We had our Student Union Annual General Meeting on Wednesday. We submitted a motion on fighting the cuts, which wasn't debated or voted on as the meeting was inquorate (not enough union members attended). You can see the motion, and the amendments proposed by the Student Union executive, below.
Ed Marsh, who is the NUS Officer for Union Development addressed the meeting on where he thinks the student movement is going next. To summarise his argument, young people are unfairly treated by the government and have been betrayed by the promises of the Lib Dems. He attributed the fact that the bill to increase tuition fees was passed to this betrayal, and that we entered the debate too late. We now have to make the case for education being a public good, that the attack on education is ideological in nature, and for the introduction of state funding for education.
We asked him whether he agreed with us that the language of the markets should be rejected just as we resist the marketisation of education - given the recent suggestion by Aaron Porter that we should now be thinking in terms of protecting students' rights as consumers and suing universities if they don't give 'value for money' - he gave a qualified response. He recognised that the proposals to change the means by which universities were funded did represent the marketisation of education, yet retained the right to use the language of the markets to defend education. The 'language of consumerism terrifies Vice Chancellors'.
We would suggest that having accepted that this attack on education is ideological and informed by a disregard for the public good, education cannot possibly be defended within that ideology. A fight on those terms is doomed to failure; we have to make a case for education as something that cannot be bought in any meaningful sense, that students are not consumers but citizens with an inalienable right to develop their talents to the highest level and as they see fit.
We also asked him why he thought that many student protesters felt that the NUS and their Student Unions had failed to represent their interests. He told us that Student Unions and the NUS were unable to act as quickly and in the same manner as organisations such as the Education Activist Network. He stressed that it was important to have a single national voice, and that autonomous action doesn't damage the national organisation. He had said earlier, in his opening speech, that we 'can't allow students to lose faith in unions and the NUS'.
We might respond by pointing out that the rapidity of the government's wholesale restructuring of public services leaves us with no choice but to act rapidly, and that political differences such as that noted above (on the value of 'consumer rights' talk) makes certain aspects of the NUS position unacceptable to many student activists at a fundamental level. It is unlikely to say the least that they will get behind a campaign to threaten university management with legal action, or even accept that this is a strong position to take. If we feel that the strategy of the NUS or Student Unions is unworkable we have the right and the duty, as members of unions, to challenge that and, if need be, to seek to change Student Unions at a bureaucratic and constitutional level so we can mandate them to carry out effective action. Legislation that increases tuition fees and bankrupts universities is bad legislation, and must be overturned.
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Motion – Fighting the cuts.
This union notes
1. Despite the result of the vote on tuition fees on the 9th December, recent activism by students had an impact on parliamentary democracy; more MPs resigned over the issue, and concessions made by the Government (such as the change to the repayment threshold) indicate student protest has been effective. voted against the bill than was generally expected, several Liberal Democrat
2. Events such as the National Student Assembly in London on 30th January 2011 are evidence that student activists are organising nationally, independently of their Student Unions, and with a view to a long term fight-back.
2. The austerity program imposed by the government on UK citizens impacts on public services and welfare state, as well as the university sector.
3. The NUS will be mobilising for the TUC National Demonstration on Saturday 26 March, which aims to bring together trade unionists, service users, community groups and everyone who is worried about the impact of the cuts on our society and economy.
This union believes
1. The values of the market have no place in the education sector, and the privatization of education must be resisted.
2. The efforts of students campaigning against the cuts have laid the foundations for a long-term and broad campaign against all cuts proposed by the Comprehensive Spending Review.
3. Whilst the student movement has been at the forefront of the fight-back against cuts, students were sustained in their efforts by financial and moral support from other groups such as trade unions, university departments, community groups, and individuals. This support should be reciprocated; collective action is the only means by which the claims of any particular group will be recognised.
This union resolves
1. To ensure that the student body is informed of the cuts and the impact they will have on the education sector, and to publicise the campaigns and events held by anti-cuts groups run by union members.
2. To actively build links with organisations such as Salford UCU, the Greater Manchester Education Activist Network, Salford
3. To actively support its members in their activities, whether this be organising and publicising demonstrations or to facilitate dialogue with university management.
4. To actively support university workers and other public sector workers who take action against cuts that threaten their jobs and the public services they represent.
5. To support and to work towards participation in the TUC National Demonstration against the Cuts on 26th March 2011, and any regional demonstrations that are held to build for this event.
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Amendments
Motion – Fighting the Cuts
This Union notes:
Delete no 3 and insert
That although the austerity program imposed by the government on UK citizens impacts on public services and welfare state as well as the university sector, charity law requires the Union to campaign on issues that affect students in their lives as students and not in any wider definition.
This Union believes:
Delete no 3 and insert
Whilst the student movement has been at the forefront of the fight-back against cuts, students were sustained in their efforts by financial and moral support from other groups such as trade unions, university departments, community groups and individuals. This support should be reciprocated; though only within the allowed boundaries of campaigning under charity law
This Union resolves:
To delete all and insert:
To ensure that the student body is informed of the cuts and the impact they will have on the education sector and to promote awareness of the campaigns and events held by anti-cuts groups run by Union members.
To work with other campaigning agencies where appropriate on the issue of Higher Education cuts, within the boundaries of charity law.
To support its members in their activities, subject to the boundaries of charity law.
To support University workers who take action against cuts that threaten their jobs and the public services they represent, where this impacts on student as students..
To promote the TUC National Demonstration against the cuts on 26th March 2011 and any regional demonstrations that are held to build for this event, should the generality of students be interested in participating.
