I have just spent two days in London and, although I missed the rioutous student demo against tuition fees, I did stumble across some festive students yesterday outside Somerset House who were singing their protests with a parody on our favourite carols. It’s very mild compared to some of the scenes from today, though I feel students have every right to feel angry as
they face a future of considerable debt if they want a university education. Why doesn’t the government re-introduce entry charges charges for art galleries and museums, or reduce our contribution for overseas aid which David Cameron has refused to budge on?
He would do well to learn from Tony Blair’s mistakes which he admitted in an essay for The Economist in 2007 to mark his 10 years in office. He was criticised for his support of foreign policy above the needs of British people: “Foreign policy rarely wins votes, and can easily lose them. Yet nowadays the reality is increasingly that we are obliged as leaders to think, work and act internationally.”
Anyway, back to the Somerset House student who were from the Courtauld Institute of Art and King’s College, London. As I was recording them on my iPhone, a BBC World Service journalist came along and had the very same idea. This is their version of “The 12 Days of Cutmas” written by the King’s “occupation” students:
On the 1st day of Cutmas
the Con-Dems gave to me
a life of uncertainty
On the 2nd day of Cutmas
the Con-Dems gave to me
public sector cuts, and…
On the 3rd day of Cutmas
the Con-Dems gave to me
large deficits, and…
On the 4th day of Cutmas
the Con-Dems gave to me
more empty words, and…
On the 5th day of Cutmas
the Con-Dems gave to me
80% cuts, and…
On the 6th day of Cutmas
the Con-Dems gave to me
poor people paying, and…
On the 7th day of Cutmas
the Con-Dems gave to me
greedy bosses grinning, and…
On the 8th day of Cutmas
the Con-Dems gave to me
public sector cuts, and…
greedy bosses grinning (yes, again for some reason)…
On the 9th day of Cutmas
the Con-Dems gave to me
more wasted money, and…
On the 10th day of Cutmas
the Con-Dems gave to me
no EMA, and…
On the 11th day of Cutmas
the Con-Dems gave to me
tax dodgers dodging, and…
On the 12th day of Cutmas
the Con-Dems gave to me
social inequality…
You know my feelings on it.
Yes. I agree with all that about overseas aid and museum entry charges. But will still have too many people going to university.
The idea of this is more cynical I fear.
Keep young people off the employment figures for as long as possible. Make it so that it becomes mandatory to have a degree to get even the most modest office job. Force the young person – and their parents – to pay for it. In debt to the Government for years on end …
As an aside we have Kenneth Clark about to release criminals from prison and soften the law against knife crimes.
Students smashing the place up ?
Can you blame them ???
Kevin, I certainly don’t condone any violence at all, but I believe this rise is too big too soon, that it is too harsh and unfair on young people who want to pursue a higher education.
Tuition fees are not charged to those studying nursing because their course involves them having to work in a hospital which they do for free (in other words, they are being funded by the taxpayer). Will that still be the case, and why wasn’t more support and sponsorship from businesses sought along these lines?
Very good. I agree the government should be looking for other places to find this money. A gradual increase would not cause such an outcry and would be better understood I believe. Lastly, an educated populace is preferable to an ignorant one would you not agree. I put a child through an Ivy League American university, and the cost was incomprehensible. Only because she worked so hard (and is quite brilliant) was she able to secure grants and scholarship money for her graduate degrees.
I think it was absolutely dispicable behaviour .. In fact I would go far as to say DISGUSTING ..
I think it was absolutely dispicable behaviour .. In fact I would go far as to say DISGUSTING ..and to see that female swinging from the Union Jack at the Cenotaph … and Winston Churchill statue being urinated on …. these students don’t deserve a place at UNI .. they are down right disrespectful .. and a bloody disgrace…. !!
No they should not re-introduce charges to museums and galleries .. I like to think that some people who would like to see them that cannot afford to, will have the benefits too.. there are other people in this country and who visit this country apart from UNI students.
But I do agree about the overseas aid .. should be really reduced.
The government is not there for people with Mental Health issues either .. cannot get help, have to prove they are disabled , which they are .. and need help to get into society , and work .. think they deserve a bit more.
Sorry , I heard it was a female on the cenotaph .. no it was …Privately-educated Charlie Gilmour .. so much for Private education … this Charlie said this” “I did not realise that it was the Cenotaph and if I had, I certainly would not have done what I did” His dad .. David Gilmor from Pink Floyd must be devastated at his behaviour .. I know I would be.
The answer is simple really. Those courses that are of obvious benefit to the country should be subsidised. Let business fund the others if they want – my guess is that they won’t as there is no room for waste in the business sector.
Subjects such as chemistry, engineering, medicine, perhaps (and I hesitate) even law would be in. Anything with the word “science†in the name would be out, along with Golf Course Management and the many joke subjects loved by the red-tops.
If you could escape £50k of debt and get a better paid job and a chance of owning your own house by taking your talent and education abroad what would you do ?
“If the brief can get me a Section 5 I’ll pay the fine and be chuffed. Just get me the section 5. I don’t want to go back inside.”
He put the phone down and thereon followed the conversation between him and his mate. I was sat at the table on the train unable to move out inconspicuously. They were both clearly hardened criminals and bragged about their time inside and their dodgy dealings to get by. Steroids seems to be the drug of choice for maximising profit in the well appointed prison gym.
The grim tales of violence would fill you with horror so I won’t repeat them here. Perhaps, “Whenever a girlfriend disses me I don’t get her. I scar her family members so that she has to look at them over the Christmas table and is reminded of me.” might give you a flavour.
It was gut churning for me sitting among them being an ex copper and all that. Both were 36 – there was not one shred of contrition or remorse from either but one thing did come through clearly:
neither wanted to go back to prison. They were too long in the tooth and didn’t ever again want to breach their bail conditions and be recalled to custody.
One left and I got talking to the other. I did my best to make firm but friendly eye contact showing none of my fear (these guys were the real thing – fire and brimstone.)
“80% of prisoners are recalls and I’m fed up with it. I don’t ever want to go back. I’m too old to be doing this and I need to get to see my probation officer as I’m late.”
Prison IS working.
I would normally have helped someone making their connection (even a steroid bloated jailbird) but what he’d been saying made my flesh crawl and I wasn’t going to be his bitch. And as he was late I’m not entirely convinced that he’s learned his lesson.
Does Kenneth Clark really know what he’s doing ?
Why not give some of our youth gainful employment as prison officers and border guards ?
Cuts in these areas are like telling your mechanic to skip the brake replacement during your car service just to save a bit of money.
I thought these Kings type students are supposed to be clever , so how come they can make up such piffle as the ” alternative 12 days ”
Clearly they fail to understand what the financial situation the country is in ( have they stopped reading decent newspapers or listening to Radio 4 ?) Every one is going to be far worse off , possibly for the next decade , theres NO MONEY LEFT not for them not for all the rest of us too.
We used to send 10 per cent to unis now its 50 per cent , its a nonsense . The country cannot possibly have suddenly become so much more intelligent .And if the likes of you insist on keeping to this ridiculous target then be prepared for your kids to put hands in their own pockets and pay for it .
Labour spent all the money all plus didnt watch the rules they had put in place for banking and now we all pay.
As for the rioting morons , bring back the riot act , get out the water canons and send them all on a gap year ( or three or four) to a salt mine somewhere in deepest Siberia .
Thank goodness for the yes vote hopefully it will put off all the time wasting idiots we saw yesterday from applying in the future.
Lets get back to only educating those who will be of some use to us all.
Of course I don’t condone any of that shameful behaviour. But why is it that Scotland can provide free university tuition, and Welsh students can come and study in England without paying. Where is the logic and fairness in that? Can you blame students for being angry?