All posts tagged: Council

Don’t close nonreligious school, NSS urges council

Don’t close nonreligious school, NSS urges council

Published by skeptic

The National Secular Society has urged Southwark Council against closing a nonreligious school, warning it would “limit parental choice”. Charlotte Sharman school is the only nonreligious school in St George’s Ward. The NSS told the council that due to the lack of alternative secular provision, closing it would leave families with no option other than sending their child to a faith school. Responding to a consultation on the closure, the NSS said that whilst inclusive, nonreligious schools are appropriate for children of all backgrounds, faith schools are not, due to discriminatory admissions and hiring practices, together with the imposition of religion in the curriculum and other aspects of school life. The NSS pointed to the duty of local authorities to secure diversity in the provision of schools under the Education Act 1996, which it argued would be undermined by closing the school. Last year, plans to merge Charlotte Sharman into St Jude’s Church of England School were cancelled, following overwhelming opposition from the NSS, parents, Charlotte Sharman school staff, and the local National Education Union. …

Alabama Public Library Service Defunds Fairhope Public Library; City Council Will Not Follow Suit

Alabama Public Library Service Defunds Fairhope Public Library; City Council Will Not Follow Suit

Published by skeptic

Kelly is a former librarian and a long-time blogger at STACKED. She’s the editor/author of (DON’T) CALL ME CRAZY: 33 VOICES START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH and the editor/author of HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD. Her next book, BODY TALK, will publish in Fall 2020. Follow her on Instagram @heykellyjensen. View All posts by Kelly Jensen On Thursday, March 20, the Alabama Public Library Service Board of Trustees (APLS) voted to defund the Fairhope Public Library (FPL). APLS Chairman John Wahl stated that the library was violating state policies related to protecting children from “inappropriate” material in the library. Wahl, who was appointed Chair of the APLS in September 2024, is also the current chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. One of the Republican Party’s goals under Alabama Governor Kay Ivey over the last several years has been targeting library funding. In 2024, Alabama updated its laws and administrative codes, permitting the APLS to withhold funds from libraries that do not have policies which remove or restrict “sexually explicit or other …

NSS criticises council link with charity which preaches to trafficked women

NSS criticises council link with charity which preaches to trafficked women

Published by skeptic

The National Secular Society has expressed concerns that a council is partnered with a charity which uses cake to give ‘gospel messages’ to trafficked women while they “can’t talk”. The NSS asked Luton Borough Council to “reconsider” its relationship with Azalea, which says it helps women “caught up in sex trafficking”, after videos emerged of the charity’s CEO explaining the charity’s method of engaging with prostituted women. The original videos have been removed from public view since the NSS contacted the council. The NSS has also contacted other organisations listed on Azalea’s website as partners, including the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire and UK Border Force. Azalea: “Really important” for women to get cake because “she can’t talk back” In one video, livestreamed in 2023 on Stanton Road Baptist Church’s YouTube account, Ruth Robb (pictured) held a ‘role play’ of how Azalea workers approach women on the street. She said it is “really important” for the woman to get a cake because “she can’t talk back” when she has cake in …

Council attempt to cut academies’ intake ‘absurd’

Council attempt to cut academies’ intake ‘absurd’

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles A trust has snubbed council plans to slash its admission numbers – but fears Labour reforms will give authorities hit by falling rolls more teeth to squeeze academy intakes in future. Norfolk County Council wanted the Inspiration Trust to reduce places by up to a half across four of its schools, all of which are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.  While the MAT once run by children’s commissioner Rachel De Souza was able to rebuff the proposals, CEO Gareth Stevens believes the schools bill could force leaders into accepting such “absurd” strategies.  “My overarching concern is that the proposed bill would enable [similar] poorly judged decisions by local authorities to drive down educational standards by limiting the capacity of exceptional schools in an effort to sustain underperforming institutions,” he said. ‘Handing power to politicians’ Councils have statutory responsibilities relating to planning school places in their area. While councils can determine reductions in local authority-maintained schools, their powers do not extend to academies.  Gareth Stevens But the schools bill – which …

NSS welcomes St Albans council decision to end prayers

NSS welcomes St Albans council decision to end prayers

Published by skeptic

The National Secular Society has expressed its support for a council’s decision to end prayers before meetings. Last week St Albans City and District Council voted 25-20 in favour of a motion to end prayers before full council meetings. The motion, proposed by Liberal Democrat councillor Sinéad Howland (pictured), said the inclusion of prayers before the meetings “may inadvertently exclude or alienate individuals of different faiths or those without religious beliefs”. This contradicts the council’s “commitment to equality and inclusivity” and “disrupts the start of the meeting”, the motion said. The motion noted that despite the intention to hold prayers in a separate session before the meetings, this separation “has not been consistently or effectively achieved”. This had led to councillors of other religions and beliefs feeling “the need to wait outside, disrupting the process of preparing for the meeting”. The motion also noted the Equality Act 2010 includes a Public Sector Equality Duty on public bodies to “eliminate discrimination and foster good relations between people with different characteristics”, including both religious and nonreligious beliefs. …

UK to Boost Culture and Economy by Launching Soft Power Council

UK to Boost Culture and Economy by Launching Soft Power Council

Published by skeptic

The UK government has recruited Tristram Hunt, the director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and Peter Bazalgette, the chair and pro-chancellor of the Royal College of Art, to boost the country’s global soft power. They will sit on a new 26-member advisory council–coined the Soft Power Council–which the government said brings together “soft power and foreign policy experts to champion a new, hard-nosed approach to soft power.” “The newly established council will identify opportunities across the sectors and industries represented where closer working with government can advance our broader growth and security objectives,” the Labour government said in a statement. “It will drive greater impact through government campaigns and a systematic approach to the global foreign policy, cultural and sporting calendars.” Ewan Venters, the ex-chief executive of Artfarm, the hospitality group set up by mega-gallery Hauser & Wirth, and Roland Rudd, who chairs Tate’s board of trustees, are also on the council. It will meet four times a year to develop a “forward plan for government campaigns that promote the UK image and offer to the …

Trump taps ex-Treasury official Miran as chair of Council of Economic Advisers

Trump taps ex-Treasury official Miran as chair of Council of Economic Advisers

Published by Sam

Stephen Miran, who was an adviser for economic policy at the U.S. Treasury Department when Donald Trump was last in office, has been tapped by the president-elect as the chair of his Council of Economic Advisers, Trump said on Sunday. The White House Council of Economic Advisers advises the president on economic policy. This story is developing. Please check back for updates. Source link

Council barred from using £200k grant to repair schools

Council barred from using £200k grant to repair schools

Published by skeptic

Barnet council wanted to move the cash from its dedicated schools grant reserves for ‘urgent and unbudgeted repairs’ Barnet council wanted to move the cash from its dedicated schools grant reserves for ‘urgent and unbudgeted repairs’ More from this theme Recent articles A London council launched a £200,000-a-year urgent repairs grant for its poorest schools – only to be ordered by government officials to withdraw the cash. Barnet council wanted to move the cash from its dedicated schools grant reserves for “urgent and unbudgeted repairs” to its worst-off authority-maintained schools. However, the Education and Skills Funding Agency stepped in to ban the move before it got off the ground – saying revenue costs could not be capitalised. School buildings expert Tim Warneford said the case highlighted “the obvious gap between any school’s capacity and resources to adequately maintain their estate”. Tim Warneford “There are insufficient [capital] funds across the entire sector. They are having to triage and prioritise emergency running repairs as best as they can, but demand outstrips their budgets at every level,” he …

Kent special schools threaten council over inclusion plans

Kent special schools threaten council over inclusion plans

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Special schools have threatened England’s largest council with legal action unless a proposed new inclusion strategy that they say will “harm” pupil outcomes and “dismantle” successful provision is ditched. Kent County Council plans to implement widespread reforms to provision for pupils with special needs following damning Ofsted inspections. Mainstream schools are to be more inclusive and high-needs spending brought under control. Senior councillors last week “endorsed” one part of the plan to change admission guidance and the designated needs that some special schools cater for. This is to ensure pupils with “severe and complex” needs get allocated a special school place from September 2026. Christine McInnes, Kent’s director of education, previously told Schools Week that a third of special schools “reflect our selective system in secondary schools” as they have “very, very restrictive admissions criteria”. Plan to change seven schools’ designations Seven schools’ designations would change under the plans. Most would change from catering for pupils with “communication and interaction” issues to those with “neurodivergent and learning difficulties”. A …