The Students’ Union is encouraging Bath students to take part in a flash mob tuition fees protest in Bristol on Thursday 22nd October.
The ‘Town Takeover’ protest, organised by the National Union of Students, will arrive in Bristol having already taken in Liverpool, and due to continue to eight other UK cities, including London, Manchester and Cambridge, as part of a nationwide tour to highlight NUS’ figurehead campaign for the year.
The Students’ Union in Bath has also identified Higher Education funding as its ‘biggest’ campaign for the 2009/10 academic year. It has arranged transport from Bath to Bristol to enable students to attend the protest, at which it is understood the University’s Pro-Vice Chancellor Learning and Teaching, Professor Ian Jamieson, will be a speaker.
The event will see a mass demonstration along with live music. The Students’ Union’s group will leave Bath at 12.20pm and return at 3.00pm.
In a statement about its ‘Funding Our Future: Town Takeover’ programme, NUS said: “These events will see NUS, Students’ Unions and students working and campaigning together to ensure that we get our messages out to the wider public and make sure that in the next General Election, like the last one, higher education funding is a doorstep issue.”
The protest comes just weeks after a report by the Confederation of British Industry sparked outrage with NUS, Students’ Unions and students nationwide. The report, which suggested students should pay more for university tuition, that support provided by central government should be reduced and that a more ‘realistic’ interest rate should be set on student loans, was condemned by NUS as ‘astonishing’, but President Wes Streeting admitted in posts on micro-blogging site Twitter that it represented the ‘classic CBI.’
University of Bath Vice Chancellor Glynis Breakwell sits on the board which produced the CBI’s controversial report. To take part in the flash mob campaign, register a place for transport at www.bathstudent.com/towntakeover
Post new comment