Our education is under attack

The problems facing students are only going to get worse. New Labour started the cuts and the Con-Dem butchers, aided by the SNP government in Scotland, will carry it on with their vicious attacks on education.

In Scotland hundreds of millions of pounds will be cut from education funding from next April. But already thousands of young people are being denied the right to an education. There are huge cuts in England as well. This will slam the university door shut on the faces of school leavers and those wanting to carry on education after college.

This is happening at a time of record applications to university in Scotland due to the lack of jobs for young people. More than 42,000 applied to go to university in Scotland this year – a rise of almost 40%. As a result of cuts and record applications thousands are being turned away from university. Even colleges have record waiting lists for HND and similar courses. The waiting list for my college – the Glasgow Metropolitan – is 5,000 for full time courses.

With nowhere to go young people will either enter into jobs no better than slave labour or more likely onto the dole. Even if you are to get into higher education you have loans and debt to look forward to. Also with the prospect of the Scottish government introducing a possible graduate tax or a form of tuition fees, universities will be turned back into the sole preserve of the wealthy and privileged.

We refuse to accept this and we need to organise a fight back! We must organise our resistance to the attacks on our right to a decent education and show our anger and hatred for their plans.

Young people have always played a significant role in mass movements and this time is no different. Students and youth alongside the trade unions have a power that strikes fear into the fat cats who are making us pay for their mess while they rake in the profits.

Socialist Students and the Youth Fight For Jobs campaign are calling for a day of action on campuses across the country on the 20th October in response to the next wave of attacks announced that day by the Con-Dem government.

The National Union of Students (NUS) has finally called the 10th November as the date for their national demonstration.

We urge every student on every campus to get involved and contact Youth Fight For Jobs and Socialist Students. Stand up and show Cameron and his cronies that we have had enough and we will fight back.

This article is carried in the new issue of the Socialist – The paper of the Socialist Party Scotland.

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