§ Ms. Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent, North)I beg to ask leave to present a petition on behalf of parents in my constituency, Smallthorne primary school and Norton county primary school. I have many hundreds of names of people who live in Smallthorne, Sneyd Green, Fegg Hayes, Bradeley, Ball Green, Goldenhill, Milton, Longport, Middleport, Packmoor, Cobridge, Sandyford and Rookery.
I am particularly pleased to be able to present the petition during the passage of the Education Reform Bill. It is from parents whose children receive the best education from Staffordshire county council, a local education authority which is committed to education for all children regardless of the ability of the parents to pay for that education. People in my constituency feel that education should be available to everybody and not just to those who are advantaged. They are angry and reject totally the Government's proposals which are going through the House this very week to change the whole nature of the education system.
The prayer of the petition is:
Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your honourable House will refuse to pass legislation which will not maintain and increase opportunities in education for all children, promote interesting and imaginative teaching in schools, promote equality in schools and between children, increase resources for education, and maintain the role of local education authorities to manage schools in combination with governing bodies and the schools themselves.And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.
§ To lie upon the Table.