These children are already an ethnic minority and, as such, they need extra support to allow them to access education. They and their families are very vulnerable and, therefore, require emotional support to help them to adjust when settling into schools and local communities. They presently receive this care and support from designated specialist teachers of EAL and GYpsy Travellers. I understand that we need to make savings because of austerity. However, it is totally wrong to cut this vital service which is already at crisis level with retired staff not being replaced, budgets cuts annually, and so on. I truly believe that this is a massive mistake by the Welsh Assembly Labour Government and I, as a Labour member myself, urge everybody to sign this petition so that these already marginalised children can continue to receive the support they so desperately need.

The university employer body, Universities UK (UUK), has proposed an end to the defined benefit portion of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), drastically reducing the retirement income and security of affected staff. Independent modelling of what the changes would mean for a typical lecturer found they could lose as much as £10,000 a year in retirement income. USS benefits are already lower than other teaching staff pension schemes. These cuts will only weaken both the position of staff in the scheme and the attraction of working in institutions where USS is offered. That’s why USS members in the University and College Union (UCU) have voted overwhelmingly for sustained strike action to defend their pensions from these damaging changes. Strikes which disrupt students’ learning are always a last resort and we are committed to resolving this dispute by meaningful negotiation if possible, but as no agreement has been reached a wave of national strikes began on 22nd February 2018 and is scheduled to continue until 16th March. We support the UCU members taking strike action and call on UUK to engage meaningfully in negotiation with UCU, submit the USS scheme to independent and transparent valuation and agree to UCU's proposals to maintain the sustainability of the scheme. For more on UCU's proposal see www.ucu.org.uk/article/9364/Further-talks-agreed-in-universities-pensions-dispute?utm_source=lyr-ucu-members&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=members&utm_term=uss-all&utm_content=USS+update

Wolsingham is a market town in Weardale in the west of County Durham. There has been a secondary school in Wolsingham, serving the Dale and beyond, since 1614. Children of the area have always been able to continue their education to the sixth form and Wolsingham School has consistently had good results. Some families have seen generations of children attend Wolsingham School. Wolsingham School is currently in the top five performing schools in the county and lies in an area of outstanding natural beauty. A recent refurbishment has provided state of the art facilities. The provision of sixth form education in Weardale is particularly important for children who live in the upper Dale, who face significant hardship and long travel times to suitable alternative sixth form providers. Some children will be required to travel for almost four hours per day and will then have to find time to study. Wolsingham School is more than a school. It is central to the sustainability and vibrancy of Weardale, a rural area covering around 200 square miles. As well as catering for the children of established Dales families, the school brings new settlers into the area in search of a rural lifestyle and a good education for their children. Of course, the entire infrastructure of Weardale depends on a stable population – shops, businesses, GP surgery, pubs and restaurants – and a threat to the school is a threat to the very life of the Dale itself. The Board of Governors has taken the decision without prior consultation with parents, students or the wider community, to suspend the sixth form for two years, from 2018 to 2020. Although this is reported to be temporary, closing the sixth form will lead to student numbers declining in favour of applications to schools with access to on site sixth form facilities. Indeed, parents are already choosing to take their children out of Wolsingham School. The Board of Governors can, and indeed should, overturn its decision. If Governors believe that suspension of Wolsingham's sixth form facility is a viable option then this should only happen after a major consultation exercise. We, the parents and wider community are passionate about protecting our school and ask the Board of Governors of Wolsingham School to: 1. Overturn the decision to suspend the sixth form; 2. Undertake a meaningful, open, inclusive and far-reaching consultation programme to present a range of options for the school to the Dales community; 3. Work with the parents and wider community to tackle the very specific issues facing the school to ensure its survival for generations to come.

We don't just use libraries to borrow books - we use them for reading, we use them for researching, we use them for the Internet services they provide and we need libraries to foster our learning. Older people need libraries, adults and young adults need libraries - and families need libraries. ... and this means libraries with trained librarians, not just volunteers. In spite of much deprivation and poor Internet access, Highbridge and many other similar communities are now growing - new houses being built and new young families moving into the area - this town needs a hub for its local services. What better place than the library? The current library opening hours provide only restricted access to library services - the town is expanding - this service needs expanding. The County Council has kept open the Highbridge Children's Centre and should be using the same arguments for investing in the Library. The Highbridge library is a valuable information hub - not only for the residents of Highbridge itself, but all those many, otherwise isolated, users in the outlying areas, some of which may only have mobile library access now, e.g. Mark, Walrow, Isleport, Bason Bridge & Watchfield. These are users who can get to Highbridge Library using the existing (yet slender) public transport links. Burnham on Sea Library is just one further step away. For a young parent with little children in Highbridge, it has been calculated that it costs £9.00 to get public transport to Burnham and back - but you can walk to the Highbridge Library! "Google Can Bring You Back 100,000 Answers. A Librarian Can Bring You Back the Right One." Neil Gaiman "Cutting libraries in a time of recession and austerity is like cutting hospitals during a plague." (adapted from Eleanor Crumblehulme library assistant)

This is extremely important: 1. We students are being under-represented 2. We have already paid for a service which we are not going to receive 3. We students must take a stand for ourselves and not allow people to take advantage of us. 4. Students and lecturers are both being financially penalised and we should not accept it.

This will help reduce the ever growing amount of plastic clogging up our planet. Think; there is over a 1000 students in my school. If we all use a plastic fork every day for a week that is 5000 plastic forks, then 20,000 a month, and in a school year that is an unimaginable amount of plastic .Think. Then imagine this all over the country. This is an unnecessary amount of plastic doomed to be lunch for an innocent sea creature. We have to stop this now and #STOPthePlasticTide because the health of the planet starts with us - the human race.

In King's Lynn, one of only two local residential respite units which supports many children with disabilities and Complex Needs has been earmarked for other usage. The remaining unit has only four beds and cannot accommodate all the children affected by this decision. Although Norfolk have a legal obligation to provide short breaks for disabled children, the council has still decided to shut it down. Residential Respite such as Morley House is essential to the well-being of these disabled children (who have already been assessed as needing the highest level of support) and their families who depend on the time to give other siblings or family members support, and access parts of everyday life (such as shopping, medical appointments and household maintenance it is difficult or impossible to do safely while caring for their disabled child). They allow children to make friends and try activities and days out which other children take for granted. Without access to Morley House, many of these children will be denied what every child should have, a life with friends where they can enjoy experiences in a safe environment with people who can understand and support them. In addition to the use as a residential respite unit, Morley House is also used to house educational boarders from the local Complex Needs School. This provision is part of their education. For my family and many others Morley House is a lifeline, the only place we know our child is safe and well looked after which enables us to relax and meet the needs of our younger child and give her the everyday experiences we cannot safely provide while caring for our older daughter, daytrips to the beach or even visits to the homes of family and friends are impossible apart from the times our older daughter is in respite. We need your support to reverse this decision and ensure our children and the many children who will come after ours still have access to this essential service.

The pension changes threaten young lecturers who are the future of higher education in the UK. Although we are aware that this strike is across the UK, this petition is to show that students at the University of Reading support and sympathise with their lecturers despite the disruption to their education. This petition is also vital because we deserve to know how the strikes will effect our grades and ultimately if there will be any reimbursement for the significant amount of education time missed, considering UK students are paying up to £9,250 a year for our education. This petition shows that students support their lecturers’ moral right to stand up for their pensions.

Because we're a local village school with an amazing history of over 50 years. If the school is closed there will be circa 100 pupils to relocate alongside 5 new local housing estates being built; needing schooling for their children, there will be an extreme shortage of primary school places in the local vicinity. The children are proud to be St Anthony's children so please help save our school. £750,000 of taxpayers money has just been spent on external repairs which whilst looking great now, caused lots of disruption to the pupils with it being a live building site during the works that finally completed - just days before the school Head being summoned to London to announce thought of closure.

We need answers from all parties involved. The school is a big part of our community.

Children would no longer have the opportunity to receive quality and accessible free music lessons in their schools. This would also mean that school ensembles run by instrumental instructors would no longer exist. Removing the Instrumental Music Service (IMS) from mainstream schools would have a serious and damaging effect on the attainment gap, one of the West Lothian Council's main aims. This is because poorer children will not have access to a service which is very expensive outside school. It will also have a serious affect on the community, as many children in West Lothian actively use these free services. Music education has a countless number of benefits, inside and outside the classroom. From being an outlet of emotion, encouraging creativity, to building resilience, team-skills and self confidence. To the children of West Lothian, the IMS has proved to be of great importance in many people's lives. This cut from West Lothian Council would be a devastating decision, that should be stopped.

One of if not the busiest most dangerous junctions in the area, Especially at school times.