TENS of thousands of students are expected to participate in a national walkout today in campuses in every part of the UK against the Tory government’s destruction of free state education.
Students are taking part in marches and rallies in towns and cities around the country.
The demonstration through the capital begins at University London Union Malet street at 2.00pm.
The President of Kingston University, Chris Dingl told, News Line: ‘We must remind the public about the mess the government has made in regards to tuition fees, the drop in the number of Uni applications, and the way that certain universities will get students allocated to them.
‘Because of government changes some universities will be able to take extra students when, in some cases, they cannot support them.
‘We are also marching about the huge cuts to the Arts and Social Science budgets.
‘We are not satisfied with the situation and change will have to come.
‘I think that university should be free, it has to be fair and accessible to everyone.’
Vice-President London Metropolitan North campus Tobi Samuel said:‘We are going for the national students walkout starting at ULU, there will be lots of London Met students joining in.
‘London Met is a prime example of why the education reforms are wrong, in the past few years we have seen cuts to learning support and 70 per cent of our courses have been deleted.
‘Massive staff cuts, nursery provision cuts, cuts to our library, 21 per cent cuts to our estate management, which manages the buildings, and 30 per cent cuts to student services.
‘Most importantly more staff cuts are on the way right now.
‘Met students say no to all cuts and the unfair policies and decisions.
‘I am opposed to £9,000 fees and this is why I am going on the march tomorrow.’
Manoj Kumer, president of the students union at Middlesex University, told News Line: ‘We are marching because of the atrocities that the Tories have done by going ahead and cutting our education.
‘This means that education would be left to a privileged few that can afford £9,000.
‘The Tories have unleashed the biggest assault on ordinary people for generations.
‘Fees should be abolished because in today’s economic climate students are finding it hard to survive.
‘This government doesn’t want working class students to survive and that is why people are fed up with the government.
‘There is going to be a big revolution in this country.
‘Absolutely, we should bring this government down.’
NUS President Liam Burns said: ‘We need a national debate on changes to higher education and this week we will remind ministers that we are watching what they’re doing.’
The University and College Union (UCU) is supporting the students’ actions and members in universities across the UK have been arranging activities with their local students’ union.
