This Mutual Aid bundle is raising money for Penny Blake, who is currently faced with unexpected and unaffordable fees for her son to sit his GCSE's, a vital part of the UK secondary education system and route to University.
All proceeds from the bundle will be sent to Penny directly. If you'd like to donate money to Penny without purchasing the bundle, you can do so on her Ko-fi page.
What are GCSE's?
GCSE's are the official high school qualification in the UK that is recognised internationally and serves as a pass to further academic study (A-Levels). GCSE's are normally free for students in full time, state-funded education. However, for many students across the country who are in private or home education, who have special needs, or a combination of both, these examinations must be paid for privately. The cost varies depending on the county and exam centres available.
Penny has previously paid for GCSE's for her elder children and was prepared to do so again, but this year was caught off guard by a sudden increase in cost. She has managed to secure her son's place with a deposit, but needs help to raise the full amount (currently £687.50 is needed / $928.50 USD) by January 30th. Please consider helping out so that he may sit his examinations and have the same opportunities as most other UK teens to proceed with further education.
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"Many Roma and Travellers in the UK choose to home educate their children to avoid the systemic racism, cultural erasure, and bullying which is prevalent in UK schools, and also to provide a structured and consistent educational experience when Travelling.
"In addition to this, many UK families (whether Roma or not) whose children have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities choose to home educate in order to provide the high level of support and care their children require in a loving, safe environment which is tailored around their specific needs.
"These are the twin factors that informed our family's decision to home educate our children and it has been a great success. They've thrived. Our two eldest are now at college, and one has just made his UCAS application for next year to study Biochemistry.
"We knew there would be a financial cost to this path from the start, and we've always been able to meet those costs ourselves – but this year, when our middle son is on the verge of sitting his exams next summer, after years of hard work, we discovered the cost had risen massively and we can no longer afford for him to sit the GCSEs needed for him to go to college and sit his A levels.
"We've tried cutting down from the standard 9 GCSEs which most children get in state funded schools, to just the essential 5 that he needs for college, but it's still not an amount we can raise ourselves. That's why we're reaching out to humbly ask for support in getting him there to fulfill his dreams of eventually going to University. His younger brother and older sister have both contributed games to the bundle, and all my own games are in there too. We're immensely grateful for any support you're able to give him."
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Includes the following items:
