UK students

Student activism in the UK and the NUS. See also UCU.

Workers' Liberty students

Student activists in Workers' Liberty argue for working class socialist ideas and campaign on issues like freedom of movement, anti-racism, workers' rights, international solidarity and free movement. More about us and our meetings see our Facebook events page or our instagram . See articles on students and universities .

"Pro-life" and the Manchester protests

Hundreds of students have joined protests against the establishment of a “pro-life” (anti-abortion-rights) society at Manchester University. The society was established in January, to “create a pro-life culture on campus, engage students on life issues and promote respect for the dignity of human life from conception.” A petition aimed at removing the society has over 18,000 signatures, with concerns raised about the original all-male committee making decisions regarding female bodies and medical rights. Students are right to protest anti-choice groups on campuses and student unions should do...

Students organise against cuts

University bosses across the country are making serious cuts, but students and university workers are fighting back. Universities charge international students extortionate rates, and have come to rely on those inflated tuition fees. The Tories have recently strengthened the hostile environment, abolishing visas for dependants of international postgraduate students. This has particularly affected Nigerian students . So some universities have not enough high-fee-paying students. University and College Union (UCU) members at Aberdeen will strike for six days in March after threats to the Foreign...

Activist Agenda: campaigns and info

A list of many campaigns that Workers' Liberty activists are involved with and support, plus info about other organising and resources.

Rents crunch hits students

Report after report has pointed to a rapid rise in rents for students, and poor levels of maintenance. Universities have added to the housing crisis, with a move to private providers rather than in-house accommodation, so direct control over rents is removed. In any case, university-owned accommodation rents have risen more than maintenance support. A report from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) on ten university cities found rents up 14.6% 2021-22 to 2023-4, and private sector rents up 19%. Meanwhile the maximum student maintenance loan in England rose 5.2%. In 2023-4 in England...

NUS shrinks election democracy

Nominations open on 14 November for National Union of Students (NUS) full-time officer roles, earlier than usual. They close on 30 January, and voting will be 8-11 April, so the whole election process takes place outside NUS conference (17-18 April). There will be no hustings at conference, no other NUS-organised in-person hustings. The changes are said to be broadly in line with the antidemocratic measures introduced in 2019 . The longer process of nomination is claimed to be necessary for in-depth background checks to be carried out on candidates. All this will mean that candidates can do...

Alan McArthur 1972-2023

Comrades of a certain vintage will remember Alan McArthur, who died way too young earlier this summer

After first result, campaign against university clampdowns will step up

The University of Sheffield (UoS) has disciplined two students for demonstrating in support of the UCU strike earlier this year. Instead of suspensions or expulsions, which some university managers were pushing for, the students were fined hundreds of pounds each. This is an outrageous punishment, coming at the end of an aggressive and authoritarian campaign from top university managers, who clearly don’t have enough real work to get on with, like re-organising their precious UCEA conference. But pressure from students and trade-unionists had an effect. The milder-than-expected sentence shows...

Sheffield, Manchester, Brighton: students fight clampdowns

At the time of writing the statement organised by the Student Cost of Living Campaign calling on the University of Sheffield to drop ongoing investigations and proceedings, and end the use of private investigators against student protesters, has 350 signatures. The last Sheffield University Student Union Council passed a motion passed condemning the securitisation of campus, the university’s disproportionate response to activists, and the intimidating environment it created. We’re still waiting, however, for public statement from the Student Union, or from its officers, on the recently...

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