We, the undersigned, are students, alumni and staff of Royal Holloway, University of London concerned about the recent pay rises awarded the Principal Paul Layzell. In 2012-2013, Professor Layzell was awarded an £8,000 pay rise of 3%, which he is yet to justify and we still do not know whether he was in receipt of a pay rise in 2013-2014.

The Jam Butty Camp has provided generations of Salfordian school children with the experience of a holiday by the sea, many of which would have never had the chance of a holiday under normal circumstances. Over the years it has supported our City and so when under attack we come to its aid and in turn support it. The camp is just as much a part of Salford as the Civic Centre you all inhabit, and should be protected at all costs. The purpose of this facility is just as relevant today as it was when it was first set up, and by the councils own admission the City and its people are suffering from the austerity cuts, and for many children this will be the only chance they have of having a holiday away from City life. This camp holds a special place in the hearts of many Salfordian's and should be immune to the Councils cuts on the grounds it provides a special service to Salford which is priceless.

There is a clear need for the Department of Energy and Climate Change to embark on a Public Information Campaign that actively seeks to: Improve public understanding of Climate Science Illustrate the implications of Climate Change Effectively communicate the findings and recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change --- The realities of climate change are clear and present. Experts in the field of climate science have published their findings time and time again, and there are very few dissenting voices against the consensus view. “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, human influence on the climate system is clear, and limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. These are the key conclusions from an assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)” - http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/press/press_release_wg1_full_report.pdf These opening words from the IPCC press release announcing the online publication of its full report ‘Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis’, are utterly unambiguous. An international endeavour comprising the work of hundreds of climate scientists, prepared with the assistance of more than a thousand expert reviewers, and citing over 9000 publications, the report leaves no doubt as to the reality of climate change. The scientific consensus is not fully reflected in the wider population, however. A recent report from the UK Energy Research Centre suggests that public scepticism towards climate change has actually risen in recent years and that people are now less concerned about its potential impact than previously (http://www.ukerc.ac.uk/support/tiki-download_file.php?fileId=3514 - pdf download - survey conducted March 2013). The flooding crisis of the last few weeks has re-ignited a national debate on climate change, centred around the question of whether the spate of storms that contributed heavily to rising floodwaters could be attributed to climate change. But it has been clear that there is a large degree of misunderstanding on the topic, as well as a certain amount of misrepresentation. Some of the views on display in the national media are not just a rejection that the extensive flooding may have been caused by climate change, but are rejections of the very idea of climate change as a whole. Such sentiments are rare, but come from highly prominent political individuals. Of most concern is that they are people who are not experts in the field, but have still been given equal weight to their arguments. The issue of climate change is not one of political opinion, but of scientific fact. The Department of Energy and Climate Change should begin a program of public information releases that relay the message that climate scientists and many non-governmental organisations have been imparting for a number of years. We have seen instances of public information campaigns regarding health, safety, and security concerns in a wide range of areas. It is high-time that climate change was given the attention it requires.

In November 2013, a Prison Service instruction removed metal stringed electric and acoustic guitars from the list of permitted prisoner possessions. https://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/offenders/psipso/psi-2013/psi-30-2013.doc At the same time, access to arts materials for purchase by prisoners has become more restricted by the limited items available through approved suppliers. And when an order is placed, the delay in receiving materials is often protracted. One of the effects of linking prison education funding to vocational targets is the loss of much of the non-accredited arts programme; dramatic arts have particularly suffered. Prison staff are often not sensitive to the value of creative art work to prisoners and have removed art and writing from the possession of prisoners without explanation. These are not isolated events but are indicative of the need for the Ministry of Justice to reconsider the value of the arts in prison. Prisoners are full of creativity. You only need to look at the success of the Koestler awards to see that. But many prisoners actually rely on their creative outlets just to cope with life. There are many recent studies which have shown how participation in the arts can be a life-changing experience for prisoners. Not only do the arts support prisoner welfare but they can also provide a pathway to change, enabling growth of self-esteem and helping to combat depression. In this respect, the arts should be seen as a cornerstone of the rehabilitation process. The people who are most affected by these changes have no voice. Prisoners are unable to sign this petition or campaign for change. But you can. Please do. You can make a real difference to their lives. "I've had a guitar in my cell ever since my first days in custody and it really helps me cope with my sentence. It's a really creative and educational outlet. I'm still improving and I've even written my own compositions. I don't know what I'll do when they take it off me. It's going to leave me feeling very down. There are a lot of poor copers in prison. What are we supposed to do?” Nathan, HMP Wakefield Further discussion of these issues by a serving prisoner: http://adammac.co.uk/2014/02/20/arts-under-attack/

Students are paying thousands of pounds a year to be at City - and deserve lockers as a basic part of their educational and student experience. Students - please say what you carry in your bag and why you need a locker below.

It's not important it is essential - families have to work together; from teaching right and wrong, to learning life skills - so that you raise a child, not an android in society. There are enough pressures on children from an early age and yet the Government is trying to impose more. I feel as a working Mum of three, that one very important point has been missed from all conversations - that of Child Welfare. This is at the heart of my campaign, and is supported by unicef's Convention of the Rights of the Child: "Children have the right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities." Article 31 (Leisure, Play & Culture) "Governments should respect the rights and responsibilities of families to direct and guide their children so that, as they grow, they learn to use their rights properly. Helping children to understand their rights does not mean pushing them to make choices with consequences that they are too young to handle." Article 5 (Parental Guidance) Also, longer hours will not ensure better standards. OECD data shows that English pupils already spend more time in compulsory education between the ages of 7 and 14 than in Finland, Korea and Japan - countries that have very high education standards. In fact "when it comes to learning, it’s the quality of teaching at school and students’ attitude towards learning that count most, not the number of hours students spend studying.” ~ Pisa In Focus. By signing this petition it shows Government that parents do not support the idea of longer school hours. References: http://www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2013/04/gove-misleads-spectator-conference-about-longer-school-days-and-shorter-holidays-in-the-far-east/ http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf

Michael Gove believes "...that from time to time you need to refresh the person who is in charge of an organisation." Time to refresh the Education Secretary. Michael Gove has repeatedly shown that his ideas are out of step with those of experienced education professionals. It is high time he is replaced by someone with competence in the field.

Children with ASD usually suffer with anxiety, but this can be increased massively due to not handling or coping with the children correctly. Increased anxiety in ASD children can then cause a "meltdown" or tantrum to occur which can last a long period of time and the effects of this usually result in the said child being excluded from School as they are now labeled violent and a Health & Safety risk. We are increasingly hearing of children being labeled and treated as "Naughty" by teachers simply because they do not have the ability to recognise or understand ASD and the impact that this has on the child. This is not the child’s fault but the way the situation is handled. We are seeing and hearing of an increasing number of children being penalised by mainstream schools for having a disability. They do not receive the correct level of help and support whilst in school due to the lack of teacher training. If all teachers received the appropriate level of training and support then all parties involved and most importantly the child, would benefit. Children are often left demoralised and anxious and feel picked on by their teachers. This is due to their teachers not getting the required training to help them cope more effectively with the challenging concept of handling these unique personalities. More importantly, parents are left fighting for understanding and help against budget cuts and the bureaucracy of Government departments and LEAs. Whilst this continues both the child and parents feel bullied by the LEA's and the Government’s lack of understanding of ASD which results in stress for parents and children and the officials getting defensive instead of dealing with what should be the common goal… the child’s welfare and education. This then causes years of struggles between the parents, schools and LEA's to try and get the correct level of support for the children themselves with the children and parents often made to feel like criminals. If a child has a physical disability such as being in a wheel chair, provisions are made for their disability to ensure they receive the appropriate level of education and core skills that can only be learned as a child. Why should it be any different for a disability that you can’t see? Why should it take so long for the professionals we trust our children with each day to recognise and understand the educational and developmental requirements of our beloved children? This shameful treatment of our ASD children who have to fight for the right to be understood, to have someone who understands what they are going through and is able to nurture not misunderstand when they are going through difficult stressful times that create sometimes violent outbursts. This can be changed by the government and LEAs who set the curriculum and have both the means and the power to ensure all children no matter whether black or white, physically disabled, able bodied or indeed mentally disabled, have the appropriately trained teachers and staff to help them develop to the best they can be. Give these children a chance by giving teachers the appropriate training to recognise, understand and help these children. They are neither naughty nor stupid, they are simply misunderstood. Help our teachers to help our children! This is appalling treatment of our children. Please help to put an end to it.

Lyndale school is a special school for children with special needs. Its a wonderful school and the council want to close it due to shortfall of £70,000. For some of the children there is no suitable alternative. The disruption and emotional upheaval to the children this will cause is dispicable and we urge the council to reconsider. We will fight all the way and by any means to keep this school open.

Its is so important that Seaham's new secondary school is replaced, like for like, and that it includes a swimming pool. Past generations of Seaham learnt to swim in a makeshift outdoor swimming pool, colloquially known as the pit pond, which was in fact water storage for Dawdon Colliery, however following the demise of the mining industry, and the closure of the three pits which were in the town, the pit pond was lost to the following generations. Swimming is such a vital life skill and even more so for the children of Seaham who live on the North Sea coast to have access to a decent sized learning pool. We believe the whole community would benefit from the replacement of the pool. This is not about profit, this is about saving lives. Surely one pool is worth more than several lives which have been lost in the past few years in our seas.

Currently funding is weighted on a per pupil basis where children identified as socially deprived receive considerably more funding and additional funding benefits (free school dinners & free uniforms). Under proposed changes the minister will reduce the per pupil funding at 81% of schools across Northern Ireland and reallocate the funds to socially deprived children. This will affect the budget schools have to operate with and put more pressures on PTA's and fundraising activities to close the already existing funding gap at schools. There is a lack of evidence to support the assertion that increases to funding of socially deprived children will improve their educational performance.

In 2012 Michael Gove scrapped homework guidelines that laid out how much homework schools should be setting. Let’s ask that we go a step further and scrap homework in primary schools altogether. Schools continue to operate under the false assumption that homework is necessary for children to gain a satisfactory level of academic achievement, and to pander to the pressure from parents who also operate under this misconception. The fact is that there is not a single piece of evidence that can show any correlation between homework and academic achievement, nor that shows any improvement in study habits. Yet many recent studies and reports have raised serious concerns about the well-being of children, their lack of physical activity, excessive time spent in front of screens, increasingly limited time for free play, and lack of time spent outdoors. Homework is an intrusion on family time, on children’s free time, and can be a regular source of conflict in the home. It creates unnecessary anxiety and pressure for children. Young children already spend enough time engaged in formal school work. To expect them to bring more of this home risks overloading them and turning them off learning altogether. They learn and develop in so many other ways. Time for free play, outdoor play, pursuing their own interests, and quality family time is essential for their development and well-being.