Strike back for free education

Come to Socialist Students online conference

Sunday 28 February 1pm

Students need a leadership that will fight fees and austerity, photo Socialist Party (Click to enlarge)

This year, students have been shafted. We've been used as scapegoats by the government, treated as the personal piggy banks of the higher education sector, and many of us have been completely isolated from our peers and communities of support.

In spite of this, student voices have been some of the most prominent throughout this pandemic. Students are the ones organising strong rent strike campaigns up and down the country that have led to accommodation rebates and refunds from universities. Socialist Students have played a key part in this.

However, it is not enough for us to only be organising on the immediate issues, this is just the start of the crisis. We need to get organised and connect ourselves and our immediate concerns to our community and workers' struggle.

This is why I am going to the Socialist Students national conference. It will be an opportunity to connect young people in schools, universities, and colleges to make sure that we are prepared to fight for free education.

Kat Gwyther, Leeds Socialist Students

I'm going to the Socialist Students national conference this year because there is an ongoing crisis on university campuses that only Socialist Students as a group seems interested in addressing.

Despite the increased need for mental health services, access to university facilities and extra funding for courses, the availability of these things has been restricted to the detriment of all students.

It is clear that the market university model has consistently failed students. This fact is clearer than ever.

Socialist Students conference is an opportunity to learn more about how to fight back against the profit-driven university system; to learn from other students across the country how to build a successful student movement that fights for free education for all.

Tom Green, Birmingham Socialist Students

I will be attending the Socialist Students conference because I believe that if enough students organise in solidarity against our corrupt and broken system, our collective voice could make a real difference in fighting for change.

This past year has highlighted not only how inept our leaders are, but how capitalism itself is failing so miserably. Socialism presents a real alternative, in which people will be put before profit, so we can all work together for a fairer world.

Hal Kelly, Brighton Socialist Students

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.