The old LSE Student Union banner once proudly had inscribed upon it "Arm the Workers & Students" and "Eduction is a Right not a privilege". Today students are once again fighting back.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has had to face the wrath of students after his pre-election promise to end tuition fees was brutally exposed by a coalition plan to hike them as high as £9,000-a-year.
Furious student leaders met with the Deputy Prime Minister to discuss the Government announcement which revealed an almost three-fold increase in the current £3,290-a-year limit for the cost of courses.
Mr Clegg, who earlier appeared stony-faced in the House of Commons when Universities Minister David Willetts told MPs of the changes, was accused of a plot to 'blow up education' by one students' union leader.
Anger: President of the University of London Student Union Clare Solomon protests against fees at a meeting with Nick Clegg (3 November 2010)
Clare Soloman, President of the University of London Students' Union, wore a T-shirt saying 'Remember remember the 3rd of November' and 'The coalition's plot blows up education'.
She also wrote 'hands off education' on her palm which she showed to the Liberal Democrat leader as he attempted to justify the massive increase in fees.
Clegg told the students that ‘you may live in a bubble but in the real world we have no alternative; what’s YOUR alternative then?’ he asked!! What a cheek.
The students told Clegg " stop allowing companies like Vodaphone to dodge taxes, to halt the 55% pay increases for the bosses, to implement a progressive tax system across society, to stop funding war and Trident. He said ‘that is complete nonsense’!!
Interestingly Private Eye has also questioned Nick Clegg's tax affairs
PRIVATISATION
Meanwhile plans are being drawn up by Cambridge , Oxford, LSE and other top Universities to simply go private and thereby avoid taking students from poor families.
Sally Hunt, head of the UCU lecturers' union, warned against a greater role for private universities.
She said: "What the for-profit universities do possess is a commitment to their shareholders to make a profit, a commitment only made greater if their shareholders include private equity firms.
Country Standard says
Well Done Clare Soloman at ULU, Your an inspiration
Now lets all join the
NUS Demo 10th November, London
Arm the Workers and Students
