This is important because students are expected to still pay rent in the thousands for accommodation we are not even allowed to live in, until potentially mid February at the earliest. We are still expected to pay maintenance loans back in the future with interest. We are paying for something we can even use, with interest!!!

They are accumulating debt, for a course where they haven't had the predicted tuition. No access to the universities or the tools that they would have had if able to attend as they were promised.

Having a Brexit deal agreed may have seemed like an early Christmas present to some when the Government announced on Christmas Eve that an agreement had been reached with the EU, but to any students who were hoping to go on an international mobility as part of their degree it's a kick in the face. Boris Johnson, according to the EU, “decided” that the UK would not be involved in the EU's Erasmus programmes going forward. This, despite the wonderful opportunities it brings for British and European students to experience another culture, learn a language or other valuable new skills and further their career prospects. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-deal-erasmus-eu-university-exchange-b1778667.html Instead, the UK will be setting up a new programme named after Alan Turing. No doubt this will continue to provide similar benefits, most likely within Commonwealth countries and other close international partners such as the USA, but such a programme could take years to fully set up. With the wealth and variety of programmes the Erasmus+ scheme currently offers, this move risks a generation of students missing out on the opportunity to study abroad. It also puts another barrier in the way of talented and highly qualified workers from outside of the UK choosing to come and work and contribute to the British economy after the positive experience that an Erasmus+ placement brings for so many. I spent a year in Murcia, Spain, last year as part of my degree in History and Spanish. It's a cliché, but it was truly the making of me – I matured so much as a person and my Spanish improved enormously. Having the chance to explore the subjects I wanted in a more relaxed context also clarified to me where I wanted to take my studies after getting back to the UK. I honestly don't know where I would be right now without having spent that year in Spain. To think that students in years to come won't have the same opportunity absolutely breaks my heart. Erasmus+ is more than just a study programme, it's a community and it's memories you'll keep for a lifetime. The UK leaving the scheme (which is open to non-EU countries as well, and is expected to be extended further in the new cycle) doesn't just deny others the opportunity I had, but it also means I won't be able to get funding for the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree I was hoping to apply for, which would have allowed me to study and gain priceless work experience in three different countries, giving me international and inter-disciplinary insight that I would never be able to access otherwise. The Erasmus scheme also provides extra financial support for students from a disadvantaged background, as well as those with medical needs or disabilities. For the next cycle of the programme, from 2021-2027, the programme budget will be doubled to extend opportunities even further for underprivileged students. For people from a working-class background like myself, these opportunities are now being shut off. This goes beyond spending a fun year with friends in a different country – this is another of the barriers the Conservative government are putting in place to prevent less privileged people having access to the same opportunities as their privately-educated children. The House of Lords produced a report in 2019 expressing concern that a new British scheme would struggle to offer the same benefits as Erasmus+, and has warned that leaving the programme would be a backward step away from the Government's long-term equality targets. The Government's then-Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, Chris Skidmore, said in the report that the value of the UK's participation in Erasmus+ went beyond money, and reflected experience gained over "30 years' worth of ties." https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201719/ldselect/ldeucom/283/283.pdf Now, it seems, those priorities have changed, due to a budget increase that was intended to help our least privileged young people, all while Boris Johnson has bickered with the EU over the rights of multinational companies to retain access to the EU's big-money markets. Will you sign this petition and challenge the Government to show their intent to build for the future by putting education first?

I think everybody should be taught about these things. It is very very important and will most likely make it easier to understand one another. Also, there is a high chance that the bullies of the school would learn about why everyone is valid, and hopefully stop bullying.

We have gone into Tier 4 in the South East and many parts of the country due to a new strain of covid which is a far more virulent strain. We have seen an exponential rise covid cases and have been told to stay at home, do not travel, do not go out except for emergencies. Except for our children. They are not being protected or safeguarded against this awful virus. We will see far more infection cases and far more unnecessary deaths if schools remain open. We must safeguard our children which in turn will safeguard our elderly and our overly stretched NHS. Greenwich Council, quite rightly,closed schools to safeguard their pupils. Gavin Williamson, knowing that the young were the most susceptible age group to the new strain of covid, threatened the council with legal action if they weren't re-opened. This resulted in a huge rise of 10 to 19 year old children being infected in the South East, mainly London, which in turn has led to an exponential rise in hospital admissions and, yet more unnecessary deaths. Oh and, on a side note, Christmas being cancelled! Australia and New Zealand have eradicated this virus with a lockdown that included all schools closing. Education continue remotely. We could do the same, eradicate the virus whilst still educating our children remotely. Every school in England has the facilities and capability of teaching children remotely, the curriculum can still be followed but at the same time, we could finally ensure we protect our community, our elderly and our NHS. Children MUST be safeguarded, they are being terribly let down. Please safeguard our children, close the schools, let them learn safely, let them learn remotely.

It's important because it affects us all. If not directly then through the people we know and meet along the road to adulthood. As a society we should know how to handle it within ourselves and the people around us. To prevent the worst, to help us understand each other, and to create a society where there is no such thing as mental health "issues"

This is important because the Education System is old and outdated. It teaches you useless things, like algebra, that you should learn in college or university. There is no job based learning and basic life skills.

Education Is Very Important.Free University Education Will Enable Many To Choose Their Desired Field Of Studies With Much More Better Grafes,Which Will Also Make Them More Effective In Their Desired Career Path,Make Better Choices All Through,Better Work Attitude & Focused Energy Making The Companies Better & Productive Hence Boosting The Economy Of The Country Too.

Bristol with its dominant link to slavery should have its own museum. The current debate around Edward Colston about whether the city is trying to hide its history or not highlights the importance for more education regarding Bristol’s past. We mainly hear about the statistics of the slave trade in Bristol and the economic wealth it brought to the city. However, not nearly enough is said or known about the people involved at the time as well as the huge legacy and suffering that is inherited down family lines. There is a prime spot for this museum by the Bascule bridge which would attract both tourists and local people. It is paramount that we learn more so that we can also campaign for the abolition of modern slavery. There are 40.3 million slaves in the world today (Walk Free Foundation global slavery index, estimates vary). The museum should present the evidence in the framework of international human rights universally upheld following the devastation of the Second World War. Every child should be taught about human rights. No one chooses where they are born. Statues on plinths may come and go but it is far more important to address the pain and suffering that massively contributed to the city’s wealth and history. This is a good time to start the project that could have been achieved many years ago.

The nation is stuck in a pandemic adults are stressing, working from home , yet kids are told to go to school, still learn and test , Kids are still expected to revise for exams , even though we know it’s knocking their mental health, anxiety and stress We need to protect our kids

It's important schools close YES THEY MAY FALL BEHIND WITH EDUCATION. .OUR CHILDREN WON'T NEED EDUCATION IF WORST HAPPENS! !!LET US BE PATENTS PROTECT NHS LET'S PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. ..SOMEONES CHILD ..

Please see sign petition statement above