Students Protests - University Fees

[EggFriedRice]

I absolutely applaud the protests by young students against the rise in university fees, why should they put up with the blatant lies by the Liberal Democrats, I voted for them, I believed what they told me during the run up to the election, now I feel betrayed, like so many other voters, how could they say one thing and then do the opposite? I witnessed today a demonstration by ordinary young people who will be affected by the increase in university fees, I witnessed the heavy police presence, the batons ready to charge, the police filming ordinary young people who have been betrayed, I witnessed the sad state of the UK,

It is sad when the youth have to do this. But in all honesty how many of them really understand what they are protesting about? Or the fact that the government of the UK can simply no longer afford to continue the funding. Unfortunately its a hard reality with some tough decisions that perhaps these young people are not yet fully adult enough to understand.

reminds me of football hooligans

no excuse for their behaviour imo, and i think they have lost a lot of sympathetic supporters by tonights events - very sad to see scenes like this in London.

i think the whole emphasis by society on going to university is wrong anyway, and we should be valuing more highly people that pursue vocational careers. University isn't the only way to learn and have access to education.

I really think people should question what their motivation is for going to uni. Is it to come out the other end with a well paid job? If so, that's a personal choice (a poor one imo) but it seems only fair that if you do land a well paid job at the end of it, that you pay for what got you there.

Endeavour - how patronising! Many of those protestors fully understand. Do you understand? - I work in HE sector and the implications of all this (especially withdrawal of teaching funding) have not been publicised to the broad masses. However, students in their thousands have been attending teach ins on these very matters for a month now.

Endeavour - I wouldn't underestimate young people's understanding of the fees issue. The issue is not necessarily that there shouldn't be fees, it's that the fees for SOME courses at SOME universities are likely to lead to a two tier system.

Redundant - I agree that non-uni options like apprenticeships and level 3 vocational qualifications should be valued more highly. But our education system is riddled with snobbery and I can understand why everybody wants a degree.

I agree with Redundant. Plus coming from a country that has always has to pay for tertiary education I think student in the UK have no idea how good they actually have it.
Have to say it does kind of remind one of soccer hooligans and they have no excuse for hurting people

EFR - had they achieved sufficient numbers to form a government, they would have had a better chance (financial chaos aside) to meet those election promises.

Seems odd to me with the situation so crystal clear - LibDems did not form government, so cannot fulfil all their wishes - yet some voters seem to consider it a betrayal that they cannot push the Conservatives (with significantly larger numbers) to do exactly as the LibDems would like.

What's so hard to understand in all that ?

I am delighted to see the students out in the streets and support them 100%.

What's hard to understand is that some politicians put politics before principles.

I do too.

At long last people are getting off their arses and voicing the widespread displeasure at Tory policy which consistently puts the rich and their voters first and hits the young and already over squeezed middle and lower income families.

I hope other groups take heed and start protesting too.

I find it admirable that the young are leading the way.More should be protesting instead of mumbling from sofas about the unfairness of it all.

My kids weren't even born when half the shit the banks got us into was happening but they are being punished.

And sorry anybody that thinks a a degree guarantees you a high income is sadly very naive. Dp and I have 3 degrees between us and earn a fraction of what other degreeless family members earn.

Me too, FairyMum. I don't agree with the violence of the small minority, but then I don't agree with kettling, horse charges, etc., either. I'm glad to see that for once people are fighting back. I work in a university and think most of the students are fairly well informed about the situation: aware not only of the rise in fees but also the cuts to Arts and Humanities funding (which includes things like Teacher Education).
Of course the country is in a mess and savings need to be made, but personally I'd start with closing some of those tax loopholes that allow people to avoid huge amounts of tax instead of hitting students..

how anyone can support that kind of violent protest is beyond me. I would be ashamed if my child was involved. There are pictures of people hanging off the Cenotaph, and defacing the Churchill statue. What exactly is that hoping to achieve?

I'm all for people getting off their butts to protest and getting involved in politics but this is beyond that. Violent protest in a democratic society simply cannot be justified. Just because you're not getting what you want, doesn't make it ok to throw your weight around. The Lib Dems didn't win the election. Hence they can't call all the shots on policy.

Apologies if I sounded patronising I probably do not fully grasp the actual facts. I would like to ask however that where is the UK government supposed to find the funds to continue in the same vein as before if the vote does not go through?

I'm in 2 minds - on the one hand, the fees have to be paid for somehow, and it's the students who pick up the tabs in other countries, not the tax payer - so why not in the UK?

Otoh, the thought of anyone leaving university with that level of debt is shocking. I have to say that given what I've just seen on TV tonight, I don't think the protestors have done much to gather support for their cause. Shame that a tiny minority have spoiled it.

I don't believe for a second that fees wouldn't have risen under a Labour Govt. I wonder if they will scrap them if they get back into power? Ha - not bloody likely.

I completely understand that going to uni doesn't guarantee you a well paid job. Hence my earlier post saying that going to uni for that reason is a very poor decision imo.

Endeavour I think the only other option was for them to set a limit on the number of students, reduce numbers. I might be wrong but that's my understanding.
Unfortunately tough decisions are being made every day, in every sphere of life.

redundant well said

Maisie...., errrm, actually other countries (much of Europe, Venezuela etc etc) have FRE education and equal numbers of people going to university. It is called 'investment in a common good' - the government uses money, such as taxes, to pay for it (rather than using it for bailing out banks or writing off tax evasion). It is a question of priorities. ANyway this govt has decided that capitalism shall extract profit from individualized lifelong debt. Great, isn't it?

Are we missing the actual point here, Nick Clegg said he was clearly against raising University fees, he has now said the exact opposite, he has lied to his voters, no wonder the students are angry, what a hypocrite.

Redundant can you imagine the protests if they had to limit the number of students etc? It would make these protests look mild. All governments sometimes have to make unpopular choices however I am sure your government must have weighed up all the options befoe arriving at this tough decision. Can't imagine they would jeapordise the future generation upon whom they would be reliant for their pensions and welfare without careful consideration. Education is the last factor any country wants to loose. Must have been a tough one to make a choice on.

Exactly EFR. Remember the outcry about voters being turned away from polling booths for being late? These were mainly in student constituencies and the Lib Dems were panicking at losing student votes - bought on an empty promise.

eggfriedrice and thefarside i totally agree!

im a student and with a baby on the way im struggling as it is, after this year im taking a gap year to look after the baby and was planning to return however if the fees go up theres no way i can do that, so ive effectively wasted 2 years of my life and the best part of 10 grand for nothing.

it makes me sick that the people talking about this on the news supposedly as experts trying to twist it to make it sound acceptable are obviously privately educated and very well off and daddy would have no problem paying these new fees

but thats exactly what they want isnt it? for common people like me not to have a chance at going to uni and for it to be a privilage for people like them.

these snobs have absolutely no grasp of real life and the whole 'university is a privilage not a right' view is disgusting! everyone has the right to make the best of themselves and money shouldnt limit peoples potential.

whos how many potentialy fantastic surgeons, scientists, doctors, teachers etc arent going to exsist just because they couldnt afford to learn the trade

of course he lid,
they all lie
look at DC and the lies and cons he has said and done.

Much of Europe is not free - there is a charge, albeit a much lower one. Otoh, we have a welfare state which doesn't exist to the same extent in other countries. Unfortunately we have to decide what we want.

However, as I said earlier, Labour are sure to scrap them when they get into power at the next election - aren't they?