Fewer students taking RS A-level
24 Aug 2023
The number of students choosing Religious Studies in A-level has fallen, following warnings of a lack of teachers. More than a quarter of pupils have been given either an A or A* - down by 9% compared with 2022. The fall follows a campaign to recruit a new generation of RE teachers, with the Religious Education Council warning that due to shortages in specialist teachers some schools in the Midlands and northeast are struggling to offer the A-level subject. For two decades, A-level RS has had growing numbers of entries and impressive results, opening a world of opportunity, particularly for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing access to top universities and careers in law, journalism and teaching. That legacy is now threatened. A teacher training bursary scheme and a fair allocation of resources to the subject would help to reverse this trend.
God Loves You tour
24 Aug 2023
Less than half of the population across England and Wales call themselves Christian. In a largely secular society, where more than one-third claim no religion at all, Franklin Graham is sharing the hope of Jesus Christ in the God Loves You tour on 26 August in London. This is the culmination of months of prayer, planning, and training to equip the local churches. The event is free to attend and will be held at the ExCel London. With over 900 churches partnering in this outreach, more than 125 buses will bring thousands to London, some coming from several hours away. The Lord has placed a burden on Franklin’s heart to proclaim Jesus Christ across the UK, and that sense of purpose and evangelistic passion has continued to grow over the years.
NHS: staffing crisis
24 Aug 2023
NHS staff shortages include nurses, midwives, GPs, hospital doctors and mental health workers. Staff leave because of low pay, stress and reduced job satisfaction. Recruitment and retention is a growing problem in this major staffing crisis. In July the government published a long-term workforce plan. Many are sceptical about whether it will lead to a sufficient increase in staff numbers. If it is successful, there will be 300,000 extra doctors, nurses and health professionals by 2037 by training, retention and reform. Criticisms of the plan include shortening medical degree courses from 5-6 years to four years and the general vagueness around who will train the expansion in medical students. There is also uncertainty over funding after the first five years of the 14-year plan. The total absence of any mention of pay and its importance in retention is the elephant in the room.
NHS: 'unsafe' A&E
24 Aug 2023
Senior doctors accused NHS Grampian of ignoring safety concerns about emergency departments. They spoke out because they felt they could not deliver safe levels of care. Grampian’s two A&E departments have no senior registrars on shift to make key decisions about patients for the majority of weekend night shifts. A number of senior doctors spoke anonymously to the BBC about conditions in these departments. Documents show that medics have been raising concerns since 2021 with NHS Grampian and the Scottish government. They have submitted a formal whistleblowing complaint about the situation as they are witnessing avoidable deaths, ongoing harm with unacceptable delays to the assessment and treatment of patients who may be suffering from serious conditions like stroke or sepsis. NHS Grampian said they recognise emergency departments are under tremendous pressure both there and across Scotland. They worked hard to expand the workforce, but consultant numbers are not yet at full capacity.
Asylum-seekers put on barge despite safety fears
24 Aug 2023
The first asylum-seekers have been transferred to the controversial Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge. Dozens of others had their transfers cancelled after issues were raised, including mental and physical health. The Care4Calais charity said none of the people they supported - disabled, torture survivors and modern slavery victims - had been moved. In a report, a long-serving firefighter called the Bibby Stockholm a ‘major life risk’ and warned that most fire engines in the nearby area are ‘on call’ only, slowing down response times. The fire brigades’ union has written to the home secretary, raising concerns over an emergency response and demanding an urgent meeting but have not received a reply. Also, authorities and firefighters have issued formal warnings about inadequate fire evacuation protocols for the vessel, which contains 222 cabins lining narrow corridors over three decks. Asylum-seekers who arrived before March will transfer from hotels, not directly from Dover. Their notification documents do not state clearly that the Bibby Stockholm is a barge.
Europe: rise in Islamic tensions
24 Aug 2023
Recently we have seen waves of Islamic unrest across France; Muslims engaging in street skirmishes in Spain; and Muslim migrant-related assaults in Germany. Hundreds of Muslims in an English mosque, holding Qurans high, have pledged their allegiance to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and praised martyrs who ‘bled red’ for the ‘axis of resistance’. Two Austrian Muslim teenagers confessed that they intended to attack a Christian school and ‘restore the caliphate’. When confronted in court on 16 July, they admitted, ‘We wanted to shoot all the Christians in the classes.’ When asked what they would do if police intervened, they said they would have surrendered: ‘Allah forgives, and killing Christians takes us to paradise’. Meanwhile, Sweden has elevated the threat level from three to four on a scale of five due to recent Quran burnings.
Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed dead, having been named as one of ten passengers in a private jet that crashed north of Moscow. A key ally of Vladimir Putin, his private military company has played a key role in Ukraine following Moscow's invasion in February 2022. But his relationship with Putin soured after he ordered his troops to march on Moscow in a day-long rebellion against Russia's military leaders in June. The details of the crash are not clear, but claims that it was shot down have not been substantiated. The following day Putin said he had sent condolences to Prigozhin’s family. His death will leave Putin stronger in the short term, removing a powerful figure who had played an important part in the war but had also been openly critical of Russia’s military leaders.
France: Paris outreach to Jews
24 Aug 2023
Jews in Paris face enormous pressures from more and more antisemitism acts. The International Jewish Mission (IJM) is there this summer to reach out to Paris’s Jewish community with the truth and hope of Jesus. Over 250,000 Jewish people live in Paris and its suburbs. IJM is seeking our prayers today for people like Harry. He still struggles to believe, because the horrors he and his family experienced during the Holocaust made him an ardent atheist. Since meeting Aurel from IJM and hearing the Gospel, he has softened a bit, admitting that he is not sure now if there is a God. He recently said to Aurel, ‘I really wish I had your faith.’ Aurel is leading the outreach, and knows God will help them connect with more Jewish people so they can hear about Jesus and be saved. Pray for God to open Jewish eyes and hearts as the Good News is shared with them.