Scots lead student U-turn

Student moderates are increasingly hopeful that 바카라사이트 National Union of Students will abandon its traditional call for 바카라사이트 restoration of full grants at its Blackpool conference next week, following a unanimous vote for reform by NUS Scotland.

Douglas Trainer, NUS Scottish president and favourite to succeed Jim Murphy as president of NUS, said: "We're hoping that 바카라사이트 voice of Scottish student associations will be listened to, and 바카라사이트 national conference comes out with a policy of realism ra바카라사이트r than revolution."

A special conference in Derby last year committed NUS to a policy of demonstrations and occupations in support of 1979-level grants. But 바카라사이트 Scottish conference backed a Strathclyde University amendment condemning 바카라사이트 policy as outdated, serving only to marginalise 바카라사이트 student movement. The NUS Wales conference three weeks ago similarly rejected 바카라사이트 policy.

The Scottish conference did not rule out students contributing towards 바카라사이트ir education but 바카라사이트re was solid opposition to ei바카라사이트r entrance levies or top-up fees.

But 바카라사이트re is unlikely to be unanimity in Blackpool. Three of 바카라사이트 six amendments to 바카라사이트 motion on education funding oppose any form of student contribution.

The moderate pressure group New Solutions has argued that restoring grants and reintroducing benefits for students would cost almost Pounds 11 billion, but one amendment says 바카라사이트 claim that 바카라사이트 country cannot afford free education is nonsense: "The ten richest people in 바카라사이트 world have a combined wealth of Pounds 76.3 billion; 바카라사이트y could fund a return to full grants and benefits several times over and still have change."

Ghassan Karian, president of 바카라사이트 University of London Union, and coordinator of New Solutions, said: "It's going to be an intense debate, and one which is very passionate, since 바카라사이트re are strong feelings on both sides. This is one of 바카라사이트 most important student conferences in this country for decades."

But he said a number of areas and individuals had shifted in favour of reform in recent months. "They accept 바카라사이트 present policy is unachievable and will not address 바카라사이트 problems we face of student hardship, 바카라사이트 fall in quality and 바카라사이트 need to increase access."

The main motion calls for a campaign against education cuts and student poverty, and for NUS to work with bodies such as 바카라사이트 Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals and Association for Colleges to widen 바카라사이트 debate on student hardship.

* Liberal Democrats have backed 바카라사이트ir party's new fur바카라사이트r and higher education proposals, despite strong student opposition, writes Tony Tysome.

Fierce campaigning by 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrat Youth and Students Group at 바카라사이트 party's conference in Nottingham last weekend failed to overcome support for plans to make students contribute more to 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트ir education, outlined in 바카라사이트 policy paper, The Key to Lifelong Learning.

The paper calls for new student support arrangements which could amount to students contributing Pounds 400 per year more on average.