We live in gloomy times

UK unemployment rose by 39,000 in May 2009

1.54 million people are claiming unemployment benefits

Posts for trainee solicitors are down

by 95%

John Lewis has 250 people chasing each of its graduate jobs…

…up 87% in a year

Microsoft closed applications for its graduate scheme after receiving 5,000 submissions

… for 25 vacancies

The unemployment rate for 18 – 24

year olds is currently

16.6%

This is 4 times the rate for older

workers.

The 5% of the population in China

of the UK

7%

They have more gifted & talented students, than we have students

UK

It is estimated that

According to former USAccording to former USSecretary of EducationSecretary of EducationRichard Riley…Richard Riley…

Richest in the world Largest military Centre of world business and finance Strongest education system World centre of innovation and invention Currency the world standard of value Highest standard of living

The United Kingdom…in 1900

In the UK,In the UK,98%98% of 12 year-olds want of 12 year-olds want

““to do well at schoolto do well at school””

And yet, only

And yet, only 38% 38%

look forward to going to

look forward to going to

school.school.

According to BBC News, According to BBC News, a new blog is created a new blog is created every secondevery second..

There were over 150 million users of Facebook in January 2009

If Facebook were a country, it would be the 8th largest in the world

(between Nigeria and Bangladesh)

1 in 3 of the UK population have a Facebook account

(It’s nearly 1 in 2 in Iceland)

1,400,000 UK pupils have 1,400,000 UK pupils have their their own web page.own web page.

It is estimated that aweek’s worth of The Times…

For students starting a For students starting a three-year university degree, three-year university degree,

this means that . . .this means that . . .

half of what they learn in their first half of what they learn in their first

year of study will be outdated year of study will be outdated by the end of their studies.by the end of their studies.

fibre

7 out of 10 7 out of 10 teenagers have a teenagers have a

handheld games machinehandheld games machine

9 out of 10 9 out of 10 teenagers have a teenagers have a home computerhome computer, a , a mobile phone mobile phone and a and a games consolegames console

84%84% of young people play of young people play computer games at least once a computer games at least once a

fortnightfortnight

72%72% of teachers of teachers nevernever play play computer gamescomputer games

£500£500