THE TORIES talk of extending access to higher education in one breath and reducing the grant by 30% in the next.
It may seem that grant cuts simply slam the door in the face of working class students, but with unemployment the only other option, low grants haven't slowed the demand for university places. Higher education has come to mean learning to live on less.
The Tories are happy to have more students in higher education with no cost increase - it keeps the unemployment figures down. The 30% cut means three years' full grant costs the government less than three years' income support and housing benefit!
But student protests might just put a spoke in the works -so the Tories are also busy attacking the NUS, stopping automatic membership and re• Minimum grant cut from £410 to £210 • Travel grant abolished 1985 • Minimum grant abolished 1986 • Benefits over the winter and spring break taken away 1990 • Students denied right to Housing Benefit and Income Support • Students Loans introduced • Student Grant levels frozen 1994 • Grant cut by 30% • Tuition fees starting at £200 a year proposed for 1995 stricting the right to protest with the new Criminal Justice Act.
And the current NUS leadership is there to help them.
While students everywhere have got angry, organised and marched against the attacks, the NUS National Executive refused to support the National Demonstration on February 23. Under pressure they agreed liberaiion! Di Sista intervi AIDS Age of Racism & Waro said, "There is no way we want to put students in danger, there have been meetings with the police to agree the route, and there will be organised stewarding of the march. NUS HQ are simply using the safety issue as a good excuse to stop students attending the march'.
NUS National Executive apathy and cowardice won't stop students marching against the grant cuts whenexer they have the opportunity. And it won't protect 'the safety and well-being of the student union' either.
We need a union that fights. We won't get that unless we continue to organise in defence of student interests and fight for an NUS leadership which is prepared to do the same.