Luton Students OCCUPY!!
Luton Students Occupation Committee | 02.03.2001 02:24
20 Luton University Students are still occupying the faculty of Science, Technology and Design in Park St. Luton. They are holding the faculty's main offices in protest at thousands of proposed exclusions of students for non payment of tuition fees and rent and at the shutting down of the faculty of humanities.
Spirits remain high as about 20 students continue to hold the main office of the faculty of Science, Technology and Design in Park St. Luton. The area was taken on Wednesday afternoon at 4:45 by a large group of angry students, in respose to the proposed exclusion of thousands of students for non payment of tuition fees and/or rent. The Luton Student Occupation Committee (L.S.O.C) is also expressing solidarity with the 90 plus lecturers facing the sack as the uni' hierarchy seeks to 'reorganise' the uni' by scrapping the faculty of humanities. This will mean that the Uni' will now only offer vocational degrees geared towards employment opportunities as opposed to degrees such as politics and history which are in some ways (at least) critical towards capitalism and social hierarchy.
This reorganisation is justified by the Uni' hierarchy as a cost-cutting measure, they claim not enough students want to study these non-vocational degrees. This is true; but the reason is not lack of interest rather it's becuse of the abolition of the maintainence grant and the introduction of tuition fees. It now costs the best part of ten grand to study a degree so it's not surprising that most students are opting for vocational degrees- so at least they stand a chance of getting a job and paying back their student loans.
Since New Labour's education reforms were introduced in 1998 student applications to Luton Uni' have been down by 25% and the humanities degree's have been hit particularly hard. The Uni' hierarchy's decision to scrap Humanities is capitulating to New Labour's policy of making University's into glorified job centre's designed solely to supply the employment market with bureaucrats and boring recruitment consultants.
The LSOC intends to hold the Faculty for as long as possible so as to cause maximum disruption to the university's day to day running. Students are also in occupation in Lancaster and Manchester.
"WE HAVE A WORLD OF PLEASURE TO WIN AND NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR BOREDOM"
Messages of support to
lutonoccupation@hotmail.com
This reorganisation is justified by the Uni' hierarchy as a cost-cutting measure, they claim not enough students want to study these non-vocational degrees. This is true; but the reason is not lack of interest rather it's becuse of the abolition of the maintainence grant and the introduction of tuition fees. It now costs the best part of ten grand to study a degree so it's not surprising that most students are opting for vocational degrees- so at least they stand a chance of getting a job and paying back their student loans.
Since New Labour's education reforms were introduced in 1998 student applications to Luton Uni' have been down by 25% and the humanities degree's have been hit particularly hard. The Uni' hierarchy's decision to scrap Humanities is capitulating to New Labour's policy of making University's into glorified job centre's designed solely to supply the employment market with bureaucrats and boring recruitment consultants.
The LSOC intends to hold the Faculty for as long as possible so as to cause maximum disruption to the university's day to day running. Students are also in occupation in Lancaster and Manchester.
"WE HAVE A WORLD OF PLEASURE TO WIN AND NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR BOREDOM"
Messages of support to
lutonoccupation@hotmail.com
Luton Students Occupation Committee
e-mail:
lutonoccupation@hotmail.com
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