On 8 December 2021 the University Senate decided to remove Development Weeks from the academic calendar in 2022-23, claiming that there is 'no clear rationale for the weeks' and are ‘just a half term.’ However there has been no meaningful consultation with either staff or students concerning their views on this, with the decision only being publicly communicated to staff and students via a portal announcement and email to staff on Friday 14 January. This decision will have a significant impact on the student experience and staff working conditions and should not have been taken without wider consultation. On Monday 17 January Chester UCU unanimously passed a motion calling on the senate to reinstate development weeks and is calling for all those who wish to see Development Weeks retained, at least until there has been wider consultation, to sign the petition below. For updates from UCU Chester on this issue follow us on social media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Chesterucu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/chesterucu

Many schools are so ill-equipped and under-trained to deal with SEND issues, they either treat the child’s hidden disability as a behavioural problem, or blame parents for “exaggerating” (or even causing) their child’s needs. School is not an emotionally safe place for many SEND children, and absenteeism due to mental health difficulties is sky-rocketing, even amongst primary-age children. The trauma and damage these experiences cause is immeasurable, and sometimes life long: Many children fall out of the school system completely because they can no longer cope, meaning they never get the chance to fulfil their dreams or potential. As hidden disabilities become better recognised, this problem is only going to grow. SEND children need action, and they need it now.

As part of a Section 106 agreement with the Vale of Glamorgan Council the Waterfront Consortium committed to build a new school to support the expansion of Ysgol St Baruc which will cater for the growing Waterfront development and the local demand for Welsh medium education. The current Ysgol St Baruc comprises a main Victorian building and a two classroom block built in the 1980's. The school is on a very confined sloping site with no prospect of increasing the site. The school currently uses the dining facilities at the adjacent High Street Primary School and has no prospect of meeting 21st Century Schools standard. The Waterfront Community deserve a first class modern school and no more excuses! The Green Party will campaign with local parents to ensure this agreement is delivered without any further delays!

This is a significant issue as it affects the majority of students and staff at the university. The sanitary needs for uterus-having peoples at the university are currently not being met. It is imperative that the university understands and accommodates the needs of its students and staffs regarding hygiene and sanitation. Period products are a necessity, but they are expensive. Tight budgets can leave people forced to prioritise other purchases, leaving them without the right period products, without enough period products, or without any period products at all. Women are forced to use socks, newspaper, toilet roll, or even bread to absorb their period. Many will miss out on school or work, or struggle to concentrate fully. Period poverty is an issue that affects 1 in 10 uterus-having students across the UK. This is an urgent issue. We are requesting university funding to meet the needs of the students and staff of the university.

Better working conditions for HE staff makes for better education outcomes for students. A fairer HE makes for a fairer society.

Students are taught a range of languages, such as French, German, and Spanish, however the language lacking from the school curriculum is British Sign Language (BSL). There are 11 million deaf or hard of hearing people in the UK, and these people are much more likely to suffer from mental illnesses (up to 50%, compared with 25% of the general population). So, I believe that adding a BSL course to the school curriculum would be a perfect way to uphold our responsibility to those who are hard of hearing; we must step up and take the simple solution to a problem affecting millions. With the recent Covid-19 pandemic, quality of life for the hard of hearing has only worsened as these people lost the ability to lip read due to face masks and their silent world became even more silent. Even now, when regulations are much calmer, I still watched a deaf woman struggle to communicate with the worker at the pharmacy when she had an issue with her prescription.

Making school uniform free will help a lot of families out. Especially those who struggle financially. I think it’s out of order that we have to pay for something our children HAVE to wear if not they will be sanctioned. E.g have detentions for not wearing correct uniform. Where as when adults have to wear work uniform we get it at no charge.

It’s important because we want our children to have a Welsh education but you are throwing obstacles in our way making us doubt choosing our schools.£130.20 for a child upfront is a lot of money, some people have 2/3/4 children and are still being made to pay this cost per child. It’s a 30 minute walk and the route is not a safe one for young children to get to school safely.

I think everyone at some point in their life has felt annoyed that they have been unable to communicate effectively with a deaf person due to what is essentially a language barrier. This isn't a case of being in another country and not being familiar with the language, deaf people are in our home countries and we can't communicate effectively.

The Open University suggests 32 hours of study a week for someone wanting to graduate in 3 years from a standard Bachelors degree. This means they could not work a full time job and study, leaving them with little option for money. This should be changed to allow such students to apply for a maintenance loan as other students are able to.

You never know when you may need to use those skills. They could save someone's life

A child could be the only person available to be able to save your life, without any basic knowledge you chances of survival are slim. A small child simply rolling you onto your side, if you are unconscious and vomiting, can give you a better chance of surviving. So many adults don’t know how to react in an emergency, don’t let the same be said for our children.