Indian kids miles ahead of white counterparts

London: Indian and Chinese students, who lag behind at age five, outshine white British children in exams when they reach age 16, a study has revealed.



The research suggested that peer pressure may influence how well different groups work at their studies.

The researchers from University College London said the ethnic minority pupils' achievement was an "amazing success story", Daily Mail reported on Wednesday.



Pupils who belong to ethnic minorities struggle to grasp English when they start schooling but they catch up with their white British counterparts and even outperform them as their language skills improve.

"School systems are more efficient if they are more competitive," Harvard University's Martin West, who co-wrote the study, was quoted as saying.

Black and Asian pupils may benefit from greater attention, says the study that was published in the Economic Journal. Researchers poured over exam results for nearly 500,000 pupils to carry out the study.



The researchers observed that in vocabulary and making patterns tests, at the ages of three and five, white British children outshone their ethnic minority counterparts.

When the pupils were seven-years-old, all ethnic minority groups with the exception of Chinese pupils were behind white British youngsters in English and maths tests.

However, by the time compulsory schooling ended, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and black pupils from outside the Caribbean had caught up with their white British classmates, while Indian and Chinese pupils had overtaken them, the media report said.

The improvements in language skills as ethnic minority pupils was a huge reason for closing the gap.



The study said that among Indians, the share of native English speakers was just one in five.

It also came out that ethnic minority parents chose better secondary than primary schools, perhaps because they become more adept at negotiating the school admissions system.

Christian Dustmann, one of the study's authors and director of the Centre for Research and Analysis on Migration, said: "We don't really understand the dynamics of peer groups within a school, and how within a school individuals sort into different groups."

Source: IANS

British MP's wife found working as a sex worker

A British MP's Brazilian wife has been working as a sex worker and she has given all details to a newspaper. The crime file also has the case of a BPO's being threatened at gun point in Noida. Read on



MP's wife a sex worker

London: A British MP's wife works as a prostitute charging 70 pounds "for oral sex without a condom followed by full sex with a condom", said a media report here. The revelation left the MP stunned as he said: 'That's a horrible shock'.

Sunday Mirror reported that Tory MP Mike Weatherley's Brazilian wife Carla, 39, works at three seedy brothels.

The expose could prove embarrassing to Prime Minister David Cameron, who campaigned alongside Weatherley at the general election earlier this year.

Weatherley met Carla 10 years ago while he was on a business trip to Rio de Janeiro. Sources say that she was already then a sex worker. There is, however, nothing to suggest that Weatherley knew.

After starting a relationship, Weatherley may have bought Carla an apartment in the Copacabana beach area.

Later, Weatherley moved Carla to Britain, where they married in Brighton, East Sussex, in 2003.

Carla's occupation was listed as housewife in the marriage certificate and initially, she put her past behind her.
However, in February, as Weatherley geared up for the poll campaign, she re-entered the sex industry.



During the campaign, Weatherley took Carla to a number of political functions in the Hove and Portslade constituency.

Sunday Mirror reporter met her at a South London massage parlour where she offered to perform a list of sex acts. She then stripped off and danced naked.

The media report said that Carla walked into the room in pink lingerie and said she was "Bea".

She then rattled off a price list - "30 pounds for hand relief, 40 pounds for oral sex with a condom followed by sex and 70 pounds for oral sex without a condom followed by full sex with a condom".

She also spoke about two brothels where she works - North Cheam Massage and Intimate Massage in Bedford.

"I started working in Bedford in February, but it is very far away. Here we have two houses, this one and one in Cheam. And I work there at the moment. I cover for my friend because she's on holiday. I work Thursday there and Friday here. Then, when she is back, I will work Mondays. Thursdays here, Mondays there," she was quoted as saying.

She added: "I like it here, nice clients, nice people, nice place and good money."

Weatherley said he was not aware that his wife was a prostitute and added: "Oh no. It's a bit of a shock. We separated in February and I had absolutely no idea at all. We've kept in touch and have lunch together every week so we're still good friends."

"That's a horrible shock... thank you for letting me know."

15-yr-old admitted to Cambridge

Briton becomes youngest student to be admitted to Cambridge in over 200 years
London: A 15-year-old Briton has become the youngest student to gain a place at Cambridge University for over two centuries. He has enrolled for a course that is considered one of the toughest in the world and former scholars include Isaac Newton.

Arran Fernandez was educated at home by his father, Neil.

He starts a mathematics degree at Fitzwilliam College next month, Daily Mail reported Friday.

This makes him the youngest student at the prestigious university since 14-year-old William Pitt the Younger studied there in 1773.

"I am looking forward to going to the lectures. I have already started the first-year books and it is all right, not too difficult. I am excited about going to Cambridge but I am used to making records about being the youngest in education.

"It isn't the youngest bit that is so important to me - I'm more interested in actually going to Cambridge than comparing myself with other people who go there," Arran was quoted as saying.

The maths whiz was offered the place at Cambridge in January, when he was 14.

His degree course, which is called a tripos, is thought to be one of the toughest in the world. Former scholars, who have pursued the course, include Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking.

Source: IANS