Cyber-bullying common among Japan's children

Japan has more than 38 000 unofficial middle- and high-school websites that are not overseen by the schools, and harassment, sexual content and violent slang are prevalent among them, an Education Ministry survey showed. "We didn't really know what exactly was going on out there," said a ministry official.

No sex on Valentine's, Thai police warn teens

Alarmed by polls showing one in four Thai teens will celebrate Valentine's Day by having sex, police plan to swoop on motels, malls and parks to ensure youths behave themselves. The annual campaign to ensure good behaviour on February 14 will see city officials turn on all lights at public parks in the capital Bangkok.

Matric pass rate drops

The national pass rate for matrics has dropped, Education Minister Naledi Pandor said on Thursday. "While the 2007 pass rate is positive in some respects, it is still negative in a number of our key performance criteria," she said. The Western Cape and Gauteng were the two top provinces -- with pass rates of 80,6% and 74,6% respectively in 2007.

Afghanistan says 59 children killed in attack

A suicide attack in Afghanistan this week killed 59 children and five teachers, the education ministry said Friday, taking the death toll to 75 in the deadliest attack in the insurgency-hit country. Six lawmakers and five bodyguards were also killed in the blast on Tuesday in the northern province of Baghlan.

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