Report – EAN Public Forum: What does the withdrawal of the HE Bill mean for our universities

On Tuesday February 21^st, the Education Activist Network set up a public forum for staff and students to assess the latest developments in government policy for higher education and to have a strategic discussion about how best to resist it.

Public Forum: What does the withdrawal of the Higher Education Bill mean for our universities?

Public Forum: What does the withdrawal of the Higher Education Bill mean for our universities?

Tuesday February 21st. 6:30pm
King’s College London (Strand) WC2R 2LS, Room S-1.27

Howard Hotson, London Review of Books; John Holmwood, co-author The Alternative White Paper; Liam Burns NUS President; Andrew McGettigan, journalist and blogger @ Critical Education; Jim Wolfreys, author of Universities for Hire; Kate Tunstall, No Confidence in Willetts Campaign; John McDonnell MP.
The government’s decision to withdraw its Higher Education Bill appears to indicate weakness and retreat. Yet most of the reforms outlined in its HE White Paper are being implemented anyway, from the new admissions market and fees regime to the escalating audit culture and creeping privatisation of the sector.
University admissions figures for the coming year have fallen dramatically in some institutions, while competition between universities and other providers is intensifying.
How do we prevent the restriction of student choice imposed by the new university admissions market, and the growing inequalities it is creating between higher education institutions?
What are the prospects for private providers finding a way into higher education now that the HE Bill has been postponed?
The aim of this forum is for staff and students to assess the latest developments in government policy for higher education and to have a strategic discussion about how best to resist it.
Initiated by the Education Activist Network
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/261268643945344/

Upcoming dates, actions and events in the struggle for education

Protest against Universities Minister David Willetts at UEA – May 24

Postgraduate Teachers Conference – May 26

National Autumn Demonstration – date to be confirmed

some Student’s Union Officers and activists have set up the following blog whcih calls on NUS to call a national demonstartion in the Autumn.  http://students4autumndemo.wordpress.com The Education Activist Network supports that call

For more info on local EAN groups:
Essex Education Activist Network

Exeter Education Activist Network

Kent Education Activist Network

Manchester Education Activist Network

Goldsmiths Education Activist Network

Kingston Education Activist Network

Sheffield Education Activist Network

Oxford Education Activist Network

Teesside Education Activist Network

Leeds city-wide Education Activist Network

Woodcraft EAN

University of East London Education Activist Network

wanna start an EAN group e-mail educationactivist@gmail.com

EAN statement on the ‘indefinite’ postponement of the HE Bill

The government has announced that it will not seek to pass the HE Bill (based on last summer’s HE White Paper) through parliament until 2015. The HE Bill, proposed by Universities Minister David Willetts, faced major opposition from academics and HE/FE students, who marched in their tens of thousands against it. However, this doesn’t mean the fight is over.

According to the Daily Telegraph: “The decision to drop the legislation is a major blow for Mr Willetts who has given his wholehearted backing to the reforms. He had pledged to introduce legislation this year.”

H.E. White Paper indefinitely delayed, possibly until after 2015.

The Telegraph reports that David Willetts’ controversial and much criticised Higher Education Bill, based on the White Paper published last June, has been delayed, possibly until after 2015.

This will be a relief to those who have campaigned against a set of policies that proposed opening the university system to corporate marketisation and making profit, not education, the priority of Higher Education institutions.

We need to be vigilant, since government will no doubt try to introduce many of its proposed changes via existing legislation, just as they did November 2010 with the parliamentary vote that raised fees to up to £9000 per year, leaving generations of young people in a lifetime of debt.

The battle for universities continues. But this is a partial victory that shows that collective resistance can bring about the right results.

The full Telegraph article can be viewed here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9034279/American-backed-private-universities-plan-dropped.html 

 

UCU NEC proposes UK-wide day of action about pensions on 1 March

UCU NEC has passed a motion calling for a nationwide day of action to fight the government’s proposed pension reforms.

It joins other major unions NUS, NASUWT, PCS and UNITE in rejecting current proposals.

The government plans to impose in reforms in April anyway.

The UCU motion calls for an escalation of industrial action with other unions in February, involving rolling strikes at regional and national level where appropriate, and invites other unions to join.

Thursday 1 March is the proposed date for coordinated national strike action to continue the fight of 30 June and 30 November.

Education Activist Network will be at the forefront of the struggle for fair pensions for present and future generations. 

Boot out Boris – Occupy LSX protest

Boot out Boris: Protest outside Conservative Future’s Back Boris Student Bootcamp

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/256165881107455/#!/events/256165881107455/
Weds 7 December, 5pm – 6.30pm. Assemble outside the main entrance of King’s College London – Strand Campus, WC2R 2LS

Conservative Future are organising a ‘Back Boris Student Bootcamp’ where the Tory Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, will be telling students how they can support his bid to get himself re-elected in May.

Join Occupy LSX’s ‘BOOT OUT BORIS’ protest outside the event from 5pm-6.30pm.

The Tories are seeking to destroy the lives of young people. Youth unemployment has rocketed above 1 million, EMA has been abolished, tuition fees are soaring and even more attacks are on the way from cuts to public services & jobs to attempts to privatise education. Come along and let Boris Johnson know what you think of his party’s record in government.

Assemble 5pm Wednesday 7 December outside the main entrance of King’s College London, Strand Campus London, WC2R 2LS. The closest tube stations are Embankment and Temple.

Support the day of action on Tuesday, December 6

Occupy Essex has called for a day of action on Tuesday, December 6. Please make sure your anti-cuts group or occupation supports this call and organizes an action on the day itself. So far the day of action is being supported by Occupy Royal Holloway and Aberdeen. Add your group by e-mailing occupiedessexuni@gmail.com

They write:

Occupy Essex calls for a day of action in solidarity with the pensions strikes and against the HE White Paper on Tuesday 6th December. This is the day we will be challenging our management’s cut backs to accommodation services and the creeping privatisation that caused it. We call on all students to take action on that day, however small, to stand alongside us, and stand united against the Government’s plans for Higher Education.

Please add your occupation group or anti-cuts group to this call!

Solidarity with the student occupations

Occupy Aberdeen Facebook 07903700751

Occupy Essex facebook occupiedessexuni@gmail.com 07855928749

Brighton University Occupation facebook 07984315352

UWE http://uweagainstcuts.blogspot.com Twitter @uweagainstcuts Facebook

Sheffield Occupation facebook

Occupy Warwick facebook

Liverpool University Occupation  facebook occupyliverpooluniversity@gmail.com

Occupy RHUL facebook

Glasgow students shuts down Muscatelli

Students at glasgow university caused a storm at a talk tonight given by their dean, Anton Muscatelli (check spelling) on the future of higher education. 20 or so students emerged from the audience as he took to the stage, wearing masks of the principle who opposes free education and has received a vote of no confidence from the ucu – TWICE! Students knelt in front of him holding speech bubbles reading ‘ i am anton Muscatelli, i illegally cut the slavonics dept’, ‘ i’m Muscatelli, will you scab for me?’ and more. The talk was suspended by the chair.