On 5th November 2014, Falmouth University announced the closure of their Contemporary Crafts degree. This degree, with historic roots in pottery & ceramics, is vital to the Cornish economy & creative culture. Let's not lose something with such personal, regional and national importance. There has been a ceramics/crafts course attached to the Falmouth School of Art since 1976, when Tom Cross was appointed Principal and the School continued to develop its resources by improving its sculpture studios and creating a new studio for ceramic sculpture. Adding ceramics to Falmouth School of Art, founded in 1902. The links between ceramics and crafts at Falmouth School of art and the wider economy cannot be underestimated with ex graduates flourishing both county, country and internationally. As we, as a society, increasingly lose the skills to make things and forget that not everyone wants to pursue academic studies, this is a course which applauds creativity and talent and maintains the nation’s skill bases. How can it be appropriate to close down one of the countries few excellent facilities? Again, a price has been placed on a course without considering the long term future of the individuals and future generations. How disappointing! The Contemporary Craft course isn't just about learning and training in a skill, it is about pushing boundaries, discovering new processes, working with inspirational peers and lecturers, and most of all a chance to explore who you are as a maker. We demand Falmouth School of Art reconsider this closure for the betterment of the school and the wider community. The cultural enrichment of ceramics and craft courses to both Cornwall and the wider community and the contributions Falmouth School of Art graduates make to the cultural development of the county, cannot be measured by spreadsheet. Sometimes the right choice is not about money and we would hope that upon realising the support for these courses both county and country wide, the University and its Director, Vice-Chancellor & CEO, will reconsider severing the ties between the vibrant crafts community and the university. as 38degrees petitions require a UK post code, if you are outside the UK and want to sign please send your name and comment to [email protected]

Latest Update: The first specification outlines have been released and it is still 70% theory! Now it is 60% Exam 10% written coursework and still only 30% Practical! Following the consultation regarding changes to GCSE PE (in which the opinions of PE teachers seem to have been completely ignored) the government are forcing incredibly damaging changes to GCSE PE which will have far reaching impacts right down to year 7 PE lessons. They have decided that the course will change from the current 60% practical 40% theory to 30% practical and 70% theory! This change will almost completely take the physical/practical aspect out of Physical Education. They are also proposing to massively narrow the activities that students can use as the practical element (moving to a much more traditional / Public school offering of activities). The impact of this will mean a narrowing of the activities offered by secondary schools which will feed down through the year groups. The move to an almost solely theoretical course will also have an impact on the activity level of students in PE lessons, due to schools trying to maximise the performance of students by focussing much more on theory lessons rather than actually being physically active and taking part in sport. This will have long lasting and damaging effects on the health and fitness of future generations. The changes will also take away another avenue for students who are less academic to be successful and get a qualification in an area that they may wish to follow as a career. If these changes go through then many schools may choose to no longer offer Physical Education as a GCSE and the change to the GCSE PE course may well be the final nail in the coffin for physical education in secondary schools, if people do not force a change of direction.

The London Borough of Barnet is fortunate to have four excellent nursery schools (Brookhill, Hampden Way, Moss Hall and St Margaret’s) all of which have been graded 'outstanding' by OFSTED. All four are under threat from the latest Barnet Council proposal. http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s18692/Nursery%20School%20Review.pdf All four nursery schools put in place the essential building blocks of education in a safe, social and rated ‘outstanding’ environment. Barnet Council Officers are proposing changes to meet the planned cuts in funding which, we are concerned, could spell the end for the 'outstanding' level of education offered by our community nursery schools. Currently each school has its own head teacher, deputy head teacher and each class has a teacher to achieve its outstanding status. This level of staffing cannot remain with the proposed changes to funding. We believe it is wrong that providers delivering basic childcare are funded at the same rate as schools providing ‘outstanding education’. This funding formula will result in drastic cuts in staffing which will directly undermine the schools' ability to provide the same high standard of education and support to parents and the community. We also fear the schools are at risk of ending up being stripped back to providing only basic childcare in 'bare minimum Barnet'. If these draconian proposals are put in place the damage will be irreversible.

The utility of excessive homework even at secondary level is far from clear and at primary level and below is deeply resented by growing numbers of children, their parents and their teachers.Ridiculous amounts of homework are routinely imposed on young children as a short term means of - for the teachers' and headteachers' benefits - passing tests and meeting targets that are themselves narrow, methodologically unsound, unnecessary and politically motivated. Whilst some might argue that 'moderate' or 'reasonable' loads of homework are not detrimental, the present structuring of education to such short-term school goals and the failure of the teaching profession to resist the associated attack on decent educational values ensures that such moderation now exists only rarely. Instead, teachers and headteachers are consumed in 'races to the top' of league tables directly at the expense of the children in their care. In the short term children are denied the leisures and pleasures (many of which are of far more learning value than homework) of the different childhoods they could otherwise have had. In the longer term, an inevitable and resentful disengagement from the love of learning scandalously underline the intellectual and moral poverty of our educational 'leaders'.

Our students are our future

The Shape of Training is a review of medical training being implemented by the government and its recommendations pose a serious threat to patient safety and high quality patient care by reducing the amount of time take to train hospital consultants. Evidence also suggests that the government may have influenced the review in a non-transparent manner. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-31048279 The review's key recommendations include reducing the time taken to train to become a 'consultant' by at least 2 years and changing the point at which doctors become fully registered to practice by the GMC. The major professional bodies including the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Surgeons and the British Medical Association have expressed serious concerns about these recommendations. Tom Dolphin of the BMA was involved in the review and has recently spoken out against its recommendations: " This is an egregious assault at the heart of medical standards; we cannot allow it to proceed. " The Shape of Training review in its current form is not compatible with high quality patient care and maintaining patient safety in the NHS to a high standard, and for this reason I would urge you to sign this petition.

The People's History Museum in Manchester is the only museum in England dedicated to celebrating the history of working people. It tells the story of working people's contribution to this country in both peacetime and war. It charts their struggles from the deportation of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, through Lancashire mill workers during the American Civil War as well as working people's solidarity with anti-apartheid campaigners in South Africa. And now, during the centenary of the First World War, the museum's current exhibition tells the story of the working people of Britain throughout the war. The museum's deputy editor Cath Birchall has said: “They [the government] don’t see the importance of a national museum that shows the effects of the war on ordinary people.” A war where approximately 750,000 people died in combat and more than a million were injured fighting abroad, and which also resulted in huge numbers of domestic casualties with as many as 100,000 dying of malnutrition and disease. Please stop the cuts and save this national treasure. After all, in the words of Len McClusky, "History is not just about those who write it, but about those who live it. Working people and the labour movement have been at the forefront of all social and political changes this country has undergone over the past three centuries. We must defend the People’s Museum ... and safeguard the one museum dedicated to telling the story of us all".

Tonmawr Primary is an Outstanding school, with the recent Estyn Report supporting this. We also have a specialised unit for children who have learning difficulties. The local authority Neath Port Talbot Council are proposing to close our school, along with 4 other schools within the Authority, at the end of this Academic year. NPTC want our children to attend an already over-crowded school, where the classroom staff to child ratio is already exceeding the Welsh Assemblies recommendations. It is not yet known exactly where NPTC are planning to uproot and then place the children that use the special unit. We want to make a stand, and we want our children to be educated in their own community school, where they are very happy and very well educated, in a school that prides itself on their very many achievements. Please help us keep our treasure of a school open.

The children of this village should be able to be taught in a safe environment within their local community. Neath Port Talbot Council is trying to shut the school and bus the children to a super primary school of over 500 children. Pontrhydyfen Primary School is a winner, the children came 1st with The Big Pedal within the whole of UK not once, not twice, but three times! No, no, sorry but that is now 4 times as they have won The Big Pedal again whilst this is going on. Winners of Eco-School Platinum (4 green flags) 3 years in a row. This is a wonderfully vibrant, successful school with wonderfully vibrant, successful children. Please help us save it. http://vimeo.com/109987437

In 2012, 4590 men and 1391 women committed suicide in the United Kingdom. It is estimated that globally, every 40 seconds someone takes their own life. I think we need to start a culture of open and honest discussion about suicide and it's impact. I truly believe if young people were spoken to honestly about mental health before they become adults then we have a chance of forming a mentally healthy society. Or at least one that has understanding of mental illness. As a 14 year old, if you need advice on how to prevent creating a new life, you can access that information at school, similarly about drugs and alcohol. But where do young people go when they feel like they can't take anymore? Who do they turn to in those times? We need to talk to young people BEFORE the point, suicide is the single biggest killer in young men in the UK. Let's have the discussion before it's too late. By having this discussion during school time, we can begin to normalize it and break the taboo. Let's start a culture where we encourage others to reach out for help, one that we all promise to keep an eye on friends we are worried about. Thank you

It has been proven that primary schools (to the end of key stage 2 at year 6) are considered the best opportunity for children to access good quality education with the benefit of continuity. Transferring at year 7 gives more time for them to make informed choices for exams in year 11. The change will also drive continuous and sustained improvement of our education system, benefiting all our children. We trust the vision and leadership of our governing bodies and senior management teams to affect the change with minimal disruption and to deliver the best possible education for our children now,  and in the future.

Monmouthshire County Council have removed funding that helped pay for transport to college for 16 years + children with SEN. This means that the parents/guardians of these children are left with difficult choices. Pay themselves or use public transport. Some of these children have ADHD, Autism and Aspergers and for them, using public transport is impossible. One of the most vulnerable groups in our communities is suffering due to these cuts.