Following the success of the over 300-strong Teach-In last month, events have accelerated.
Ballots for strike action are underway or imminent at King’s, UCL and Westminster, along with London FE institutions. Student sit-ins have taken place in Essex, Sussex, UCL and Westminster. Now Sussex UCU are set for strike action following an unprecedented 80% turn out in their ballot, with an overwhelming majority for action, and the break-up of a student occupation by riot police.
There is clearly a need to coordinate action and to share lessons from our collective fight against education cuts, and to build solidarity with the suspended students and victimized lecturers in Sussex. We are calling on activists from London and across the south-east to come together next Tuesday at 6.30pm at King’s (room details to follow):
Organising the resistance: the fight to defend education
Speakers from Sussex, King’s, UCL, Westminster.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
6:30pm
Room tbc
Strand Campus, King's College London
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
TAKE BACK EDUCATION - REPORT FROM TEACH-IN
This Saturday over 300 students and university workers came to King’s College London to unite and fight against the cuts in higher and further education, at a mass teach-in hosted by the London Education Activist Network. Participants included lecturers who have defeated cuts through industrial action in Tower Hamlets College and Leeds University, and students who have been campaigning to defend their education in universities from Sussex to Strathclyde.
After a day of lively workshops, the electric final session included a report from Nikos Lountos, an Athens student who reported from the general strikes in Greece. Popular left-wing academic Terry Eagleton warned that the economic crisis was being used as a pretext to radically restructure universities. And perhaps the warmest response was given to Lesley McGorrigan from Leeds UCU, who explained how an active and political union branch could unite its members and defeat the resolve of management.
The teach-in was a success, but it was only the beginning. Delegates agreed on a plan of action (below), including regional teach-ins to replicate the experience of the day on our campuses, a regular bulletin to coordinate actions and campaigns on a national level, and a pledge to build resistance and solidarity in defence of jobs and education.
After a day of lively workshops, the electric final session included a report from Nikos Lountos, an Athens student who reported from the general strikes in Greece. Popular left-wing academic Terry Eagleton warned that the economic crisis was being used as a pretext to radically restructure universities. And perhaps the warmest response was given to Lesley McGorrigan from Leeds UCU, who explained how an active and political union branch could unite its members and defeat the resolve of management.
The teach-in was a success, but it was only the beginning. Delegates agreed on a plan of action (below), including regional teach-ins to replicate the experience of the day on our campuses, a regular bulletin to coordinate actions and campaigns on a national level, and a pledge to build resistance and solidarity in defence of jobs and education.
PLAN OF ACTION
Education is under attack. Up to a third of university funding – £2.5bn – is to be cut, 30 universities could shut down and over 14,000 lecturers may lose their jobs. Big businesses exert more and more control over the university system. Cuts in student places and higher fees could exclude many people from higher education altogether.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Education workers are winning through strike action. Student protests are taking off across Europe, with universities occupied to stop neoliberal reforms – and to take control of campus for another kind of education. From this conference we resolve build on this resistance, and:
1. To support, build and encourage action against education cuts through demonstrations, student occupations and industrial action. To build solidarity with these struggles through inviting strikers, occupiers and others to speak at our college/union/campaign meetings; organising petitions, collections, and solidarity demonstrations and occupations.
2. To organise regional teach-ins on the Take Back Education model. To launch regional education action networks from these that can help develop local networks of resistance and spread the kind of action that can win.
3. To organise a national coordination from here to help coordinate and spread our resistance nationally. This coordination should produce and distribute without delay a national bulletin carrying reports and announcements from this teach-in and the developing local struggles. It will help to spread the resistance when people move into action.
4. To mobilise for and support the London wide demonstration called by London region UCU to defend education on March 20th and other initiatives such as the no cuts at Westminster demonstration on Monday 1st, the Leeds UCU demo Thursday 4th march, and No Cuts @ Kings protest on sat 13th march.
5. To recognise the cuts in education as part of a broader attack on the public sector, and the need for solidarity across the sector. To support and mobilise for the national demonstration against public sector cuts on the 10th April.
6. To organise through our respective trade unions, students unions, local anti-cuts groups, campaigns and organisations support for a national demonstration to defend education in the autumn.
BREAKING NEWS - STUDENT OCCUPATION AT WESTMINSTER UNI
Over 200 staff and students at the University of Westminster have protested, stormed the board of governors meeting and are currently in occupation, vice-chancellors office, in regard to recently proposed tutoring and administrative job cuts.
For more details, see their blog.
FIRST EDUCATION ACTION BULLETIN UNDER PRODUCTION
We aim to produce the first of the bulletins in time for the rallies at Leeds and UEA this week. If you would like to subit any reports, announcements or photos please reply to this address. Articles will also appear at https://www.educationactivistnetwork.wordpress.com/
Monday, March 1, 2010
STUDENTS CURRENTLY IN OCCUPATION
- - - PRESS RELEASE FROM OCCUPYING STUDENTS - - -
Over 200 staff and students at the University of Westminster have protested, stormed the board of governors meeting and are currently in occupation, vice-chancellors office, in regard to recently proposed tutoring and administrative job cuts.
Management are planning to slash 285 jobs by April and this follows the closures of the ceramics department and the nursery. Recently, over 150 staff and students placed a unanimous vote of no confidence in the vice-chancellor and his management at a rally addressing Westminster's severe proposed job cuts, on February, 17.
The vice-chancellor has openly declared that job cuts are the initiative of the governors, not his. Well, demonstrators asked him for themselves, after storming past security and into the governor’s meeting. They were greeted by a board of governors who were ‘quaking in their boots;’ shortly after students persuaded Geoffrey Petts, the VC, to stick around and answer some questions which he hesitated to on the first instance but then proceed to do with a full bureaucratic and dismissive tone.
Our demands to the vice-chancellor are:
A) Issue a statement on the avoidance of redundancies
B) Make freely available to the unions in the university appropriate financial documents
C) Produce alternative, sustainable plans for addressing the financial gap over the next several years.
Join us, over 40 students are currently occupying at Regents Campus, V-C's office!
Demonstrate Tomorrow (TUES)
SUPPORT THE WESTMINSTER UNI OCCUPATION!
12NOON
309 REGENT STREET, nr Oxford Circus Tube
http://fightcutsatuow.blogspot.com/
Over 200 staff and students at the University of Westminster have protested, stormed the board of governors meeting and are currently in occupation, vice-chancellors office, in regard to recently proposed tutoring and administrative job cuts.
Management are planning to slash 285 jobs by April and this follows the closures of the ceramics department and the nursery. Recently, over 150 staff and students placed a unanimous vote of no confidence in the vice-chancellor and his management at a rally addressing Westminster's severe proposed job cuts, on February, 17.
The vice-chancellor has openly declared that job cuts are the initiative of the governors, not his. Well, demonstrators asked him for themselves, after storming past security and into the governor’s meeting. They were greeted by a board of governors who were ‘quaking in their boots;’ shortly after students persuaded Geoffrey Petts, the VC, to stick around and answer some questions which he hesitated to on the first instance but then proceed to do with a full bureaucratic and dismissive tone.
Our demands to the vice-chancellor are:
A) Issue a statement on the avoidance of redundancies
B) Make freely available to the unions in the university appropriate financial documents
C) Produce alternative, sustainable plans for addressing the financial gap over the next several years.
Join us, over 40 students are currently occupying at Regents Campus, V-C's office!
Demonstrate Tomorrow (TUES)
SUPPORT THE WESTMINSTER UNI OCCUPATION!
12NOON
309 REGENT STREET, nr Oxford Circus Tube
Friday, February 26, 2010
TEACH - IN TOMORROW - Over 370 people are booked up for the event already!
Take Back Education Teach In: Saturday 27th Feb, 11-4pm, Kings College, (Registration from 10.15am)
Please see below for a provisional timetable. Over 370 people are booked up for the event already. If you haven't yet booked up do so now and please bring as many friends and colleagues as possible - We don't want anyone to miss out!
The venue is:
Strand Building
King's College London
London WC2
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/about/campuses/strand.html
There will be further directions when you arrive.
11am-12.30 Opening Plenary
The crisis in our universities and the battle for education
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Juan C Piedra Justice for Cleaners
Jim Wolfreys President KCL UCU
Sarah Young Sussex Uni occupation
Michal Rosen poet and education campaigner
12.30-1.30pm lunch
1.30-3pm workshops
1. The corporate takeover of our universities (RM: Lucas Theatre)
Stathis Kouvalakis lecturer and radical theorist
Alex Callinicos lecturer and author Universities in a neoliberal world
2. Reclaiming our student unions (RM: S-1.06)
James Haywood NUS NEC
Daff Addley LGBT NUS
3. Education for liberation –what should our education look like? (RM: S-1.27)
Patrick Ainley author 'Education Make You Fick, Innit?’
Gargi Bhattacharyya professor of sociology and author
4. 1968 – what can we learn from the fire last time? (RM S.2.23)
Mike Gonzalez 1968er and author
5. Education for all – challenging Islamophobia, racism and points based immigration (RM K2.40)
Assed Baig Staffs SU President
Arun Kundnani Institute of Race Relations (invited)
3-4pm Final Plenary
The tasks ahead – taking back our education
Terry Eagleton
Lesley McGorrigan Officer Leeds Uni UCU
Nikos Lountos Panteion University, Athens
Alison Lord Tower Hamlets UCU
Student from No Cuts @ Kings
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
ADDITIONAL SPEAKER - Eyewitness from general strikes in GREECE!
2 DAYS 'TIL TEACH-IN!
New additional speaker Nikos Loudos will be giving an eye witness report from the general strikes and occupations against the effects of the crisis and the cut backs in GREECE.
Plus a striking lecturer from Leeds, a Sussex student occupier, Terry Eagleton, Michael Rosen, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Alex Callinicos, Juan Carlos Piedra Justice for Clearners, Gargi Battacharyia UCU, Assed Baig Staffs SU President, Stathis Kouvelakis, Daff Adley NUS LGBT amongst others.
Workshops include the crisis and the battle for education, challenging racism and Islamophobia; the corporate take over of education, what should our education look like?, reclaiming our unions, 1968 – what can we learn from the fire last time?, the tasks ahead – taking back our education.
As strikes spread across Europe…come to the “Take Back Education” teach-in this Saturday to organise and strengthen the resistance and to roll back the government’s attacks.
Management at Leeds University have been put on the backfoot by lecturers' strike threats; other colleges and universities are now starting the process of balloting to strike; the teach-in will be an important step in building the resistance to the massive attacks in education.
Register now! Invite others! Forward this message far and wide!
New additional speaker Nikos Loudos will be giving an eye witness report from the general strikes and occupations against the effects of the crisis and the cut backs in GREECE.
Plus a striking lecturer from Leeds, a Sussex student occupier, Terry Eagleton, Michael Rosen, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Alex Callinicos, Juan Carlos Piedra Justice for Clearners, Gargi Battacharyia UCU, Assed Baig Staffs SU President, Stathis Kouvelakis, Daff Adley NUS LGBT amongst others.
Workshops include the crisis and the battle for education, challenging racism and Islamophobia; the corporate take over of education, what should our education look like?, reclaiming our unions, 1968 – what can we learn from the fire last time?, the tasks ahead – taking back our education.
As strikes spread across Europe…come to the “Take Back Education” teach-in this Saturday to organise and strengthen the resistance and to roll back the government’s attacks.
Management at Leeds University have been put on the backfoot by lecturers' strike threats; other colleges and universities are now starting the process of balloting to strike; the teach-in will be an important step in building the resistance to the massive attacks in education.
Register now! Invite others! Forward this message far and wide!
Take Back Education - 3 days left 'til the teach-in
There is an unprecedented attack on tertiary education with cuts estimated as high as £2.5bn - or 1/3 of total HE funding. Upwards of 14,000 jobs could be in the firing line and many institutions could close altogether. We need a united campaign, not just to save jobs but also to defend education.
3 days left 'til the teach-in – share this message with everyone you know:
TAKE BACK EDUCATION: A TEACH-IN TO BUILD THE RESISTANCE:
THIS SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY 11AM-4PM, KINGS COLLEGE LONDON
Tickets available at http://educationactionlondon.blogspot.com/
(£6 waged, £3 unwaged)
The No Cuts @ King's campaign and King's UCU are hosting a mass teach-in this Saturday. The event is aimed at both students and education workers from across the country and will be full of alternative lectures and tutorials. Hundreds are signed up already; make sure you're there too!
Sessions include:
• The crisis in our universities and the battle for education
• The tasks ahead – building resistance that can win
• The corporate takeover of our universities
• Reclaiming our students' unions
• Education for liberation – what could our education look like?
• Education for all – challenging Islamophobia, racism and points based immigration
• 1968 – what can we learn from the fire last time?
The line up includes:
• Terry Eagleton – literary critic
• Alison Lord – UCU branch chair from the victorious campaign to stop cuts at Tower Hamlets college
• Michael Rosen – poet and education campaigner
• Jeremy Corbyn MP – member of Parliament for Islington North
• Nikos Lountos – activist from Greece
• Alex Callinicos – author of Education in a Neoliberal World and professor at Kings College London
• Daf Adley & James Haywood – NUS Executive
• Juan Carlos Piedra – Justice for Cleaners
• Stathis Kouvelakis – Lecturer and author
• Lesley McGorrigan – Officer at Leeds University UCU who are striking against cuts
• Mike Gonzalez – 1968 activist and author
• Patrick Ainley – author of Education Make You Fick Innit
• Sarah Young – student from Sussex University occupation
• Gargi Bhattacharyya – author and professor of sociology
• Assed Baig & Tara Hewitt – students union officers
• Jim Wolfreys – president King’s College London UCU
3 days left 'til the teach-in – share this message with everyone you know:
TAKE BACK EDUCATION: A TEACH-IN TO BUILD THE RESISTANCE:
THIS SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY 11AM-4PM, KINGS COLLEGE LONDON
Tickets available at http://educationactionlondon.blogspot.com/
(£6 waged, £3 unwaged)
The No Cuts @ King's campaign and King's UCU are hosting a mass teach-in this Saturday. The event is aimed at both students and education workers from across the country and will be full of alternative lectures and tutorials. Hundreds are signed up already; make sure you're there too!
Sessions include:
• The crisis in our universities and the battle for education
• The tasks ahead – building resistance that can win
• The corporate takeover of our universities
• Reclaiming our students' unions
• Education for liberation – what could our education look like?
• Education for all – challenging Islamophobia, racism and points based immigration
• 1968 – what can we learn from the fire last time?
The line up includes:
• Terry Eagleton – literary critic
• Alison Lord – UCU branch chair from the victorious campaign to stop cuts at Tower Hamlets college
• Michael Rosen – poet and education campaigner
• Jeremy Corbyn MP – member of Parliament for Islington North
• Nikos Lountos – activist from Greece
• Alex Callinicos – author of Education in a Neoliberal World and professor at Kings College London
• Daf Adley & James Haywood – NUS Executive
• Juan Carlos Piedra – Justice for Cleaners
• Stathis Kouvelakis – Lecturer and author
• Lesley McGorrigan – Officer at Leeds University UCU who are striking against cuts
• Mike Gonzalez – 1968 activist and author
• Patrick Ainley – author of Education Make You Fick Innit
• Sarah Young – student from Sussex University occupation
• Gargi Bhattacharyya – author and professor of sociology
• Assed Baig & Tara Hewitt – students union officers
• Jim Wolfreys – president King’s College London UCU
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