John Green News

A new range of resources for schools to introduce children to shipping and the lives of seafarers has been launched. Written by teachers and produced by the seafarers’ charity Apostleship of the Sea (AoS), in association with Ten Ten Theatre, the resources are aimed at KS2 and KS3 students. The downloadable resources include lesson plans and assemblies that are both easy to use and engaging for students. Powerpoints and teacher guidance notes are included. Each lesson follows a simple structure and includes clear objectives and learning outcomes.

The SHIPPINGInsight conference producers have finalized the agenda and confirmed speaker list for the 2013 Fleet Optimization Conference, scheduled for Oct. 22-24 at the Sheraton Stamford Hotel in Stamford, Conn. “The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Connect and Engage,’” said conference co-producer Frank Soccoli. “We are bringing together an impressive lineup of speakers, moderators, panelists, sponsors, exhibitors and delegates representing all segments of the shipping industry. New for 2013 is an extra LNG Workshop, which will take the form of a roundtable discussion of experts to consider the barriers, challenges, solutions and best practices for achieving widespread adoption of LNG as a marine fuel. The workshop is free for all registered delegates.

The Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) writes to condemn crewing agency practice of blacklisting certain seafarers. The report “Construction industry faces claims for compensation over blacklist” (October 19) brings to mind the blacklisting also occurring in shipping. Seafarers are usually recruited by manning agents in labour supply countries such as the Philippines and eastern Europe. Port chaplains visiting seafarers tell of the palpable fear of being blacklisted. Conditions on ships can be tough, so working conditions will have to be pretty tough before a seafarer would even considering making a complaint. The recent Dispatches Channel 4 programme “Cruises Undercover: The Truth Below Deck” also suggested that this may be the case also on cruise ships.