Archive for the ‘ Politics ’ Category

10/11/2006, The Demon Newspaper: “S-TOP UP FEES MARCH”

The streets of London witnessed the biggest student demonstration in years, on Sunday October 29. Nearly 8,000 students from all parts of the UK turned up to demonstrate against higher tuition fees; calling for a reversal of the new policy that commenced this academic year, resulting in some students paying up to £3,000 a year for their university education.

Demonstrators marched past Parliament and 10 Downing Street before converging at Trafalgar Square. The demonstration was organised after figures from the higher education admissions service UCAS revealed a fall of applications this year, compared to the evident rise last year.

Gemma Tumelty, President of the NUS, also voiced her concerns over the top up fees: “Weighing up the prospect of graduating with huge levels of debt and starting on an average salary of just £19,000 is difficult. It is clear that admission for some students is proving impossible.”

During a press conference held before the demonstration she added: “We’re the institutions producing doctors, nurses, engineers, and that is a huge benefit to society and therefore society should pay.”

The enthusiasm and passion displayed by students and families alike throughout the demonstration was very powerful. One student from the University of Aberystwyth expressed her delight to be taking part in this massive event: “It was a six hour journey from Wales, but it is definitely worth it. It is ridiculous that some students can end up with a £10,000 debt from tuition fees alone.”

Mike Roberts, a second year Welfare and Campaigns representative from the University of Chester, talked of his deep concern about the situation, and his belief that students from all classes and backgrounds are greatly affected by this and not just a certain group. “We, as a body for students with a voice for students, are only getting bigger and better; it’s about time we took a stand and made our voices heard, we are all voters and surely that gives us the power.”

 A group of students from the University of Leicester, who go by the name of Students for Justice and sported superhero outfits, spoke of how they were inspired by Fathers for Justice to form a unit within their university which would campaign and defend the rights of students. Organisers saw the day as a success; allowing students to make their voices heard at a national event. The march ended at Trafalgar Square where guest speakers including Tony Benn, a prominent member of the Labour Party, addressed the crowds and showed their support for the march. In addition, many local MPs joined their constituents on the march in order to show their support for the cause.

The event certainly proved that young people could be actively involved in matters that directly affect them, diminishing the popular stereotype that students and young people in general are not interested in real, political issues that surround their everyday lives.

2010
08/29
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CATEGORY
Politics
Students
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13/10/2006, The Demon Newspaper: “The Looming shadow: Top-up Fees”

As tens of thousands of students begin their first year at university, they take their first steps towards independence and adulthood, and thus earn qualifications that would secure them a better future. But they are warned that they could eventually graduate with debts of more than £22,000 each.

One of the main elements that feed the shadow of debt that looms upon us all as students, is the new system of student loans that has started this year; as the average student starting university in 2006, would have paid £3,600 after the three years, will now be indebted, a total of £9,000 in tuition fees over the same period. The Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford outlined the year’s forthcoming challenges and articulated the inevitability of the rise of the fees charged by the university. This is to maintain its quality of teaching. But Oxford’s deficit on its undergraduate account is “grave”. Many other universities have expressed similar concerns.

While Ministers promise to review fee levels again in 2009, the government insists that top-up fees which students will pay back once they have graduated and started work, will not deter teenagers from applying to university. Nevertheless, figures from the higher education admissions service UCAS show a fall of applications this year.

This is compared to the evident rise last year when many students were thought to be trying to get in ahead of top-up fees, although thousands missed out due to the fierce competition for places. The National Union of Students (NUS) has also expressed deep apprehension about the impact of this new system, Wes Streeting, a Vice-President of the NUS said: “Students today are leaving university with massive levels of debt and paying back student loans, which puts a major strain on their finances,”. More importantly, he added, “Applications for courses starting in September 2006 have dropped by 3.4% on the same period last year.”

On the other hand, the department of education and skills launched a campaign last month for the financial assistance of students with a lower household income; in the form of a non repayable grant of up to £2700 a year, also many students could be eligible for non repayable bursaries.

Yet it is worrying that more universities will adopt the same attitude as Oxford, who intend to squeeze more money out of students, who have no choice if they are to continue with their higher education. The question that lies here is, should we as students accept this situation and live with the fact that our debts increase every day, and that there are perhaps worse things to take into adulthood than a student debt, or should we make a stand and do something about it.

Ultimately the choice is ours.

2010
08/28
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CATEGORY
Politics
Students
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20/02/2006, The Demon Newspaper. “Freedom of expression versus religious tolerance: Have Western Democracies failed?”

Most of us have now heard about the international storm caused by the cartoon drawings of the Prophet Mohammad published throughout the European media. Many of us have witnessed the cries against the lack of respect for faiths or those condemning attacks on human rights and liberties.

Many of us certainly have been affected. Whether we are Muslims or not, the struggle that is gathering pace across the Arab world, the Islamic world and more importantly here on our doorstep, even at our university, has indeed made an impression on us all.

The cartoons published last September in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, depicting in one, the founder of Islam wearing a turban resembling a bomb, have caused such uproar and has sparked a new cultural battle over freedom of speech and religious tolerance, so strong that it has become a European diplomatic crisis. Carsten Juste, the paper’seditor, said the cartoons were a test of whether the threat of Islamic terrorism had limited the freedom of expression in Denmark.

Many people fear that by publishing such pictures, promotes the idea that all terrorists are Muslims, and worser still that all Muslims are terrorists?

Where do we draw the line?

Those familiar with the Muslim faith and culture would know that all Muslims consider it blasphemous to produce an image of the Prophet Mohammad, or any religious symbol or personality, for fear of the diverting of worship.

On the other hand, those also familiar with the “western democracy”, which many muslim countries do not have, would understand that in a country like Denmark the government do not interfere with the freedom of the press. The Danish prime minister was urged by eleven ambassadors to call the newspaper to account for “abusing Islam in the name of democracy, human rights and freedom of expression.”

Rasmussen refused to meet the ambassadors, saying that those who felt offended should bring their grievances to the courts. “As Prime Minister, I have no power whatsoever to limit the press – nor do I want such power.”

However, at this critical point of co-existence between two cultures, was it wise to publish such provoking material to those who already feel betrayed and humiliated even by their own governments?

It could b argued that this sort of satire echoes that of the German government in 1940s against Jews, in publishing material that depicted them as a sub-human race, creatures who knew nothing more than to steal, lie and cheat.

Nevertheless, “ western democracies” atoned for this humiliation, perhaps at the expense of another nation, but who is going to compensate the one billion Muslims?

The core problem here seems to be that the gap is increasing between the western secular perspective and the increased religious fundamentalism in the east. But who is to say which side is right, perhaps those with stronger financial and military influence.

Meanwhile, those who are in between can only hope for a miracle.

2010
08/28
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CATEGORY
Human rights
Middle East
Politics
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