Under-16s will be banned from social media from early 2027
Sites including Instagram, YouTube and TikTok will become inaccessible for millions of children, the prime minister has announced.
Education
Social media ban ‘a defining moment for our children’
Secretary of State for Technology Liz Kendall was addressing the Commons following the announcement of a social media ban for under-16s.
University of Cambridge accused of tolerating misogyny and bullying in tribunal
Professor alleges the Institute of Astronomy has a ‘bad history of misogyny’ and staff were mistreated
The University of Cambridge’s prestigious Institute of Astronomy has been accused of tolerating misogyny and a “cycle of bullying” in an employment tribunal.
The claim, brought by Professor of Astrophysics Wyn Evans, also alleges the University of Cambridge has retaliated against...
Social media ban – bold and blunt, but no silver bullet
The BBC’s technology editor Zoe Kleinman on the big changes coming down the line for young people online.
More than one in five pupils in England getting special educational needs support
More than one in five pupils in England – around 1.8 million children – get extra support in school.
Smacking children could lead to lower GCSE grades, study suggests
A University College London (UCL) study suggests that smacking children “does no good whatsoever”.
Rise in children and teenagers enjoying reading
More are reading for fun for the first time in five years, according to new research.
More children and teenagers enjoying reading for first time in 5 years
More than one in three now say they like picking up books in their spare time, according to a literacy charity.
‘Lives still at risk’ from unregulated baby sleep industry after BBC investigation
‘Families deserve clarity about the qualifications and training of those caring for their children’
Starmer tells Apple and Google to ban nude images on children’s phones
Firms will be expected to activate built-in features to stop children accessing sexually explicit images.
Starmer preparing to announce social media restrictions for children
The prime minister has pledged “decisive” measures in response to calls for an Australia-style ban.
Ministers to issue guidance on children’s screen use
The guidance is set to include tips on how much screen time children aged five to 16 should have.
‘No dead ends’: What the Dutch can teach us about tackling youth unemployment
The Netherlands has one of the world’s lowest rates of 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training.
Cosmeticorexia: How girls are falling down a skincare rabbit hole
Fuelled by social media, the market for children’s skincare is booming. Experts fear for the long-term impact on girls
Pupils asked to walk to school through army firing range, MP claims
Getting children to school is becoming a thorny issue for councils to deal with.
Exam regulator ‘closely monitoring’ marking of difficult A-level maths exam
More than 19,000 people have signed a petition calling for a review of an A‑level maths paper which they say was significantly more challenging than any past exam.
Mark Zuckerberg’s longest-serving employee on AI, jobs – and her boss
Naomi Gleit has weathered many controversies at Meta, but remains in what she tells the BBC is her “dream job”.
Exams watchdog warns of rise in high-tech cheating
Ofqual chief says invigilators are being trained to detect devices like smart glasses and hidden earpieces.
Falling pupil numbers should lead to smaller class sizes, says union
The union argues that instead of cutting teacher recruitment, the government should use falling pupil numbers to make class sizes smaller.
Who is Elon Musk and what is his net worth?
The boss of X, Tesla and SpaceX is the world’s richest person and has used his platform to make his views known on a vast array of topics.
Third of people say uni degree not worth it, as student loan inquiry begins
MPs will hear the concerns of graduates about the size of their student debts, and the interest rates.