Universities challenged: Further education budget reduced by £573m - Education News, Education - The Independent
Funding cuts imposed on 99 of England's 130 universities as 20 colleges face fines for recruiting too many students. 220,000 young people could be left without a place.
Check out the article.
Young People are the biggest resource this country has, we need to give our young people the highest possible education to encourage foreign investment into our country to stimulate the economy!
Well hello!
This is my new blog! Thanks to the help of one of West Midlands fantastic PG's Oli Phillips!
So this is Richy speaking who is the trustee for West Midlands, perhaps the best region out there ;) (but you didn't hear it from me :O) I have been an MYP for three years before taking over the fabulous trustee Melody.
You can find out more about us at http://www.democracyforyoungpeople.co.uk/4604.html
UK Youth Parliament is a fantastic organisation which really aims to channel the voice of young people. So there you have it! This is my new blog where you shall hear about the journeys of a trustee, not as cool as memoirs of a Geisha but still! :)
High Five Oli :)
Have a good evening people as revision continues to devour my brain :D
x
What is the Youth Opportunities Fund?
The Youth Opportunity Fund is a pot of money given to us by the Government to pay for young people's activities. The pot of money is there for young people to bid into for the sort's of things young people like to do but have never had the chance to. This may be things like residentials, DJ workshops, arts projects, developing projects which benefit other young people, etc.
The fund is managed by a group of young people from across Staffordshire, who will meet to consider and discuss your application and decide on how the fund will be given out. This group will work to a set of criteria to help them make those decisions, and you should follow these criteria when filling in an application.
There are two other pots of money available to young people when thinking about the Youth Opportunities Fund. These are the Youth Capital Fund, a pot of money to be used on things like doing up buildings, buying mobile resources, youth shelters, etc. This fund is also managed by the group of young people that manage the Youth Opportunity Fund.
The second pot is the YouthBank. This is very similar to the Youth Opportunity Fund, but is managed by young people locally. This fund could be utilised for smaller projects or activities, which have a benefit for you and other young people in your area.
Here's the good news. You can apply for Youth Opportunity Funding and Youth Capital Funding for the same project! (Where it meets the fund criteria)
Here's the bad news. You cannot apply for Youth Opportunity Funding and Youth Bank Funding for the same project/activity.
Some more good news. You could apply for Youth Capital Funding and YouthBank funding for the same project! (Where it meets the fund criteria)
So what's your next step?
Talk to your friends and/or group members about what you'd like to do. Click the link to the funding pot that you're interested in. Read the funding criteria, and complete the application pack and send it in! Work with a helpful adult if you would find that useful. This could be your teacher, youth worker, carer, Connexions PA, etc.
Funding is now available for the Youth Opportunities Fund and the Youth Capital Fund for 2010 / 2011!
You can download the application form and
guidelines by clicking the links below:
Please note there is now only one form for all three funding streams.
More information about each fund is given below. If you have views on the current application forms please e-mail your comments to youth@staffordshire.gov.uk
About
The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) enables young people to use their energy and passion to change the world for the better.
Run by young people for young people, UKYP provides opportunities for 11-18 year-olds to use their voice in creative ways to bring about social change.
How does UK Youth parliament work?
The UK Youth Parliament has 600 elected MYPs (Members of Youth Parliament) aged 11-18.
MYPs are elected in annual youth elections throughout the UK. Any young person aged 11-18 can stand or vote. In the past two years one million young people have voted in UK Youth Parliament elections.
Once elected MYPs organise events and projects, run campaigns and influence decision makers on the issues which matter most to young people. All MYPs meet once a year at the UK Youth Parliament Annual Sitting.
Each year thousands of young people help decide the UK Youth Parliament’s campaign priorities. Our current campaigns focus on reducing the cost of bus travel for young people, improving political education and abolishing university tuition fees. For more about our campaigns, click here.
What we believe in
The views of young people are represented in the UK Youth Parliament Manifesto, which contains statements on the issues MYPs think are most important. Click here to read our manifesto.
UK Youth Parliament is for everyone
There are lots of ways for young people everywhere to get involved with the UK Youth Parliament, from supporting our campaigns to debating in our online forums. Maybe you even want to become an MYP yourself! For full details on ways you can get involved, click here.
Want to find out more?
Click here to play
What is the mosquito device?
The Mosquito Teen Deterrent is a device that emits a high pitched noise aimed at dispersing young people gathered in public places. The frequency of the device is above the hearing range of people over 25 years, thus it specifically targets young people. The Mosquito devise is made by Compound Security Systems (CSS) based in Wales. Since its launch in January 2006, 8,000 devices have been sold in Europe. Responding to demand, the company produced a more powerful model, with a 50 metre range, designed for use in larger areas like cemeteries and building sites; and a smaller, cheaper model for small shops or private homes.
Who uses it?
In the UK, the police, local Councils, shops and even private home owners are among those to have purchased and installed the Mosquito device.
How does its use impact on children?
The Mosquito causes discomfort to children, and in turn impacts on parents and parenting. For example, an eight-year-old boy in the UK said he had heard the Mosquito device in operation, but was afraid to tell his parents in case they did not believe him. “That buzzing noise”, he said, “I’ve heard it, the other night about one in the morning”. “What were you doing out at that time”, asked the reporter. “I wasn’t”, said the child. “I live over the shops. It’s always waking me up.”
Another child, who has had ear surgery, described how the device sets off her tinnitus (ringing in her ears), and causes her significant pain. Two teenage girls described the noise as ‘going right through you’, like “a sort of screeching noise.” The device frustrates parents too, who have reported that children become agitated and need to leave public places, like supermarkets or car parks, quickly and without explanation.
Why ban the use of the Mosquito?
It is a violation of Human Rights The use of the Mosquito contravenes a number of principles protected by international and European human rights law including:
• Right to respect for private and family life (Article 8, European Convention on Human Rights)
• Prohibition of discrimination (Article 14, European Convention on Human Rights)
• Protection from physical or mental violence, injury or abuse (Article 19, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child)
• Freedom of assembly and association (Article 15, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child)
• Right to a high standard of physical and mental health (Article 24, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child)
It is criticized by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, in its Concluding Observations to the UK in October 2008, came out strongly against the use of the Mosquito device. The Committee expressed its concern at the restriction imposed by the Mosquito device on the freedom of movement and peaceful assembly of children, and recommended that the UK Government reconsider its use, insofar as it may violate these rights for children. It notes that the right to freedom of movement and peaceful assembly are essential to children’s development, and, according to Article 15 of the Convention can only be subject to very limited restrictions.
It’s potentially illegal
Given that the Mosquito device is capable, in its ordinary use, of perpetrating a criminal assault within the meaning of Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act, 1997, and therefore, its users leave themselves liable to criminal prosecution.
It is discriminatory on the grounds of age
Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights states that the rights included in the Convention shall be secured, for all, without discrimination on any ground. The right to be free from discrimination is an unqualified right and the use of the Mosquito may be considered discriminatory on the grounds of age, as it is targeted specifically at children and young people.
It is indiscriminate
The Mosquito device affects all children and young people, not just those that are engaging in criminal or anti-social behavior. It is equally disturbing for a baby in a pram as for a teenager throwing stones. A similar device targeting all adults or all elderly people would is likely to be greeted with outrage. Excluding all children, regardless of their behavior, from shared public space is, quite simply, not fair. It is also unclear if the use of the devise would breach the Equal Status Act, 2000.
It devalues children’s quality of life
Quality of life depends on the quality of, and access to, shared resources; it is a measure of the health of the public realm. Yet children, through use of devices like the Mosquito are willfully excluded and segregated from public space by adults. A society that values its children and young people and seeks to instil in them values of dignity and respect does not ban them from shared spaces by using deterrent technology.
It fosters negative stereotypes about youth
Media attitudes to young people are increasingly extreme. Use of the Mosquito device reinforces these attitudes, by creating an understanding that all young people, when assembled together in a group, are there to cause trouble and should be dispersed. Degrading children, by denying them access to public space, instead of providing opportunities for them can only be detrimental in the long-term. It may also contribute to the perception among young people that the law is not there to protect them.
It is not yet fully understood
The long-term health implications of being subjected to the Mosquito device are not clear. Nor is it understood how the Mosquito affects some groups more than others. For example, the Co-op supermarket in the UK stopped using the device following complaints from a young person with autism who was made feel ill and disorientated by the high-pitched sound. It is not yet known whether the device can be heard by, or affect, babies in the womb.
"Prohibiting the use of the Mosquito device would demonstrate the Government’s commitment to its objectives, and would be a victory for children’s rights in the UK"
The Mosquito Teen Deterrent is a device that emits a high pitched noise aimed at dispersing young people gathered in public places. The frequency of the device is above the hearing range of people over 25 years, thus it specifically targets young people. The Mosquito devise is made by Compound Security Systems (CSS) based in Wales. Since its launch in January 2006, 8,000 devices have been sold in Europe. Responding to demand, the company produced a more powerful model, with a 50 metre range, designed for use in larger areas like cemeteries and building sites; and a smaller, cheaper model for small shops or private homes.
Who uses it?
In the UK, the police, local Councils, shops and even private home owners are among those to have purchased and installed the Mosquito device.
How does its use impact on children?
The Mosquito causes discomfort to children, and in turn impacts on parents and parenting. For example, an eight-year-old boy in the UK said he had heard the Mosquito device in operation, but was afraid to tell his parents in case they did not believe him. “That buzzing noise”, he said, “I’ve heard it, the other night about one in the morning”. “What were you doing out at that time”, asked the reporter. “I wasn’t”, said the child. “I live over the shops. It’s always waking me up.”
Another child, who has had ear surgery, described how the device sets off her tinnitus (ringing in her ears), and causes her significant pain. Two teenage girls described the noise as ‘going right through you’, like “a sort of screeching noise.” The device frustrates parents too, who have reported that children become agitated and need to leave public places, like supermarkets or car parks, quickly and without explanation.
Why ban the use of the Mosquito?
It is a violation of Human Rights The use of the Mosquito contravenes a number of principles protected by international and European human rights law including:
• Right to respect for private and family life (Article 8, European Convention on Human Rights)
• Prohibition of discrimination (Article 14, European Convention on Human Rights)
• Protection from physical or mental violence, injury or abuse (Article 19, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child)
• Freedom of assembly and association (Article 15, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child)
• Right to a high standard of physical and mental health (Article 24, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child)
It is criticized by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, in its Concluding Observations to the UK in October 2008, came out strongly against the use of the Mosquito device. The Committee expressed its concern at the restriction imposed by the Mosquito device on the freedom of movement and peaceful assembly of children, and recommended that the UK Government reconsider its use, insofar as it may violate these rights for children. It notes that the right to freedom of movement and peaceful assembly are essential to children’s development, and, according to Article 15 of the Convention can only be subject to very limited restrictions.
It’s potentially illegal
Given that the Mosquito device is capable, in its ordinary use, of perpetrating a criminal assault within the meaning of Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act, 1997, and therefore, its users leave themselves liable to criminal prosecution.
It is discriminatory on the grounds of age
Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights states that the rights included in the Convention shall be secured, for all, without discrimination on any ground. The right to be free from discrimination is an unqualified right and the use of the Mosquito may be considered discriminatory on the grounds of age, as it is targeted specifically at children and young people.
It is indiscriminate
The Mosquito device affects all children and young people, not just those that are engaging in criminal or anti-social behavior. It is equally disturbing for a baby in a pram as for a teenager throwing stones. A similar device targeting all adults or all elderly people would is likely to be greeted with outrage. Excluding all children, regardless of their behavior, from shared public space is, quite simply, not fair. It is also unclear if the use of the devise would breach the Equal Status Act, 2000.
It devalues children’s quality of life
Quality of life depends on the quality of, and access to, shared resources; it is a measure of the health of the public realm. Yet children, through use of devices like the Mosquito are willfully excluded and segregated from public space by adults. A society that values its children and young people and seeks to instil in them values of dignity and respect does not ban them from shared spaces by using deterrent technology.
It fosters negative stereotypes about youth
Media attitudes to young people are increasingly extreme. Use of the Mosquito device reinforces these attitudes, by creating an understanding that all young people, when assembled together in a group, are there to cause trouble and should be dispersed. Degrading children, by denying them access to public space, instead of providing opportunities for them can only be detrimental in the long-term. It may also contribute to the perception among young people that the law is not there to protect them.
It is not yet fully understood
The long-term health implications of being subjected to the Mosquito device are not clear. Nor is it understood how the Mosquito affects some groups more than others. For example, the Co-op supermarket in the UK stopped using the device following complaints from a young person with autism who was made feel ill and disorientated by the high-pitched sound. It is not yet known whether the device can be heard by, or affect, babies in the womb.
"Prohibiting the use of the Mosquito device would demonstrate the Government’s commitment to its objectives, and would be a victory for children’s rights in the UK"
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