Parents from across Warwickshire have gathered in Leamington to discuss what many are calling a “national crisis” in funding for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The public meeting at the town hall was part of a campaign for more funding and support for SEND children and preceded a rally, which will take place in the spring. Campaigners have said that over the last five years, special education needs’ budgets within schools have been hit by multi-million pound cuts in England and warnings of a ‘national crisis’ set to affect thousands of children and young people with disabilities across the country have been voiced by many teachers and parents.Parent Simon O’Hara said: “Schools are caught in a loop of no funding. “Where a school is seriously committed to meeting the needs of all its children, the current funding for SEND makes it almost impossible to do that. “Central government has to do better. … [Read more...] about Campaigners who want more funding for special educational needs children meet in Leamington
Parent teacher meeting
Parents paying for glue sticks to help cash-strapped schools, headteachers say
News / UK and world by Press Association March 8, 2019, 8:02 pm Send us a story Sign up to our Daily newsletter Parents are helping schools by paying for glue sticks and pens due to a funding crisis, headteachers have warned. A letter sent to millions of families by more than 7,000 headteachers comes as the WorthLess? campaign group said its request to meet Education Secretary Damian Hinds has been rejected due to time pressures. The Department for Education said school funding in England was “at its highest-ever level”. Siobhan Lowe, head of Tolworth Girls’ School in Surbiton, Surrey, said she has been forced to clean the school, wash the toilets, serve in the canteen and can no longer afford a deputy headteacher. Alex Bird, head of St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Horsham, West Sussex, said “working conditions were atrocious” and he has had to cut the hours of support staff in a bid to make ends meet. Mr Bird … [Read more...] about Parents paying for glue sticks to help cash-strapped schools, headteachers say
Meet the candidates for the District 5 L.A. school board seat
After establishing herself as a teacher in the Compton school district, Goldberg, who lives in Echo Park, served two terms on the L.A. school board, ending in 1991. She later served on the L.A. City Council and in the state Legislature. In her current job, she oversees efforts to help former inmates and the formerly homeless find city jobs. Goldberg says the district should do much more to raise revenue but also can find ways to make change without more funding, such as by moving more authority to parents, teachers and administrators at schools. She also says that more thoughtful effort is needed for the reform of student discipline policies — which emphasize counseling over punishment — to be successful. … [Read more...] about Meet the candidates for the District 5 L.A. school board seat
Mothers-only school meeting attracts outrage in Denmark
The Bispebjerg district’s Holberg School arranged a parents’ meeting to discuss the educational institute’s anti-bullying policy. However, the meeting at the proudly multi-cultural school was declared mothers-only, meaning that neither immigrant nor Danish fathers could attend discussions relating to their own children. The Copenhagen Post reveals that the school invitation asked for mothers to attend and participate in a “debate about bullying that includes mother talk, yummy food, coffee and cake”. Mothers were also welcomed to bring their young children to the meeting with them as babysitting services were provided. Soren Ellesoe, the school principal, claimed the initiative was aimed at reaching out to groups that usually shy away from parent-teacher meetings. “We have immigrant women parents in particular whose husbands believe that women should not take part in something if other men are present,” Ellesoe stated. His decision has been … [Read more...] about Mothers-only school meeting attracts outrage in Denmark
Swiss canton wants to make parents pay if children speak poor German
One third of kindergarten kids in the capital of Thurgau, Frauenfeld, needed German language classes in 2014. File photo: fermate/Depositphotos The Swiss canton of Thurgau is pushing to have the Swiss constitution changed so it can force parents to share the costs of language classes for their kindergarten-aged children if their German is not good enough. The proposal aims to save the canton money and boost the integration of the Swiss-born children of foreigners living in Switzerland. It’s part of a long-running debate in the country about how to deal with the fact that an increasing number of children are starting compulsory preschool education without having the necessary language skills. Read also: Thurgau steps up language requirements for foreigners seeking Swiss citizenship In the case of Thurgau, the cantonal parliament last month passed a motion calling for the Swiss constitution to be changed so that it can make parents of kindergarten children with poor German … [Read more...] about Swiss canton wants to make parents pay if children speak poor German