CHANTS of 'No Ifs, No Buts - Stop the Education Cuts!' quickly gave way to 'Hey you, Tory shits- give us back our benefits!' on L ast month's student demonstration in London.
Organised by London Area National Union of Students (NUS) around the issue of student poverty, the turnout ol around 2000 was disappointing for many student activists. This is a reflection of the widespread mood of despair and gloom pervading the student movements today.
12 years of Tory attacks have left hundreds of thousands of students deep in debt and can no longer claim income sup Preak or housing benefit whilst 1088888 Lecture theatres are filled to bursting point, library books are in short supply and staff are being stretched to their limit.
soup kitchens have been ser up by some student unions, and many colleges nave naa to pro vide sub-standard emergency 4000440-888UE the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux estimates that a person on income more a year than a student on support receives to £1000 full grant.
Those lucky enough to get grants often find their cheques don't arrive until half-way through the term. Some don't arrive until the end of term. attack. The model Tory council cut funding for two Further Educacollege unions by 40 per cent. They also instituted voluntary membership of the unions and banned affiliation to NUS.
Other unions are facing cuts in their budgets. despite the mushrooming workload of welfare cases that they are dealing What is the national union doing? Nothing. Realist leaderships of NUS, controlled by the National Organisation of Labour Students, has made plain its contempt for student militancy.
Instead of using its resources to turn the despondancy of the membership active, combative force to be reckoned with, NUS is planning a 70th burthday party!
The complacency is staggering. In a recent interview in the Guardian NUS President Steven Twigg even said that voluntary membership would not damage the union.
But local victories won by rent strikes, occupations and sitins show that action can win. An Kevin Blowe, the convenor of London Area NUS, argued ' students must go back to their colleges and build for a national demonstration for next term. Spot the criminal : Police riot at 1990 Poll Tax demo