Save Childhood Movement Press Release 16/10/2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE National Children’s Day UK (NCDUK) - Sunday May 17th 2015 www.nationalchildrensdayuk.com Brains Love Play for National Children’s Day UK! National Children’s Day UK 2015 (NCDUK2015) wants everyone to celebrate the Science and Magic of Play UK provides a platform for National Children’s Day raising awareness about children’s rights – and adopts a different theme each year in order to engage as many people as possible and to promote the work of organisations already working in the field. NCDUK2015 is all about how important play is for learning and creativity and for the kind of – skills that we need in a 21st century world. Over the last few decades a variety of factors have significantly reduced ability to children’s play, including changes in family structure, a more hurried lifestyle, a more risk-averse society and an increased focus on academic attainment (1). Through the academic pressures of the educational system, play has also been increasingly undervalued rather than being seen as essential to social skills, creativity and children’s learning (2). The current state of childhood in the UK is troubling: 1 in 10 children and young people aged 5 - 16 currently have a diagnosable mental health disorder (3). 1 in 12 children and 1 in 15 young people deliberately self-harm (4). About 35,000 children in England are being prescribed (5). Among teenagers, rates of depression and anxiety have increased by 70% in the past 25 years (6). And it is not only child heath and wellbeing that is aversely affected by the increasing exclusion of play from lives. Playful and innovative thinking is essential for a 21st century children’s business world. A 2010 study by IBM of 5000 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) across 60 countries and 33 industries found that creativity was selected as the for “most crucial factor future success” (7). Wendy Ellyatt, CEO of Save Childhood Movement, said: is changing fast. From the impact of screen technology to the restrictions of an “Childhood increasingly risk-averse culture and the downward pressures of the schooling system, children’s rights and freedoms are being eroded and their opportunities for free play have been drastically
Save Childhood Movement Press Release 16/10/2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE National Children’s Day UK (NCDUK) Sunday May 17th 2015 - www.nationalchildrensdayuk.com Brains Love Play for National Children’s Day UK! National Children’s Day UK 2015 (NCDUK2015) wants everyone to celebrate the Science and Magic of Play National Children’s Day UK provides a platform for raising awareness about children’s rights – and adopts a different theme each year in order to engage as many people as possible and to promote the work of organisations already working in the field. NCDUK2015 is all about how important play is for learning and creativity – and for the kind of skills that we need in a 21st century world. Over the last few decades a variety of factors have significantly reduced children’s ability to play, including changes in family structure, a more hurried lifestyle, a more risk-averse society and an increased focus on academic attainment (1). Through the academic pressures of the educational system, play has also been increasingly undervalued rather than being seen as essential to children’s social skills, creativity and learning (2). The current state of childhood in the UK is troubling: 1 in 10 children and young people aged 5 - 16 currently have a diagnosable mental health disorder (3). 1 in 12 children and 1 in 15 young people deliberately self-harm (4). About 35,000 children in England are being prescribed (5). Among teenagers, rates of depression and anxiety have increased by 70% in the past 25 years (6). And it is not only child heath and wellbeing that is aversely affected by the increasing exclusion of play from children’s lives. Playful and innovative thinking is essential for a 21st century business world. A 2010 study by IBM of 5000 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) across 60 countries and 33 industries found that creativity was selected as the “most crucial factor for future success” (7). Wendy Ellyatt, CEO of Save Childhood Movement, said: “Childhood is changing fast. From the impact of screen technology to the restrictions of an increasingly risk-averse culture and the downward pressures of the schooling system, children’s rights and freedoms are being eroded and their opportunities for free play have been drastically
2015_ncduk_press_release_-_jan_2015.docx