In England and Wales, more than 1,000 schools could be shut down and have to send children home, when teachers take the first national strike Thursday. This will be the first national strike action in 21 years. Students have been off due to school holidays, making it very difficult to inform parents of these closures. This the most important news story of the week. Authorities are not sure whether or not they should inform parents immediately so other arrangements can be made for children or wait to see what happens.
If this strike does occur, it will affect both parents and children instantly, making proximity an important news element. The timeliness of the story is also important, as well as prominence. Parents have either not been informed or are unsure what to do with their children Thursday, should the strike take place. Nobody knows exactly how many schools will be closing, and how long it will last. (The Guardian, 4/21/08,)
In a courtroom Saturday, Lord Justice Sedley, a senior appeal court judge, quoted Shakespeare, relating it to the dispute at hand. I found this to be the most interesting story of the week. Two neighbors, Julie Strachey and Fraser Ramage, were arguing over a strip of land, ranging from about 4m to 8m. Despite the small size of land, each party found its use convenient, and wanted it for their own reasons. As Hamlet was told by a captain in Prince Fortinbras’s army that his troops were marching to gain, “a little patch of ground that hath no profit in it but the name,” Sedley said, reminding them that this was a similar situation and definitely not something to be arguing over. I found this to be the most interesting story of the week because of the oddity it contained. (The Guardian, 4/19/08, pg 15.)
A new study reveals that almost a million teenagers failed to score even the lowest grade, a G, in five GCSE’s since the Labour government came to power. (The Guardian, 4/20/08)... The UK music industry plans to cut down on packaging, and is encouraging music fans to use public transport as result of going greener. (The Guardian, 4/19/08) Numerous fuel shortages could take place in the UK, due to premeditated industrial action by oil refinery employees. This strike could disturb petroleum supplies for at least a month. (The Guardian, 4/20/08)... A National Health Service data shows that intentional harm against children may be rising. New figures suggest that in England, an average of 58 children a day are being admitted to a hospital, after being intentionally injured. The Guardian, 4/20/08)… Terry Collins, a businessman who thought he was purchasing the Ritz hotel in London for £250m, is out £1m. It turns out the entire deal was a sham, and now he is suing the former unemployed lorry driver, whom has nothing to do with Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay, owners of the hotel. (The Guardian, 4/18/08)
