Charges 'worsen class division in education'

by BD Thu Aug 08, 2002 11:40

While it might take some work the best thing to do in the face of this attack on working class people is to boycott the fees, a grassroots organisation of students working on the ground with other students securing the idea of boycotting the new fees, just paying the old fees and refuse to take the new ones, act as though nothing has changed, mass demonstration no middle class kids on there own with fancy banners and petitions, we want action, direct action, refusal, demands and occupation of campuses, fight back!

by corduroy boy Thu Aug 08, 2002 11:42

This decision by the government must not be taken lying down. It's time the powers that be in student politics woke up from their slumber and took some direct action. For too long representatives like the Union of Students of Ireland have sat on the sidelines and waxed lyrical about grants etc., without doing anything about it. If they fail to mobilise students on this issue, then i suggest, respectfully, that the USI should be disowned by the student body and a new Union be born that WILL represent the interests of students, in a constructive manner. The fact that the decision was made during the summer break does, i acknowledge, make their job harder, but this cynical ploy by the minister makes it all the more important that students fight back. I suggest that the USI endorses a policy of non-payment of fees by all students, or if this seems too extreme, then perhaps a payment of the fee with only the 7% asked for by the higher education authority. I do, however prefer the first option, as a 7% for the HEA is simply not going to be met with a corresponding increase in grants, or makes no reference to the inflated increases in rents in the last 3 years. We must take action NOW!!!

by SF hater Thu Aug 08, 2002 13:32

SF can hardly honestly oppose these increases. SF preside over cut backs in health and education in the North and they would do the same if they had the chance in the South.

SF do not want to mobilise students against this increase. Their philosophy is "leave it to me I'll sort it out for you".

SF should be rejected by students and should not be allowed any role in the students' action agains this fee increase.

by OK Thu Aug 08, 2002 13:36

I think that non payment is premature because there is a lack of counciousness among students. The fact is that student radicalism is nearly dead. Students are no longer as willing to struggle as they were in the past.

If non-payment, or partial payment campaign was to be launched it would leave a number of students marginalised. Remember a large number of student don't have to pay it because their local authority pays it for them, and a large number of students are rich enough to have it paid for them by their parents.

In the Colleges and Universities we need the ideas of struggle and solidarity to be brought back before we can launch any non-payment campaign. There is also a great need to reclaim the student unions from the careerists that run them now

by Paul Muprhy - Socialist Youth Thu Aug 08, 2002 15:31 syucd at hotmail dot com

The most important thing now is for students to build the campaign in opposition to this fee increase, and to all fees. The Campaign for Free Education is a broad campaign initiated by lots of different students. We were founded two weeks ago, and the minutes were put on Indymedia on an old posting, I can email them to you if you want.

I agree that mass non-payment is not feasible at the moment because of the low level of student consciousness and militancy, and would only result in the isolation and victimisation of a number of students. Instead, I think we have to try to build a mass campaign throughout the year. This means starting now and raising consciousness through protests and activities. It also means getting a real active organisation now, which is willing to work within the official bodies like the local SUs and USI where it can, but prepared to go outside of these bodies, if that is the best way of mobilising students.

The campaign should then aim to have a mass national demonstration in Dublin shortly after the commencement of college, and then I think students should go back to their own areas, engage in local protests and escalalate. If the mood could be built a campaign of real occupations, not of sitting in an office for a while, but going into college buildings, occupying with lots of students, and continually extending the occupation with more and more student support, that could play a key role. This would mean staying in for the long haul and would entail students running a section of the college themselves, with teach-ins etc. A successful occupation, or a number of successful occupations of that sort across the country would force the government to either back down or crack down on students with disastrous political consequences. But they can only be attempted on the basis of mass student support and a willingness to struggle of ordinary students.

The Campaign for Free Education wants to lay down roots across the country, to build an effective campaigning organisation for students. We're having another organising meeting this Saturday at 3pm in Conway's Pub on Parnell Street, all students are welcome, and if you're interested in building a real oppositon to this fee increase you should come along.

You can subscribe to the CFE email discussion list (where much of the debate about tacticts (mass non-payment etc.) has already taken place) by sending a blank email to campaignforfreeeducation-subscribe@groups.yahoo.com.

Hope to see lots of you there on Saturday!

by GS Thu Aug 08, 2002 15:32

But our contempt for the student is based on quite different reasons. He is contemptible not only for his actual poverty, but also for his complacency regarding every kind of poverty, his unhealthy propensity to wallow in his own alienation in the hope, amid the general lack of interest, of arousing interest in his particular lacks. The requirements of modern capitalism determine that most students will become mere low-level functionaries, serving functions comparable to those of skilled workers in the nineteenth century.(3) Faced with the prospect of such a dismal and mediocre “reward” for his shameful corrent poverty, the student prefers to take refuge in an unreally lived present, which he decorates with an illusory glamor.
The student is a stoical slave: the more chains authority binds him with, the freer he thinks he is. Like his new family, the university, he sees himself as the most “independent” social being, whereas he is in fact directly subjected to the two most powerful systems of social authority: the family and the state. As their well-behaved, grateful and submissive child, he shares and embodies all the values and mystifications of the system. The illusions that formerly had to be imposed on white-collar workers are now willingly internalized and transmitted by the mass of future petty functionaries.

by Sam Thu Aug 08, 2002 17:34

SF have a cheak in trying to pose themselves as opponents to this fee increase. As was pointed out by another posting SF have lead viscious cutbacks in the north where they are in government. If they were in governemnt in the south they would have no difficulty whatsoever in increasing fees and attacking the living standards of ordinary working people.

Sinn Féin are in many colleges the largest political organisations, but where are they now? Are they organising against this fee increase? No, they are not. Just like outside of colleges SF are completly inactive on the ground. All talk no action. The people fighting this fee increase come from the left Socialist Party, SWP, Socialist Alternative and independents. Don't be conned by SF they have nothing to offer but sectarianism and cut backs.

by Mc Lenner Fri Aug 09, 2002 01:30

And sam shut your propoganda pie-hole ok jerk.
this has nothing to do with SF you loyalist dirt bag.
this fee increase is one front of the war we must fight against total corporatization of all aspects of our lifes whitch is = to slavery.
propogandists like sam will try anything to disrupt our making a effective organized opposition to his masters goals.
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!!!!!!!!! WE CAN NOT ALLOW THIS !!!!!!
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ORGANIZE WITHYOUR FIENDS WE MUST PLAN A ACTION DIRECTED AGAINST THIS FEE INCREASE BECOUSE IT WILL LEAD TO ASITUATITION WHERE ONLY THE CHOSEN FEW WILL BE ALLOWED A EDUCATION AND THOSE FEW WILL BE THE CORPORATE FASCISTS SUPPORTERS THE REST OF US WILL BECOME THERE SLAVES
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by SF hater Fri Aug 09, 2002 15:42

McLenner you expose your simplistic Shinner analysis. You call Sam a 'Loyalist dirtbag' when he criticises S.F.

If you read what he wrote he is criticising Shinners from the left. But I forgot S.F. do not see things on a left-right divide, or a worker-capitalist divide. All you care about is the National question and all your enemies must be 'Loyalist dirtbags'.

by killer of SFkiller Fri Aug 09, 2002 16:00

And a stupid dirt bag at that

by SF hater Fri Aug 09, 2002 16:54

I thin the last posting exposes the IQ level of most Shinners.

SF build among the Lumpen Prolitariet and it shows.

by strike the last comment it was inappropriate Fri Aug 09, 2002 16:56

strike the last comment it was inappropriate
sorry

by seeker Fri Aug 09, 2002 17:12

how did SF get sofar of track and what could be done to change the SF direction?

by Paul Murphy - Socialist Youth Fri Aug 09, 2002 17:57 syucd at hotmail dot com

I don't like to post things twice, but I think there's a danger here that something important might get lost in all the fighting!
If you are opposed to this charge, whatever your political beliefts come to the organising meeting tomorrow for the Campaign for Free Education at 3 pm in Conway's on Parnell Street.