Parents and students unite!

[EducationForAll]

The government is trying to impose 80% cuts to university funding and a trebling of university fees to £9000 per year. They are also scrapping Educational Maintenance Allowance- the money given to some A level students so that they can afford to support themselves at college. Many of you will know about these measures already.

I am writing from University College London's occupation; students at UCL feel so strongly about these changes that we are occupying a room in our university to pressure our management into condemning the cuts. Our occupation has support from the NUS, Billy Bragg, Polly Toynbee, Chomsky and many others. As has been reported in the media thousands of students have taken to the streets in protest. The changes will not affect us directly as our fees are set at £3000 but we are campaigning for the next generation of children who are faced with excessive levels of debt and under-funded universities.

We know that it's a lot easier for students to protest than people with families but we would love to involve you in our campaign. If you, like us, feel these cuts are unfair and want to be heard, send a picture like this one

ucloccupation.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/i'm-a-baby- not-a-cash-cow/
NB- please take out the space between 'baby-' and 'not' in the web address.
Feel free to use a different slogan.
Send the picture to [email protected].
Parents and Students- let's stand together!

Follow our campaign on www.ucloccupation.com

[gingeroots]

Good on you guys .
Did I hear correctly on radio tonight that legal action being sought to evict ?
Hope you're warm and have creature comforts .

[nlondondad]

keep us posted.

(interest declaration: My son who is fifteen will be affected. During my working life, which continues, I have paid a lot of money in Tax. I think I have paid for my degree, which I got "free" in the same way my son's degree should he get one should be "free"

[Notevenamouse]

good luck - don't give up.

[Talker2010]

The only way we can afford for university the be free again is to return to the days when only 10% of students go

We currently have 50-60% of our cohort going off for some form of higher education ... how can the tax payer afford to fund that

[kris123]

Talker 2010, I agree, which is why I advocated for a long time here and on bbc views (and frankly i am surprised that LibDems did not think of this themselves), to:

have 10% - 20% of most able students study for free, while rest would be required to pay market fees for the degree, ie according to respective costs (via loan system is ok).

I think that it would be a wonderful motivation for students, of all social backgrounds, that "the nation wants you to study, have careers, and is greatful for your hard work"). Also student who do benefit from FREE education would be asked to stay in UK for say 5 years after graduation to enhance the post-graduate trainning, and to limit the brain drain to the US and other countries. Should they leave, they would be charged full fees like other students.

Remaining 80% could study almost on the concept of "private university", albeit the services would be provided by the state one - though one day this could also open up the way to privatize the 2nd tier nonperforming universities, idea that surely would not go down that well with many, but could greatly enhance efficiencies (I read recently that after the fees increase it will be cheaper to go to INdia to study for THE SAME degree than to stay in UK).

Having 10 - 20% students for free would also be a wonderful solution politically, as it would ensure that LibDem pledge of zero fees is kept (albeit for a very small proportion of students). I am surprised they did not pick on this.

Simply put the government has rushed this bill, not even having arranged the National Scholarship Fund, and making it something that is clearly suboptimal.

Also, it is essential to think of the higher education system TOGETHER with secondary education, and also primary education, but this would be for a different thread.