Why students of new universities need to campaign hard as well in these tough times
Readers, since 2010, when the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government voted to treble tuition fees and also deal vicious cuts to higher education itself, there have been many campaigns at several British universities against cuts, course closures, and privatisation of important university services, undercutting the pay of university workers whilst vice-chancellors and university managers award themselves undeserved and selfish salary increases.
The success of some of these campaigns was well noted at today's Student Assembly Against Austerity, which took place in London.
However, it is clear that most of the more prominent campaigns have taken place at 'traditional' universities such as parts of London (Goldsmiths,Kings etc.), Sussex, Manchester, and Warwick.
It is worth remembering that the majority of British university students study at the 'post-1992' universities, most of which are ex-polytechnics-mine, the University of Hertfordshire, was once the engineering-focused Hatfield Polytechnic. The new universities are just as vulnerable, and sometimes more vulnerable, to the ConDems' attacks.
Thus, for a national student fightback against attacks on Higher Education to ultimately succeed, these campaigns must come from universities across the country and across the academic spectrum, whether they be redbrick,plateglass,or new universities,for the student movement to be truly a mass movement.
I thus ask you, whether you are a student, a student union official, a lecturer, or a concerned person, to help us British students in all institutions to campaign to reverse the attacks on Higher Education, fight to restore free education, and make the university environment a fairer place.
Regards, Alan.
The success of some of these campaigns was well noted at today's Student Assembly Against Austerity, which took place in London.
However, it is clear that most of the more prominent campaigns have taken place at 'traditional' universities such as parts of London (Goldsmiths,Kings etc.), Sussex, Manchester, and Warwick.
It is worth remembering that the majority of British university students study at the 'post-1992' universities, most of which are ex-polytechnics-mine, the University of Hertfordshire, was once the engineering-focused Hatfield Polytechnic. The new universities are just as vulnerable, and sometimes more vulnerable, to the ConDems' attacks.
Thus, for a national student fightback against attacks on Higher Education to ultimately succeed, these campaigns must come from universities across the country and across the academic spectrum, whether they be redbrick,plateglass,or new universities,for the student movement to be truly a mass movement.
I thus ask you, whether you are a student, a student union official, a lecturer, or a concerned person, to help us British students in all institutions to campaign to reverse the attacks on Higher Education, fight to restore free education, and make the university environment a fairer place.
Regards, Alan.
Comments
Post a Comment