I think we listened to lots of different things from stories to assemblies. Later when I began teaching in the mid 60s my classes missed their playtime each Friday because the BBC broadcast the Look and Read TV series at 10.25 (I think it was) and we had no way of recording at the time. Now much is digitised and available online for anywhere/anytime consumption either as sound or video.
Today's early morning news brought back these memories as I listened to a piece about the BBC's World News for Children, a five minute digest, broadcast weekdays at 07.15 and 12.00 GMT (or, of course, available online).
Monday's bulletin consisted of: In today's international news bulletin for children: Children put to work in Indian factories, Tornado in Australia 'American football fever: New York giants beat Miami dolphins. And our question today: what's the capital city of Mexico? So I went online to listen to the whole thing. The reports I listened to were wide ranging and concerned Africa, India, USA, Australia, UK and Mexico.The BBC news item showed children from Africa listening to the bulletin and in the ensuing interview they gave credence to the information they received. It appeared that one group travelled in a minibus to a centre just to listen.
I was transported back to my early 50s classroom as I just listened ... and I thought of the all the technology that as been put in place since then ... but for five minutes this morning it was the power of the spoken word that held me and I wanted children to be held by it too.
Nostalgically I recall the Queen hit 'Radio Ga Ga'
posted by Doug @ 07:40
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