On a cold February morning about 60 students from Bradford set off to London to make their mark in the start of the free education ahead of the government review on University fees.

Labels: education, Education Not for Sale, ENS, National Union of Students, UBU, Universy of Bradford, Universy of Bradford Union

Now, more than ever, the right to education is important and it’s not just about giving people a fun few years at University. It’s about the “economy, stupid!” (As Bill Clinton once said) and most of all its about giving outcomes that achieve justice and equality.

In this article I will explain why free university education is important. I want to dispel the myth that free education is unachievable, and call on Bradford University to be the leader in moving the debate forward. Apart from the fact that education is a right (under the UN articles of

Human Rights), apart from being something that drives the economy, it is something much more important – it provides a more stable society. As more people achieve higher levels of education our communities become more. I’m not saying that with a University education racism, sexism and homophobia are abolished, but that through greater life and educational experience people have a greater understanding of the world and themselves and are more likely to accept others.

Ignoring that, the question comes down to whether students should themselves “contribute”. After the shambles that was up-front fees, the government changed the system so that either you qualified for free University Education based on your parent’s income or you took out a loan and you paid it back later on. This continued the relience on not only parents but also assumes that everyone receives support from parents.

This whole idea was based on a piece of flawed research, which suggested that your income “potential” was greater after you had gone to University. Infact, it now looks like most people will never pay back the loan which now has higher interest than a high street back loan (most students will pay something like £60 a month just on interest). If everyone benefits through a better society surly everyone should contribute? Many students will leave University with over £20,000 in debt and even if you have stayed at home to reduce your costs you could end up with over £10k to pay back.

How can it be fair? Something that is a human right, something that makes society more peaceful and most of all gives us doctors, nurses, teachers and engineers to name but a few, surely should be available free to everyone.

The system is clearly not working – it needs to change. The government agreed to review the system of fees in 2009 and now the review is about to start. Some Universities are calling for the fees to be increased to whatever level they want, while others are keeping quiet.

Bradford Student Union has a long history of standing for justice, standing for free education. When fees were introduced we supported people who protested and refused to pay; we marched, and by our side was our Vice Chancellor Colin Bell - the then VC - who spoke in the media. He stood up for justice and history will prove him right.

So here’s the challenge to our Vice Chancellor now (Mark Cleary). He says he has his “personal opinions” but wont speak up for free University Education. He says, “the debate is about what level they should rise to” and “a new system isn’t on the table”. Recently I challenged him to set the agenda, put free education on the table. So far he has declined; he doesn’t want to stick his head above anyone else.

The question surely should be ‘what will Bradford lose for speaking out’? The answer is, nothing (apart from keeping the Government and the VC’s chums in other Universities happy). What will Bradford gain? Everything! We would keep our reputation of being a University that leads, that doesn’t just let the big boys boss us around.

In the VC introduction speech to students he says, “it’s the mavericks, the eccentrics that change the world and that’s what we want to foster at Bradford”. Quite right Mark, so lets have a little more of the maverick from you and a little less of the sheep.

On the 25th February students are invited to London for a national demonstration against fees, for grants and for better paid and resourced lectures. That’s free for all students, home, international, well off or not, paid through tax from those who can afford it. Just a small amount that has been given to the banks could pay for it! I will be marching and making a difference, and I invite every student from Bradford to join me. At only £1.50 for a return ticket to London you can’t refuse.

This is a global movement and we are achieving change. Education should be free from the Gaza Strip to the Rocky Mountains. Students are starting the fight back. In France they fought and won against laws that discriminated against student workers. In parts of Germany, Universities, this year, are again free after students took to the streets and fought for free education. In Greece, after student unions battled to get accommodation and food subsidised, victory was declared last year.

So now that we know why education should be free, that it can be free and Bradford University has a history of calling for free education, why don’t you become part of a movement that changes history? Come and join us. Students, lecturers, staff and even Mark Cleary the VC are welcome to make education better.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle
Tickets for the Wednesday 25th National Demonstration can be bought online at www.ubuonline.co.uk/demo or at the Union reception. or for local contacts cheek out http://studentdemo2009.org.uk

Labels: education, Education Not for Sale, UBU, Universy of Bradford, Universy of Bradford Union

Over the last few weeks, and going in to months now occupations about Gaza have been happening up and down the country. This amazing act of solidarity has seen almost 20 Universities occupied from Scotland to Brighton even spreading to New York.

The movement needed to come together - share ideas, and exchange views. That was what I thought Stop the War Coalition was hosting at their student meeting. Unfortunately that's not what some of the StWC comrades thought - to them it had been billed as an event to build StW groups on campus on the back of occupations.

At some points of the meeting this confusion was used to hijack all occupations to create a national StW committee. Whether this confusion was deliberately instigated or was just due to the mix of people at the meeting I will (for the sake of argument) take the latter.

Due to a reluctance of some occupations to join this committee and a number of people calling for a further discussion of how we build from the occupations, Sussex comrades lead the call for a further meeting. This was to discuss further building of the occupations network (in a loose way) and to this end I agree so with other ENS comrades backed the calls and helped instage a discussion at the end of the Conference only for it to be later hijacked by Revo and other factions.

We meet at ULU (the University of London Union) to further discuss what to do next. However the issues got inflated and confusion entailed.

I realise that the StW needed to consolidate its own networks and if only this had became clear at the conference then maybe we would not have needed this further discussion. I fully support that every campus should have an active Stop the War Group, and in the understanding agree that they need a national body/ committee elected by branches - this however had not been clear.

By the end of the side meting at ULU, I don't know if people were clearer or more confused by what had happened. Frustration as always at these meetings had grown and people wanted to
leave.

I have a lot of respect for comrades from all the divide. For example Rob Owen, although lambasted, often puts in valuable inputs, and although I disagree I think that without the factions in some sense we would be weaker.

With heat rising I don't think that other appreciated these "inputs"and a few started walking out - factions trying to get their own way, the meeting ended with a understanding that some organising needs to come out of the occupations (the same situation that we were in at the start !)

If the meeting will motivate people to go back and mobilise, if the meeting means that people communicate on the email list and we get moment for a national day of action on Palestine then it would al be worth it - if not it was just another factional bitching session.

Labels: education, Education Not for Sale, International Politics, National Union of Students, Palestine

Yesterday after a peaceful demonstration outside the library and a walk to the Vice Chancellors office just under 100 students (see in the photo on the right) decided to occupy the University Boardroom.

This action was taken by the students after they felt that the University had not fulfilled the demands laid out both by the Union (UBU) and the same group the night before.

The demands (which can be seen on the bolg of the occupation) were given to the VC the day before.

During the day the University of Bradford Union officers supported the protesters but where unable/unwilling to lead any part of the demonstration. As an officer I felt that it was important that students themselves spoke with the VC and the University management.

I have always felt that my relationship with the VC and other managers is very good, and the stronger message of students speaking out against something came from them, and from their hearts.

The VC wasn't in at first, and the group spoke first with the Deputy VC and then later with the VC and Chair of the University Council together. The students where very acutely aware of the problems that where facing them in Gaza on the day that Israel had conducted further air strikes against Gaza.

I am very proud of students who take part in direct actions and feel that it is partly my duty to help and assist with this, however, where to the actions stop and the negations start.

The day went with meetings about the demands, refining them and making them better for the University. I was in and out talking to both "sides", and also keeping an eye on the open space.

After a few false starts the university management came to the table with what I would describe as a very good offer. I laid out to students what I thought about it - "if you care about Gaza, if you want to achieve change and keep a positive dialogue with he VC then this offer is good, my brain said accept it. If however, your purpose is different, is to show how long you can last, turn this space in to something different then then would be exciting and my heart says don't accept. If however you go with my heart, I think that we will be letting a great opportunity pass by to work positively with the VC"

The meeting voted by a majority vote to stay - ironically, many of the people that voted to stay then left and the others (bound by the later decision), who had now nothing on the tabled where forced to stay though the night so that they were able to start it all over again.

Bradford students are doing the right thing, but when does an occupation stop, when do we say ok, that's enough go home? I think that we are nearly there. Over the night a number of people worked on a new statement, trying to get some agreement and move closer to something that University could agree on. Lets hope that it all works out.

Labels: education, Palestine, Peace Studies, Universy of Bradford, Universy of Bradford Union

As the Bradford welcome week comes to an end for another year I look back at a set of events that set the mark for development.

Many of us here like to think that Bradford is unique in its make up of students and also the style it runs the Union. From having no president (we have a flat executive of 6 full time and 6 part time) to having almost 50% Muslim students UBU is one that leads the way in alternative ways of working.

During the week we held two free Iftaar events open to all students, a ceilidhs, the Trans tea party and much more we made a programme second to none - so why do I think more can be done?

I truly no longer believe that Unions can rely on their traditional commercial services. We need to be entertaining our students in different ways. Every day pubs across Britain are closing and Student Unions cannot and shouldn't be amune to this.

Apart of diversifying the services that Unions offer, I believe that they need to be exploring mutual solutions to expansion and governance of their commercial activities.

A Union in it's very core should be to protect, defend represent and support their members (in this case students). The problem is that so many SU's and officers get bogged down in the administration and running of the commercial activities.

NUS's recommended solution to this is getting in "externals" to run the whole student union and setting up trustee boards. However this is quite the wrong direction. Apart from undermining the very principle that unions should be controlled by their members it is dangerous giving such poer to an unknown external. When the modal of externals, boards and capital is falling around us the cooperatives provides the modal that we should follow.

This is member lead, member run - but what are members?

I would challenge that for commercial services they should be run by workers cooperatives with managements boards made up of equal workers and students (as most of the workers are still students, students have the majority). It is workers cooperatives that meet the ethical needs of their memebrs and treat employees well.

With this model, the services are kept mutual, the Union still have "control" in terms of its memebrs are the commercial services members (on the whole) and the services are run for and by students - not officers, bureaucrats or externals.

There are so many other examples of how alternative solutions could be used but not one suggestion of the like from NUS - only the same old tired mantra about external trustees - something that will eat away at our credibility.

Labels: education, National Union of Students, UBU, Universy of Bradford, Universy of Bradford Union

Please support this statement and get involved in organising the demonstration I am part of Education not for Sale a campaigning and anti-capitalist part of the student movement in the UK to find out more then please go to http://www.free-education.org.uk

Education – a right not a privilege

No to fees – A living grant for every student – Tax the rich to fund education

For a national demonstration at the start of 2009

This academic year could see the lifting of the £3,000 cap on tuition fees in higher education. Meanwhile, student debt and poverty are already spiralling, students face soaring costs of living and the market dominates our education system from school to college to university.

After years of underfunding for post-16 education, the Government brought in tuition fees and then top-up fees. Worsening the already existing inequalities in higher education, fees are greatly accelerating the development of a competitive market between universities, with a tier of well-funded and prestigious institutions and another of less prestigious, underfunded ones. Along with the absence of decent student grants, they rule out the possibility of seriously expanding access, force most students who do get to university into debt and push many into casualised, low-paid jobs. Lifting the cap will, of course, make all this worse. Meanwhile most further education students have always paid fees and never had grants.

Top-up fees will be in the headlines this year, but fees are not the only issue. Though Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish university students studying in their own nation, and FE students under 19, do not have to pay fees, they do not receive a living grant and are also forced into poverty and debt.

International students are exploited to subsidise higher education institutions through higher and higher fees, while postgraduate study is limited to a small elite through a more and more restrictive funding system.

Women, black, LGBT and disabled students are affected and disadvantaged disproportionately by the growth in student poverty and debt.

As our education is commodified and most institutions are run more and more for profit, the wages, conditions and rights of our teachers and other education workers are also coming under attack.

We believe that NUS is allowing the Government to get away with these deeply unpopular policies. This year, despite the review of the cap on fees, NUS is not organising a national demonstration – not even one for its needlessly bureaucratic “alternative funding model”, let alone the abolition of fees and living grants that students need. Its planned “day of action” – scheduled for 5 November, the day after the US presidential election, hardly the best time to get attention – is a start, but inadequate.

That is why we, students’ union officers and student activists, are seeking to organise a national demonstration in the first three months of 2009, around the following demands:

- No raising of the cap on top-up fees;
- Halt and reverse the growth in international students’ fees;
- Abolish all fees in HE and FE – free education for all;
- A living grant for every student over 16 – at least £150 a week;
- Stop and reverse marketisation in our schools, colleges and universities – tax the rich and corporations to fund education.

We are seeking to organise this demonstration in alliance with trade union activists fighting back against wage freezes, job cuts and privatisation; with other anti-cuts and privatisation campaigns; with young people’s and children’s organisations; and with others who believe that education should be open to all as a human right, not a privilege open to a minority based on wealth.

We call on NUS and autonomous campaigns within NUS to support the demonstration.

* Please add your or your union or campaigning group’s name to this statement by emailing education.not.for.sale@gmail.com.

Signatories so far (all pc):

Aled Dilwyn Fisher, LSESU general secretary
Heather Shaw, Sheffield College SU president
Martha Kunda, Sheffield College SU general secretary
Lloyd Russell-Moyle, University of Bradford Union secretary-treasurer
Maryam Ahmed, Leeds University Union equality and diversity officer
Adam Farrell, University of Sussex SU education officer
Joseph O’Connor Meldau, University of Sussex SU campaigns officer
Alan Bailey, University of Salford SU VP representation; NUS LGBT Committee
Sofie Buckland, NUS Women’s Committee; NUS NEC 2006-8
Gemma Short, Laura Schwartz and Evangeline Ramsey, NUS Women’s Committee
Kath McMahon, Edinburgh University Students’ Association council
Alex Wood, Aston Students’ Guild equalities officer; People & Planet Management Committee
Chris Marks and Stephen Wood, Hull Left Forum
Jennie Killip, University of Manchester SU women’s officer
Ellie Reyland, University of Manchester SU welfare officer

Labels: education, Education Not for Sale, ENS, National Union of Students, UBU, Universy of Bradford Union

At the first committee meeting of the new ENS we discussed things that actually matter. ENS was reinvigorated at its “Reclaim the Campus” Conference held last month at Birkbeck College the conference defended in to factional infighting, leading to me calling for us to save the left before we reclaim the campus (see previous NUS entries).
This meeting however got to the point, not only that I was left feeling with a sense of direction, enthusiasm and passion. The committee meeting which was billed as an open meeting had most committee member plus about 5 others who where not elected to the committee but wanted to see some action. I went as I was in Brighton and hadn’t made it back to Bradford the night before due to a headache. Making the most of this detour to my plans I thought that I would get stuck in.
The meeting was first of all held in an atmosphere of open and pleasant debate. There where people from different backgrounds attending from trots to anarchists and the others in between. I ended up being duped in to becoming the Treasurer! I always love becoming the money man, and seeing that at the moment I’m doing it for three organisations, why not add another to my bow!
More importantly this meeting convinced me it was something that I want to be involved with. I think that the left needs to be organised and united in the student moment but have been so unhappy in the past when its has seemed to be dominated by political groups.
I may be a labour party member and believe the labour needs to organisations but I’m by no means bounded by any party, I think that my students must come first. That is why I’m convinced that ENS is the body to lead the left forwards. I’m not saying that they (I should say we now I guess), should take on the forces such as SWP/Respect but that we should be the bridge between them and the unorganised left.
The meeting discussed the importance of a conference to gather a plan for action, it talked about direct action and protest and it most of all talked about the need to work with others. We must play a role, a facilitating role and sometimes take a second seat to the larger groups but we must unite everyone to fight fees.
I’m convinced that not only students but pupils, young people and children must also take a stand. We must build a coalitions of young people who will be effected by fees as well as those presently paying them.
The meetings not perfect and we probably talked to much on some issues and could have been better on others, but we are getting there. We will work our way and achieve victory – we have been reclaimed!.. …nor now.

Labels: education, Education Not for Sale, ENS, National Union of Students, Universy of Bradford Union

I'm finishing of my reflection of my conflict resolution course which I take. Does reflection work? The course that uses many of the methods that would be used in traditional non-formal educational systems.

My content thought is can you use non-formal methods in the formal systems of University or structured state education. Does formalising non formal kill it?

My feeling is that although the surface part of many of these methods works in any setting as corporate trainings who use them for business men and women would should, the basic transformational, socialist and radical elements of non-formal education cannot be true in these oppressive systems.

Liberating education can only take place in a liberated surroundings otherwise surely it just becomes a tool for the oppressor the oppressed better - this surely isn't the point.

In the European Youth Forum, for which i am the representative from the British Youth Council, we have recently received a paper to adopt which looks at putting a frame work of education for the non-formal sector.

I have my major concerns about this kind of formalising. inspections, quotas, and state intervention is surely just another way to prevent eduction to be truly transformational and liberating for the young people it is used with.

We will put, with other youth organisations, admendments to remove the "inspections" element the paper. However as European states move towards formalising and structuring will this just be a loosing battle?

Labels: British Youth Council, education, european youth forum, Peace Studies, Universy of Bradford, yfj