POO! (& wee)...

...it's the NEW issue of OKIDO magazine!

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Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!

Click on the image for pure joy...

A Letter Regarding the Proposed Cuts to School Funding

(and not in a good way)

To Whom It May Concern -

I have three teenage children who have enjoyed/are enjoying the benefits of a first-rate state education, and I myself have worked extensively with children in both the state and private sector in my capacity as a children's writer.

This has convinced me that education is the cornerstone of a nurturing, healthy and forward-looking society. It has also convinced me that State Education works, and can work, extremely well. So how is it possible to justify cutting funding to successful state schools when they are the very foundations on which future generations are built?

If I understand the proposal correctly, this is how: cut funding from some schools, to give to other schools. Specifically, syphon off funding from state schools and put it towards setting-up more 'free' schools and new grammar schools. 

I am against both these institutions for a variety of reasons, but mainly because both cream off a demographic that is crucial to maintain a healthy balance to the comprehensive model. 

The only way to give every child - every future citizen - a fair chance at their currently ever more uncertain future, is to empower them with knowledge and grow their potential within as level a playing field as is possible, given the inequalities of our society. Don't segregate and separate children even more; don't cut budgets to successful schools in order to chase some kind of rose-tinted, bygone golden age of grammar schools, or 're-distribute' funds so that any schools suffer. Please don't do it!

Don't penalise children and educators for the nostalgic dreams of politicians that are masking a need to fill the deficit by any means possible, even if it means jeopardising the education and stability of future generations. 

Don't cut corners by cutting school budgets in order to create more unwanted schools, rather than supporting the schools that are working and working really well.

Don't cut corners by cutting school budgets at all, because if you do, you'll be cutting corners with the future of our children.

Yours, with all due respect, which is this matter is frankly not very much...

Gabby Dawnay

#SchoolsNationalFundingFormulaConsultation

#schoolsnationalfundingcuts

#proposedfundingcuts

#schools

#education

#schoolsfunding

#cuts

#futuregenerations

Letter from a living legend....

Imagine how I felt when I opened a hand-written envelope and received this...

Living legend, peerless nature dude, gentle eco-warrior, global animal awareness-raiser and all-round gent. (Notice the headed notepaper?) xx

#SirDavidAttenborough

#AlexBarrow

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