Student protests

[Kwackerz]

Have there ever been protests that actually made the Government reverse their proposals?

Whats the point of protesting? These muppets who have been elected are going to go ahead anyway regardless..
Theyve seen a requirement or course of action that is to be taken, have already weighed up the idea that 'x' number of people or 'x' number of groups of people are going to be seriously pissed off... and theyve still gone ahead with starting to implement it.

I'm still waiting for the revolution I was promised by an Anti War protester a few years back..
'Come the revolution, you'll all be out of a job..'

[D-Rider]

Better a protest that doesn't result in change than to sit there and just put this stupidity through without making a fuss.

Some protests have made a change - the Poll Tax being one (though we tax the Poles who work here now)

[Willopotomas]

The sooner people take a look at the state the country is in and what the government are trying to do about it the better. Yes, some things are going to piss people off, and rightly so.. But the way things have been over the last 13 years just isn't sustainable. The nation has no money left.. The coffers are empty.. The last government spent it all (to which i've heard not a single complaint about!) which has left this government to sort it out. The previous lot changed so much to keep their supporters and members happy, like axing the pensions cap and letting the banks self-regulate.. Socialism doesn't work..

Now education had always been something I keep an eye on. Even when I was at school I only took part in, or paid attention to, things that interested me or were going to benefit me in the future. These academy places that are cropping up, IMO, are a brilliant idea. Just a shame they weren't around when I was at school.

A funny comment on the radio today, by a student, was "it's my right to go to University".. Yes, it is, but it's not your right to expect someone else to pay for it. University, again in my opinion, is a privilege. I'd say around half of the people I know who have been to Uni and got their degree's don't work in the sector they are qualified for. One person has a degree in geology (can't remember what all the grades are, but know it's quite high) but took a post-grad course and is now a primary school teacher. Absolutely nothing to do with geology.. So what was the point of doing it in the first place? Even they have no idea why they chose that subject..lol..

So why the protests? That's an easy one.. Bored. Nothing better to do.. Let's go and smash up London. Something to tell the grand-kids.

I'll stop there.. Can feel my bile rising..

[tommy]

It's true its their right to go to uni. But far to many are going. Six of my closest friends are at uni, and only one of them has as gone for the right reason (a career in architecture). The others have gone solely for the experiance, and to put off going to work. I have a friend who is even doing a second degree, now in sociology, for no reason apart from the fact he doesn't want to get a job yet.

I'm all for protests if the cause is just. But the few students that took it too far are an embarasment to my generation.

[Aladinsaneuk]

student funding is an issue though

leaving aside those that want the experience of it all - in which case shut up and pay your way, what about those who are there for a career?

doctors probably pay the most out as students, but 5 years after they qualify they will be on a decent amount of cash.... but radiographers, physiotherapists, nurses etc..... should they pay full whack? or should we say that commit to the NHS for 10 years and your debts are wiped?

could also say the same thing about teachers, but so long as they get their holidays and xmas off... nope LOL

[rick]

I've spent 10 years at Uni for my degrees/post-doc employment. Four years ago I left and now work in the Public Sector in my chosen discipline. I acrrued a fair amount of debt but no-where near as much as people going to Uni now will... so I feel very privileged to have had the chance.

Regarding fees... they have to be introduced... but its scary how much they can charge. When I went to Uni the tuition fees were £0...

Regarding paying debts back... I totally disagree with students paying different amounts back depending on their earning capabilities after securing employment... why should the high-flyers suffer? This may end up putting off people doing real, core degrees... meaning that there are less people capable of doing these higher skilled jobs which ultimately means more foreigners coming in and the continued destruction of Britain.

How about allowing those doing the high flying jobs who secure employment in their chosen field paying less back ?

In my opinion there are far too many pointless degrees... ban them all and only offer degrees in core subjects :)

[HowardQ]

If we had ever had democracy in this country we would never need to protest. That is why groups of people decide to protest.
As we do not have it in the true sense, we initially have to go for the nearest we can get to it. Let's just imagine that we recently had an election and many poliyicians were asked their view on certain issues, Universty fees are a good example, (but there are many others).
A particuilar party states a very strong view about never bringing in these fees and many thousands of students around the country vote for them, for this reason.
Democracy in action, or so it would seem.
Not really as there isn't a live politicion in this country who knows what democracy is or how to tell the truth. We all know the end of this story, "all polical promises made before an election or at any other time are nothing to do with democracy they are just the lying sales pitch necessary to get them a seat at Westminster", once there they can forget everything they ever promised and concentrate on putting more lies onto their expence claims.
No I am not anti Liberal or Nick Clegg, they are the only party I have ever voted for, (when I bother), for as long as I can remember as (in democratic terms), they are the sweetest smelling turds in a very large pile of crap!
I personally think some smallish charges should be made, but this new system means that kids from a poor tom average background will never now have the chance of going to a decent university. We will be back where we were 60 plus years ago where these institutions were just for the middle and upper classes who paid large sums to get their kids educated at both grammar school and university.

On a different note, the current government are telling us that debt is bad and we have to make drastic changes to get rid of our national debt very quickly even if that puts a million plus people on the dole.
However the situation is different for students, (or their supporting families), who should be forced to incur debts of between £30K or even up to £50k with living expences, just to go to Uni?
There is only one saving grace for me, in that the chances of students from the north of Watford getting any jobs, never mind £21K plus jobs are pretty limited, (they don't pay that much at burger or pizza outlets around here.
Sadly any that do decide to risk it might also be wanting to possibly get married, have a family or simply buy a house at the same time as they get a decent job in their mid twenties, sorry folks you need to spend up to 20 years paying your student loans off before you can do that!

[BikerGran]

Sure there have to be cuts, something has to be done about the state of the country.

But if we weren't sending every John and Jane top university to do degrees in next-to-nothing, there might be some cash to spare for those who need it.
A girl in my office has a degree - she's doing the same job I do, and I left school at 16 and have had very little further education and no higher education. Her degree? That's in Tourism, chosen because it was an easy option.
Neither of my daughters went to university, the older one is a programmer/analyst and the younger worked in retail management until she used the monet she had earned to fund her current nomadic lifestyle but she owns her own house - some of her friends who have degrees are working in shops/offices and living in rented places.

Oh and then there's the enormous amount of resentment created by the fact that we - students, disabled people, pensioners (that's me) keep being told we can't have this that or the other - then the government gives away ridiculous sums to Pakistan, Ireland, etc. If there's no money for us, where are they getting those great dollops from? It's going to come out of our pockets.

I have to stop, I'm getting too angry..............

[Kwackerz]

If we pulled out of Iraq and Afghanistan and everywhere else we have guys still dotted about, we could have a Military Coup.

That would sort it out quite well.

[tommy]

In my opinion there are far too many pointless degrees... ban them all and only offer degrees in core subjects :)

I couldn't agree more Rick

[Willopotomas]

In my opinion there are far too many pointless degrees... ban them all and only offer degrees in core subjects :)

I couldn't agree more Rick

I'm with you on that mate..

[Kwackerz]

Tourism?!! A Degree, in.. TOURISM!!??

How on earth do you use such a degree? I can envisage it now..

'I really cannot decide where to go on Holiday.. maybe you can help?'

'Why yes, have no fear, I have an Ology!! Now lets see, Single with 1200 quid saved? Boyfriend? '

'No, but..'

'I think, in my learned opinion, that Ibiza will suit you to the ground. nice 18-30 holiday, sort you right out. get a rave on the go, show your cleavage, sorted.'

'Yes but..'

'Remember.. I have an ology..'

'Im 85..'

[Nooj]

The previous lot changed so much to keep their supporters and members happy, like axing the pensions cap and letting the banks self-regulate.. Socialism doesn't work.

.

Since when were New Labour ever a socialist party???

University is a privilege, but it's going back to the days when it was just a privilege for the rich. There are hundreds of thousands of intelligent youngsters from poor families who's tallents will just be wasted more and more every time student fees go up, the university spaces will just go to rich kids who want to waste time.

As for high fliers paying more to keep education affordable, why SHOULDN'T they pay more? They can afford it!

[HowardQ]

So why do we have all these extra people in university often taking what most people agree are stupid degrees. This is because the last government were getting seriously embarrassed about all the school leavers going straight on the dole, so rather than pay them dole, the idea was lets send them to Uni. Their previous idea about getting school leavers to go for City Academies had got some off the dole so sending more to Uni was the obvious next step.
There was never going to be funding for this influx of new students or all the new courses/tutors/classrooms that would be needed for the ridiculous new courses, but what the hell, there is an election coming up and you think the incoming Tories may be left to sort it.
If Labour had won, they would have done the same.
As Nooj says this was not Socialist policy, anybody with that background would have invested much more much sooner in all the "Trade Skills" that we so obviously needed. Then again why bother with all that expense training people in these skills, when you can bring skilled people in from Poland and other areas, who will do the building jobs for less money, work harder and are already trained, "Simples".
Why would "Brits" want to work all sorts of hours and take exams just to be a relatively poorly paid plumber, brickie, or 'trician, when they could be a Bwanker and get 6 figure bonuses every few months for gambling, with and losing our money(sorry spreadbetting, which is legal).
There was a bit of a rush for training in "Building" trades when people found out most of them earn around £50K a year on contract work.
So lots went for training then completed this just as all the new building stopped.
Anyway no poiticians for years have invested in industry for some very strong reasons, (How do we build cars, computers, TVs, toilets, clothes or whatever when China and others can make them so much cheaper).
So why do David and friends now think that all the lost Public Sector jobs will suddenly be taken up by UK industry, what industry?

I feel there is an awfull lot wrong with Britain today and putting this right will be a very difficult and unpopular, (for this read non vote winning!), job.
I also feel that NO political parties seem to have any real clue how to tackle it, but we have to try.
The best way for me would be a period of agreed "democracy", a bit like in war times, where all MPs forgot their party politics and all ideas from all sides get debated in detail, then there are free votes and just the good ideas go through, whoever suggested them.
Yes a bit like the way good companies used to run before the days of Venture Capitalists and high stock market values became god.

[MartDude]

What I find particularly nauseating about the fees debate is the hypocrisy of both Blair's New Labourfakes, & this government; a significant number of politicians of all parties would not have had the education that enabled them to advance to prominence without the pre-fees grants system. Having got where they wanted, they pulled the ladder up after them - 'The working class can kiss my arse, I've got the foreman's job at last'.

It's doubtful that I, and many of my generation, would have had a university education without the grants system - our parents could not have afforded the fees. And I think most of us were/are very grateful for having been given that opportunity.

Yes, by all means scrap or downgrade the dafter degree courses, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater; it would be a great folly to fail to invest in our country's future by effectively restricting the availability of higher education to an already-privilged few (many of whom probably wouldn't appreciate the value of it anyway)