Seneca21

In a protest about the imminent student fees increase, students have demonstrated and rioted in Central London and smashed their way into Conservative Party HQ. 35 were arrested and 14 have been injured.

Justified? What do these changes mean for HE in Britain?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/...onservative-hq

Steve_P

Your link does not work try this one.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/...t-fees-violent

Not the same article but same topic.

Seneca21

Thanks Steve.

macadian

Wanton destruction and violence of this nature cannot be justified and MHO they have only succeeded in alienating many who may have supported their cause (including me). Having said that, those who indulged in the above behaviour would have anyway, whatever the subject of protest! Organisers should have known better... riotous behaviour at such a gathering was a given!

Oink

They all had a bit of a nice day out, insurance will pay for the damage and in the end the new tuition policy won't change.

Seneca21

I think the British had better get used to rioters, frankly. It's students now, but it's going to be a lot of other groups over the next few years. Also, I support fully the students who protested peacefully. The fees increase is a scandalous disgrace.

Zercher

Similar thing happened in Dublin not a week ago.

Beware of blanket statements though....generally with this sort of thing it's a very small independent minority causing the aggro and they are possibly not even students themselves.

Novocastrian

Another Guardian article which might provide some context...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2...t-for-17-years

"The last time graduate unemployment was as bleak was in 1993, when the UK was coming out of a recession. Then, 10.5% of graduates were unemployed after six months. In 1992, it was a record 11.6%.

The proportion of university leavers with a graduate-level job – as defined by the government – has dropped 3.3 points to 62.4%, the charity found. The proportion working in retail and catering rose by 3.8 points to 14.4% – about one in seven.

The mean starting salary for graduates has not kept pace with inflation and is now £19,695 – an £18 rise on last year, the survey found. It is £22,228 in London and £19,965 in Scotland. Those who had studied Chinese had the highest starting salary at £24,540 a year, while fine art graduates started on the lowest wage at £14,625."

And now they have to pay three times as much for the privilege?

Sally Redux

From what I can follow, and it seems confusing, students who are going to pay 9,000 pa are specifically going to be subsidising poorer students at their institutions.

An utter shambles and a nightmare for those in the profession as well as students.

Seneca21

Universities are able to charge up to 9k, so some will charge more than others. The richer you are the greater your chance of attending a superior institution, in other words.

They can restrict numbers by reinstalling academic selection in phases through adolesence like before. The rich still have an inherent advantage of course because they send their kids to better schools so they get better results, but we deal with that by having set quotas of places at universities which would demand a set percentage of kids - with the right grades - from even the shittest schools.

I see no reason why the 21st centry should continue to host a system where people get access to the best universities simply because father is rich - especially because most of the rich are rich because they are totally dishonest in their accumulation of money.

Sally Redux

The people who 'tactically voted' lib dem ****ed it up for everybody

Seneca21

I wonder if the U-turn on fees policy by the liberals might actually be the end of the party. Seriously. I mean it would have to go through another metamorphosis, etc. Not many liberals will forgive them for it when the GE comes round. They'll all vote Green or Indie.

Sally Redux

They obviously don't stand for anything, so I would imagine you're right.

Seneca21

This is the thing - what do they stand for?

Sally Redux

Answers on a postcard, please.