Do you want to save D&T in schools? As part of the governments' new proposals for the National Curriculum the Design Technology curriculum has been redrafted. It's under real threat. Please read on... The government have drawn up a draft curriculum for Design Technology in schools - a curriculum from 1952 - where cooking wholesome savoury meals, repairing textiles, growing plants, and learning basic construction skills has reshaped Design Technology to become little more than activities that practice DIY skills for home improvement. Useful in itself but... the new curriculum does not adress the vital knowledge, skills and learning that our creative and cultural economy depend on, in which design plays such a crucial role. Should this proposal be implemented, school children will be denied a design education that can inspire and equip them to discover their talents and fulfill their own creative ambition. Design professionals are now concerned that the lack of vision and lack of rigour in the proposal will lead to 'a lost design generation'. I have worked with design students at both secondary level and at further and higher education level. Design and technology at secondary level must have the scope to teach children the skills that can access and underpin university level studies. It must engage with industry and the world of professional designers to inspire and open up new career opportunities for young people. It is the only subject where, as James Dyson recently put it, 'mathematical brainboxes and science whizzkids can turn their bright ideas into useful products'. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING PROPOSED PROGRAMME OF STUDY FOR D&T http://tinyurl.com/bwms93u Latest opinion on the proposed new curriculum: From the Design Council - http://tinyurl.com/btlgz8w http://tinyurl.com/cxltwgp From the Design & Technology Association (DATA) http://tinyurl.com/cf3gxm3 From James Dyson - http://tinyurl.com/c38adm3 The consultation process web page: http://tinyurl.com/btjqupr Consultation responses can be completed online at http://tinyurl.com/aknu9vg Please also SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION Thanks.

It is essential parenting is not seen as a SECONDARY career choice as it now appears to be in the eyes of our politicians and perhaps even our society. Those parents will now be substantially worse off in monetary terms relative to parents who work outside the home.

Last year, student Cait Reilly and unemployed driver Jamieson Wilson, took the Tory led coalition to task over their controversial Workfare programme arguing that it was unlawful. Three Judges found that regulations under which most of the Tory led coalition back-to-work schemes were created are unlawful. The main issue is that the Tory led coalition lost this case and they lost because they failed to provide sufficient and legal information about Workfare to job-seekers. It is estimated that 231,000 people were originally affected by their decision and had their benefits sanctioned (ie stopped). The morality of the Workfare system is not being debated here (although flaws of the system are outlined below). This petition is about the abhorrent behaviour of the Tory led coalition that followed this decision and their decision to retroactively change the law. On 19 March 2013, a Bill was rushed through the House of Commons which will change the law (that they broke) retroactively thus enabling the Tory led coalition to avoid having to repay the money that they illegally took from job-seekers - an average of £550 per person. The issue here is threefold: Firstly, the Tory led coalition (assisted by Labour and Lib Dems) are trying to retrospectively change the law to protect themselves from their own flawed policies. By retrospectively changing the law they can ensure that no law has now been broken and thereby avoid having to repay those who they illegally sanctioned. This behaviour is morally repugnant and vile and cannot be allowed to happen. Secondly, there seems to be a complete media blackout on the story and the Bill was rushed through, the day before the Budget - one may argue in an attempt to bury it? Thirdly, the Workfare scheme is fundamentally flawed and has been shown not to be an effective tool to get unemployed back in to work. The problem is there are no jobs for people and the Tory led coalition is deflecting this fact away by demonising those looking for work such as Miss Reilly and Mr Wilson. There is plenty of evidence to show that workfare claimants are replacing real jobs. Since this WP came in, many retail giants and the Royal Mail have used workfare so they don't have to offer overtime to their existing workers. Asda recently put all their part-time staff on contracts which guarantee just 4 hours work a week. Many shops are run by workfare. This whole scheme is about exploiting labour - the workfare claimants are being exploited for free labour; the existing workers are being exploited by losing hours and pay; and we are all being exploited when what we buy is making profits for corporations which are using what is effectively indentured labour. People who are fortunate enough to be paid for their work are afraid of rocking the boat lest they be replaced. These schemes guarantee a cowed and compliant workforce, paid or not, who will be reluctant to unionise and unwilling to protest in case they lose their jobs. Meanwhile, taxpayers' money is being poured by the billion into the coffers of welfare-to-work companies and corporate profiteers, and Labour seem to be OK with this in principle. These are extremely important issues and cannot be ignored.

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.

The cruel archaic export of live farm animals should end because of the suffering caused by extremely long journeys often without mandatory breaks, food and water, then slaughtered in what would be unacceptable conditions in the UK. If the animals were killed as near to rearing as possible (which would create jobs in the UK) and exported as meat it would also end the time and expense of policing a trade that a great number of people find objectionable.

This is so important as you are looking at a mother who already has a disability who is then at risk of having a child / children with disabilities themselves. THIS IS CAUSING IMMENSE PREVENTABLE SUFFERING. Estimates suggest in excess of 20,000 people have been affected to date. CLINICIANS ARE NOT BEING PROVIDED WITH THE NECESSARY SAFETY INFORMATION by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and the European Medicines Agency. Without widespread awareness the number of people affected continues to grow. The impact on the family can be devastating with many ending up as full time carers. Because of this many Mother’s cannot pursue their careers and are reliant on benefits. The tax payer is providing the support services that are required throughout the child's lifetime. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS HAVE CONFIRMED that ONE child’s costs for Health, Education & Welfare will be in excess of £6 MILLION in their lifetime. IN EXCESS OF 20,000 PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED BY FACS! I have 4 children affected with the 2 youngest having Autism. I have become a full time carer and both boys are in specialist schools, as a parent you fear for their future as they will always need a level of support . Their cognitive functioning means they have low self esteem and depression and frequently self harm as they know no other way of expressing them selves. They live in pain on a daily basis with their joints and have few / no friends. Many families will end up with more than one child affected because although there may be facial features at birth they are often not recognised by the doctors and midwives and it is only as they get older and more problems present themselves that they realise there is something wrong. Many symptoms are diagnosed individually due to poor knowledge of Fetal Anti Convulsant Syndromes. WE WOULD LIKE A PUBLIC INQUIRY BY A HIGH COURT JUDGE TO INCLUDE: Independent Systematic Reviews • How medicines and medical products are regulated in the UK. • Why the Consumer has not been protected by British or EU Law. • Why successive governments have failed to improve flawed systems. As a mother I always put my children first and I would not choose to put them through a lifetime of pain, suffering, loneliness and dependence on others. I WOULD WANT THEM TO HAVE A CHANCE OF A FULFILLING LIFE OF THEIR OWN............THAT CHOICE WAS TAKEN AWAY! IF YOU ARE WORRIED DO NOT COME OFF OF YOUR MEDICATION BUT CONTACT YOUR GP / AND OR NEUROLOGIST! More information on the condition can be found at: https://www.oacscharity.org/about-fetal-anti-convulsant-syndromes YOU CAN HELP REDUCE SUFFERING AND SAVE BILLIONS OF POUNDS BY REQUESTING A PUBLIC INQUIRY AFTER THALIDOMIDE WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN........IT HAS HAS HAPPENED AGAIN BUT THE NUMBERS ARE FAR GREATER AND STILL RISING. WITHOUT CHANGE IT WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN!

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

In our village, farmland is under threat by many large developers. They obviously find fields an attractive proposition as they can just clear away the trees and hedges and build and this is more profitable than using brownfield sites however this is NOT the answer. Apart from homes, more importantly we need food that is safe to eat. I am sure this problem is an issue all over England since the government decided it was fine to build on green spaces which have previously been protected. Farmland is not just beneficial for providing food, it also helps with absorbing water and giving space to wildlife all of which assist our own health and well being.

Under the new qualifier, if you can walk from your vehicle to the other side of the road, you probably won't qualify for Higher Mobility Allowance! My Motability vehicle is my contact with the outside world. I can't use public transport, and would therefore be dependent on the goodwill of others. Many thousands are in this position, and would be trapped in their homes or deprived of the allowance under the current legislation. I have a degenerative condition of the spine. As things currently stand I would not qualify for the higher mobility allowance because it is deemed that by walking 20 metres you have sufficient mobility and therefore do not qualify. This is obviously not true. My condition means that it can be difficult to walk those distances. But under the rules as they stand I would not qualify. This will have a huge impact on my life, my wife and children. I was eligible for an adapted car, but under these news rules it may be that I don't qualify. There are countless people like me, facing losing mobility assistance and becoming prisoners in their own homes. The government must rethink this rule change.

Potash is a vital source of potassium which is an essential nutrient for plant growth that strengthens cell walls, increases disease resistance and aids the absorption of nitrogen and phosphorous. The York Potash Project will mine polyhalite, a unique source of potassium, magnesium, sulphur and calcium, which can play a key role in balanced fertilisation across the world. With growing world populations it is vital for food security that the UK has a long term supply of this mineral. The York Potash deposit is the largest and highest grade deposit in the world and a new, deep mine with infrastructure that is below ground or hidden behind extensive landscaping can set new benchmarks for sensitive development, whilst creating thousands of jobs and giving a major boost to local and national economies.

The BBC reported last November: “An ‘intolerable risk’ is being posed by hazardous waste stored in run-down buildings at Sellafield nuclear plant, a watchdog has found.” http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-20228176 The report by the National Audit Office (NAO) stated: “Some of the older facilities at Sellafield containing highly hazardous radioactive waste have deteriorated so much that their contents pose significant risks to people and the environment." http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/1213/sellafield_risk_reduction.aspx This waste has already been created, and it has to be kept safe until a proper solution is in place for dealing with it. West Cumbria urgently needs government investment to enable it to safeguard this material on behalf of us all. What's more, the problem is growing - there’s 44 tonnes more waste currently being moved down from Dounreay, with another 30 tonnes in the pipeline. The Government must immediately commit the investment to make Sellafield safe. This is one item of expenditure that simply must not be cut back. The Government must also order the NDA to stop shipping waste into Sellafield, until the facilities are given a clean bill of health by the NAO.