• Save music education funding
    The government is now consulting on reducing funding by 30% - consultation closes on 19 June 2014. The UK has produced some of the world's finest musicians and composers which are supported by millions of people in this country. All our children deserve the opportunity to learn an instrument and/or sing in a choir. Music education can improve numeracy, literacy and social interaction (as demonstrated brilliantly by the El Sistema programme in Venezuela).
    75 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Mike Lachowicz
  • A Holiday To Give Us All A Rest
    Our local precinct in Accrington often plays host to a man who carries his life's possessions in a large rucksack and two M&S bags. Standing there in his burst slippers he declaims himself a messenger from god sent to rescue us from the cesspool of our morals. He is an example of (Don't) care in the community. I see so many parallels but Gove is better dressed... * "Mice and Men", "Islamic Trojan Horses" and others * Micromanagement, Term Time Holidays * Fight people and shadows outside his department So many signs... Perhaps it is too late to send for Matron. He may need a time-out and perhaps counselling. It would be a win-win situation in that teachers, and the rest of the UK could take a breath, take stock and be worry free for a while. I ask the nation to chip in. Please show you care.
    12 of 100 Signatures
    Created by John Davidson
  • First Aid from start to end
    Is life itself not important ? If so you need to vote for this
    11 of 100 Signatures
    Created by John Birtley
  • Stop UCAS selling PRIVATE DETAILS of applicants to advertisers.
    Immoral! Not acceptable! Making money from this action. It's not their info to share, is it? "Access to the data of more than a million teenagers and students and thousands of their parents is being sold to advertisers such as mobile phone and energy drinks companies by Ucas, the university applications body. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service received more than £12m last year in return for sending targeted advertising to subscribers as young as 16." Have a read of this for further details: www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/mar/12/ucas-sells-marketing-access-student-data-advertisers More on David Willetts here: https://www.gov.uk/government/people/david-willetts
    41 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Aly Hemmings
  • Compulsory Teaching of Politics and Current Affairs in Schools
    To engage and inform Society, both young and old, of Politics, the power of Democracy, how this can be used, misused, and the impact that Policies have upon the daily life of all.
    55 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Robert Crossland
  • Stop Children's Centre and Nursery Cuts in Cambridgeshire
    These centres provide crucial universal and targeted support for parents, carers and young children. This withdrawal of funding will cause irreparable damage to the service, increase risk and vulnerability across the county, and mark a reversal of the 'Every Child Matters' agenda which is striving to eradicate inequality for under 5’s.
    135 of 200 Signatures
    Created by paula champion
  • Parity in pay rises for all university staff
    We have recently seen a huge discrepancy in pay rises between university bosses and university lecturers. For example Dominic Shellard at De Montfort University received an 11.6% rise while his lecturing staff received a 1% rise. Keith Burnett at Sheffield University received a 29% rise while his lecturing staff received a 1% rise. Edward Acton at the University of East Anglia received an increase of 8.6% while his staff received an increase of 1% and John Last at Norwich University of the Arts received a 13% pay increase while his staff received an increase of 1%. The national average for Russel Group Vice Chancellors pay increase is reportedly 7.8% while university lecturers are receiving a 1% rise this year and a real terms pay cut of 13% since 2008. The success of each university is a joint effort of all staff, Lecturers and Vice Chancellors alike, and no singular staff member should take credit for the hard work of everyone involved and be the sole recipient of large pay increases. Two excellent examples of camaraderie are Paul Curran of City University London and Simon Gaskell from of Queen Mary University London, the latter spurned a rise of £50,000, which will now fund five scholarships. Unfortunately voluntary rejections of inappropriate rises in salaries like this are rare. References: Dominic Shellard, http://www.dmu.ac.uk/documents/about-dmu-documents/board-of-governors/dmu-annual-accounts-2012-2013.pdf Keith Burnett, http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/fury-at-105000-pay-rise-for-sheffield-university-boss-sir-keith-burnett-after-he-refused-to-raise-employees-salaries-to-the-living-wage-9084027.html Edward Acton and John Last http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/education/inflation_busting_pay_rises_for_bosses_of_university_of_east_anglia_and_norwich_university_of_the_arts_1_3195023 Paul Curran & Simon Gaskell http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/vice-chancellors-reject-pay-rise/2009824.article
    38 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Neal Spowage
  • SAY NO TO CHILDCARE AGENCIES
    You are not seemingly acting in the best interest of children in childcare if you bulldoze your ideas through without any thought of the impact on small business and the children they care for. You wonder why there is a downfall in people wanting to become childminders? Well is it any surprise when you are going out of your way to try to put them out of business and make life so difficult with paperwork? Perhaps you should be looking at the real reasons there will be a shortfall in childcare professionals!
    43 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Jacqui Wenban
  • Cuts to Sixth Form Colleges
    We depend on the quality of young people's education being sustained to give them and us a secure future. I taught for many years in a much-praised Sixth Form College, where I saw thousands of students being given opportunities to improve their lives. The college, like many others, offers a much broader range of subjects than most schools can, but some of these subjects are now being lost. Staff are highly experienced in teaching their subjects at 'A' Level, as they only teach 16-18 year olds, so students usually perform to the best of their abilities. You say that you want all institutions to be excellent, so why spoil successful State-funded ones?
    56 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Jo Swadkin
  • Stop the proposed 17.5% cut in funding for 18+ students attending Further Education
    Did you catch the Benefits Street programme on Channel 4? You'll find a benefits street in most towns or cities, particularly in the north of the country. Many of the students affected by this cut in funding will have not followed a straight forward path through education. They may not have achieved GCSEs in Maths and English; English might not be their first language at home; they may have been in care; they may have behaviour or learning difficulties; young women who have been pregnant; young people who live independently; young people who have suffered any emotional or socio-economic trauma, all generally take longer to progress compared to others from more privileged backgrounds. Sustaining Britain's benefits streets by denying young people, particularly those who've had tough start in life is just not right. These young people need help and support to gain qualifications and life skills to get that first job.
    16 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Richard Brook
  • Oxfordshire School Building Expansions at Risk after New Funding Cuts
    With more than 5000 children already in temporary classrooms in Oxfordshire and an expected shortfall of around 1000 school places in the next two years, a funding gap of beyond £19m will have devastating effects on our children's schooling experience and the state of our schools We fear existing classrooms will be evermore cramped, increasing clutter, noise and stress levels. Where extensions have become un-fundable temporary classrooms might provide short term relief. But their cost can be up to a third of a new build, with an up to ten times shorter lifespan – not a good investment. And who is picking up the bill for exorbitant heating costs of temporary provisions? We fear some children will have to travel further where there is no space at their local or preferred school, breaking up friends groups, and generating costs where transport has to be provided, and traffic and pollution where it isn't. And it's not only classrooms that are affected - what will our expanding schools look like if halls - now deemed non-essential - are turned into classrooms, and new builds and conversions scrapped? School lunches in cramped classrooms, no room for PE in winter, no assemblies, no nativity play, no school community. With former play areas and sport fields sold off to generate funding or blocked by temporary classrooms, where are our future champions coming from, and where do our kids recharge their batteries to excel in their next lesson? Leaking roofs, crumbling walls and cramped conditions give a strong message to any school community: We don’t care about you. But as parents and voters we do care, and the state of our schools says a lot about the value we as a society place on our children's education - I would like my children to think that their school, and their learning, matters not only to me, but also to their government. Please convince us that it does. Below a list of schools at risk, with expansions scheduled between 20014-18 (source: Oxford Times, 21st of Jan): Bletchingdon Parochial CofE School Caldecott Primary School, Abingdon Charlton Primary School, Wantage Cutteslowe Primary School, Oxford Deddington CofE Primary School Faringdon Infant School and Junior School Fir Tree Junior School, Wallingford Frank Wise School, Banbury Grove CofE Primary School Hanwell Fields Community School, Banbury Harriers Banbury Academy Hill View Primary School, Banbury Hill View Primary School, Banbury Hook Norton Primary School John Hampden Primary School, Thame John Watson Special School, Wheatley Larkrise Primary School, Oxford Longfields Primary School and Nursery, Bicester Mabel Pritchard Special School, Oxford Marcham Primary School Matthew Arnold School, Cumnor Hill Queensway Primary School, Banbury St Christopher’s CofE Primary School, Oxford St Ebbe’s CofE Primary School St Francis CofE Primary School, Oxford St Gregory the Great Catholic School, Oxford St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Oxford St Michael’s CofE Primary School, Steventon St Swithun’s CofE Primary School, Kennington Watchfield Primary School William Fletcher Primary School, Yarnton Windmill Primary School, Oxford Wolvercote Primary School, Oxford Woodstock CofE Primary School
    101 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Sarah Hassenpflug
  • Provide free bus passes for students who are required to continue further education
    The legal age for students to leave education is being raised to 17 and soon it will be 18. Starting from this September students are required to continue to some form of education for another year, however in Gloucestershire parents are still required to pay the £300+ (in some cases) for their children to continue on at school, even though they have no way of leaving education. Usually the lower stage of secondary school is free transport provided by the council, however now that students are required to stay on longer, this should also be provided free of charge.
    58 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Tom Voaden