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-----Original Message-----
From: John O [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: 02 May 2002 06:17
To: Recipient List Suppressed
Subject: Teachers Fight Back Against Blunkett 'swamping' Rhetoric
From: John O [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: 02 May 2002 06:17
To: Recipient List Suppressed
Subject: Teachers Fight Back Against Blunkett 'swamping' Rhetoric
==========================
National Coalition of
Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC)
Phone: 0121-554-6947 Fax: 0121-554-7891
==========================
Teachers Fight Back Against Blunkett 'swamping' Rhetoric
Newham teachers, supported by Newham
Teachers' Association (NUT), have launched a petition affirming that refugee
children are welcome in schools and opposing any moves towards segregated
schooling as proposed by the government.
The petition condemns the
comments made by David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, that refugee children have
'swamped' local schools. The Home Office plans to establish special
'accommodation centres' where asylum seeker children will be educated separately
from others in remote areas of the country.
In the past, refugee children
have received strong support from other school students, often leading to highly
energetic schools-based campaigns against any deportation attempts.
The petition is for teachers, parents,
schoolchildren and students and can be signed by people anywhere in the UK.
Newham Teachers Association hope that the petition will become a national
initiative to show the strength of feeling after the Home Secretary's comments.
Other NUT branches are being asked to adopt the petition, subject to approval
from local officers.
The petition can be downloaded as a Word file from:
http://www.carf.demon.co.uk/RefugeePetition.doc.
Or as a PDF file from:
http://www.ncadc.org.uk/letters/News26/teachers.html
Newham teachers invite everyone in the world to sign this
petition.
It can be freely photocopied and distributed
and needs to be returned by 31 May 2002 to the
Newham Teachers' Association
NTA Office
The Credon Centre
Kirton Road,
London
United Kindom
E13 9BT.
Further information and source:
Arun Kundnani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Institute of Race Relations
=============================================================
NUT condemns Government plans
for education of asylum seeking children
The NUT is alarmed at the proposals in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill for the education of asylum seeking children in accommodation centres. A far better way of tackling the complex educational needs of asylum seeking children would be for the Government to provide adequate resources to schools.
The NUT has called on the Department for Education and Skills to provide a fund for education authorities to draw on as the need arises.
Doug McAvoy, NUT General Secretary, said:
"The Government should listen to teachers, who are completely committed to teaching asylum-seeking children. It should be concerned to promote the best interests of these children, including their right to education in an appropriate environment. Instead, the Government is promoting an extremely regressive proposal to deny asylum-seeking children education within mainstream provision.
"Asylum seeking children are children first and asylum seekers second. Their educational rights should be vigorously protected irrespective of immigration status. Education within the confines of an accommodation centre cannot equal the range of provision within a school or education authority. The Government's proposals flout asylum-seeking children's right to a decent education by segregating them from other children in mainstream schools. Children in mainstream schools are the key to the rapid rehabilitation of asylum seeking children - many of whom will be traumatised by their experience of fleeing persecution or torture.
The NUT is alarmed at the proposals in the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill for the education of asylum seeking children in accommodation centres. A far better way of tackling the complex educational needs of asylum seeking children would be for the Government to provide adequate resources to schools.
The NUT has called on the Department for Education and Skills to provide a fund for education authorities to draw on as the need arises.
Doug McAvoy, NUT General Secretary, said:
"The Government should listen to teachers, who are completely committed to teaching asylum-seeking children. It should be concerned to promote the best interests of these children, including their right to education in an appropriate environment. Instead, the Government is promoting an extremely regressive proposal to deny asylum-seeking children education within mainstream provision.
"Asylum seeking children are children first and asylum seekers second. Their educational rights should be vigorously protected irrespective of immigration status. Education within the confines of an accommodation centre cannot equal the range of provision within a school or education authority. The Government's proposals flout asylum-seeking children's right to a decent education by segregating them from other children in mainstream schools. Children in mainstream schools are the key to the rapid rehabilitation of asylum seeking children - many of whom will be traumatised by their experience of fleeing persecution or torture.
"The NUT is calling on the
Government to abandon any proposals which undermine asylum seeking children's
right to care and development through education. This is the only way in
which the Government's rhetoric on social inclusion will have any
meaning."
=============================================================
Education Of Children Seeking
Asylum
84 MPs led by Karen Buck, the chair of the London group of Labour MPs, have
tabled a Parliamentary motion opposing Clause 30 of the Immigration Bill and
calling for all children to have the same access to mainstream school places. If
your MP is not listed below contact them immediately through NCADC's web
site:
http://www.ncadc.org.uk/
go to left hand frame, Faxyourmp.com
EDM 1187
Education Of Children Seeking Asylum 23.04.02
Buck/Karen
That this House expresses its concern at sections 30 and 31 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill, which removes refugee children in accommodation centres from the application of key sections of education law; notes that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child lays down the child's right to education on the basis of equal opportunity; believes that the development of segregated education provision is both regressive and discriminatory, and not in the best interests of the child; believes that the status of refugee children as children should take precedence over their status as asylum seekers; and calls on the Government to meet its obligations under the UNCRC, by ensuring that all children in the United Kingdom have the same access to mainstream school places.
That this House expresses its concern at sections 30 and 31 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill, which removes refugee children in accommodation centres from the application of key sections of education law; notes that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child lays down the child's right to education on the basis of equal opportunity; believes that the development of segregated education provision is both regressive and discriminatory, and not in the best interests of the child; believes that the status of refugee children as children should take precedence over their status as asylum seekers; and calls on the Government to meet its obligations under the UNCRC, by ensuring that all children in the United Kingdom have the same access to mainstream school places.
Signatures to 2nd May
2002:
Buck, Karen
Coleman, Iain
Morgan, Julie
Dobson, Frank
Kirkwood, Archy
Marris, Rob
Perham, Linda
Gerrard, Neil
Clark, Helen
Griffiths, Jane
Jones, Lynne
Jones, Helen
Cousins, Jim
Naysmith, Doug
Follett, Barbara
Winnick, David
Clwyd, Ann
Purnell, James
Cunningham, Tony
Drew, David
Ruddock, Joan
Smith, Chris
Gidley, Sandra
Doughty, Sue
Doran, Frank
Woodward, Shaun
Baird, Vera
Brake, Tom
Willis, Phil
Dismore, Andrew
MacDougall, John
Cohen, Harry
McDonnell, John
Harris, Evan
Cryer, John
Efford, Clive
King, Oona
Allan, Richard
Simpson, Alan
Corbyn, Jeremy
Mahon, Alice
Clapham, Michael
Kilfoyle, Peter
Marshall-Andrews, Robert
Austin, John
Burstow, Paul
Tonge, Jenny
Mackinlay, Andrew
Cable, Vincent
Iddon, Brian
Hopkins, Kelvin
Skinner, Dennis
Stinchcombe, Paul
George, Andrew
Salmond, Alex
Abbott, Diane
Gibson, Ian
Marsden, Paul
Illsley, Eric
Caton, Martin
Russell, Bob
Todd, Mark
Ewing, Annabelle
Weir, Michael
Brooke, Annette
Holmes, Paul
Green, Matthew
Daisley, Paul
Singh, Marsha
Breed, Colin
Thomas, Simon
Davey, Edward
Dean, Janet
Chidgey, David
Calton, Patsy
Stunell, Andrew
Edwards, Huw
Davis, Terry
Jackson, Glenda
Pound, Stephen
McNamara, Kevin
Hancock, Mike
Berry, Roger
Foster, Don
Coleman, Iain
Morgan, Julie
Dobson, Frank
Kirkwood, Archy
Marris, Rob
Perham, Linda
Gerrard, Neil
Clark, Helen
Griffiths, Jane
Jones, Lynne
Jones, Helen
Cousins, Jim
Naysmith, Doug
Follett, Barbara
Winnick, David
Clwyd, Ann
Purnell, James
Cunningham, Tony
Drew, David
Ruddock, Joan
Smith, Chris
Gidley, Sandra
Doughty, Sue
Doran, Frank
Woodward, Shaun
Baird, Vera
Brake, Tom
Willis, Phil
Dismore, Andrew
MacDougall, John
Cohen, Harry
McDonnell, John
Harris, Evan
Cryer, John
Efford, Clive
King, Oona
Allan, Richard
Simpson, Alan
Corbyn, Jeremy
Mahon, Alice
Clapham, Michael
Kilfoyle, Peter
Marshall-Andrews, Robert
Austin, John
Burstow, Paul
Tonge, Jenny
Mackinlay, Andrew
Cable, Vincent
Iddon, Brian
Hopkins, Kelvin
Skinner, Dennis
Stinchcombe, Paul
George, Andrew
Salmond, Alex
Abbott, Diane
Gibson, Ian
Marsden, Paul
Illsley, Eric
Caton, Martin
Russell, Bob
Todd, Mark
Ewing, Annabelle
Weir, Michael
Brooke, Annette
Holmes, Paul
Green, Matthew
Daisley, Paul
Singh, Marsha
Breed, Colin
Thomas, Simon
Davey, Edward
Dean, Janet
Chidgey, David
Calton, Patsy
Stunell, Andrew
Edwards, Huw
Davis, Terry
Jackson, Glenda
Pound, Stephen
McNamara, Kevin
Hancock, Mike
Berry, Roger
Foster, Don
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