Abbey School is a valuable community resource, providing education for children with special educational needs. In 2008 it was rated Outstanding, in 2011 it was rated Good and in 2014 it was rated Inadequate. The school can regain its previous standards with support and encouragement. Closure of the school would represent the loss of a valuable learning establishment, which has become part of our town's social fabric. We call upon Rotherham Council to take appropriate steps to improve the effectiveness of Abbey School and preserve it for the benefit of future Rotherham generations.

These policies put English speaking families (which are the VAST majority of families in North Wales) at a HUGE disadvantage as it excludes their parents from helping and being involved with them in their learning. Having only just got the basics of a complex language at home children are then faced with learning another VASTLY different language to learn which is then the sole medium in which they are then taught EVERYTHING at school! This leaves them continually playing "catch-up" in EVERY subject. It also hampers them from grasping the complexities of THE lingua franca of the modern world which then leaves them uncompetitive in our global economy.

It is very unfair that ordinary taxpayers contribute an estimated £100m to private schools due to their 'Charitable Status'. These elitist schools educate the children of very wealthy parents, charging exorbitant fees, which is hardly an act of charity! In addition to the £100m that comes from the public purse, many private schools offer fee paying schemes that enable very rich parents of pupils to reduce their own personal tax burden by advanced payment. How can perpetrating tax advantages for the education of the elitist few be considered fair in the 21st century? Education of children is recognised by the United Nations as a right. It is no longer perceived as an act of charity. This may have been different in Britain in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Now British private schools are highly elitist and their reputations are so well known that they attract many students from abroad. The headmaster of one leading public school has cautioned that private schools must avoid becoming 'isolated enclaves of privilege'. It is difficult to see how this can ever be achieved given their different status from state schools. They do not have to follow the National Curriculum nor are they accountable to Ofsted. There is often a massive physical difference in campus size, enabling them to provide facilities such as golf courses. An example was Eton's 'generosity' in allowing its world class facilities to be used for staging events during the London Olympics 2012. Their advantages are far too many to list! Please include a pledge to end the charitable status of private schools in your party's election manifesto. It may require careful redrafting of the legal meaning of 'charitable status' but I believe this would make the term worthier of its name. As well as regaining £100m in tax, it would make a huge difference to people's perception of your party's commitment to equality of opportunity for all.

Closure Tynyrheol primary school, Llangeinor Bridgend CBC is expecting a shortfall of £50 million in finances, surely it should be looking at cost savings such as bringing good quality brick solid buildings up to standard, especially if they have been modernised with double glazing and full central heating. All that is required is to provide dis-abled persons access which can be easily achieved. If Bridgend CBC would like the option of a new building, even though it will have no money, the building should be located where it is easily accessible to the school children and residents of Llangeinor. To save money Bridgend CBC could employ an overall head teacher based in Betws, Brynmenyn or Bryncethin, which would help with staffing costs.. The objections against the closure of Tynyrheol primary school are as follows:- There is no public transport service between Betws and Llangeinor, and with a shortfall in finances there will be none. There are fourteen pupils at Tynyrheol primary school who receive free school meals. If any of these children have an accident or are taken ill in the new school, it is unlikely that their carer’s could afford the bus fare to go to Bridgend and from Bridgend to Betws to collect their child. Certainly they could not afford a taxi fare to bring the child home. The Highways Department of Bridgend CBC has confirmed that the 1.7 miles distance between the two schools has no safe pedestrian way for the children to walk to school. Therefore it would be necessary for school buses to be provided. At the time when the Council is trying to cut costs by keeping transport costs to a minimum. The LEA representatives state that the education of the children would be improved because of additional provisions at the new school, this is not true. Because children from Llangeinor would need to catch a school bus, they are unlikely to benefit from these facilities. There are approximately forty pupils at Tynyrheol primary school who take advantage of the free breakfast facilities at their present school; these pupils are unlikely to be able to take advantage of any facilities if a new school building was located in Betws because of transport problems. Free breakfast facilities which is a Welsh Assembly initiative, and at Tynyrheol primary school has been proven to be beneficial, not only to the children’s health but the children are more alert during lessons. Tynyrheol primary school at present runs a series of successful after school clubs which are regularly attended by twenty to twenty five children at each session. These children will lose out if they are dependent on a school bus service. Children attending Nursery aged three upwards for two terms during the school year are part time, concerns are raised about safety supervision of these children if there is a school bus service, provided for them, which is additional unnecessary transport costs. These children for two terms during the school year are at the school on a part time basis. Who will ensure the safety and transport of these children back to Llangeinor, if the Council is seeking to cut costs? Bridgend CBC LEA has submitted monetary figures to the Cabinet of Bridgend CBC, and concerns have been raised about the integrity and correctness of these figures. At the moment there is approximately seventy five to eighty pupils at the school.

I am a school governor of a school which is being closed, against the wishes of the community, children of three years of age are expected to get up early, travel in a bus and very possibly go without breakfast. These children will lose all the comradeship attained through living in a close community. The only community shop will close because parents will not be taking the children to school, and will no longer be customers. This is a disaster for a close community.

Justice for Shahzad and Shama On 4th November 2014, a Christian couple Shahzad Masih (26 yrs) and Shama Bibi (24 yrs) were beaten, tortured and burned alive in the fiery furnace of a brick kiln -while those baying for their blood screamed praises to Allah. The incident occurred after Muslim accusers led by Muslim landowner Yousaf Gujjar alleged Shama had burnt the Koran. He then sent men to three mosques in neighbouring towns, while he tried to coerce money out of the couple who he had locked in a room on his land. Eventually in response to local Mosques preaching hatred over their loud speakers, a mob of over 300 Muslims gathered outside the locked room. They climbed the roof of the building and entered through the straw roof. They then beat the couple with sharp and hard implements, stripped them naked while they goaded them and finally burnt then alive in the kiln - when they could no longer stand due to their fractured bones. Until Pakistan reforms their ways more Christians and other minorities will meet a similar fate. This is not acceptable in the 21st Century or any other century. Petition by Wilson Chowdhry of the British Pakistani Christian Association Read more here: http://www.britishpakistanichristians.co.uk/blog/christian-couple-burnt-alive-in-brick-kiln-after-alleged-blasphemy The BPCA have initiated a benevolent fund for the family of Shahzad and Shama, if you would like to contribute, please follow this link: http://www.britishpakistanichristians.co.uk/blog/protest-in-kasur-on-9th-november If you are in the UK please join our protest outside 10 Downing Street, from 11am on Saturday 22nd November 2014. http://www.britishpakistanichristians.co.uk/blog/evangelical-christians-call-on-westminster-to-take-action-against-pakistan-for-summary-execution-of-

The Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA) is a fund that covers the additional costs of attending university with a disability. It has enabled many thousands of students in the U.K to access higher education where this otherwise would not have been a possibility. A key part of the allowance goes to providing the assistance of support workers. Support workers see students regularly, depending on the student's needs, and are one of the most important aspects of support for students with disabilities at university. The government are proposing a cut to DSA that would remove the funding for a support worker (for full details of what aspects of DSA are being cut and which are remaining in place please see the link below(2)). According to a 2014 study by Randstad: “More than one in three students with a disability (34%) say they would definitely not have attended university without DSA support, while a further 36% are unsure if they would have originally attended. Less than one in three students with a disability (30%) would still definitely have decided to go to university without the support of the DSA.(1)” I am a support worker myself, and two of the students I support have said that they would not have made it through the first year of University without the support they received. I have seen first-hand what a difference the presence of support workers make to students’ experiences of university. It is in the Government’s interests, also, for the funding for support workers to be in place. In the long term, there is much more money to be saved by enabling a large proportion of people with disabilities to enter into work, and hence less reliant on the welfare system, by providing access to higher education. Disabled students who are granted DSA, assigning them support workers, are much more likely to complete their course and get a higher grade(1). The government are defending their decision to make cuts to DSA based on the fact that Higher Education Institutions would be obliged to fund support workers. Although, in theory, this is a legal requirement on the part of Higher Academic Institutions, this would create a market where admitting students with a disability would cost the university a great deal more than non-disabled students, and would result in some universities not providing the necessary quality or quantity of support. For more information on this issue please visit (1) http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2014/november/fight-dsa-cut and for the original statement from David Willetts see (2) https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/higher-education-student-support-changes-to-disabled-students-allowances-dsa. If you agree that a cut to DSA funding of support workers is unacceptable, please sign this petition. I will be writing to the three Brighton MPs for delivery on the 20th November, asking them to please vote against this decision, so the matter can come up for debate, and hope to have a wealth of signatures to back my request. Many Thanks, Priya.

Research shows that regular poor sleep puts you at risk of serious medical conditions including obesity, heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy. With teenagers waking up between 6-8 ready for school, they are definitely not getting the quality sleep that is needed in order for them to succeed In their life, as they are not concentrating during lessons which leads to lack of qualifications.

This petition arises from reading about of laws passed in Sweden that (a) made the purchase of sex a crime (b) decriminalised the sale of sex (c) trained the police in judiciary to view prostitution as a crime of violence against (largely) women and children (d) provided good funding for social services for prostitutes wanting to leave prostitution (e) provided funding to educate the public. As a result, human trafficking into Sweden is near zero, the number of women in street prostitution has reduced by up to two thirds and the number of johns has decreased by as much as 80%. The original article, with credits, can be found at http://esnoticia.co/noticia-8790-swedens-prostitution-solution-why-hasnt-anyone-tried-this-before

Councillors have drawn up and progressed this option with no consultation or briefing with school staff, or any regard whatsoever for the 300 children who will be directly affected if the MAE becomes a residential or commercial property. We are alarmed by the speed of Merton's decision-making and distressed that Councillors have failed to consult - let alone consider - our school community in moving forward to identify their preferred option in isolation. We, the parents, carers, relatives and friends of Joseph Hood Primary School, demand that Merton rethink their "preferred option" until a full consultation has been carried out with the parents and staff of our school as well as with the school's neighbours. #JoHoSaysNO

On 5th November 2014, Falmouth University announced the closure of their Contemporary Crafts degree. This degree, with historic roots in pottery & ceramics, is vital to the Cornish economy & creative culture. Let's not lose something with such personal, regional and national importance. There has been a ceramics/crafts course attached to the Falmouth School of Art since 1976, when Tom Cross was appointed Principal and the School continued to develop its resources by improving its sculpture studios and creating a new studio for ceramic sculpture. Adding ceramics to Falmouth School of Art, founded in 1902. The links between ceramics and crafts at Falmouth School of art and the wider economy cannot be underestimated with ex graduates flourishing both county, country and internationally. As we, as a society, increasingly lose the skills to make things and forget that not everyone wants to pursue academic studies, this is a course which applauds creativity and talent and maintains the nation’s skill bases. How can it be appropriate to close down one of the countries few excellent facilities? Again, a price has been placed on a course without considering the long term future of the individuals and future generations. How disappointing! The Contemporary Craft course isn't just about learning and training in a skill, it is about pushing boundaries, discovering new processes, working with inspirational peers and lecturers, and most of all a chance to explore who you are as a maker. We demand Falmouth School of Art reconsider this closure for the betterment of the school and the wider community. The cultural enrichment of ceramics and craft courses to both Cornwall and the wider community and the contributions Falmouth School of Art graduates make to the cultural development of the county, cannot be measured by spreadsheet. Sometimes the right choice is not about money and we would hope that upon realising the support for these courses both county and country wide, the University and its Director, Vice-Chancellor & CEO, will reconsider severing the ties between the vibrant crafts community and the university. as 38degrees petitions require a UK post code, if you are outside the UK and want to sign please send your name and comment to [email protected]

Latest Update: The first specification outlines have been released and it is still 70% theory! Now it is 60% Exam 10% written coursework and still only 30% Practical! Following the consultation regarding changes to GCSE PE (in which the opinions of PE teachers seem to have been completely ignored) the government are forcing incredibly damaging changes to GCSE PE which will have far reaching impacts right down to year 7 PE lessons. They have decided that the course will change from the current 60% practical 40% theory to 30% practical and 70% theory! This change will almost completely take the physical/practical aspect out of Physical Education. They are also proposing to massively narrow the activities that students can use as the practical element (moving to a much more traditional / Public school offering of activities). The impact of this will mean a narrowing of the activities offered by secondary schools which will feed down through the year groups. The move to an almost solely theoretical course will also have an impact on the activity level of students in PE lessons, due to schools trying to maximise the performance of students by focussing much more on theory lessons rather than actually being physically active and taking part in sport. This will have long lasting and damaging effects on the health and fitness of future generations. The changes will also take away another avenue for students who are less academic to be successful and get a qualification in an area that they may wish to follow as a career. If these changes go through then many schools may choose to no longer offer Physical Education as a GCSE and the change to the GCSE PE course may well be the final nail in the coffin for physical education in secondary schools, if people do not force a change of direction.