Cuts to the adult skills budget will mean that one million adults will have no access to learning and skills. The learning and skills system includes more than schools and universities. In the next decade there will be 13.5 million job vacancies and only 7 million young people entering the job market. The best way to meet the shortfall is to train people of working age. Skills shortages require greater investment, not cuts. Politicians are concerned about middle class parents and opportunities for their children to access university or apprenticeships and are unconcerned about the 5 million hard-working people on low pay or the unemployed because they have no voice and are less likely to vote. Adult Education caters for the learning needs of a wide range of people, including many from vulnerable or disadvantaged groups. At a time when 730,000 16-24 year-olds are unemployed and 15% of 16-64 year-olds have no qualifications at all, the continuing programme of cuts is a national scandal. Here are some typical experiences of people who have benefited from adult education - “When I left school, there were no jobs. Luckily college gave me a course. I did some English and maths and now I’m doing great on my tiling course.” “I came here from Afghanistan when I was 15. It was hard at first but I’m on track now at college, studying BTEC science – I really want to do a degree in pharmacy.” I had to leave education early when I got pregnant. Health and social care at college is my path to a career in social work and a better life for me and my kids” “I was an engineer in Colombia. I’m now working as a cleaner and studying plumbing and English at college in the evening. I hope to get a good job after my course.” “I retired last year and was at a real loss. I popped into my local college and I’m now taking photography and still-life. I’m meeting new people and learning new skills.” Investment in adult education not only provides a route out of unemployment and an escape from low-paid jobs, it also offers hope and dignity and can unleash talent, ambition and energy which will benefit society as a whole.

If this is a true Labour value it should be adopted across UK Labour.

Everyone needs to understand the value of education, whether they are pupils, parents, politicians or holiday companies. Holiday companies are exploiting parents in the most cynical way, and this needs to stop.

Education on Mental health is vital. To end the stigma and to help children understand and cope if they are suffering with this illness.

The governors and head have been meeting in secret with REAch2 over the past months and have decided to take this community school out of council control and into the private sector without so much as asking the parents for their views. This is not lawful and not in the best interests of the children. Let's tell them that we demand to be heard. Let them make their case to us. Let's not let them dictate that our children's education should be privatised. We would like answers to the following questions: 1) Why was the decision to seek academy status made in secret and without consultation? 2) When was this decision made, by whom, and with what outside influence? 3) What advice has the school received from Local Authority with regards to consultation? 4) At what point in the process where REAch2 selected as the trust? 5) What other trusts have made representations to our school? 6) Why was the decision to select REAch2 made in secret and without consultation? 7) What influence have they had on school policy and communications over the last several months? 8) What communications have the school received from the DfE and the LA on this subject?

Currently 95% of secondary schools offer work experience to students but this excludes the school I am currently attending.Furthermore, work experience seems to be a great way to introduce young people to the world of work before they go out and get their first job

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.

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-

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

'Unite Students is the leading provider of student accommodation in the UK', and pledges on their website* to '...keep property waste out of landfill wherever possible'. In the vast majority of areas across the UK recycling is encouraged and accommodated for by local councils, yet by refusing to supply recycling bins 'Unite Students' leaves its residents no choice but to bin recyclable goods. The country is due to run out of space for its rubbish by 2018, according to the Local Government Association, making the prevention of unnecessary waste crucial. Yet many of 'Unite Students' buildings do not own recycling bins, despite being within an area which collects recycling. This hardly seems conducive to the belief that 'Unite Students' aims to keep waste out of landfill 'wherever possible'. To support the environment; the constructive development of this country; and to act in accordance with the principles they use to advertise, 'Unite Students' must supply recycling bins 'wherever possible'. This Petition is for the notice of Richard Smith, the managing director of operations for 'Unite Students'. I am confident he will realise the benefit of providing for the students of today in the wholesome, constructive manner which they deserve, once this issue is brought to his attention. * - http://www.unite-students.com/about-us/our-commitments/environmental - https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/reducing-and-managing-waste

Ecosia.org is a website which donates 80% of its profits from online advertisements revenue to a tree planting project in Brazil, the home of the Amazon Rainforest - in association with WWF. This website is building in popularity and we can all help it and help the planet through increasing biodiversity, protecting such an amazing natural beauty and offsetting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, something which cannot be done through Carbon Capture technologies* (*Due to the fact that there is only approximately 0.04% (400 parts per million) CO2 in the atmosphere - as researched by the University of Sheffield)