Young people blocked from access to education

New Labour plans to reduce the higher education budget by Ł2.5 billion and already the Higher Education Funding body for England (HEFCE) has begun to outline how spending on teaching, research and university facilities will be cut this year.

Matt Dobson, Socialist Students national organiser

Universities UK, the body representing university vice chancellors, has warned that the aspirations of hundreds of thousands of young people to get access to higher education will be blocked as a result of these cuts. But they have no alternative to the cuts.

The National Union of Students (NUS) president Wes Streeting was given a platform on BBC television news to respond to the HEFCE announcement. Unfortunately all he could say was that he hoped that after this savage round of cuts the government would realise they should increase higher education funding for the good of society.

For the NUS leaders the re-election of a New Labour government is more of a priority than defending students from the onslaught on the right to a decent education. But Socialist Students and Youth Fight for Jobs are willing to organise young people against attacks from pro-big business politicians.

Students, local student unions and education workers and their trade unions need to unite in a mass campaign against all cuts, all job losses, fees and privatisation of education. Socialist Students and Youth Fight for Jobs activists are leading campaigns and protests against attacks on education across the country.

We call for a one-day walkout strike of all education workers and students against cuts, fees and job losses, coordinated nationally by the trade unions, student unions and campaign groups.

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In The Socialist 3 February 2010:

'Filthy rich' get richer: Challenge the bosses' greed!