parents

An Australian tutoring company is telling parents to save their money and use AI tools to help their children learn instead of paying for tutoring. The unusual advice, reported by the Australian Financial Review, has sparked debate about whether artificial intelligence can replace human tutors and what it signals about the future of the private tutoring industry.

Professors warn that the race among parents to give their children an advantage has intensified to unprecedented levels, with families investing more time, money and effort than ever in activities meant to boost their kids' prospects. The commentary taps into broader anxieties about education, college admissions and raising children in an increasingly competitive environment.

Seoul's education chief is promoting a plan to integrate international learning into everyday classrooms across the city's schools. The initiative would move global education beyond special programs and make it a routine part of the standard curriculum. Details on funding, timelines and specific measures have not yet been announced, and reactions from teachers and parents are still emerging.

A new essay published by MIT Press Reader argues that laws banning teenagers from social media are misdirected, and that the focus on age restrictions distracts from deeper problems with how social media platforms are designed and operated. The piece questions whether outright bans protect young people, or simply treat symptoms while leaving the underlying incentives of attention-driven platforms untouched.

Breaking reports from Pakistan say educational institutions in Rawalpindi and Islamabad may be closed amid an emergency situation in the twin cities. The announcement, carried by ABN News, has drawn heavy public attention, with residents seeking details on the nature of the emergency, how long closures will last, and what safety measures authorities are putting in place.

London's schools are facing a shortage of pupils, according to a Financial Times report. Falling birth rates and families leaving the capital for cheaper areas are leaving schools with empty places, threatening funding and forcing mergers or closures. The story is drawing attention because it signals a wider demographic shift with major implications for education planning in the city.

Commentators and writers are describing family estrangement as an epidemic, arguing that more adults than ever are cutting off contact with parents or relatives. The discussion touches on possible causes, including therapy culture, political divides and shifting social norms, with debate over whether estrangement is a genuine rise or greater openness about long-existing rifts.

A new filing reveals that ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, gained access to more than 2,000 Nvidia B200 chips through Nscale's data center operations in Norway. A Singaporean subsidiary called Spring reportedly contributed 73 percent of a UK neocloud provider's 2025 revenue. The arrangement highlights how export controls restricting advanced US chips to China may be circumvented through cloud services and third countries.

TikTok has reached an agreement with Alabama, days before a scheduled trial, under which it must implement changes for teenagers in the state. These include a two-hour daily time limit, pauses after 15 minutes of continuous use, and stricter age verification checks. The deal is drawing attention as part of wider US scrutiny of social media's effects on young users, with some questioning why parents cannot set the limits themselves.

Kraken's parent company Payward is expanding well beyond its core cryptocurrency exchange business, building out a broader financial services operation, according to CoinDesk. The report points to the firm's efforts to diversify into areas that position it more like a traditional financial company than a pure crypto trading platform, as major exchanges seek new revenue streams and mainstream legitimacy.

TikTok has reached its first settlement with a US state over claims that its platform harms teenagers, agreeing to impose limits on users as part of the deal. The agreement marks the first time an individual state has resolved such allegations with the company, which faces broader scrutiny in the US over the effects of its app on young people's mental health and wellbeing.

A new study reports that about one in six children taking GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, developed nutritional deficiencies while on the drugs. The findings raise concerns that appetite suppression and reduced intake may leave some children short on key nutrients, prompting calls for closer monitoring of children prescribed these increasingly used weight-loss medications.

A psychiatrist has cautioned parents against sending young children away to boarding school, saying it puts 'underdeveloped brains together' without adult guidance at a crucial stage of development. The comments have sparked debate among parents and educators about boarding school culture and its emotional impact on children.

Bentley has unveiled the Torcal, the British luxury marque's first fully electric vehicle. The announcement marks a milestone in Bentley's shift toward electrification and away from petrol engines, and is drawing attention from automotive and sustainability watchers alike, with the car described as an electric SUV developed under parent company Volkswagen Group.

A new Mental Health Matters column in the Dayton Daily News outlines steps companies, parents and users can take to protect children from the potential harms of artificial intelligence. The piece focuses on practical safeguards and shared responsibility as AI tools become a growing part of young people's daily lives and mental health conversations.

News outlets in Australia, including the Geelong Advertiser and the Advertiser in Adelaide, are running a story headlined 'Teach them where to run: The grim reality facing teens in their first jobs'. The piece addresses the difficulties and dangers teenagers can encounter in early employment, urging parents to prepare their children for workplace situations.

The General Education Department has abolished the minimum mark system in schools, according to the announcement drawing wide attention under its education policy changes. The move means students will no longer need to score a set minimum of marks to pass, a shift expected to affect assessment and promotion practices. The news is circulating widely and prompting discussion about how it will impact students and examinations.

Ukraine's Ministry of Education and Science has issued recommendations on how schools and other educational institutions should operate during power outages. The guidance comes as scheduled blackouts continue to disrupt daily life across the country. It is expected to cover class organisation, safety and continuity of learning when electricity supply is cut.

The Washington Post is examining platonic co-parenting, an arrangement in which friends or committed non-romantic partners raise children together without being a couple. The feature asks whether this model could become a mainstream family structure as more people delay or opt out of marriage while still wanting children. It highlights how single adults and friends are increasingly choosing to build households and share parenting responsibilities deliberately.

A new study has connected the use of GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes medications in children with nutritional deficiencies, according to Scripps News, which published an interactive report on the findings. The drugs, widely prescribed to minors amid rising childhood obesity rates, may leave young users short of key nutrients. The findings add to ongoing debate over the safety and supervision of GLP-1 treatment in pediatric patients.

A growing number of US states are moving toward presumptions of equal, or '50-50', child custody arrangements in divorce cases. Supporters argue shared parenting serves children's best interests and treats both parents fairly, while critics, including some family law advocates, warn a rigid formula may not suit every family and could complicate cases involving abuse or conflict.

Apple's iOS 27 is drawing attention for its overhauled screen time controls, alongside a set of other practical new features. Reports highlight the updated parental and usage-management tools as a key change for families and users looking to limit device time, with the broader feature list suggesting a focus on everyday usefulness rather than flashy additions.

A summit in Arizona's East Valley brought community leaders together to address teen violence, mental health struggles and online threats facing young people. The event highlighted growing concern among parents, educators and officials about the pressures teens face both in person and on social media, and about how schools and families can respond before problems escalate.

Debate is growing over whether social media platforms should carry health warnings similar to those on tobacco or alcohol, aimed at encouraging young users to spend less time online. Supporters argue such labels could raise awareness of risks to mental health and sleep, while critics question whether warnings alone would change behaviour among teenagers.