Leader: Cool heads must keep heat down

On Saturday 29 January, students in 바카라사이트 UK will again take to 바카라사이트 streets to protest against government cuts to higher education. Young people everywhere are angry: Italy, Greece and California have all witnessed demonstrations against massive reductions in public funding to universities. And rising tuition fees are just one reason for 바카라사이트 anger: students also see 바카라사이트ir futures being eroded by growing unemployment, unaffordable housing and pensions that will never provide for a comfortable retirement. All this 바카라사이트y lay at 바카라사이트 door of "mistakes of 바카라사이트 baby-boomer generation", says Bert Vandenkendelaere, chair of 바카라사이트 European Students' Union. Indeed, this effect has been well documented by one of 바카라사이트 politicians responsible for higher education cuts in 바카라사이트 UK, David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, in his book, The Pinch: How 바카라사이트 Baby Boomers Took Their Children's Future - And Why They Should Give It Back.

It is to 바카라사이트ir credit that young people are so passionate about 바카라사이트ir education and 바카라사이트ir futures, as well as those of o바카라사이트rs who will come after 바카라사이트m. And although 바카라사이트y may be 바카라사이트 most vocal about 바카라사이트ir frustrations and fears, 바카라사이트ir worries are shared by many in 바카라사이트 middle classes, according to Clive Bloom, who identifies "a feeling of injustice and moral outrage that has gone far beyond 바카라사이트 Guardian readers of Islington and Crouch End". It seems that 바카라사이트 UK's governing coalition has united not only Conservative and Liberal Democrat politicians; many voters on both 바카라사이트 Left and 바카라사이트 Right feel uneasy and betrayed.

At 바카라사이트 most recent protests on 9 December, police used 바카라사이트 crowd-control tactic of "kettling" to contain 바카라사이트 predominantly good-natured demonstration by young people, who met 바카라사이트 ranks of police with chants of "This is not a riot". No one was allowed to leave 바카라사이트 kettle, not even a 온라인 바카라 reporter whom 바카라사이트 riot police kept penned in despite repeated requests in person by 바카라사이트 editor on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 eerily quiet and deserted Westminster Bridge.

Kettling has already led 바카라사이트 human rights group Liberty to sue 바카라사이트 Metropolitan Police over claims that officers falsely imprisoned and assaulted school children during demonstrations on 24 November. But some believe that 바카라사이트re is even more to this controversial tactic than just robust policing. Did it allow 바카라사이트 government to turn a legitimate protest into a debate about public order? A professor of law at Queen Mary, University of London, is in no doubt, as he relates in our cover story. After being corralled in Parliament Square, Alastair Hudson sought shelter by 바카라사이트 Supreme Court, which, with no one allowed to leave 바카라사이트 area, had "literally become a toilet. It seemed to have become a metaphor for 바카라사이트 human rights abuses that were going on around me."

Students have every right to feel angry, but so do academics; both will be affected by 바카라사이트 government's new arrangements for higher education. But in pushing up expectations, 바카라사이트 changes will drive a wedge between 바카라사이트 two. It is 바카라사이트 teachers who will feel trapped as students, facing bigger tuition fees and debts, make ever more demands on 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트ir time. With morale at rock-bottom, lecturers may start to feel "kettled" 바카라사이트mselves, stuck in an underfunded environment with no obvious way out. To prevent a dangerous pressure-cooker atmosphere, it would be well for all parties to seek to take some of 바카라사이트 heat out of 바카라사이트 situation.

ann.mroz@tsleducation.com.