UK Tuition Fee Protests

Threepwood

Look, Ma! Two Heads!
Hey, I assume everyone from Britain on these forums is aware of whats going on, so if you're not, let me give you the down low ;)

Tuition fees are being raised from around three thousand, to a possible nine thousand pounds a year, despite gaurentees from the Liberal party pre election (in a coalition with the Conservatives) that said fees will not rise.

This is amid a wave of spending cuts to reduce the UK's defosit. Last week thousands gathered in London, and violence started as police penned them into Trafalgar sqaure, charged with cavalry, and protesters uprooted fences as battering rams to escape the barriers.

Conservative party HQ was completley trashed, and fires were set within it, and all across the country, demonstrations took place. Mostly organised on Facebook, Twitter etc.

Today another wave of protests took place, I decided to attend one, in the town of Taunton, a few hundred people attended, waving communist flags and chanting, and storming banks and preforming sit-in protests. Local schools walked out of lessons, and college students did the same, to join us.


What are your thoughts on the situation if your aware, and has anyone on these boards attented such an event? I'd be interested to know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1bHOFHyEf0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSPbISu8fOs
 
what????

politicians said they would not raise school fees before the election, and after the election they are now saying they will?

politicians caught in a lie? what is this?!?! what is this world comming to?!?!
 
TheWesDude said:
what????

politicians said they would not raise school fees before the election, and after the election they are now saying they will?

politicians caught in a lie? what is this?!?! what is this world comming to?!?!
Oh ze irony. I guess you are one of those "the world sucks and I know it people and now I can lean back and laugh at everyone who thinks its not ok if politicians do this because everyone should know its a law of nature and go on ?"
 
Lynette said:
Oh ze irony. I guess you are one of those "the world sucks and I know it people and now I can lean back and laugh at everyone who thinks its not ok if politicians do this because everyone should know its a law of nature and go on ?"

if you expect every promise or guarantee during an election to be followed and honored, then you get what you vote for

im sure this was not their only promise, nor will it be the only one they break


during elections, politicians tell you what you want to hear so they get elected.

would it be nice if politicians didnt lie and told the truth. but people dont want to hear the truth.
 
Not to mention what people want tends to take some time to happen. As the saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day". So politicians make all the promises needed to get elected and then hit the citizens with the big ol reality stick and tellem they have to wait.

I think people need to realise change usually doesn't come easy if at all. Too many powerful folks at the top who have their own vision for the nation. Ture movers and shakers often end up in "accidents". I tend to believe the more promises the bigger the lie.
 
TheWesDude said:
during elections, politicians tell you what you want to hear so they get elected.

would it be nice if politicians didnt lie and told the truth. but people dont want to hear the truth.

Guess that explains why the Tories didn't have a manifesto, so they couldn't be blamed if they lied about something, just blamed for being embarrassingly incompetent.

My brother was part of the first protest in London. The main bit of it which was peacefull that got ignored by the press rather than the small group that attacked the Conservative HQ. Which was the right thing to do really, when all the government cares about is property it's a pretty good idea to smash it because they frankly don't care about people.

It is funny seeing the Liberal Democrats trying to explain why they u-turned so badly on the subject.
 
TheWesDude said:
Lynette said:
Oh ze irony. I guess you are one of those "the world sucks and I know it people and now I can lean back and laugh at everyone who thinks its not ok if politicians do this because everyone should know its a law of nature and go on ?"

if you expect every promise or guarantee during an election to be followed and honored, then you get what you vote for

im sure this was not their only promise, nor will it be the only one they break


during elections, politicians tell you what you want to hear so they get elected.

would it be nice if politicians didnt lie and told the truth. but people dont want to hear the truth.

I'm not so naieve as to think such. Do not treat me as the ill-informed one, when you have such outstanding lack of knowledge on the subject. It's a coalition government. The Liberals are the minority. The issue is the fees, not the u-turn.
 
People need to understand just one thing, education today is a BUSINESS, businesses need to make MONEY. No money, no education, lot's of times that's what it comes down to.

Not sayin' it's right.

Shov
 
Shoveler said:
People need to understand just one thing, education today is a BUSINESS, businesses need to make MONEY. No money, no education, lot's of times that's what it comes down to.

Not sayin' it's right.

Shov

Not in the British welfare state.

Educated workforce>millions of uneducated labourers.
 
Threepwood said:
Shoveler said:
People need to understand just one thing, education today is a BUSINESS, businesses need to make MONEY. No money, no education, lot's of times that's what it comes down to.

Not sayin' it's right.

Shov

Not in the British welfare state.

Educated workforce>millions of uneducated labourers.



If there's a tuition at all it's a business. If you're not paying, someone else is paying for you, that's exactly how welfare states work, British or not.

As for Educated workforce, I'm all for it, but it amuses me that the future educated workforce is having a "sit in" protest, not much work getting done there. Even school work. Protest all you want, the rates will still climb. Lastly, I would think the future educated work force would know better than to vandalize a bunch of buildings, stooping to the uneducated level? Educated or not, just a bunch of filthy animals. Even if it's reversed, they'll just nickel and dime ya on something else to make up for it. The entire system is set up to where you pretty much can't win.
 
Thomas de Aynesworth said:
Our tuition went up about 1/3, and the student body hardly made a squeak about it.

1/3. Astounding.

How about 300%?

the future educated work force would know better than to vandalize a bunch of buildings, stooping to the uneducated level

Clearly they are un-educated, and fees should be lowered to educate such idiots then? Maybe people would not commit such acts, where they able to be educated properly.
 
Threepwood said:
Thomas de Aynesworth said:
Our tuition went up about 1/3, and the student body hardly made a squeak about it.

1/3. Astounding.

How about 300%?

the future educated work force would know better than to vandalize a bunch of buildings, stooping to the uneducated level

Clearly they are un-educated, and fees should be lowered to educate such idiots then? Maybe people would not commit such acts, where they able to be educated properly.

Point is, they ARE being educated properly, and are still idiots. Problem is the educated idiots, make the education of the non-idiot crowd crappier.

EDIT: By the by, 3000 a year for tuition is pretty cheap, seems like an increase was in order any way, despite what was promised. Maybe not 300% but still, 3000 was cheap, way cheap. Welfare state is great, until you run out of other peoples money. Then not so much.
 
Shoveler said:
Threepwood said:
Thomas de Aynesworth said:
Our tuition went up about 1/3, and the student body hardly made a squeak about it.

1/3. Astounding.

How about 300%?

the future educated work force would know better than to vandalize a bunch of buildings, stooping to the uneducated level

Clearly they are un-educated, and fees should be lowered to educate such idiots then? Maybe people would not commit such acts, where they able to be educated properly.

Point is, they ARE being educated properly, and are still idiots. Problem is the educated idiots, make the education of the non-idiot crowd crappier.

On what grounds do you make such a statement? Most of the violent attendants were not even interested in the issue at hand, they were not students. Maybe it would be better if they were, hm?
 
Threepwood said:
Shoveler said:
Threepwood said:
Thomas de Aynesworth said:
Our tuition went up about 1/3, and the student body hardly made a squeak about it.

1/3. Astounding.

How about 300%?

the future educated work force would know better than to vandalize a bunch of buildings, stooping to the uneducated level

Clearly they are un-educated, and fees should be lowered to educate such idiots then? Maybe people would not commit such acts, where they able to be educated properly.

Point is, they ARE being educated properly, and are still idiots. Problem is the educated idiots, make the education of the non-idiot crowd crappier.

On what grounds do you make such a statement? Most of the violent attendants were not even interested in the issue at hand, they were not students. Maybe it would be better if they were, hm?

On what grounds do you base that they were NOT students? If you implying what I say is conjecture, the tables can easily be turned. College protests/riots are not exactly uncommon, or without violence. History tends to favor my point of view, college students do idiot things all the time. Maybe it's the pent up teen angst, who knows. Spent 4 years at one, I've got a vague idea.
 
Shoveler said:
Threepwood said:
Shoveler said:
Threepwood said:
Thomas de Aynesworth said:
Our tuition went up about 1/3, and the student body hardly made a squeak about it.

1/3. Astounding.

How about 300%?

the future educated work force would know better than to vandalize a bunch of buildings, stooping to the uneducated level

Clearly they are un-educated, and fees should be lowered to educate such idiots then? Maybe people would not commit such acts, where they able to be educated properly.

Point is, they ARE being educated properly, and are still idiots. Problem is the educated idiots, make the education of the non-idiot crowd crappier.

On what grounds do you make such a statement? Most of the violent attendants were not even interested in the issue at hand, they were not students. Maybe it would be better if they were, hm?

On what grounds do you base that they were NOT students? If you implying what I say is conjecture, the tables can easily be turned. College protests/riots are not exactly uncommon, or without violence. History tends to favor my point of view, college students do idiot things all the time. Maybe it's the pent up teen angst, who knows. Spent 4 years at one, I've got a vague idea.

On the grounds of people I know who witnessed such hijacks, news reports, and it's the general concensus the majority of violent protestors were there for the sake of it, as near anybody will tell you, as we have/ARE seeing it happen.

Moreover, i'll respond to your edit.

EDIT: By the by, 3000 a year for tuition is pretty cheap, seems like an increase was in order any way, despite what was promised. Maybe not 300% but still, 3000 was cheap, way cheap. Welfare state is great, until you run out of other peoples money. Then not so much.

Pounds sterling, not dollars my friend. Tell that to the many people who cannot afford further education as it is. Go to Manchester and tell them £3000 a year is cheap.

Think about it, a a £9000 course over five years will leave you with debts of £45000. You don't start repaying untill you own over a certain ammount, by which time you may also be paying off mortgages, car insurance, home insurance, and a multitude of other things.

I will add, the EMA scheme has been withdrawn. This allowed poorer families to draw £30 a week while working on A levels.
 
Threepwood said:
Shoveler said:
Threepwood said:
Shoveler said:
Threepwood said:
Thomas de Aynesworth said:
Our tuition went up about 1/3, and the student body hardly made a squeak about it.

1/3. Astounding.

How about 300%?

the future educated work force would know better than to vandalize a bunch of buildings, stooping to the uneducated level

Clearly they are un-educated, and fees should be lowered to educate such idiots then? Maybe people would not commit such acts, where they able to be educated properly.

Point is, they ARE being educated properly, and are still idiots. Problem is the educated idiots, make the education of the non-idiot crowd crappier.

On what grounds do you make such a statement? Most of the violent attendants were not even interested in the issue at hand, they were not students. Maybe it would be better if they were, hm?

On what grounds do you base that they were NOT students? If you implying what I say is conjecture, the tables can easily be turned. College protests/riots are not exactly uncommon, or without violence. History tends to favor my point of view, college students do idiot things all the time. Maybe it's the pent up teen angst, who knows. Spent 4 years at one, I've got a vague idea.

On the grounds of people I know who witnessed such hijacks, news reports, and it's the general concensus the majority of violent protestors were there for the sake of it, as near anybody will tell you, as we have/ARE seeing it happen.

Moreover, i'll respond to your edit.

EDIT: By the by, 3000 a year for tuition is pretty cheap, seems like an increase was in order any way, despite what was promised. Maybe not 300% but still, 3000 was cheap, way cheap. Welfare state is great, until you run out of other peoples money. Then not so much.

Pounds sterling, not dollars my friend. Tell that to the many people who cannot afford further education as it is. Go to Manchester and tell them £3000 a year is cheap.

Think about it, a a £9000 course over five years will leave you with debts of £45000. You don't start repaying untill you own over a certain ammount, by which time you may also be paying off mortgages, car insurance, home insurance, and a multitude of other things.

I will add, the EMA scheme has been withdrawn. This allowed poorer families to draw £30 a week while working on A levels.

Sorry the "people I know" routine doesn't provide fact. JFG "College Protest turns Violent" and educate yourself. History has shown repeatedly that college students engage in violent protest activity, to deny/absolve all responsibility based on people you know is rediculous. I would agree that some are probably just instigators, but to say ALL are....just seems dishonest.

Secondly, where did I mention dollars? I just assumed we were speaking of pounds my friend, but thanks for attempting to educate me and rectify the situation at the same time, 3000 pounds a year is cheap for higher education. All the costs you mention after college is called "life", life cost money, cry me a river already.
 
Back
Top