As universities across the country debate appropriate levels of tuition fees, Aaron Porter, President of the National Union of Students, has angered protesters with his ‘soft stance’ by urging student leaders to engage in meaningful and specific discussion rather than continuing with general national protest.
As news emerged that top UK universities intend to charge the full £9000 per year tuition fees, Nick Clegg has taken the astounding step of implying that the universities themselves are somehow to blame for the steepness of the price, claiming that it “isn’t up to them” to decide what to charge. We look at the argument as it developed.
The marches go on, the slogans are chanted, the demonstrations continue; but is anybody listening? Is there any point in protest against a government who have made it very clear that the voices of their people are falling on very deaf ears indeed? What next for the student protest movement?
As a new wave of anti-tuition fees protests begins, a large-scale campaign has been launched to ban the police tactic of ‘kettling’ protesters. We look at the arguments against the police method of forced containment, and ask whether protesters are right to claim it breaches their fundamental human rights.
Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, has revealed disturbing findings this week from his discussions with university executives. He predicts that, contrary to government promises, a high percentage of universities will choose to charge the maximum tuition fees of £9000.
As the student movement picks up its placards for a renewed assault on the government’s tuition fees policy and education cuts, it risks being derailed by division in the ranks. Aaron Porter urges a considered, targeted campaign whilst the more radical activists want to fight on with protests and marches to have the policy revoked. Which is the right path for this new breed of student political activism?
Having raised eyebrows with his refusal to vote for the coalition government’s controversial tuition fees policy, Simon Hughes has hit the headlines again with his new appointment as advocate for access to education. Is his appointment a genuine effort by Cameron and Clegg to boost input and support for those from underpriveleged backgrounds, or a highly cynical publicity stunt to mollify outraged voters and protesters? And has Hughes himself abandoned his principles by accepting the position?
A wave of allegations and legal claims have begun against the Metropolitan police amidst concerns that their heavy-handed treatment of peaceful student protesters was unlawful. Legal experts claim that the use of police violence and the tactic of immediate ‘kettling’ as students demonstrated against higher tuition fees and unversity funding cuts represented a serious breach of their human rights.
Following the outbreak of violence at the recent tuition fees protests, questions have been raised about the level and necessity of violence used by the Metropolitan Police force against students. Whilst heavy-handed resistance is understandable in the case of the very small number of protesters acting violently themselves, disturbing accounts have come to light describing the brutal treatement of innocent bystanders and peaceful student protesters as well.
As the House of Commons narrowly voted to support the coalition government’s plans to raise university tuition fees in England to £9000, a huge rebellion by members of the Liberal Democrat party signalled deep rifts and disarray. They may have won the vote, but at what political cost to the party’s future, and at what personal price for Nick Clegg?
