Education Not for Sale NUS conference fringe meeting

NUS conference fringe meeting

Reclaim the campus! Fighting the rule of profit in education and society

6pm, Wednesday 2 April

From academies and business-dominated FE colleges to top-up fees and corporate-controlled research, the marketisation of Britain’s education system is in full swing. There is widespread opposition to this process, and many campuses have seen direct action against cuts and privatisation.

So far, however, we are yet to see the kind of explosive student struggles that have shaken countries including France and Greece, where radical students have linked up with the workers’ movement and taken mass action to win their demands. In part, this is because the NUS leadership has done everything it can to block and undermine such struggles. Their Governance Review is intended precisely to end the possibility of NUS becoming an effective weapon in this fight.

We believe that, to be truly effective, the fight against marketisation needs to be part of a fight against capitalism - for an education system and society that put human need before the demands of profit. Come and discuss how we can can make that happen, reclaiming our campuses and transforming our education system as part of the struggle to change the world.

Speakers: Aled Dilwyn Fisher (Young Greens and LSESU General Secretary-elect); Heather Shaw (Education Not for Sale); a representative of Sussex Not for Sale - mass campaign against the marketisation of Sussex University

Chair: Sofie Buckland (NUS NEC)

An appeal for left unity in NUS

To left groups including Student Respect/Socialist Worker Student Society, Socialist Students, and to unaffiliated activists on the student left in Britain,

We are writing to propose the creation of a united left electoral slate to challenge for the leadership of the National Union of Students at the 2008 NUS conference.

The domination of NUS and many student unions by Labour Students, “Organised Independents” and other right-wing groups has meant defeat after defeat for the student movement. Now, with its “Governance Review” rewriting the NUS constitution, the NUS leadership is seeking to move the national union even further away from a militant, campaigning policy by breaking up the few remaining democratic channels through which grassroots student activists can become involved in influencing the policy and direction of NUS.

The activist left faces being shut out of the official structures of the student movement, and the gains we have won over the years being destroyed. The situation is extraordinarily serious. Now more than ever, the left needs to unite so that it can challenge the leadership and present activists with a credible alternative.

We cannot and should not pretend that disagreements and differences within the left do not exist; but we can agree that they should be argued out within and as part of a framework of united action. For the NUS elections, we should, while maintaining and arguing for our own distinctive ideas, be able to develop a common programme around basic themes such as

* Defence and extension of NUS democracy.
* A campaigning NUS that mobilises its members in mass action around issues such as fees, grants, student housing, course cuts, rights at work and a living wage, as well as the funding, quality and content of education.
* A political NUS that champions the idea of people before profit, supports all struggles against exploitation and oppression, and actively
takes up the fight for ecological sustainability.
* An NUS which allies with the labour movement and looks to workers’ action to change society.

To refuse to even try to put together such a slate, and instead accept as inevitable different left groups standing candidates against each other, would mean letting sectarian hostility get in the way of organising the thousands of students campaigning on issues from free education to war, racism and sweatshop labour - activists for whom NUS should be a natural home, but is currently an irrelevance or worse.

The experience of 1998-2001, when, under the pressure of mass grassroots anti-fees activity, groups including SWSS and the Campaign for Free Education worked with unaffiliated left activists to organise united slates which won a number of positions and came close to winning National President, show that it is possible for us to work together and make real gains.

We are therefore proposing an open meeting to discuss the creation of a united slate - we suggest the afternoon of Sunday 9 December in London, but are open to discussion about date and venue. Please get back to us as soon as possible to let us know what you think.

Education Not for Sale
Sofie Buckland, NUS National Executive Committee and ENS candidate for NUS Women’s Officer
Aled Dilwyn Fisher - Young Greens membership officer and LSESU exec (pc)
Stephen Knight - Sheffield College SU President
Heather Shaw - Workers’ Liberty students
Dan Glass - climate change activist at Strathclyde University, former University of Sussex SU president (2006-7) and candidate for NUS VP-Education (2007)
Laura Schwartz - NUS Women’s Committee

To express interest or an opinion, or to add your name to this appeal, email volsunga@gmail.com

NUS LGBT Conference

25-27th April, Brittania Hotel, Nottingham.

More info here.

Everything you always wanted to know about revolutionary socialism… but were afraid to ask.

An introduction to Marxist ideas, hosted by the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty.

Saturday 19th April, 12-7pm @ University of East London, Docklands Campus (Cyprus DLR).

More info here.

Feminist Fightback reproductive rights teach-in

Saturday 12th April, 12-5pm, Clement House Building, London School of Economics, London WC2A (Holborn tube).

As feminists, we want every woman to have a real right to choose - whether to have, or not to have, a child. This event is aimed at feminists, trade unionists, students, school students and others. Come and learn more about the historical and current situation, develop campaigning skills, and get involved in a militant pro-choice campaign.

Sessions:
* How to campaign: practical workshop
* Imperialism and Motherhood - race, empire and reproductive freedoms
* Getting your message across: making the pro-choice case
* The current situation: NHS, law, state provision, internationally
* Planning for a national day of action

More info: rebecca.galbraith@yahoo.co.uk

Debate on University of Manchester SU elections

The recent elections at University of Manchester Students’ Union saw a major shift, with the Respect/SWP-led coalition losing most of its positions. Some of these were won by the right, others by non-Respect left-wingers. As part of encouraging a debate on the way forward for the student left, ENS is publishing a number of different views of what happened at Manchester Uni.
Read more

We Are Many – They Are Few: Manchester Uni Student Respect statement on the UMSU elections

Manchester students have experienced a whole number of victories this year, from fighting the University to building one of the biggest General Meetings of the decade. We have built a fighting Students’ Union that has a national reputation for radicalism, one that stands up against the University and one that campaigns against social injustice. Student Respect activists have been at the heart of all these struggles.
Read more

Where did Manchester’s Student Respect go wrong?

Vicky Thompson on how it feels to be called a “life of Brian pseudocommie” by a guy with more SWP badges than common sense.
Read more

Reproductive Freedoms Teach-in, LSE, 12 April

We will be discussing ideas and planning action for a woman’s right to choose on Saturday 12 April, 12-5pm at Clement House Building, London School of Economics, London, WC2A (Holborn tube).

Every woman should have a real right to choose, whether to have, or not to have, a child. This event is aimed at all pro-choice feminists, trade unionists, students, school students and others.

Sessions include:
- how to campaign
- making the pro-choice case effectively
- imperialism and motherhood
- the attacks we face
- planning for a national day of action.

The event is free and you can turn up on the day, but it’s helpful if you pre-register. To do so or for more information email rebecca.galbraith@yahoo.co.uk or ring 07971 719 797.

Second demonstration to save Southall Black Sisters

As reported here, Southall Black Sisters are being threatened with closure due to funding cuts by Ealing’s Tory council.

They are organising a second demonstration against these cuts outside Ealing Town Hall on Uxbridge Road, W5 (nearest tube Ealing Broadway) at 6pm on Tuesday 1 April - the day that the council are due to make their decision.

There is also a Facebook group.

Will NUS conference oppose war and support Iranian students?

On Sunday 16 March, delegates from universities and colleges across the country met for NUS conference “compositing”, the process by which the various motions and amendments submitted to the conference are quite literally chopped up and reconstructed in more manageable units. Among these was a motion from the National Executive Committee, proposed by ENS supporter Sofie Buckland, and a similar one from Sheffield College, proposed by ENS supporter Heather Shaw, which commit NUS to sharply oppose war and sanctions against Iran and organise practical solidarity with students, workers and others fighting to overthrow Iran’s theocratic government from below.

Unfortunately, the composited motion, which will be discussed as an amendment under the heading “Global solidarity” in the “Society & Citizenship” debate, will be opposed by some on the left, with a formal speech being requested by Plymouth University.
Read more

Near-win for left at NUS Women’s Conference

By Laura Schwartz, NUS Women’s Committee

The success of Education Not for Sale ENS Women at this year’s NUS Women’s Conference (13-15 March) in passing radical left-wing policy and mobilising a significant number of conference delegates around socialist feminist politics, is testimony to the hard work of our activists both within NUS and outside it with Feminist Fightback over the last two and a half years.

So is the result of the election held at the conference for NUS National Women’s Officer.
Read more

Save NUS democracy - for a democratic, campaigning NUS! Vote Heather Shaw for National Secretary

Dear student activist,

I’m writing to ask for your support in the upcoming election for NUS National Secretary.
Read more

Petition to defend Southall Black Sisters

As we reported here, South Black Sisters are under threat of closure due to funding cuts by Ealing Council.

For a petition to defend the comrades, see here

WOZA members beaten by Mugabe’s police on International Women’s Day

A report from the comrades of Women of Zimbabwe Arise!

Over 1,000 members of WOZA and MOZA marched through the streets of Bulawayo today to commemorate International Women’s Day. The peaceful protesters, who were carrying balloons, were met by riot police after four blocks and viciously beaten. Over 50 members received medical attention for injuries caused by the assault.
Read more

Action to defend Mehdi Kazemi, March 22

On Saturday March 22 at 2pm, Middle East Workers’ Solidarity will be staging a protest opposite Downing Street in defence of Mehdi Kazemi, a gay Iranian asylum seeker who the British government plans to send back to Iran on the grounds that if gay Iranians are “discreet about their sexuality”, they will not get in trouble.
Read more

UCL students ban military recruiters; right wing tries to ban SU general secretary… Defend Sam Godwin!

On 5 March, a 300-plus strong general meeting of UCL Union passed a motion proposed by socialist activist Sham Rajyaguru, president of UCL’s Stop the War Society, to ban the Officer Training Corps, University Royal Navy Units, University of London Air Squadron and all other military organisations from freshers’ events and other union-sponsored events, union premises, and student-run media. Now the right of the union has responded by suspending left-wing General Secretary Sam Godwin.
Read more

One arrested as Cardiff protesters take on anti-choice bigots

Thanks to Permanent Revolution for this report…

There was no sign of Ann Widdecombe in Cardiff last night as the protest against her “Passion For Life” (sic) anti-abortion roadshow exceeded all expectations (for video see here).
Read more

Sussex Uni mutinies over “reforms”

From Sussex Not for Sale, released Thursday 6 March 2007.

Sussex University could see the biggest protest in its history tomorrow [Friday 7 March 2007] as students and academics rally against the influence of market forces in the university.
Read more

Defend Southall Black Sisters!

By Rebecca Galbraith

Ealing Council, in the name of value for money, streamlining of services and community cohesion, has shamefully voted through a report which threatens to close down Southall Blacks Sisters.
Read more

Trade Union and Community conference against Immigration Controls

SOAS, Central London. For more info, click here.

Stop the War national demo

Central London.

London socialist-feminist reading group

“The family: can we do without it?” For more info email cathyn56@hotmail.com

NUS Women’s Conference

Tuesday 11 - Thursday 13 March, Coventry. For more information click here.

Feminist Activist Forum

Including workshops from ENS Women and Feminist Fightback. For more info, email laura_schwartz2003@yahoo.co.uk

Feminist Fightback event on women and migrants’ rights

For more info, email laura_schwartz2003@yahoo.co.uk

Reclaim the Night march

Women congregate 6pm, Sackville Street, Manchester; men’s march starts at same place; mixed rally at 7.30pm, University of Manchester Students’ Union. Banner making at UMSU all day

Unite Against Fascism conference

TUC Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1

Million Women Rise march

In Central London, as part of International Women’s Day. Assemble Hyde Park, 12pm