THE "ALL work and Low pay" report by the TUC and NUS says that
students working during term time suffer a "detrimental impact on their
studies". Over the last ten years the number of full time students with
jobs has risen by 54%.
Matthew Dobson
This will probably increase rapidly as a consequence of top-up fees,
87% of this autumn’s new students think they may have to take a
part-time job to supplement their income while studying.
Students are forced into low-paid jobs with long hours just to pay
for fees, accommodation and other living costs. They are working rather
than devoting all their attention to studying, but that is hardly
surprising considering the huge amount of debt that graduates and those
studying are in. Many students have credit card, bank loan or other
debts which are spiralling out of control. Graduates leaving university
this year had average debts of £13,252.
This year’s drop in university applications also shows that the
prospect of debt puts off young people from going to university.
Working-class students are struggling the most to get by as 62% of those
from poorer backgrounds are working.
Student employment is concentrated in the retail and hospitality
sectors – notorious for long unsociable hours and low pay. The socialist
spoke to Durham University student Hannah Walter, who works in a fast
food restaurant.
"Without working I could never afford being at university. I work in
term time and in the holidays. In the holidays I work night shifts and
in term time two-hour evening shifts when I should be reading for my
course. It’s always difficult to get time off work to prioritise my
course and I’m always tired when studying".
New Labour’s polices are turning higher education into a privilege
for the wealthy but where ordinary students can experience the long
hours, low pay and exploitation in the workplace that is the norm in
Blair’s Britain.
Socialist Students believes free education is a right. We demand the
scrapping of all tuition fees and the writing off of all student debt.
We call for a living grant for all students.
We also link up with ISR in the campaigns Low Pay No Way and Fight
for your rights at work. Socialist Students demands the immediate
introduction of the trade unions’ minimum wage demands as a step towards
a living wage.
the Student Socialist
The magazine of Socialist Students
New issue: £1 inc. postage
PO Box 858, London E11 1YD
Are you ready for the new term?
The new term is fast approaching; Socialist Students members across
the country are getting ready to meet thousands of young people who may
be interested in socialist ideas.
Matt Dobson, Socialist Students national co-ordinator
By now freshers’ fairs stalls have been booked at universities and
colleges. Socialist Students should also have stalls and leafleting at
halls of residence when students are moving in, at the queues on campus
when students are signing up for their courses, in the canteens and at
events organised by the student unions in the first week of term.
It is useful to have a planned agenda of activities and meetings for
the first few weeks. That means advertising society events on leaflets,
posters, notice boards and especially on the freshers’ fair stalls.
The first Socialist Student meeting of the year should involve
political discussions and planning activity for the new term. Focus on
issues where students will be looking for solutions and a socialist
analysis like the Middle East crisis or the mass movements of students
in France and Chile this year. Discussions on What is Socialism? have
proved very popular and are a good way of explaining socialist ideas.
Socialist Students is an organisation for students who want to fight
back against attacks on education and public services, war and
occupation, racism, sexism and homophobia. There are no shortage of
issues to plan campaigns and activity on and the first meeting is useful
to discuss stalls, petitioning, protests and stunts and work in the
student unions.
As well as meetings Socialist Students members are planning social
events around which political discussion can take place such as film
showings and gigs.
- For help and advice on setting up Socialist Students societies,
booking freshers’ fairs and organising meetings and activities contact:
Matt Dobson, 020 8988 8761.
