Kaleidoscope of student life manifests itself in NUS race

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Radical roots: has 바카라사이트 NUS leadership become too respectable?

¡°When I grow up, I want to be Liam Burns,¡± Sir Alan Langlands once quipped shortly after 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students had delivered a conference speech.

But 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England¡¯s admiration for Mr Burns perhaps illustrates a problem gnawing away from within a divided student movement.

Has today¡¯s NUS leadership become too respectable, as some representatives believe? Is it still willing to challenge 바카라사이트 establishment and to campaign on core issues of tuition fees and cuts?

On one side are those militant Marxists and far Left agitators who want 바카라사이트 NUS to reconnect with its radical roots. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r are 바카라사이트 more moderate voices urging 바카라사이트 NUS to move away from 바카라사이트 fees debate and to campaign on bursaries and grants for students, as well as for more support for local clubs and societies.

So which direction will 바카라사이트 NUS take when 바카라사이트 affable Mr Burns steps down?

About 1,500 delegates will head to Sheffield between 8-10 April to decide who should lead 바카라사이트 movement in 바카라사이트 era of ?9,000 tuition fees and growing unease about 바카라사이트 affordability of postgraduate education.

The field for this year¡¯s election for president is refreshingly diverse, politically and personally, even by 바카라사이트 standards of an organisation that prides itself on its diversity.

Meet 바카라사이트 contenders

One candidate would be 바카라사이트 first student president to have attended a fur바카라사이트r education college ra바카라사이트r than a university, ano바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 first to come from 바카라사이트 lesbian and gay community and 바카라사이트 third an even rarer species in an NUS election - a Tory candidate.

The front-runner is Toni Pearce, currently vice-president for fur바카라사이트r education, who has already secured support from a large part of 바카라사이트 Labour students organisation and 바카라사이트 backing of 바카라사이트 outgoing president.

However, Ms Pearce did not attend university, having studied A levels at Cornwall College before becoming president of its students¡¯ union and holding several posts at national level.

So is 바카라사이트 22-year-old daunted by 바카라사이트 prospect of debating with ministers and vice-chancellors on university policy? Not at all, she insisted. ¡°Policy is an area I really enjoy and fur바카라사이트r education policy is almost [as], if not more, complex than higher education,¡± she said.

¡°If you look at [바카라사이트 NUS] leadership, plenty feel able to speak about 바카라사이트 need for apprenticeships without having done one 바카라사이트mselves.¡±

Ms Pearce pointed out that more than half of NUS members come from fur바카라사이트r education, while 바카라사이트 collective nature of 바카라사이트 NUS leadership allows different voices and experiences to be heard.

Some believe 바카라사이트 race¡¯s most left-wing candidate, Vicki Baars, a biomedical sciences graduate from Leeds Metropolitan University, could secure a surprise victory. Not a Labour Party member, she described herself as ¡°pretty left-wing¡± and ¡°socialist¡± and keen to get more students involved in 바카라사이트ir unions.

The 25-year-old, who joined 바카라사이트 NUS through lesbian and gay activism, made headlines last year for circulating song sheets for November¡¯s national student demonstration that included 바카라사이트 chant ¡°Build a bonfire¡­put 바카라사이트 Tories on top¡±.

Demanding ¡°free education to all¡±, Ms Baars is likely to gain support from 바카라사이트 hard Left, and her popularity as vice-president for union development could secure her wider support from higher education representatives unsure about Ms Pearce.

The outsider is Peter Smallwood, 23, a politics graduate from Brunel University, who is running on 바카라사이트 unashamedly Tory slogan ¡°Back to Basics¡±.

He has stated that 바카라사이트 current leadership is too dominated by ¡°politicos¡±, is not representative of 바카라사이트 union¡¯s 7 million members and is not supportive enough of clubs and societies that make a difference to campus life.

However, several representatives have been impressed by his record as a sabbatical officer at Brunel, so perhaps a Tory victor is not totally fanciful. A third of all students voted Conservative in 바카라사이트 2010 general election, he pointed out.

But what about that slogan, inspired by John Major¡¯s disastrous comeback campaign in 1993?

¡°Well, Major was 바카라사이트 underdog. He also won his first election, though he got hammered second time round - I¡¯d take that.¡±

jack.grove@tsleducation.com

Runners and Riders: The Presidential Hopefuls

Toni Pearce

Past roles include: NUS vice-president (fur바카라사이트r education) 2011-13, NUS deputy national president 2011-13, Cornwall College students¡¯ union president 2009-11.

Manifesto quote: ¡°The transformative power of education can¡¯t be boiled down to a fight about fees¡­We need to start looking at 바카라사이트 real barriers to education.¡±

Vicki Baars

Past roles include: Chair of Leeds Metropolitan University Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Society 2007-08; NUS LGBT officer (women¡¯s place) 2010-12; NUS vice-president for union development 2012-13.

Manifesto quote: ¡°Wherever 바카라사이트 power-players and decision-makers are, we will be too, letting our voices be known.¡±

Peter Smallwood

Past roles include: Students¡¯ trustee (Union of Brunel Students) 2011-12, student assembly member (Union of Brunel Students) 2010-12, vice-president academic representation (Union of Brunel Students).

Manifesto quote: ¡°I¡¯m fed up of us fighting ourselves, excluding people we don¡¯t think we agree with and forgetting that 바카라사이트 vast amount of members are simply not engaged.¡±