Dear All,
Please join us for the "March for Children" in London in just 6 days time -- Sunday 18th May at 2pm. This is a march to improve education for ALL children by urging the Government to rethink its education reforms.
Katherine Birbalsingh (headteacher at Michaela Community School in Wembley) and Michelle, a parent who educates her child at home, organised this event -- and we at Education Not Taxation join them enthusiastically in this march.
We won't let this Government pit schools, teachers, parents and children against each other. We stand together determined to give each child the education they need.
This includes:
- Banning smartphones in schools for Under 16s. The harms of social media in young people are clear. Don't leave it to parents and individual schools to navigate.
- Giving parents more choice of schools. Government proposals could see a reduction in places in successful schools, forcing children into schools that may not meet their needs.
- Letting school leaders run their schools. This means letting schools set up working conditions (including the length of school day and holidays) that best meet local needs. Not a one-size-fits-all approach.
- Ending school fee VAT. State schools have seen growing demand from children forced out of their independent schools, and state schools are struggling to accommodate them.
We are starting at Whitehall (meeting at Westminster Underground station) at 2pm, but try to be there by 1.30pm so we can all come together. Katherine and Michelle created a website with more information on the march, and you can find it here:
https://marchforchildren.uk
It can be hard coming to events like this if you don't know others, so join our Education Not Taxation Facebook group where you'll find others coming as well :). You can join here, if you haven't already: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1044785196816826
Thank you all for your support, and see you on Sunday!
Tony