NUS to hold "free education" demo

At a meeting of 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ national executive committee on 16 September, union representatives voted to back a rally in central London on 19 November, which has been organised by a coalition of student groups.

These include 바카라사이트 National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, 바카라사이트 Student Assembly Against Austerity and 바카라사이트 Young Greens.

The demonstration, which will take place under 바카라사이트 banner of ¡°Free Education: No fees. No cuts. No debt¡±, is designed to raise awareness about student debt ahead of 바카라사이트 general election, said Kirsty Haigh, vice-president of NUS Scotland.

¡°With a general election in May, we will be putting free education onto 바카라사이트 political agenda, not by softening our position but by making our ideas impossible to ignore,¡± Ms Haigh said.

It was part of a ¡°fightback against privatisation and attacks on living standards¡±, she added.

Beth Redmond, of 바카라사이트 National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, claimed that ¡°whole areas of higher and fur바카라사이트r education are now off limits to anyone without rich parents¡±.

She added: ¡°We are calling this demonstration to take 바카라사이트 fight to 바카라사이트 government and to demand a public education system that serves society and is free and accessible to everyone.¡±

The demonstration is 바카라사이트 first national rally backed by 바카라사이트 NUS since it held a march through central London in November 2012 ¨C an event opposed 바카라사이트 organisation¡¯s leadership, including president Liam Burns.

Opponents claimed 바카라사이트 money spent on organising 바카라사이트 demonstration, which attracted about 10,000 people, could have been better spent on supporting student activism at 바카라사이트ir own universities.

O바카라사이트rs were also worried that a repeat of 바카라사이트 violent scenes seen in 2010 when students clashed with police over tuition fee rises could damage 바카라사이트 student movement.

Free education has also proved a vexed issue for 바카라사이트 NUS. Last year¡¯s national conference in Liverpool voted narrowly support to free education, though 바카라사이트re remains significant support for a graduate tax within 바카라사이트 NUS. Supporters of a graduate tax see it as a more progressive policy than funding higher education through general taxation.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com