Newham teachers, supported by Newham Teachers' Association (NUT), have launched a petition affirming that refugee children are welcome in schools and opposing any moves towards segregated schooling as proposed by the government. The petition condemns the comments made by David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, that refugee children have 'swamped' local schools. The Home Office plans to establish special 'accommodation centres' where asylum seeker children will be educated separately from others in remote areas of the country.