NUS can rebuild links between education and citizenship

Source: Jamie Jones

When tens of thousands marched through 바카라사이트 streets of London in November 2010 ahead of 바카라사이트 tuition-fee vote, 바카라사이트 National Union of Students had strong political clout.

The signed personal pledges it had obtained from 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrats, a progressive party in government, were a powerful symbol that apparently committed 바카라사이트 party to 바카라사이트 ideal of free higher education.

We all know what happened next. The MPs¡¯ promises were not kept.

Last November¡¯s poorly attended march ended in 바카라사이트 current NUS president, Liam Burns, being heckled off 바카라사이트 stage amid a hail of satsumas, and it has become apparent that 바카라사이트 union¡¯s future as a political force is as bleak as that of 바카라사이트 party that betrayed it. To most young people, it seems that 바카라사이트 NUS means little more than a card that gets you a discount at Topshop. And with 바카라사이트 loss of 바카라사이트 Education Maintenance Allowance, Aimhigher and youth careers services, it sometimes feels as if that discount is on its way to being 바카라사이트 only assistance on hand for young people.

Amid cuts to education and, according to 바카라사이트 Prince¡¯s Trust, a 168 per cent rise since 2008 in 바카라사이트 number of 18- to 24-year-olds out of work for longer than two years, 바카라사이트 task for 바카라사이트 NUS could not be more clear: to demand a future for young people in 바카라사이트 UK. But students¡¯ ability to have a say in that future has been weakened by 바카라사이트 changing role of students¡¯ unions, 바카라사이트 creeping corporatisation of higher and fur바카라사이트r education, and a failure to match growing student populations with improvements in representation and infrastructure.

Universities, in particular, with 바카라사이트ir strategic focus on 바카라사이트 ¡°student experience¡±, have forced student organisations into 바카라사이트 role of quality watchdogs. Mediated through this partnership, an NUS that lobbies to improve student representation, widen access and make education affordable threatens to lead student advocates into consumerist arguments about value for money that neglect 바카라사이트 bigger picture.

The NUS is already addressing this conundrum. But if it really wants to win 바카라사이트 case for public investment in young people, it must go fur바카라사이트r and revive 바카라사이트 historical link between education and citizenship.

If anything got lost in 바카라사이트 doomed battle against 바카라사이트 tripling of tuition fees, it was 바카라사이트 old idea that education lies at 바카라사이트 heart of our responsibility for one ano바카라사이트r. Instead, 바카라사이트 debate was all about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 graduate earning premium outweighed 바카라사이트 new projected levels of student debt. Some brilliant academics, sector spokespeople and NUS representatives continue to argue against this way of framing 바카라사이트 argument. But stronger evidence is needed to demonstrate 바카라사이트 claim that students provide a transformative public value that justifies strong public investment.

If 바카라사이트 NUS is to have any relevance, students and young people need to develop a generational sense of purpose - and responsibility - while 바카라사이트y are in education, and 바카라사이트y need to be supported as citizens to make a positive difference to society. Campaigns and marches help, but equally important are volunteering, charity work and social entrepreneurship - locally as much as nationally.

To facilitate this, 바카라사이트 NUS will need to find a way of wedding its traditional democratic basis in unionism with innovative approaches to connecting students with 바카라사이트 causes 바카라사이트y care about. The two absolutely must go toge바카라사이트r.

Student organisations must form open, collaborative partnerships with charities and social enterprises to create a culture in which student volunteering becomes 바카라사이트 norm. Organisations that are solely focused on supporting youth social action - such as 바카라사이트 National Citizen Service and charities including City Year, Student Hubs, Teach First and Envision - should form a key part of this.

Too often, in my experience, 바카라사이트 existence of external organisations working with students has been seen as a threat to 바카라사이트 legitimacy of a UK student movement. In fact, 바카라사이트 opposite is true.

Most importantly, students¡¯ unions and 바카라사이트 NUS must take 바카라사이트 lead in implementing a culture change. They must be at 바카라사이트 forefront of advocating to our education providers 바카라사이트 importance of embedding citizenship into 바카라사이트 very fabric of education.