University students:
Hidden – the effects of term-time working
UNIVERSITY VICE-chancellors hid vital research on student debt to
avoid criticising the government’s higher education policies before this
year’s general election.
Zena Awad, national convenor Socialist Students
Universities UK (UUK), the vice-chancellors’ umbrella body, ordered
extensive cuts of "politically contentious" parts of a study on the
effect of term-time employment on students.
The evidence showed academic performance suffering for students
forced to work in term-time due to financial hardship. Many students
admit missing lectures, having difficulty accessing facilities on
campus, and producing poor quality assignments.
UUK, which strongly supports the government’s top-up fees policy, is
accused of breaching "research ethics".
The report told of the high debt students face as a result of New
Labour’s policies and linked students’ term-time employment with poorer
performance.
In January 2004, just days before the Bill introducing top-up fees
scraped through the Commons by five votes, the report’s coordinator
complained that UUK was "sitting on" this work. Later, UUK policy chief
Bruce removed the chapters revealing this evidence, saying: "This report
covers… issues that affect the vital interests of UUK."
Socialist Students say vice-Chancellors on over £100,000 a year, a
standard of living far above most workers and students, identify with
business interests.
We campaign for universities to be run democratically by committees
of lecturers, workers and students. We also fight for mass action by
workers and students to defeat New Labour’s agenda in education. We
fight for decent public funding, an end to privatisation, reversal of
the cuts, the abolition of all fees and the re-introduction of a living
grant for all.
A MORE recent survey shows that New Labour’s attacks on higher
education increased dramatically the number of students in work since
the end of the 1990s. 50% of students feel forced to take term-time
low-paid jobs, typically in bars, cafes and shops, spending less time on
academic work and cutting their odds of obtaining a good grade by over a
third.
Students from the poorest homes and ethnic minority backgrounds are
most likely to work long hours to help pay bills. 90% of all students
had taken out student loans with one in five saddled with debts higher
than £15,000.
Fighting privatisation in Manchester
University of Manchester Students’ Union (UMSU) were pressured by
Socialist Students’ campaigning to submit a motion to the general
meeting to decide policy against the proposed privatisation of a number
of the university halls of residence.
Max Toynbee, University of Manchester
However, the motion drafted by the welfare officer didn’t oppose
privatisation. It implied that selling off ‘hard management’ (the
buildings) is acceptable as long as the ‘soft management’ (maintenance,
cleaning, security) is kept under university control. But this will mean
decisions will be made in the interests of companies’ profits, and not
students.
The Socialist Students’ amendment pointed out that rents from
privatised halls would go to private companies, rather than benefiting
the university and its students. Funding should be provided by
government and not by placing further burdens on students already
indebted by tuition fees and loans. We added a simple statement: ‘This
union believes that the university should not privatise any halls of
residence’.
Finally, we proposed that the union should launch a campaign of mass
action involving demonstrations and occupations, linking up with other
workers affected by privatisation.
The following day, the welfare officer phoned me, saying that if I
did not withdraw the Socialist Students’ amendment, she would withdraw
the entire motion from the meeting. She added that it would make the
union’s position untenable (meaning that it was unacceptable to the
university management) and that linking up with other workers affected
by privatisation would make the issue too broad for students.
This is rubbish! The workers affected by privatisation are the
receptionists, porters, cleaners and various other staff that work in
our halls of residence and uniting with them is vital in opposing the
university’s plans.
In the end the meeting was inquorate [insufficient numbers to take
any decisions] but the welfare officer is clearly out of touch with
students. On Socialist Students’ stalls, students have been very angry
about the university’s plans.
People don’t turn up to general meetings because they don’t see what
the union is and why they should get involved. Students’ unions are
increasingly seen as discount providers.
We need to reclaim the NUS nationally and locally, so that we can
transform them into combative bodies that fight for their members.
After the meeting some students met up to discuss how to take the
campaign forward and Socialist Students members will be ensuring this is
followed up through meetings in halls, involving students and workers on
the ground.
Building in Stoke-on-Trent
Socialist party members Mandy and Helen have launched a Socialist
Student Society at Stoke-on-Trent college, one of the largest FE
colleges in Britain.
Helen Blakeman, Stoke-on-Trent
This has generated interest from both students and lecturers and a
regular stall has been up and running successfully for several weeks.
Mandy stood for election as the Socialist Students’ candidate for the
Student Union executive. It meant a mad rush to get posters printed and
up but Mandy’s campaign emphasised important political issues, making
her the only candidate with a political manifesto. As a result she won a
seat on the Student Union (SU) executive and Student Council, showing
that political interest has definitely been generated through our stalls
and campaigning work.
The SU sponsored several students to go to Socialism 2005 and a
report will be included in the college student newsletter. Ties with the
students union are good and Mandy has already raised several issues,
including the lack of nutritious food in the canteen, financial issues,
which are important for many students, and the need for a common room
for mature students.
The SU have provided the use of a room, complete with television, DVD
and computers with internet access, and have supplied posters, leaflets
and flyers which should help us to build the Socialist Students Society.
One student has already joined the Socialist Party, following our
first ever meeting. The next meeting will show Michael Moore’s film
Fahrenheit 9/11 followed by a discussion on the war in Iraq.
Progress within the college has been very quick and positive overall
and the meetings and stalls we have planned should help to strengthen
support for Socialist Students.
