That this House notes the recent Prime Minister's Strategy Unit report on the life chances of disabled people which states that there are currently no incentives for local service providers to prioritise disabled children; believes that schools in England and Wales need a clearer, more effective and less bureaucratic framework if they are meaningfully to tackle current inequalities for such children; further notes that disabled children's access to other services including wraparound childcare increasingly depends upon schools promoting their equality; further notes that the current legislative framework does not cover the promotion of equality for disabled teachers, support staff or disabled parents; supports the call for change in these areas presented by the Disability Rights Commission, the Special Educational Consortium, the Disability Charities Consortium, the Children's Society and teachers' unions; and therefore calls on the Government to follow these organisations' advice and include schools in England and Wales in the list of public bodies to be subject to specific duties to promote disability equality in regulations to be made under the new Disability Discrimination Bill in line with schools' existing duties under the Race Relations Amendment Act and to ensure effective joint working with other public sector partners.

That this House notes the recent Prime Minister's Strategy Unit report on the life chances of disabled people which states that there are currently no incentives for local service providers to prioritise disabled children; believes that schools in England and Wales need a clearer, more effective and less bureaucratic framework...

That this House calls for speed limits of 20 miles per hour to be introduced outside schools as the default speed limit and a 30 mile per hour limit to be imposed in built up areas.

That this House calls for speed limits of 20 miles per hour to be introduced outside schools as the default speed limit and a 30 mile per hour limit to be imposed in built up areas.

That this House supports the Bog Standard campaign and its School Toilet Charter; notes that toilets for pupils are often poorly maintained and that efforts to encourage pupils to drink adequate water at school are hampered by pupils' avoidance of toilets toilets or inability to visit a toilet when they need to; further notes that poor toilets and inadequate access can lead to health disorders including incontinence, constipation and urinary infections; recognises the work of Education Resources for Improving Childhood Continence in highlighting the long standing implications of continence problems for the child; is aware that regulations governing the standard of pupils' toilets are inadequate, whilst those for teachers are covered comprehensively; and urges the Government to include the inspection of pupils' toilets in all Ofsted inspections, to take into account their condition, suitability and accessibility to pupils.

That this House supports the Bog Standard campaign and its School Toilet Charter; notes that toilets for pupils are often poorly maintained and that efforts to encourage pupils to drink adequate water at school are hampered by pupils' avoidance of toilets toilets or inability to visit a toilet when they...

That this House deplores the decision by Torfaen County Borough Council to propose closure of Ponthir VC Primary School subject to statutory consultation; notes that the recent Estyn Inspection Report commends the high standard of teaching, pupil attainment and attendance; recognises that the school plays an important role in a village community and is supported by the Church in Wales; regrets that the Director of Education's Report to the Torfaen Cabinet wrongly claimed that the school had a high proportion of surplus places and failed to acknowledge the school's achievements; notes that alternative primary school provision within the authority is nearly three miles away; and calls on Torfaen County Borough Council to withdraw the decision to close the school and the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning in the National Assembly for Wales to reject any statutory notice of closure.

That this House deplores the decision by Torfaen County Borough Council to propose closure of Ponthir VC Primary School subject to statutory consultation; notes that the recent Estyn Inspection Report commends the high standard of teaching, pupil attainment and attendance; recognises that the school plays an important role in a...

That this House notes with concern that after several years of planning the proposed private finance initiative (PFI) deal to upgrade and replace school buildings in 37 Norfolk schools has collapsed; further notes that plans to reorganise the education system enabling children in 75 schools to start high school at 11 years will be delayed by at least two years as a result; expresses serious concerns about the amount of public money wasted as a result of this collapse; welcomes the independent review into what went wrong; and calls on the Government to reassess the current reliance on PFI as a means of financing public sector infrastructure projects, taking particular note of new research commissioned by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants which finds that PFI can be an expensive way of financing and delivering public services.

That this House notes with concern that after several years of planning the proposed private finance initiative (PFI) deal to upgrade and replace school buildings in 37 Norfolk schools has collapsed; further notes that plans to reorganise the education system enabling children in 75 schools to start high school at...

That this House expresses deep concern that many post-primary school pupils are obliged to carry excessively heavy school bags to, from and in school; believes that insufficient consideration has been given to the potentially harmful consequences arising from the frequent carrying of heavy schoolbags and that all post-primary schools throughout the United Kingdom should have sufficient lockers for the storage of books and sports equipment; and further believes that schools should consider additional methods of reducing the amount of materials required to be carried by pupils.

That this House expresses deep concern that many post-primary school pupils are obliged to carry excessively heavy school bags to, from and in school; believes that insufficient consideration has been given to the potentially harmful consequences arising from the frequent carrying of heavy schoolbags and that all post-primary schools throughout...

That this House congratulates Summerside School in North Finchley, London, a state primary school, for its huge efforts in teaching British Sign Language (BSL); notes that it has a unit for deaf pupils, some of whom need sign language to communicate and access the curriculum, and that the deaf sign language tutor has taught sign language to mainstream teachers, the school caretaker, cooks, lunchtime assistants and support workers, and that many of the staff have passed their level 1 BSL exam; and further notes that all the hearing pupils have also learned to sign and eight of the nine to 11 year-old mainstream pupils attained level 1 BSL which is highly unusual for a mainstream school, creates a truly inclusive learning environment for the deaf pupils, and led to congratulations during the Ofsted inspection on the excellent provision of sign language classes for parents, children and staff.

That this House congratulates Summerside School in North Finchley, London, a state primary school, for its huge efforts in teaching British Sign Language (BSL); notes that it has a unit for deaf pupils, some of whom need sign language to communicate and access the curriculum, and that the deaf sign...

That this House pays tribute to the country's school crossing patrol officers who carry out such valuable work in all weather and conditions, ensuring that children can cross roads safely on their way to and from school; recognises that they receive relatively low levels of remuneration which for some is little more than the level of benefit; believes that they deserve similar recognition to retained firefighters, lifeboat crews and auxiliary coastguards who are all entitled to the higher level of earnings disregard in the calculation of benefit; and calls upon the Government to apply the more generous earning disregard to school crossing patrol officers.

That this House pays tribute to the country's school crossing patrol officers who carry out such valuable work in all weather and conditions, ensuring that children can cross roads safely on their way to and from school; recognises that they receive relatively low levels of remuneration which for some is...

That this House sends its warmest congratulations to the Yorkshire Post on its magnificent achievement along with the National Autistic Society of raising in excess of ??1 million to help refurbish the Robert Ogden School in Thurnscoe; and notes that it has not only vastly improved the quality of provision at the school but has also helped raise the profile of autism and the effect that it has on young people and their families.

That this House sends its warmest congratulations to the Yorkshire Post on its magnificent achievement along with the National Autistic Society of raising in excess of ??1 million to help refurbish the Robert Ogden School in Thurnscoe; and notes that it has not only vastly improved the quality of provision...

That this House calls on the Government to scrap plans to end free school transport for children travelling more than three miles to school or two miles for those under eight; believes that the Government's plans would add more cars to already congested roads and undermine children's right to a free education; notes that by charging all but a minority of children for their bus travel the plans will end the entitlement to free access to school for up to 600,000 pupils; notes that the plans have the potential to increase school run traffic by 18 per cent., adding an additional 200,000 cars on the school run; and calls on the Government to save our school buses.

That this House calls on the Government to scrap plans to end free school transport for children travelling more than three miles to school or two miles for those under eight; believes that the Government's plans would add more cars to already congested roads and undermine children's right to a...

That this House is alarmed that significant numbers of term-time-only paid education staff in UK schools are currently discriminated against in terms of their pay and employment conditions at work; believes such inequalities in public service employment contracts to be both unfair and unacceptable; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to persuade all local education authorities to introduce as soon as possible a fairer and more equitable system for those workers forthwith.

That this House is alarmed that significant numbers of term-time-only paid education staff in UK schools are currently discriminated against in terms of their pay and employment conditions at work; believes such inequalities in public service employment contracts to be both unfair and unacceptable; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government...

That this House supports the innovative proposals by the Labour Group at Hull City Council to provide free school meals, healthy snacks and fresh fruit to all primary school pupils and expand the number of breakfast clubs throughout Kingston upon Hull; notes with concern that a child in Kingston upon Hull is, on average, going to live six years fewer than a child in Kingston upon Thames and that a recent survey ranked Kingston upon Hull as the worst local authority area for obesity whilst Kingston upon Thames is the best; welcomes the fact that this scheme will ensure that all primary pupils are able to receive healthy food during the school day as well as promoting healthy eating; further notes that this measure will help improve school attainment and attendance, reduce health inequalities and increase the life changes of children in Kingston upon Hull; welcomes the widespread support for this measure; and urges all political parties at Hull City Council to endorse the introduction of this measure.

That this House supports the innovative proposals by the Labour Group at Hull City Council to provide free school meals, healthy snacks and fresh fruit to all primary school pupils and expand the number of breakfast clubs throughout Kingston upon Hull; notes with concern that a child in Kingston upon...

That this House considers it wholly contradictory and inconsistent for a Government which has expressed great commitment to increasing the participation of children and young people in the decisions which affect their own lives to nevertheless declare that it will introduce the intrusive, demeaning and disrespectful policy of random drug testing into schools without any discussion or consultation with children and young people themselves; and urges the Prime Minister to meet with children's commissioners for Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland and with child-led organisations such as UK Youth Parliament, A National Voice and Article 12 as a matter of urgency to explain the purpose of the new policy and to help them understand why this is not being similarly and universally applied to adults who drive, operate machinery and make decisions affecting the lives of others.

That this House considers it wholly contradictory and inconsistent for a Government which has expressed great commitment to increasing the participation of children and young people in the decisions which affect their own lives to nevertheless declare that it will introduce the intrusive, demeaning and disrespectful policy of random drug...

That this House registers its concern about the French Government's proposed law to ban the wearing of religious symbols in state schools and other public buildings, including the Muslim hijab, the Jewish skullcap and Christian crosses; expresses its further concern about the remarks of French Education Minister, M. Luc Ferry, that bandanas and even beards in schools could be prohibited under this law, if worn as a religious symbol; believes that such a decision constitutes a breach of human rights and a contravention of the notions of secularism which uphold personal freedoms and liberties, including the right to religious expression; is worried that other parts of Europe may be encouraged to follow the French example; and supports the peaceful demonstrations that took place in many European cities on 17th January to protest against this breach of civil liberties.

That this House registers its concern about the French Government's proposed law to ban the wearing of religious symbols in state schools and other public buildings, including the Muslim hijab, the Jewish skullcap and Christian crosses; expresses its further concern about the remarks of French Education Minister, M. Luc Ferry,...

That this House notes the clear statement in the current School Admissions Code of Practice that 'Academic selection should never be used to decide entry into primary education'; celebrates the internationally recognised achievements of Britain's comprehensive primary schools; recognises that the National Curriculum applies equally to all pupils within primary and secondary schools; and calls on the Government, therefore, to ensure that the next edition of the Schools Admissions Code of Practice includes an equally clear statement that 'Academic selection should never be used to decide entry into secondary education'.

That this House notes the clear statement in the current School Admissions Code of Practice that 'Academic selection should never be used to decide entry into primary education'; celebrates the internationally recognised achievements of Britain's comprehensive primary schools; recognises that the National Curriculum applies equally to all pupils within primary...

That this House notes with grave concern the arson attack on the Merkaz Hatorah School at Gagny, Seine-Saint-Denis; applauds the leadership shown by President Chirac in mobilizing the French Government against anti-semitism; and expresses solidarity with the overwhelming majority of the French people who cherish toleration and find such acts abhorrent.

That this House notes with grave concern the arson attack on the Merkaz Hatorah School at Gagny, Seine-Saint-Denis; applauds the leadership shown by President Chirac in mobilizing the French Government against anti-semitism; and expresses solidarity with the overwhelming majority of the French people who cherish toleration and find such acts...

That this House welcomes the launch of Comprehensive Future, the campaign to modernise secondary school admission procedures; welcomes the Government's revised Code of Practice on School Admissions; further welcomes the publication of the Audit Commission/Ofsted Report, The Influence of School Place Planning on School Standards and Social Inclusion; notes the criticism of current admission procedures contained both in the June 2002 report from the Council of Tribunals and in the July 2002 report issued by the Schools Adjudicator; further notes the evidence of abuse of current procedures documented in research recently published by the London School of Economics; regrets that more children in England now face overt and covert selective admission procedures to secondary school than in 1997; recognises the impracticality of the 1998 Grammar School Ballot Regulations; further regrets the denial of parental choice intrinsic to admission systems in which schools select children; is aware of the growing body of evidence linking selective systems of secondary education to lower overall levels of pupil achievement and higher levels of social exclusion; and calls on the Government (a) to request Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools to conduct an inquiry into the relationship between selective admission procedures, pupil achievement and post-16 participation rates and (b) to request the Social Exclusion Unit to conduct a parallel inquiry into the relationship between the structures of secondary education and levels of social exclusion.

That this House welcomes the launch of Comprehensive Future, the campaign to modernise secondary school admission procedures; welcomes the Government's revised Code of Practice on School Admissions; further welcomes the publication of the Audit Commission/Ofsted Report, The Influence of School Place Planning on School Standards and Social Inclusion; notes the...

That this House notes with deep concern the attempt by the London Borough of Havering to close the R.J. Mitchell Primary School; further notes the school's rapidly improving performance and reputation; further notes that numbers at the school are almost certain to rise within six years; and calls on the local authority to reverse its decision to keep open a much loved school for future generations of schoolchildren.

That this House notes with deep concern the attempt by the London Borough of Havering to close the R.J. Mitchell Primary School; further notes the school's rapidly improving performance and reputation; further notes that numbers at the school are almost certain to rise within six years; and calls on the...

That this House congratulates those schools which have set up fair trade tuckshops; believes that the sale of fairly-traded products as part of a healthy schools policy has a role to play both in encouraging healthier eating habits amongst young people and in raising their awareness of environmental and third-world issues; and calls upon the Department for Education and Skills to encourage other schools to take up this initiative.

That this House congratulates those schools which have set up fair trade tuckshops; believes that the sale of fairly-traded products as part of a healthy schools policy has a role to play both in encouraging healthier eating habits amongst young people and in raising their awareness of environmental and third-world...

That this House believes that the guidelines set by the Department for Education and Skills which excludes people claiming working tax credit from applying for free school meals for their children is unfair; and believes that any household whose annual income is below the amount of ??13,230 should be eligible to claim.

That this House believes that the guidelines set by the Department for Education and Skills which excludes people claiming working tax credit from applying for free school meals for their children is unfair; and believes that any household whose annual income is below the amount of ??13,230 should be eligible...