Students in all sectors continue to fight against education cuts. Updates from the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts: http://anticuts.com
Hull
The occupation is ongoing. The main focus at Hull is the Student Union election campaign.
We’re running on a platform of building a union to fight cuts, linked up with the workers’ movement.
The occupation is having a big impact on campus. Management have agreed to joint negotiations with the occupation and the UCU, around the occupation demands and the UCU’s pensions dispute.
The SU Council passed a motion supporting the occupation, but some sabbatical officers are reluctant to show support.
We’re using the occupation as a base to run the sabb campaign, and launch demonstrations, banner drops and so on.
Chris Marks
Sheffield
Sheffield University sent a large group to the Manchester demonstration on 29 January. The occupation sent people to the international student conference in Paris.
Anti-cuts activists are running in Student Union elections. I’m running for Finance Officer. Traditionally, the post has been seen as apolitical. I’m arguing that union finances are a political question.
We are using our election platform to argue for the SU to take its place in the anti-cuts struggle.
The Right to Work group is planning a demo against the Lib Dem conference in Sheffield on 11-12 March — but they are doing it behind closed doors and refusing to talk to the local anti-cuts campaign. Independent activists and AWL are trying to make the planning for the demo more effective and democratic.
Jonny Keyworth
Glasgow
The demo on 16 Feb looks like being the biggest yet.
In Scotland, tuition fees have been a less immediate question, but now big cuts have been announced that will affect courses directly. And the university occupation is giving us a higher profile.
The Glasgow School Students’ Union was formed after the first wave of action. A few of us who knew each other organised walkouts in our schools. Off the back of that we approached people from other schools.
We have a public meeting on 2 March with speakers from the teachers’ union EIS and different anti-cuts groups.
The major difficulty with school student organising is that you’re not allowed to do it. You get police coming to your school. My mate was told that he’d been mentioned in a police intelligence report. Another had a policeman come to warn people against getting involved. I got threatened with exclusion.
There will be more school walkouts in March, around the UCU strike. If you’re over 16 and you get signed permission from your parents, the school has to let you go.
If you’re under 16, the school is not legally obliged to let you go, but it is encouraged, so the danger is greater.
Aidan Turner
