Comment: Wednesday’s violence won’t hijack students’ message
The violence that marred last week’s protest shouldn’t detract from the powerful message students sent to the government.
By Aaron Porter
Last Wednesday, 52,000 people from all across the country marched through the streets of London to state their reasoned and principled opposition to the proposed further and higher education funding cuts. As has been much reported, a few hundred people engaged in violent actions after the march around Millbank Tower, smashing windows and setting fire to NUS’ placards and banners. These dangerous and violent actions are clearly entirely unacceptable, and to be roundly condemned.
But, in fairness to the vast majority who came to London to make a serious point peacefully and in good spirits, I would like to discuss their protest first.
The comprehensive spending review, published a few weeks ago, set out cuts which in many ways far exceeded our fears – university funding would be cut by 40 per cent, with teaching funding cut by a massive 80 per cent. Indeed, under these plans, there would be no public funding for arts, humanities and social science subjects whatsoever. This is economically incoherent at a time when we would hope our universities to act as an engine for our economic recovery; and, given that it is suggested as a solution to a relatively short-term need to cut the deficit, it represents a profound ideological shift in the nature of our higher education system, which must be roundly rejected. 52,000 people wanted to make this point clear as they marched through London.
Students are also deeply exercised by the proposed tripling of the tuition fee cap – they are exercised because they recognise the fundamental unfairness of such a massive rise; because they recognise the damage it will do to much of the sector, reaffirming and exacerbating inequalities within the system; because they recognise the damage it is likely to do in terms of efforts at access and widening participation; and because it is being introduced by a group of people who themselves enjoyed free education whilst receiving substantial grants.
And they are also of course exercised at the fact that it will only be possible for this rise to be enacted if it is supported by Liberal Democrat MPs who all promised prior to the election to oppose any rise in fees. The promises they made gained them significant student support at the ballot box – and I can personally guarantee that we will do everything we can to ensure that any MPs who so flagrantly betray the public’s trust are never given the opportunity to serve us again. Again, 52,000 people wanted to stand in opposition to the hike in fees, and to remind Liberal Democrat MPs of the pledge they made in the run-up to the election.
At the same time, the government have proposed cutting wildly at student support for those in further education, with both the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and the Adult Learning Grant (ALG) set to be entirely abolished. These means-tested weekly payments of up to £30 are a crucial means of support for those who wish to remain in further education – and it is simply not possible for the Government to claim their cuts to be fair at the same time as they remove this support for the poorest in our society. 52,000 school-children, parents and grandparents, together with students, lecturers and university staff, all marched through London to make this point.
These points were made strongly and coherently by all those I spoke to along the march, and reaffirmed by those who spoke at the rally. I was incredibly proud to be part of this, with so many coming together to make what is such an important argument.
However, we cannot ignore the fact that some people did attempt to hijack the event by engaging in acts of violence at Millbank Tower. Their mindless actions not only caused criminal damage and undermined our protest, but caused injury to police officers, local government workers and fellow protestors – and, having subsequently seen some of the footage, the injuries could have been far worse. I doubt they care that they have let down the peaceful majority who had a serious point to make.
Those of us who believe in the importance of education, to individuals and to our society, must continue to make these arguments over the coming weeks and months. It’s simply too important for us not to.
Aaron Porter is president of the National Union of Students.
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