Student protest?

[minkymoo]

Bit OT but the poll tax riots were in no way shape or form 'almost' violent!!!

 

[Miss Wright]

Students were already paying £3000 per year for their higher education so certainly not 'getting something for nothing' and IMO a leap from £3000 to £9000 is massively excessive. Fear of debt was already a major factor in discouraging people from low income backgrounds who had the ability to go to university. Why should higher education be only for the privileged? How will there be any opportunity for social mobilty?
RE the violence, I'd hazard a guess that there are people who are happy to jump on the bandwagon and riot whatever the cause so it's definitely not fair to stereotype all students. Everytime I've seen footage on the news it shows police battering civilians not the other way round!

 

[cherryglitter]

Just a random question.
How many people's parents subbed their tuition fee costs?

I had to get all the student loans I could get to go to uni and I took on all the debt myself. I attended for a year and then left (home issues!) and never went back. Now have 5k debt and nothing to show for it. Im not earning enough to pay it back yet but I understand the repayments are really not excessive and only reflect in your current wage... or has this all changed/will change?

 

[MrsGlitz]

You still won't start paying it back until you earn £21k+ a year and it gets written off after 30 years does it?

 

[fantastica]

30 years is a long time to be in debt for, how are people suppsed to do anything with their life...buy a house etc.? (all things which this government want)

 

[Miss Wright]

My problem is the amount of people who just won't bother going because the idea of £40000 of debt is too scary. Those people might have wanted desperately to go and study to be a nurse/ teacher (not all students spend the whole time getting wasted)

 

[TennisGal]

Most of the people at the riots are not students - they are general anarchists taking advantage of a situation, and behaving in an abhorrent fashion.

As for it putting off 'wasters' from attending - I don't believe that for a second. It will may stop poor 'wasters', but are we honestly saying anyone with wealth isn't a waster?! Well, I've seen a few! All it will do is effectively stop anyone from a poor background - and a darn good brain - from having this chance. It's a disgusting way to 'encourage' higher education.

I've even been in touch with my old alma mater (and I went a long time ago, hehe) to voice my disapproval. It was too much of a bastion for the privileged back then, and was getting better...how on earth can it progress now!?

As for Labour encouraging every Tom, Dick and Harry to go to Uni and study the art of watching Corrie or whatever...yes, they did encourage Uni attendance...but the Conservative Gvt started this when M Thatcher decide to turn every Polytechnic into a University.

I feel bad for students - people are dissing them - but how else do the next generation of doctors, dentists, vets, politicians, engineers, translators, teachers etc etc come into being!?

 

[louandivy]

Great post tennisgal

 

[BlackBerry25]

I think soon University education will be avaliable online for a fraction of the cost, if not free, for the whole planet.

https://www.khanacademy.org/

So I am not too worried for Helena. I think the way we "do" school right now is outdated and it will all be changed by the time my daughter is at post secondary level.

 

[rubixcyoob.]

Just throwing this out there, people have said "arts" and "humanities" subjects are not needed nor go towards a job.

My university departments are being refurbished. Our 'School of Arts and Humanities', now consits of those typical subjects as well as Film, Media and Journalism; Law; Religion; Philosophy; History and other such subjects.
Don't simply lump everything together.

 

[smokey]

What shames me most is this generation of people that caused all this trouble weither they where students or not are the future of this country.
Scares the hell out of me that this is the type of leaders, dr's, teachers and workers and voters our country and future has to look forward to.

 

[marley2580]

Oh please, students have always protested - violently at times - Vietnam, south africa, etc and they have grown up to be the leaders of the present. We need people with passion and commitment to be the leaders, not the people that always toe the line. JMO

 

[Eala]

Whilst I totally disagree with the violence, I think apathy is a far bigger problem The violence seems to have been caused by a minority who may not even have been supporting the theme of the protest, they just wanted a chance to cause trouble.

The University I was at 10 years ago was one which, in the 70s and 80s was known for its strong student opinions - Jack McConnell was the student Union president there for a time! When I was there, they couldn't even get enough students to go to the AGM in order for it to be able to vote on anything Yet students were quick to complain that the Union didn't do anything for them!

I'm not entirely sure where I stand on the whole fees issue, so not going to comment on that. But I don't think there is anything wrong with people standing up and making their voices heard. Just a shame there is always a group of people who will do their best to ruin things.

 

[EternalRose]

The loan doesnt go on your credit file, so you would still be eligible for a mortgage..

Just clearing that up as someone on this thread queried how students will buy a house once they graduate e.t.c

I disagree with the rioting, but it was hardly going to be a peaceful protest.

I, on the other hand am not too bothered about the increase, dare I be contraversial! Im sure the 9000 fees are only for Oxford and Cambridge. All other unis are up to 6000.

You dont pay anything back till your earning over £21k and even then it wont be a huge amount. If students want to take other loans on top, then unfortunately you have to pay it back thats life.....

You go to uni, and see plenty of students dressed up in designer clothes with fancy cars.There was a time, when students lived to their means to ensure they left uni with minimal debt? But now students want it all, no one wants to wait for anything. My fiance went and had a look at the student accomodation at his university. They do luxury accomodation, that look like penthouses with Plasma Screen TV's in the rooms. £900 a month!! Hello! They have got to be frickin kiddin me?!!!!

I think a lot of students are wasting their bloody time at uni. They dont really want to be there, picked a course they *liked* with no sight into the future, or simply went to a uni to please parents. I think this will deter students from going to university for the sake of getting a degree, then getting a job at tescos afterwards. You dont need a degree for tescos, you dont need a degree for call cantre work!!

HOWEVER, how they can determine what is a useful degree is as opposed to a non-useful degree I dont know. Its all subjective.

 

[KrisKitten]

What shames me most is this generation of people that caused all this trouble weither they where students or not are the future of this country.
Scares the hell out of me that this is the type of leaders, dr's, teachers and workers and voters our country and future has to look forward to.

Um this is true for pretty much every generation...
Hippies in the 60s/70s?
Generally accepted as being unheigenic, STD carrying, diseased, loose moralled, lacking ambition low lifes by the older generation at the time.
The 80's gave birth to the first use of Anarchy and Punk in pop culture. Songs like 'smash it up' by the damned and Anarchy in the UK by the sex pistols are pretty mild versions of some of the pop culture of the time.

Its unfair to accuse this generation of being worse than others. Teens in any decade have been rowdy and confrontational. Just the way it is xxx

 

[smokey]

Oh please, students have always protested - violently at times - Vietnam, south africa, etc and they have grown up to be the leaders of the present. We need people with passion and commitment to be the leaders, not the people that always toe the line. JMO

Sorry but id rather be a person or have a child that toed the line then one that climbed a war memorial to pull the flags down, vandalised monuments, threw fire bombs at others, set things on fire, smashed up property and just generaly caused carnage, mayhem, damage, and injuries.

I honestly think as many people as posible should be named and shamed, and if any students are identified they should be kicked of their courses and have it on permenant record for all future employers to see

 

[kiwimama]

Oh please, students have always protested - violently at times - Vietnam, south africa, etc and they have grown up to be the leaders of the present. We need people with passion and commitment to be the leaders, not the people that always toe the line. JMO

Sorry but id rather be a person or have a child that toed the line then one that climbed a war memorial to pull the flags down, vandalised monuments, threw fire bombs at others, set things on fire, smashed up property and just generaly caused carnage, mayhem, damage, and injuries.

I honestly think as many people as posible should be named and shamed, and if any students are identified they should be kicked of their courses and have it on permenant record for all future employers to see

What good is that going to do? They'll just end up living off benefits the rest of their life because they can't get a degree and won't be able to get a decent job.

 

[smokey]

Not having a decent job (and by this im refering the the carrer they are studying towards) does not mean living off benafits.
Millions of people in life get by perfectly well living on normal adverage hard working jobs.
My parents never had carrers as such and never had degrees but they worked hard at the jobs that had, everyday jobs such as cleaning, security, driving and we lived very comfertably.
My mum worked hard at her cleaning job and now owns her own company.
I had always done random jobs rather then carers and we live rather comfertably.
Criminal records are currently made available upon request to potential employers and its then up to the employer if they want to take a chance on them., you also have to state if you have a criminal record and why.
If it ruins their chanced of getting into the job they wanted to study for then they shouldnt have broken the law or caused violance and damage in the first place.

Obviously I am refering the the ones that did cause mayhem here not the ones who chose to hold a peacfull legitimet protest.

And lets face it the magority of the people that did cause the problems in the first place didnt even attend college or university and where unlikely to contribute to society much anyway and most likely either had or at some point will have a criminal record anyway.

 

[minkymoo]

What good is that going to do? They'll just end up living off benefits the rest of their life because they can't get a degree and won't be able to get a decent job.

Erm, how presumptuous is that comment??!!!

I have a decent job (and have had many over the years) and have only just got a degree at 37 (whilst working full time may I add). My OH does not have a degree and has been a top level exec for 15 years (since he was 25). We spent the years we would have spent at Uni getting some experience and working our way up. You just have to have a bit of nouse. A degree does not guarantee a decent job (prime example here) especially in certain arenas where there simply are not enough jobs to go around, nor does holding a degree reflect intelligence IMO.....

These whinging students should try getting a part time job to help pay their fees, like a lot do, and certainly did in my generation.

 

[KrisKitten]

What good is that going to do? They'll just end up living off benefits the rest of their life because they can't get a degree and won't be able to get a decent job.

Erm, how presumptuous is that comment??!!!

I have a decent job (and have had many over the years) and have only just got a degree at 37 (whilst working full time may I add). My OH does not have a degree and has been a top level exec for 15 years (since he was 25). We spent the years we would have spent at Uni getting some experience and working our way up. You just have to have a bit of nouse. A degree does not guarantee a decent job (prime example here) especially in certain arenas where there simply are not enough jobs to go around, nor does holding a degree reflect intelligence IMO.....

These whinging students should try getting a part time job to help pay their fees, like a lot do, and certainly did in my generation.

How presumptuous is that comment?
To assume every students that is upset at the tuition fees is an unemployed layabout?
Most students i know do have a part time job.

ETA:
in fact i dont know any unemployed students accept for 3 people who were all sacked due to cutbacks in the company down to the recession.