Tens of thousands of students from universities and colleges all over the UK will participate in a walkout arranged by the National Union of Students (NUS) as part of its Come Clean campaign to oppose the government’s planned changes to higher education.
ULU students and members of National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) are expected to join the protest to voice their opposition against Willetts’ false education policies. They believe that Willetts has brought chaos to the British universities.
Students campaigning against Willetts declared that following the minister’s new “fee regime” the students will face a lifetime of debt. He also ignored constant calls from MPs to delay changes to the university admissions process, and insisted on his plans to force the universities into competition that caused the closure of some institutions.
“Willetts’ plans for higher education are modeled on Andrew Lansley’s plans for the NHS. So far, over 20 000 people have signed a ‘no confidence’ motion in Willetts. The withdrawal of his Higher Education Bill shows that even the government lacks confidence in him,” ULU spokesman said.
“This is an opportunity for staff and students to rally to the defence of our education. The government is vulnerable to pressure – now it’s time for all those who are opposed to the marketization of education to call for Willetts to go,” he added.
The NUS said the protest was arranged to call on both the universities and government to come clean on the education costs and the future of the country’s education system.
The national protest comes after it was revealed in January that the government was seeking to drop, or delay the HE Bill, including steps on changing the university system to the more competitive one.
SAB/HE
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