I have been a Geography teacher for more than 25 years. During that time I have taught my pupils dozens of different topics, from map reading and geology to volcanoes and earthquakes. But nothing I’ve ever taught my students has been so important as what I teach them about climate change now. The challenges man-made climate changes pose to human beings are huge. In my classes, children learn about these challenges and why they are relevant to them. They learn why it is adults tell them to recycle, switch off their computers and close doors to keep the heat in. From an early age, we are teaching children to respect the world around them and to value human life. These are values that many of them will carry with them for the rest of their lives. They are the best possible weapons we can give them to help prevent disastrous climate change in the future. But the government’s new guidelines for the national curriculum threaten all of that. Children will not be taught about climate change unless they take GCSE Geography - a course that was only taken by 27% of GCSE students last year. For children under the age of 14, climate change will appear only once in the syllabus - under the heading “efficacy of recycling” in Chemistry. It’s not enough for children to be taught the cold facts behind the science of climate change. To fully understand why climate change matters, they need to understand how it affects real people, how it relates to them and changes the world they live in. This is an understanding that’s essential if our children are going to be part of the responsible, engaged and sustainable society we all want to see. And the truth is, children love learning about climate change. My students are interested in global environmental issues such as Arctic conservation and have real concerns about the effects of climate change on people, wildlife and animals. They are constantly asking questions about extreme weather we’re experiencing and want to understand why these changes are occurring. They want to know if they’re going to get worse in their lifetime and what they can do about it. The government are making decisions about what young people can and can’t learn about without asking them - yet it’s young people who are going to suffer the consequences of these decisions. So I’ll leave it to one of my students to tell you what it is they think about all this: “If the next generation isn’t taught about the effects of climate change then where are they going to learn it from? If they don’t learn about it they won’t take into account the damage they may cause in the future.” Please sign this petition. Together, we can show Michael Gove that his plans are wrong - for our children, our planet, and our future. Margaret Hunter Geography teacher at The Warriner School in Oxfordshire

It is important as the cuts are hurting the pensioners and the disabled, as because of the cuts social services and local councils are charging us a so called well being charge, this will only be well being to the council not us who will have to pay this on top of our rents which are high, £623.48 every four weeks.

Michael MacDonald was arrested on the night of the 16th February when he was at home alone looking after his young son. The arrest followed an incident earlier in the day when MacDonald, known by friends and colleagues as 'Don', engaged with Nick Forbes, the the Labour Council leader, in the street. 'Don' wanted to discuss with Forbes, the effects of the cuts to Newcastle's youth services, which the youth worker fears will have a devastating effect on the most vulnerable residents of the city. Don was not threatening to him. He didn't swear. He only tried to explain to Forbes, as a professional youth worker, the effects these cuts would have on the city's services. The actions taken by Forbes and the police are not what we expect of those who are meant to serve and protect the residents of Newcastle. It is important that situations involving the police as outlined above are not allowed to occur, which serve to intimidate and disturb the people of Newcastle who exercise their right to peaceful protest and freedom of speech. Although a minor offence, if charged Don would be left with a criminal record and there would a black mark against this hard-working and well respected community worker. Don was served a fixed penalty notice under Section 5 of the Public Order Act, but has returned this notice to the court and has stated his intention to fight the accusation. His arrest has serious implications for public protest and freedom of expression in Newcastle and nationally. We stand with him against this attack on the right to protest. The accusation is unjust, meant to intimidate and is preposterous. It is clear that: 1. A civil servant has used their authority to demand an arrest. 2. The police have removed a family man from his home in the middle of the night when he had sole responsibility for his six year old child, detained him for four hours on the basis of a minor charge, during which time he was encouraged to accept a fixed penalty fine for doing nothing more than exercising the rights we all have as residents of Newcastle. Initial signatories: John McDonnell MP Kate Hudson, national secretary Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Jerry Hicks, Unite Grassroots Left Dot Gibson, National Secretary Pensioner Convention Bill Bowring, Haldane Society Socialist Lawyers Andrew Burgin, vice chair Coalition of Resistance

Those who cannot afford £75,000 can defer payment until after their death, and nobody would be forced to sell their home in their lifetime. But once the bill is settled by disposal of the property, many ordinary families will be left with little to show for what their relative has worked for all their life. In Liverpool, where the average home is worth around £132,000, there would be just £57,000 left over after settling the contribution to care costs. Stephen Burke, head of charity United for All Ages, called it “the dampest of damp squibs”. He added: “It is a con of the worst sort. There are fairer and better alternatives. The Government could have raised the capital threshold of paying for care to £200,000.” Labour peer Lord Warner, who sat on the Dilnot Commission, said members thought the cost cap should have been £50,000 at most. He added: “At that level, it would mean on average no-one would have to dispose of more than about a third of the value of their housing assets.” Shadow Care Minister Liz Kendall said the package was a “small step forward” as the assets people could own and still qualify for help had increased five-fold from just £23,250. But she added: “It won’t be fair for people with modest homes.”

Over 30 000 pupils have taken part in their "Trading Challenge Workshop" in which students are split into teams of four and "introduced to the challenge of buying and selling oil on the 'International Markets'". This is full of blatant BP propaganda, misinformation and the obscuring of the full picture, as is obvious from the promotional video: http://www.netroadshow.com/custom/bp/bpflv3.asp?cf=090409b One pupil reported being removed from their scheduled GCSE lessons for two hours and threatened with being punished for truancy if they refused to participate in this workshop. In causing climate change, BP threatens the wellbeing and livelihoods of generations present and future. They threaten the survival of entire nations and peoples. That BP seeks to subject young people that are faced with the threat of the full effects of climate change to its propaganda is repulsive and morally repugnant. BP, or any other fossil fuel companies, should not be allowed to enter schools. We invite students, teachers, parents, governors, entire schools, Local Education Authorities, the Department for Education and others to stand up in opposition to this dangerous propaganda and ensure that oil companies are not allowed in classrooms over which you have control.

As part of its budget proposals Newcastle City Council is proposing the closure of 10 branch libraries, along with staffing cuts at City Library. Public libraries provide a vital service for all sectors of the community, but it is the most vulnerable who will be hit hardest, just as access to information becomes even more essential in view of all the other government changes which are about to hit. Not everyone affected will be able to afford to travel the increased distance to a library, and children are particularly likely to lose out. Once these local libraries are closed they will never be restored and we will all have lost a vital resource. The City of Newcastle will have suffered irreparable damage to its reputation as a centre for culture and learning. As local author David Almond said recently, "a library is one of humankind's greatest inventions and is at the heart of our culture".

Barnet Council closed the library last April because of budget cuts, and are planning to sell it off. The library has been a vital hub for the community since 1934 – providing everything from personal finance advice and pilates classes to computer access, as well as offering warmth for the elderly struggling with heating bills and a safe, quiet place for kids to do their homework. Occupy London activists occupied the library in early September, and re-opened it for the community. Thanks to books and computers donated by local people it is now being run by community volunteers on a rota basis. The occupation has the blessing of many residents who are delighted to see the locked doors of the library flung open once again. But Barnet Council have started eviction proceedings. Help us to keep our library open. We need 7,000 signatures to trigger a debate by the council. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-kDo7tVgAA

We know that GCSEs are not working. We know that our education system is working solely due to the immense and highly admirable efforts of those who work tirelessly to improve the chances and opportunities of young people. We have the opportunity, as a people, to radically evolve this system. For a summary of why this government's proposals are likely to cause immense damage, see http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/17/michael-gove-gcse-reforms?newsfeed=true. Some of the world's most foremost experts in education, who have all achieved spectacular results, have suggested a very different route. See for example http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html. Rather than ignoring them, the government could and should make use of their considerable expertise. By taking the small step of revising the proposals through a committee of learning experts, the government has the opportunity to make positive and informed reforms that will benefit each and every child in the UK for generations to come.

The Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) is the only one in Pembrokeshire. By closing it, newborn babies will have to be sent to Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen, a round trip of around 80 miles in a rural area. Many babies will not survive this trip and parents will not be able to visit their babies due to the long distance and difficulties with transport in this area. This will have a long-term knock-on effect with the parents not being able to bond with their babies. My daughter was born six weeks premature and without the care she received immediately after birth in SCBU she would not have survived. She is now a healthy 25 year old with two sons and a daughter of her own, my gorgeous grandchildren who are the light of my life. My youngest granddaughter also needed special care when she was born prematurely, she was several months early and tiny. She is now, thanks to the care and dedication of the staff on SCBU, a healthy and happy 3 year old. My son and his wife would have been unable to spend any time with her if they had been forced to travel to Carmarthen. Giving birth to a baby that needs special care is stressful enough without adding extra problems for the parents. They need to be able to visit their baby often, especially if Mum is breastfeeding and forcing them to travel to Carmarthen will make an already hard time even harder. Most young families don't have their own transport and public transport in this area is almost non-existent.

These teachers and pupils have worked hard to succeed. This government is not supporting children, especially children in the state sector and especially children who do not come from priveleged backgrounds. All children are our future.

Why should a select minority make a profit from services which we all need and which could, with proper strategic investment, make Britain a more competitive player in the world.

Societies are judged by how they take care of their most vulnerable. As you yourself, Mr Cameron, put it so very well: "...Fairness means giving money to help the poorest in society. People who are sick, who are vulnerable, the elderly - I want you to know we will always look after you. That's the sign of a civilised society and it's what I believe..." ... David Cameron 6 Oct 2010 Those in power should not be cynically trying to distract the public by attacking the weakest; the young, students, immigrants, sick, disabled and elderly. Don't expect everyone to be fooled by these tactics for too much longer. Sooner or later, they'll wake up and realise that they're next in line. Why not make our democratic society fairer by asking more from those who can afford it - those who have profited most from the shrinkage and privatisation of our national assets; the corporate companies, the bankers, CEOs and executives, the politicians with their own private health care companies, beancounters and lawyers, shareholders, the hedgefund managers, the private equity companies, PFI contractors, russian oligarchs, and other rich and thriving individuals? The lucky wealthy have grown richer by exploiting the poor and powerless, and this 'Bedroom Tax' is yet another attempt to reduce the welfare state. Meanwhile the government continues to cut, chipping away at our welfare state, disparaging worker representation through Unions, closing hospitals, schools, public housing, swimming pools, libraries, welfare benefits, ad nauseum. The rich don't need, and don't want to pay for, any of the welfare state - they just want to benefit from the rich prizes of opportunity as public services collapse, and they pick up the cherries. And, of course their wealth has grown enormously since the recession started. Despite the poor losing their homes, the wealthy continue to do very nicely "Thank you very much" on their fat salaries and fat pensions, insider / offshore dealings, their directorships, private schools, investments, private healthcare, property portfolio, gyms, golf clubs, not forgetting their offshore: bank accounts, companies, and lavish homes with untaxed spare bedrooms galore. Why are they so greedy? Why do they need my bedroom? Will they force me out of my home?