These musicians are the future of our orchestras, pop band ensembles, film/tv soundtrack session musicians, pit players for ballet, opera and musical theatre shows and your childrens' future teachers and mentors. The great majority of classical musicians flourished from training orchestras such as these! Closing the orchestra down is ignorant and shameful. -- "EU has just cut every Euro of funding to the young musicians of the Orchestra (backdated to last October), without so much as an advance whisper? The consequences of this decision are incalculable: the destruction of one of the world’s greatest training orchestras, generations of young musicians denied unique opportunities, and the loss of 40 years of patient tradition, and one of the EU’s greatest arts organisations. This funding decision is simply the consequence of a change in the EU’s cultural funding policy. Two years ago it was decided by the EU that there was to be no more cultural funding for any single organisation. Instead, €1.45bn of cultural support over seven years (a 7% increase on the previous programme) was only allowed to be used on projects with a highly complicated partnership structure. The new Creative Europe programme has wonderful objectives. But it is project funding to encourage national organisations to get together to become more European, not core funding for what is the original pan-European organisation. This “one size fits all”-approach to cultural funding doesn’t work for an EU orchestra with members from 28 countries, and that we were being forced into the wrong funding box. “The European Union Youth Orchestra remains one of our most distinguished ambassadors … a potent symbol of our European Union.” (Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Commission President). “I was moved not simply by the beauty of the music they produced, but also by what they stand for: the EUYO perfectly embodies the power of being united in diversity,” (Juncker’s colleague Martin Schulz, European Parliament President). And here is Tibor Navracsics, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport. “The EUYO is remarkable - both for the outstanding quality of its performances and for its exemplary function … it inspires us”. And finally, the EU’s number one foreign policy politician Federica Mogherini: “This is Europe at its best … In hard times like the ones we are living, the EUYO sends a powerful message to all the young people of our continent: your time is now.” " >source: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/13/marshall-marcus-the-european-union-youth-orchestra-cannot-be-strangled See them perform: European Union Youth Orchestra - EUYO - Flashmob - Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam - 23.08.2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOs72u5FjCE EUYO Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6, 'Pathétique', Movt I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lft2isVp0kk SHOSTAKOVICH 4th Symphony mov-1 (part 1/3) Vladimir Ashkenazi (BBC Proms 2006) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YVGZy2nsWA ---- Email: [email protected] Or send a letter or postcard to: Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, European Commission, Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 200, 1049 1049 Brussels, Belgium

The UK government has failed to effectively aid the millions of people fleeing uncertain futures in war zones so Lincoln students need to take action. In the UK, whilst we do not enjoy free undergraduate education, we have a system in place to ensure we receive a world-class standard of education that is available to everyone. Around 30 British academic institutions already offer some form of free education or aid service to refugees, the University of Lincoln and its student union should continue to lead morally as well as academically. We have seen an unprecedented level of human movement from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe due to civil war and economic hardship. Many of these refugees are young people, many of them are educated to a high standard and all of them had to leave for fear of the own lives. Our universities societies, by their members own admissions, are already well funded and supported. We also enjoy hosting one of Lincoln's premier venues, The Engine Shed, and we will soon see a new multi-million pound technology building. The University and its SU are not short of money and you cannot put a price on human life or a good education. Sign this petition and ensure that a young person gets the future that we all deserve.

Halstow, Deansfield and the other Compass Group schools are in the process of becoming a Multi Academy Trust. We were told by the governors that the main reason for conversion to a Multi Academy Trust was to act before we were forced to do so by the government. After significant pressure from teachers, parents and MPs, the government have made a u-turn and confirmed that they will not be forcing outstanding schools to become academies. We were told that conversion would take many months and that we would be kept informed. We now know that the application has been approved by the DfE already and we are a small step away from the irreversible signing of the funding agreement. The government is not going to force our outstanding community schools to academise. Becoming an academy is irreversible. We must halt the academy application, at least until a thorough and transparent investigation of the impact of the proposals on our schools has been undertaken and shared with parents, staff and the wider community.

1: The role the school will play seems to be very much the lead school in the partnership with, as of yet, unnamed schools. While we are sure the intention will be to fully carry out due diligence and fact finding before adding schools to the MAT, we are not convinced that the lead school's children benefit from this process. The desire to add to the MAT's portfolio can often mean that risks are taken and the weight of the risk weighs on the sponsor school, meaning staff are diverted to resolve these. The standard of education our children receive is very high and we are not convinced that diverting resources to improve another school will allow that to continue. We also believe that, when a MAT takes over a school, if it is not able to fully devote specialist help to that school, the effect on its children can actually be a worsening rather than an improving one. 2: The need to develop and employ centralised support services will be another area that could mean that staffing costs for the centralised provision are actually quite high. Professional services such as HR would be needed and these are very expensive. We do not feel that this is money well spent if these services can be ably handled at the LEA level. 3: The cost of ground maintenance and improvements has been met by the tax payer recently. While there is not a plan in place to expand, we feel that our children now have a fantastic learning environment. We are aware that a lot of schools in the area do not have this. We are not happy to think of this tax payers money being transferred into the assets of a private entity without elected accountability. The current white paper suggests that parental representation on governing bodies will not be required. This would be a significant worry as we feel that in any new structure there MUST be some active community and parental involvement. 4: The success of MATs over all is very questionable if current evidence is to be believed. The fact that children at NBS progress well is down to the local team working hard. Being a MAT brings no benefit to this situation, and we feel could actually detract from it. The school already works with partner schools to share best practice and develop new ideas. The school already takes part in local and county events and competitions and the school already supports the community. We do not see how being a MAT will improve this, and from evidence seen when secondary schools are taken over, it can actually reduce this.

Education is arguably as important a social good as policing. Those responsible for ensuing that public money is effectively spent on improving educational outcomes should be answerable to the electorate.

No two schools are alike. But the government doesn’t seem to agree. It wants to rush through plans to force every single school in England to become an academy – the type of school paid for by taxpayers, but run by businesses, sponsors or trusts. Many teachers and parents are already standing against the plans, saying that they’re ‘a step towards privatisation’, ignore local views, and could force some schools to close. One size does not fit all, and local parents and teachers should have a say in the future of our school. ------ If this isn't your local school, click here to sign your local petition, or start one if no-one else has yet: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/start-a-campaign-for-your-school

No two schools are alike. But the government doesn’t seem to agree. It wants to rush through plans to force every single school in England to become an academy – the type of school paid for by taxpayers, but run by businesses, sponsors or trusts. In Islington this could destroy the Islington Community of Schools, a valuable co-operative partnership between schools (including local Academies) and the local council. Many teachers and parents are already standing against the plans, saying that they’re ‘a step towards privatisation’, ignore local views, and could force some schools to close. One size does not fit all, and local parents and teachers should have a say in the future of our school. ------ If this isn't your local school, click here to sign your local petition, or start one if no-one else has yet: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/start-a-campaign-for-your-school

No two schools are alike. But the government doesn’t seem to agree. It wants to rush through plans to force every single school in England to become an academy – the type of school paid for by taxpayers, but run by businesses, sponsors or trusts. Many teachers and parents are already standing against the plans, saying that they’re ‘a step towards privatisation’, ignore local views, and could force some schools to close. One size does not fit all, and local parents and teachers should have a say in the future of our school. ------ If this isn't your local school, click here to sign your local petition, or start one if no-one else has yet: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/start-a-campaign-for-your-school

Understand the value of learning life saving skills to young people parents teachers including Drowning Prevention - It's 10 years since I lost my son to Drowning in North Wales on 14 August this year we are holding a huge event in North Wales to help educate and save lives. My son Christopher James David Turnbull drowned August 14 2006 at Capel Curig North Wales aged 15 had everything to live for was an exceptional swimmer and Rugby Player for Colwyn Bay. Since then I've set up www.riverandseasense.com and www.watersafetymap.co.uk I have addressed over 140.000 children in schools and youth groups across the region. If you can support sponsor know a celebrity who can support our wonderful event gratitude is not the word. My email is. [email protected], my name Debbie Anne Turnbull please find on Facebook - On Twitter @debsbarmyarmy

This is important to challenge the claim that children need to pass these tests in order to have successful careers. Other important areas of education, such as the Arts, have to be neglected as teachers are pressured to ' teach to the tests'.

We support government's initiative to secure our kids' future, where they have to face global competition in the job market. We support the Education department that there needs to be a mechanism that can be used (a) to identify children needing more help and support in literacy and mathematics and (b) to identify schools that are not performing at expected level. It is important that kids enjoy their time at the school and learn variety of skills. However what's even more important is that they excel at core skills of reading, writing and maths - the foundations of any higher education that they need to be able to compete in this increasingly global workforce. We would like the government to increase their efforts in ensuring that teachers' concerns listened to and addressed, but not losing the focus on overall objective.

The loss of these talented members of technical staff will come at the worst possible point for the MA 2016 cohort and will have grim implications for those who still have the majority of their BA degrees ahead of them too. With resources already stretched to breaking point, contact and support time limited and specialist advice in high demand, we want to know how the University can justify this decision.