Bog off
- 12 Jun 07, 04:15 PM
We're running a really thought-provoking little on Newsround today about the state of school toilets.
A Press Packer (a member of our club for young journalists) e-mailed a few weeks ago to say that poor toilets in her school was one of her biggest concerns. We followed up this contact, got her out reporting on it, took her to other schools which are doing better - and fixed up an interview with the campaign group .
We know this is a big big big issue for children - a few years' ago, the children's commissioner for Wales ran a survey of the issues which concern children, and this came out top.
But it's strangely under-reported in the mainstream media. Junk food, unhealthy lifestyles, overcrowded curricula, exam overload, youth crime, the problems of TV, violent computer games - these are the issues about childhood that exercise adults.
If you ask children, though, a different agenda emerges, normally headed by bullying, but with interesting other problems like school toilets.
Do you think we are right to lead on this story? Are school toilets due the "Jamie Oliver treatment"? And as well as school toilets, what other un-reported subjects about childhood should Newsround flush out (ha ha, sorry I resisted all puns till then)....?
Tim Levell is editor of Newsround
The question was prompted by Mark Mardell, our Europe editor, who had asked readers of his weekly Europe Diary for their views. On the whole they thought he could stick with a considered, longish piece once a week, with some feedback comments attached. Readers of this blog, meanwhile, advised blog format, pointing out (
