Fees, studies and radicals
Is the British Higher Education system facing a wave of student radicalisation due to the increase of tuition fees?
Prime Minister David Cameron before Christmas told the British Parliament that: "we need to de-radicalise our universities". The statement has raised some academic eyebrows in the oak panelled rooms of the Universities boards across England.
As Easter approaches, the misunderstanding remains.
Was the Prime Minister thinking of religious radicalisation with four former London alumni facing terrorist charges, or the violent stand of students demonstrating against the 200% increase in university fees?
With nearly 2.5 million “people studying in a UK Higher Education Institution”, according to the HESA[1], the political decision is considered by some observers as risky.
In November and December last year, London witnessed student riots for the first time in decades.
For XXX XXXX from Westminster University, “the fees are very unfair. As the government takes a more capitalist approach regarding higher education, the fees will inevitably keep rising in a few years’ time once the moratorium is over!” Her colleague, XXX XXXX, says that: “Uni fees in England are prohibitive. Only rich kids go to university and it will be worse from 2012.”
The 27-year old from Prague who works in the evening as a waitress confesses: “However, in my country, I was not be able to go to Faculty and get a decent Degree!”
A law student from Queen Mary University tells me: “Parliament has already passed Acts with a retroactive effect, why not pass a new law stating that the last four generations should pay for the cost of their studies?”
But the three students don't see any radicalisation amongst their fellow comrades, rather a staunch reaction to the “outrageous” fees decision from the Government.
Talking over the phone to the editor of a student’s union magazine, who wishes to remain anonymous, the tone and colour were different. “Radical elements do indeed exist in our unis. The problem is that we don’t know what they could do next! And David Cameron just poured oil on fire! I heard that disrupting the royal wedding at the end of April is on the agenda!”
Indeed, tension and anger amongst students are widespread.
Jonathan McLeish, 23 from Newcastle is studying Psychology at City University. In his Geordie accent he says: “the mutinous feelings of some is the antidote of the current political spectrum. Because politicians use the student movement to fulfil their own agenda, and not only the BNP, radicalisation becomes the only way for many.”
The PM’s wish for the de-radicalisation of UK Higher Education may have the opposite effect. Once assessments and exams are over, spring may encourage another student mutiny to blossom.
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