European Society of Toxicology in Vitro ESTIV’s Post

What benefits do independent schools ACTUALLY provide? One-fifth of all pupils in independent schools have a special educational need or disability (SEND). There are many independent specialist schools, dedicated to educating and caring for children with serious and complex SEND needs. These schools add vital capacity for local authorities and often provide SEND specialisms that are not available elsewhere. Independent schools also offer a supportive, nurturing environment for pupils with less severe needs in mainstream settings. The independence these schools have allows them to personalise learning and build assessments around pupils’ individual skill sets. Independent schools have the freedom to explore alternative approaches to SEND provision and tailor teaching and learning to children’s needs. All children benefit from these new discoveries through partnerships between state and independent schools and the sharing of information. St Edward's School, Oxford has partnered with its neighbour Northern House Academy, a specialist primary school for pupils with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) difficulties, for Teddies Collaborate volunteering programme for weekly extra-curricular and educational activities. Independent schools often have smaller class sizes for children with SEND, allowing for increased one-to-one time between pupils and their teachers - which is especially important for children with more severe needs. Charging VAT on SEND school fees risks disrupting education for children with SEND and putting pressure on an already stretched state SEND provision. We ask the Labour Party to: 🛑 Exempt children with SEND support from VAT. ✍️ Impact assess the effect of VAT on state SEND provision and local authority budgets.

More House School, Frensham is one such specialist independent provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs. A majority of our pupils are placed by local authorities because there is no appropriate provision in the state-maintained sector. For other children, their parents often make huge sacrifices, combining wider-family resources to meet the costs of meeting special needs without burdening the state sector. But the costs of VAT will force many to seek local councils' funding, and others out of the independent sector and into state provision, increasing burdens on local schools with no appropriate resources. Such change will affect our provision for publicly-funded children, reducing opportunities for all #SEND children. No one will win; some of our country's most vulnerable children will suffer. If we cannot invest properly in our young people when we can make a genuine difference to their futures, the state will be committed to propping them up financially, through support and care, for the rest of their lives, at frightening cost to the tax-payer. We must support all children with additional needs. Please make all #SEND children exempt from VAT added to their school costs. CReSTeD Administrator Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity British Dyslexia Association Independent Schools Association (ISA) Independent Schools Council Boarding Schools' Association

Education should be a top priority for any nation that wants to truly progress. We already know that the Nigerian government, in spite of its efforts, is lagging in its implementation of education policies and provision of adequate infrastructure. Not only do students have to learn under incondusive conditions, they also lack necessary learning materials. But what are we doing about it? No progress is make by pointing fingers. Only by joining hands together can we see the transformation we desire. Every child deserves quality education. And it is our business--all of us--to make this happen. It still takes a community to raise a child. Like the UN says, none of us can afford a “lost generation”. You too can be part of our Education Outreach Programme (EOP), designed to meet the educational needs of children from low-income families, marginalised communities, underserved juvenile facilities and other disadvantaged groups. How? 1. Get TRYI branded items with inspirational inscriptions. With each TRYI branded item you purchase, funds are being raised to kit up a child for school. See comments for available branded items. 2. Join our team of Volunteer Tutors who teach basic literacy and numeracy as well as basic science and IT skills in underserved communities. Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e5NHssJv PS: See the video that is causing so much concern on our YouTube Channel @ThrivingTeens_TRYI

Dear All friends, I hope this note finds you in good health and high spirits. I am reaching out to you today on behalf of the Bethsaida Education Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing young girls with the opportunity for secondary education. We believe that education is a powerful tool that can transform lives, empower individuals, and create a better future for communities. As you may already know, access to education is not always readily available for everyone, especially in underserved areas. Unfortunately, young girls often face significant barriers and challenges in pursuing their education. Lack of resources, cultural norms, and gender inequality can restrict their potential and limit their opportunities for growth. At the Bethsaida Education Foundation, we are committed to breaking down these barriers and empowering young girls to reach their full potential. We firmly believe that every girl deserves the chance to receive a quality education, regardless of their background or circumstances. By investing in their education, we can equip them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to thrive. However, we cannot accomplish this mission alone. We are actively seeking partners and supporters who share our vision and are passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of young girls. We believe that together, we can create a stronger, more equitable society by investing in the education of these bright and talented individuals. There are various ways you can contribute to our cause. You can make a financial donation to support scholarships, educational resources, and infrastructure development. Your contribution, no matter how big or small, will make a significant difference in the lives of these girls. Additionally, if you have expertise in education, mentorship, or organizational development, we would greatly value your involvement as a volunteer or advisor. We believe that education is a transformative force that can break cycles of poverty, empower individuals, and create a ripple effect of positive change. By joining hands with us, you will be contributing to a meaningful cause and shaping a brighter future for countless young girls. If you are interested in partnering with the Bethsaida Education Foundation or would like further information about our initiatives, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We would be thrilled to discuss possibilities and explore how we can collaborate to make a lasting impact. Together, let us pave the way for young girls to unlock their potential and become agents of change. Thank you for considering our request, and we look forward to the opportunity to work with you in the pursuit of educational empowerment for all. With warm regards, Raymond Machary(PMI) Chairman Bethsaida Education Foundation www. bethsaida.or.tz [email protected]

Dear helpers, Our Classroom building for poor street children on GlobalGiving has been approved. This project will help to build six classrooms for underprivileged street children to have access to quality free education. In 2021, we established a nursery and primary school that offers free education to the underprivileged due to the growing rate of out-of-school children. The school is still giving access to free education to date. Supporting this cause will help more children to have access to education. 65% of out-of-school children in Nigeria are girls. In Africa, Nigeria has the largest number of child brides with more than 23 million girls and women who are married as children, most of them from poor and rural communities. Without quality education, underprivileged children will not achieve their potential and end up going into early marriage or facing child labour. These are common obstacles to realizing the full potential that education can provide. Take action via http://goto.gg/61538 Give and Share with your friends and well-wishers who may have an interest in sponsoring children's education Fraz Shaikh Shakthi K. okeke chidi Chinwendu Arun pal Hilma Sofia Ramirez Varela Bill Lebowitz Craig Johns Eirini Skiadaresi MD MSc PGCert MedEd FEBO George Contos H.E Wissam Doudar UNICEF Terry Robinson Helen S. Stefanou Raymond B. Smaltz III Grahama Matat Graham Tindall

Dear Friends: I am excited and humbly honored to be the newest Chairperson of the Build The Future USA Board (https://lnkd.in/gU6p2hcQ). Build The Future USA exists to support Build The Future South Africa. Build the Future works in some of the poorest parts of South Africa to meet basic needs of communities through early childhood development programs, education and community development programs. It is special to our family because we have a personal relationship with the people on the ground in the communities doing the work. We have played with the kids who benefit from the meals and preschools. Talked with the teachers who are from the schools’ own communities. And heard many stories about the challenges and successes of the preschools. My own experience with BTF started when I was CFO at Crossroads Church. I helped facilitate the financial support that Crossroads committed to BTF South Africa. My wife, Christine, went on two BTF trips. Our son, Joe, went on the second trip with Christine in 2019. Tragically, Joe died by suicide in 2020. Our family has found healing in carrying on his memory through organizations that were important to him. Last year, we raised enough money to build Preschool 4, Bhungheni Creche, in memory of Joe. In our hearts, it will always be “Joe’s School.” There are now TWO families who have chosen to honor their sons by building a preschool in their honor. Greg and Lisa Scheper are raising funds to build Preschool 5 in honor of their son, Calvin who passed away at age 19. Amy and Simon Sapsford are honoring their son through Preschool 6. Dean passed away at age 4 months. It’s amazing to think that Joe, Calvin and Dean are living on through the smiles and laughter of the children at Build the Future preschools. With this incredible growth, we need more help to support BTF. We would love for you to be involved in any way you’d like. Here are a few specific ways you can help. Monthly Giving: This is the most helpful way for BTF to be able to optimally plan and budget. You can set that up at https://lnkd.in/gU6p2hcQ. Administrative Help: We are looking for volunteers who would be willing to help with administrative tasks such as sending thank you notes, bookkeeping, data entry, etc. Fundraiser: Our first ever fundraiser was a huge success! We are already working on plans for this year’s event. If you would like to be involved in planning the event, we’d love to hear from you. If you have an item to donate to the auction, that would be awesome! One-Time Gift: No gift is ever too small to make a significant difference. We sincerely appreciate every act of generosity. Finally, I would love to hear from you. If you would like to be involved, please send me a message. If you have questions about what’s going on or have ideas to share, I’d love to hear them.

A recent Guardian article highlights that one in four children starting school in England and Wales are not toilet-trained, posing a considerable challenge for school staff. According to a report by the early-years charity Kindred2, teachers now spend a third of their day supporting pupils who are not school-ready, indicating a growing disparity between parental perceptions and teacher observations about how ready children are for school. There is often a significant data gap between the age of two and the age of five where local authorities and their education partners do not have information about how children are progressing and how ready they are to start school. This means schools can’t prepare well for the arrival of their new reception cohorts, and more importantly that some children are starting off their formal education at a disadvantage – one it can be difficult to overcome.    There is a need for increased dialogue between parents, early years settings and schools, to help bridge this gap. Sentinel Partners' Early Years Solution serves as a valuable resource for enhancing communication between local authorities, providers and parents. By sharing information about how children are progressing at nursery, there is an opportunity to intervene earlier for children experiencing difficulties and to improve school readiness and social mobility. Our Early Help platform provides data about school readiness to support collaboration and can help children and their families better prepare for a great start to their education. To learn more, reach out today 👉https://lnkd.in/epdYSGw5      #earlyyears #datagap #datasharing #earlyyearsolution #sentinelpartners  

Excited to share the work we're doing within the SADC education community (www.cstlpulse.africa) that we curate, hosted on www.a-better-africa.com. In designing this community engagement, we started with policy documents, then shared an educator view of the rights, followed by highly usable classroom resources, socialising the rights of the child with the child. The webinar is phase two and a platform discussion forum will be phase three. A couple of posts ago, I shared the growing trend and value of private curated communities. This one is a great example, while it spans 16 SADC countries with vast ecosystems across education and health, this community could not be curated effectively on a social platform. For those interested to join the community - https://lnkd.in/dJ3pxB-z And for those interested to join the webinar - https://lnkd.in/dqUiUxkH UNICEF SADC Secretariat Save the Children International