The media got it wrong. It wasn´t just about revolting students, says Roger Walters, President of the OU University and College Union branch.
Last Wednesday, 10 November, 52,000 students and staff in higher and further education marched through central London to deliver a clear message to politicians and the general public that universities and colleges are vital to the future of this country, and that cuts in funding will be a false economy. Among the many thousands of banners, my favourite was the one which delivered the message:´if you think education is too expensive, just consider the cost of ignorance´.
Among the massive numbers taking part were between 50 and 100 from the OU, most of them members of the UCU (University and College Union) branch, but also friends from OUSA (Open University Students Association), the UNISON branch and others in no organisation but who are simply incensed by the threatened education funding cuts.
Those of you who were not there have seen in the media a totally distorted picture of what took place. The BBC persistently referred to ´a student demo against increased tuition fees´ which misrepresents both the breadth of the participation in the march – as well as numerous UCU banners I saw banners from other unions including the NUT and a sizeable contingent from the British Medical Association – and the critical issue which is far broader than tuition fee increases. Above all, it is completely disgraceful that so much media attention has focused on the infantile vandalism perpetrated by a tiny minority, which most of us on the march were completely unaware of.
There is no doubt that the scale of the march took everyone by surprise, but it reflected the determination of all of us who care about education to resist the government´s ideologically driven attack on publicly funded education. This is the start of something really big, and creates the basis for a massive and broad-based political campaign to convince politicians of the value of investing in education. We must not, and will not, be deflected from this vital campaign by the actions of a tiny number whose behaviour is unacceptable and who simply provide ammunition to our opponents.
Comments
Whilst agreeing that it was a tiny minority of students or agitators that caused the problems in London and that a higher education opens up the future for those who are able to partake in it there remains some fundamental questions about funding that I don't see being addressed by students. I don't think it has gone unnoticed that our nations finances are in a parlous state and have been left like that by succesive governments. This coalition government has been left to pick up the pieces.
My main question to the protestors is how do you propose that a university education is to be paid for?
Let me put my position as an older student with the OU taking his first and only degree, in work and paying tax.
With increasing numbers of students attending an increasing number of courses the tax payer cannot be expected nor wants to pick up the tab anymore. The days of a free university education for the priviledged few are long behind us.
Should the benefactor of a higher education not be expected to pay it? As I understand it if the max fees of £9000 pa are charged then by the end of 3 years the graduate technically owes £27000 - but they're not paying up front, no cash has left their bank balance. If that graduate then earns nothing they repay nothing -If they earn less than £25000 (rising annually) they pay nothing. Only if they go on to earn larger salaries will they pay anything at all.
Please tell me what the problem is.
UCU has today (Tuesday) warned that Lord Browne's recommendations for higher education would have a devastating effect, seeing some universities forced to close and the curriculum dangerously narrowed, as the cost of university is effectively transferred from the state to the family.
If enacted England will have the most expensive public degrees in the world, with families having to shell out between £76,000 and 136,000 to put two children through university.