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Pupils' shape and size can reveal whether your kitten is a hunter or the hunted, research shows, Zee News reports. The study also said that species with pupils that are vertical slits are more likely to be ambush predators that are active both day and night. "For species that are active both night and day, like domestic cats, slit pupils provide the dynamic range needed to help them see in dim light yet not get blinded by the midday sun," said lead researcher Martin Banks, professor of optometry at University of California-Berkeley. The vertical slits of domestic cats and...

Primary school dinner lady sacked for 'negligence, carelessness or idleness' after she accidentally served gammon to a Muslim pupil A primary school dinner lady has been sacked for accidentally serving pork to a Muslim pupil. Alison Waldock, 51, 'forgot' the seven-year-old dietary needs when she asked if the schoolgirl wanted gammon and the youngster said yes. The school's headteacher spotted the mistake as the youngster was about to tuck into the meat and swept the plate away from her. The girl's parents were then told how close their daughter had come to eating the meat, which is banned in their...

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - Police said an Ohio elementary school student bit a teacher on the arm and had to be pried off by a school official. Dayton police said the child was brought to the assistant principal's office at Patterson-Kennedy Elementary School Monday by teacher Stephen Green. The boy began throwing things in the office and had to be restrained by Green. Assistant Principal Jack Johnson told police that Green was bitten on the forearm while clutching the child. Johnson said he had to pry the boy's mouth open so he'd let go. Green, 54, went to a hospital...

A SWAT team member shot and wounded a pupil who appeared to be carrying a handgun at his middle school in an Orlando, Florida, suburb. The report of an armed student led to an evacuation of students, teachers and school staff. The student was taken to the hospital. His condition was not immediately known. Details of the shooting were sketchy, but Seminole County Sheriff’s officials said no other students, teachers or school staff members at Milwee Middle School were injured. Sheriff’s officials had originally said the wounded boy had barricaded himself in a restroom.

Muslim pupil fights dress ban in court By Sean O'Neill (Filed: 12/02/2004) A muslim girl has been banned from classes for more than a year because her head teacher refuses to allow her to wear orthodox religious dress. Shabina Begum, 15, claims she has been effectively excluded from Denbigh High School, Luton, Beds, because she wants to wear a jilbab - a loose ankle-length garment. Shabina Begum in the jilbab banned in class Shabina, who wants to follow a medical career, has been educating herself at home and with the help of friends since September 2002. The school, a 1,000-pupil...

An intermediate school has secretly offered a 12-year-old boy and his family more than $10,000 compensation after accusing him of smoking and supplying cannabis during school time and subsequently expelling him. A source said the boy and his family had been devastated by the allegations made by Auckland's Hibiscus Coast Intermediate school. The boy had lost confidence, felt ostracised and believed word was out in the community he was a drug seller. "He was scarred by the allegations and being labelled a drug dealer has humiliated the family," said the source. "The family feel there was a siege mentality by...

Teacher sues over 'kindergartner from hell' Claims disruptive boy caused 'loss of enjoyment of life' Posted: June 1, 2003 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com A veteran teacher has filed suit against Orange County public schools over the humiliation, emotional and physical distress, and "loss of enjoyment of life" she claims she suffered because the district failed to remove a disruptive child from her class, reports the Orlando Sentinel. Teacher Cheri Dean (Courtesy: Orlando Sentinel) "What I want out of this is justice," the paper quotes teacher Cheri Dean as saying. "What's so amazing is that these kinds of things...

<p>A fifth-grade pupil's father has filed a complaint against a teacher for slapping the boy.</p> <p>Joseph Glasper, a city police officer, filed a complaint May 20 with the Alexandria Police Department as well as a complaint with the Rapides Parish School Board.</p>

The American Flag – in Poor Taste We're still tracking down the details of the story about the Hope Lodge and Emory University. Hope Lodge is a residence for cancer patients near the Emory Hospital. We're told that the people who run the Hope Lodge wanted to fly an American flag. They were evidently told by university officials that they could not because the flag might "offend" foreign students on the campus. I've heard more from some of the people involved. Could it be that the director of the Hope Lodge really has a document from the Emory folks telling...