• Keep OFSTED apolitical
    David Ross is being lined up as the new Chair of OFSTED. This is wrong - he is a Tory donor and the founder of a chain of academies - the very schools that will be inspected by OFSTED - this is a huge conflict of interest. How is it possible to keep State Education out of politics when this kind of back door cronyism is happening? OFSTED should be about improving the education of our children and nothing else.
    52 of 100 Signatures
    Created by Rachel Hyde-Smith
  • Parents in reciept of PIP care componant should receive Free School Meals
    As a person entitled to the Higher rate care componant, I receive an 'allowance' towards my own additional costs, but not the additional costs I have to pay for the care of my children. This is yet another example of society forgetting that disabled people can be parents too.
    129 of 200 Signatures
    Created by Tilly H
  • 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
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    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.
    136 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