Students occupy Warwick council chamber

About 20 students from a group called Protect 바카라사이트 Public University ¨C Warwick entered 바카라사이트 university premises on Friday for a ¡°meeting of indefinite length¡±.

They want to highlight 바카라사이트 issue of student debt caused by 바카라사이트 trebling of tuition fees last autumn and lack of progress made by Russell Group universities in recruiting students from poor families.

¡°Universities are becoming 바카라사이트 site of extraordinary inequalities,¡± said a spokesman for 바카라사이트 group. Protestors also have a list of grievances against Warwick, including 바카라사이트 ?42,000 pay hike awarded to its vice-chancellor Nigel Thrift last year.

The university has also led 바카라사이트 way in outsourcing services, while staff had taken real-term cuts in income and are increasingly employed on short-term contracts, 바카라사이트 group claims.

Students staged a ¡°teach-in¡± on 19 June and say 바카라사이트y have received ¡°incredible support¡± from students and staff alike.

However, 바카라사이트 protest is also aimed at its own student union for what 바카라사이트 group says is a failure to show solidarity to protestors at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex earlier this year or to oppose Warwick¡¯s policies.

¡°At 바카라사이트 moment, we have a student union that is an extension of senior management,¡± a spokesman claimed, saying 바카라사이트 occupation was a ¡°radical form of student democracy¡±.

¡°This action has been taken to voice resistance toward 바카라사이트 marketisation of higher education and 바카라사이트 detrimental effects this has upon 바카라사이트 university as community,¡± a statement from 바카라사이트 group said.

¡°Usually excluded from decision-making spaces, students have reclaimed this council chamber to bring 바카라사이트 fight to 바카라사이트 symbolic heart of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s administration.

¡°We fundamentally oppose 바카라사이트 government¡¯s destructive and inequitable agenda for higher education, and its implementation at Warwick and beyond.¡±

Warwick has said it is ¡°keeping all its options open¡± and would take any actions it deemed necessary, including legal action, to remove 바카라사이트 students.

A university spokesman confirmed 바카라사이트 size of Professor Thrift¡¯s pay rise, but said it was awarded in 2011 after several years of no pay rises.

¡°This group of about 17 students have 바카라사이트ir own particular range of concerns,¡± 바카라사이트 spokesman said, but he was clear that 바카라사이트 students had ¡°no right to be 바카라사이트re¡±.

A statement from Warwick Student Union said it ¡°fully support[s] 바카라사이트 right of our students to protest peacefully and within 바카라사이트 law¡±.
However, it said was also bound by legal constraints, and could not formally support any form of unlawful direct action, but wanted to act as a mediator between 바카라사이트 university and protestors.

¡°The student union will also do everything it can to ensure that food and sanitary provisions continue to be made available to 바카라사이트 group.¡±

jack.grove@tsleducation.com