(time limit 20 minutes)
Unused Stationery Within the Council and its Partners
Oldham youth council put forward the motion with the aims to address the issue of access to stationery and educational resources, which has a significant impact on the educational opportunities of our young people.
Council recognises that since the COVID 19 pandemic Oldham Youth Council have made poverty and the cost of living as priority issues and have undertaken work to improve the lives of Oldham’s Young People. This includes:
· Sitting on the Oldham Town Centre board to input on decisions around the town centre improvements.
· Working with the Council’s post 16 team around employability and NEET young people
· 2022 motion to Council asking that the Chief Executive writes to Government to extend the offer of the Holiday Activities and Food programme to all young people not just those on free school meals.
Council notes:
· That according to the Times Educational Supplement survey, in partnership with the National Education Union, 94% of surveyed teachers resort to using their personal funds to purchase necessary equipment for their students.
· That according to a UNISON survey, of 6,672 of it members, showed that even though they were worried their pay would not cover spiralling living costs, more than one in five (23%) have used their own money to pay for pens and pencils for their students.
· That energy bills and the pressures of inflation are continuing to burden schools’ budgets with less money to support students financially.
Council recognises:
· The importance of quality education in shaping the future of our community, but that a significant number of pupils in Oldham face challenges in accessing essential stationery items required for school.
· With the Council departments currently looking to move to the spindles this is a prime opportunity to take stock of any unused stationery. With everyone having calculator apps on their laptops or mobile phones, and offices becoming paperless, the need for pens, rulers and physical calculator has reduced.
We propose that Oldham Council therefore resolves to:
· Ask the Chief Executive to write to all department heads asking that teams look at current stocks of pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, rubbers, rulers and calculators (including badged merchandise), and any items not required for the running of that department, to be donated and used to create packs that can be distributed to students most in need.
· Ask the Chief Executive to write to partners (including Miocare, Greater Manchester Police, NHS, Action Together, positive steps, OCL, and Greater Manchester fire service) also donate any unused stationery.
· Work with Oldham Youth Council to create packs containing essential stationery items and help us distribute them to schools.
Minutes:
The Youth Council PROPOSED the
following MOTION:
Unused Stationery Within the Council and its
Partners
Oldham youth council put forward the motion with the aims to address the issue of access to stationery and educational resources, which has a significant impact on the educational opportunities of our young people.
Council recognises that since the COVID 19 pandemic Oldham Youth Council have made poverty and the cost of living as priority issues and have undertaken work to improve the lives of Oldham’s Young People. This includes:
· Sitting on the Oldham Town Centre board to input on decisions around the town centre improvements.
· Working with the Council’s post 16 team around employability and NEET young people
· 2022 motion to Council asking that the Chief Executive writes to Government to extend the offer of the Holiday Activities and Food programme to all young people not just those on free school meals.
Council notes:
· That according to the Times Educational Supplement survey, in partnership with the National Education Union, 94% of surveyed teachers resort to using their personal funds to purchase necessary equipment for their students.
· That according to a UNISON survey, of 6,672 of it members, showed that even though they were worried their pay would not cover spiralling living costs, more than one in five (23%) have used their own money to pay for pens and pencils for their students.
· That energy bills and the pressures of inflation are continuing to burden schools’ budgets with less money to support students financially.
Council recognises:
· The importance of quality education in shaping the future of our community, but that a significant number of pupils in Oldham face challenges in accessing essential stationery items required for school.
· With the Council departments currently looking to move to the spindles this is a prime opportunity to take stock of any unused stationery. With everyone having calculator apps on their laptops or mobile phones, and offices becoming paperless, the need for pens, rulers and physical calculator has reduced.
We propose that Oldham Council therefore resolves to:
· Ask the Chief Executive to write to all department heads asking that teams look at current stocks of pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, rubbers, rulers and calculators (including badged merchandise), and any items not required for the running of that department, to be donated and used to create packs that can be distributed to students most in need.
· Ask the Chief Executive to write to partners (including Miocare, Greater Manchester Police, NHS, Action Together, positive steps, OCL, and Greater Manchester fire service) also donate any unused stationery.
· Work with Oldham Youth Council to create packs containing essential stationery items and help us distribute them to schools.
Councillor Mushtaq spoke in support of the Motion
Councillor Birch spoke in support of the Motion
Councillor Harkness spoke in support of the Motion
Councillor S. Bashforth spoke in support of the Motion
Councillor Arnott spoke in support of the Motion
Councillor Mushtaq MOVED and Councillor Birch SECONDED the MOTION, as presented by the Youth Council.
RESOLVED:
1. That the Chief Executive be requested to write to all department heads asking that teams look at current stocks of pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, rubbers, rulers and calculators (including badged merchandise), and any items not required for the running of that department, to be donated and used to create packs that can be distributed to students most in need.
2. That the Chief Executive be requested to write to partners (including Miocare, Greater Manchester Police, NHS, Action Together, positive steps, OCL, and Greater Manchester fire service) asking that they also donate any unused stationery.
3. That the Council work with Oldham Youth Council to create packs containing essential stationery items and help us distribute them to schools.