Its All Kicking Off Outside Tory HQ

ILW

FTBFun wrote: »

That's living in a democracy for you.

I thought the general idea of democracy was about a sort of majority rule. Not setting fire to buildings.

pinkteapot

In the last 70 years the percentage of school-leavers going to university has increased from 2% to more than 40% and Labour were targeting 50% with no credible plan to fund it (much like most of their spending). Universities estimate that on average it costs £7,000 per year to teach each undergraduate. Somebody has to pay for it. The protestors seems to think it should be the Government. Which will mean them paying for it themselves anyway in higher taxes over their lives.

This is just another area that will see cuts because Labour was spending far more than could actually be funded on everything. People in this country got used to the resulting handouts and are whining now they're being taken away. Cuts are going to hit all our pockets. Students just have enough time on their hands to spend a week-day protesting about the cuts that hit them personally. (And I'm speaking as someone who graduated in recent times).

£9k per year is going to be a for a minority of courses. You know what? The degree I got was worth £9k per year. In fact it was worth more than that. It got me into a well-paid job and if I'd had a student loan for an amount like that I probably would have still paid it off by now. Hopefully opening up the market for uni courses will cut a lot of the dross that sprung up as a result of previous education policies.

I respect anyone's right to protest. As others have said, it's part of democracy. But that doesn't mean I personally can't get really bored with this and all the protests that will come in the next 18 months or so.

ninky_2

good stuff, well done protestors! warms the cockles to see political rage is not dead.

vaporate

ILW wrote: »

I thought the general idea of democracy was about a sort of majority rule. Not setting fire to buildings.

Burning their banners more like.

They have the right to protest.

The idiots who broke some windows were just there for trouble, like at any protest.

vaporate

pinkteapot wrote: »

In the last 70 years the percentage of school-leavers going to university has increased from 2% to more than 40% and Labour were targeting 50% with no credible plan to fund it (much like most of their spending). Universities estimate that on average it costs £7,000 per year to teach each undergraduate. Somebody has to pay for it. The protestors seems to think it should be the Government. Which will mean them paying for it themselves anyway in higher taxes over their lives.

This is just another area that will see cuts because Labour was spending far more than could actually be funded on everything. People in this country got used to the resulting handouts and are whining now they're being taken away. Cuts are going to hit all our pockets. Students just have enough time on their hands to spend a week-day protesting about the cuts that hit them personally. (And I'm speaking as someone who graduated in recent times).

The best way to fight this is to boycott university altogether, now or in 2012.

FTBFun

ILW wrote: »

I thought the general idea of democracy was about a sort of majority rule. Not setting fire to buildings.

Yes that's exactly what's happening.

ILW

ninky wrote: »

good stuff, well done protestors! warms the cockles to see political rage is not dead.

It's not political at all, it's about people having to pay for something that they think others should pay for them. It's financial.

ILW

vaporate wrote: »

The best way to fight this is to boycott university altogether, now or in 2012.

Great idea, and while boycotting could earn a few pounds and pay a bit of tax to go towards the fees when they do decide to go.

FTBFun

ILW wrote: »

Great idea, and while boycotting could earn a few pounds and pay a bit of tax to go towards the fees when they do decide to go.

I thought the graduate tax was quite a good idea, actually.

ILW

FTBFun wrote: »

I thought the graduate tax was quite a good idea, actually.

I agree with you on that.