Their education and ours

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Their Education And ours: fighting cuts, debt and marketisation with free education, grants and democracy

description

NCAFC pamphlet

Transcript of Their education and ours

Their EducationAnd ours:fighting cuts, debt and marketisationwith free education, grants and democracy

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WhyB doB weB botherB fightingB forB ourB educationBsystem?B

EducationB isB partB ofB howB societyB reproducesBitselfKB WhenB weB areB learning)B studying)B andBresearchingBweBareBbeingBaskedBtoBproduceBtheBnextB generationB ofB graduatesB forB theB jobBmarketKBWeBareBbeingBpreparedB toBgoBoutBandBworkB toBmakeBotherBpeopleBmoneyKBThisB isB theBeducationB systemB theB governmentB wantsB toBseeKB BButBeducationBalsoBholdsBaBcontradictoryBpotential:B toB liberateB usB fromB theB narrowBdemandsB ofB society)B andB allowB usB toB thinkB ofBandBfightBforBalternativesKBAsBwellBasBbeingBableBtoB reproduceB employableB skilledB labour)B itB canBalsoB produceB peopleB whoB thinkB criticallyB aboutBtheB world)B andB exploreB lifeKB So)B anB educationBsystemB isB alwaysB havingB toB chooseB betweenBtwoBoptions:B itBcanBeitherBserveBthem)BorB itBcanBserveBusKBAtBanyBoneB timeB theBbalanceBcanBbeBshiftedB towardsB graduateUproduction)B orBtowardsBexplorationBandBgenuineBlearningBUBbutBtheseBtwoBinterestsBareBalwaysBinBconflictK

EducationB isB alsoB aB commonB experienceKBAlmostB £25B ofB youngB peopleB nowB goB toBuniversityKBFurtherBandBhigherBeducationBFFEB0BHE(BshapeBtheBlifeBofBeveryByoungBpersonBinBtheBUKB inB someB way)B atB someB pointKB EducationB isBnotBonlyBaBpointBofBconflictBUBitBisBaBsharedBpointBofB conflict)B whereB ourB collectiveB interestsB asBstudentsB confrontB theB collectiveB interestsB ofBthoseBwhoBwantBtoBprofitBfromBusKBBTheBstudentBmovementB existsB toB transformB thisB sharedBconflictB intoB aB collectiveB struggleB forB genuinelyBfreeBlearningK

TheB definitiveB episodeB inB theB studentBmovement’sB historyB isB theB M212B campaignBagainstB aB tuitionB feeB riseKB TheB campaignBinvolvedB hugeB protests)B theB demolitionB ofBMillbank)B£2BcampusBoccupations)BcollegeBandBschoolB studentsB walkingB outB ofB classes)B andB aBcampaignB thatB manyB thoughtB couldB destabiliseBtheBnewBcoalitionBgovernmentK

AndByetBweBlostK

TheB voteB wasB downB toB theB wire)B butB theB LibBDemsBfailedBtoBrebelBinBsufficientBnumbersKBTheBmovementB hasB sinceB beenB developingBorganisations)B infrastructure)B campaignsB andBideasBthatBmeanBthatBifBanotherBM212UlikeBsurgeBdoesB takeB place)B weB canB winKB StudentsB haveBlearnt)Bargued)BdevelopedBUBandBtheBmovementBisBnowBinBaBfundamentallyBdifferentBstateBtoBthatBwhichB precededB M212KB WeB haveB mobilisedB12)222BstudentsBtoBtheBstreets)BnotBtoBopposeBaBcomingBcut)BbutBforBaBpositiveBdemandBforBFreeBEducationKBWeBhaveBdevelopedBstrongB linksB toBeducationB workersB andB theirB tradeB unionBstrugglesKB WeB knowB howB toB opposeB policeBbrutalityB againstB demonstrators)B howB toB winBcampaignsB againstB stubbornB universityBmanagement)B andB changeB theB shapeB ofB theBnationalB politicalB conversationKB WhenB itB comesBdownB toB it)B weB haveB hundredsB ofB peopleB whoBhaveB experiencedB universityB occupations)B andBknowB howB toBoccupyB againB ifB theBneedB arisesKBAboveBall)BweBnowBknowB thatBweBwillBnotBbuildBthisB struggleB onB theB government’sB terms)B andBstructureB everythingB aroundB oneB voteB inBparliamentKB ThisB time)B theB ToriesB areB goingB toBhaveBtoBtakeBonBanBexperiencedBandBorganisedBstudentBleftKB

ButBM212BhadBlongBlastingBeffectsKB

HEB isBstuckBatBaBhalfwayBpointBToBexplain:B theB£9)222B loanBsystemBcostsBevenBmoreB thanB theB£L)222B systemB itB replaced)B andB universitiesBfaceB aB fundingB crisisB ifB theyB relyB onB publicBteachingB andB researchB aloneKB HalfB wayBbetweenB anB educationB marketB andB aB publicBsystem)B UKB HEB cannotB continueB asB itB isKB NoBotherB countryB inB theB worldB hasB aB semiUpublicBeducationB systemB asB expensiveB asB ours)B butBthereB isBalsoBnoBprivateBeducationBsystemBwithBsuchBaB restrictiveB feeBcapKBWeBhaveB toBgoBoneBway:BeitherB towardsBpublicB funding)BorB towardsBtheBmarketK

Their Education and oursTheir Education and ours

HoweverB£ it£ is£ our£ strength£ that£ is£ preventing£any£movement£towards£full£fee£deregulation.£In£2011£ the£ government£ was£ trying£ to£ develop£ideas£ for£ how£ to£ a£ raise£ the£ fee£ capB£ and£ the£Russell£Group£have£ long£been£demanding£ the£cap£be£ raised£ to££16B000B£but£ the£government£were£not£willing£ to£ risk£another£ fight£ like£2010.£Their£ vision£ of£ an£ education£ marketB£ where£universities£ operate£ as£ businesses£ and£students£become£consumers£of£multi?thousand£pound£ educational£ productsB£ had£ to£ be£ put£ on£hold.

The£ latest£ government£ reformsB£ which£ we£address£ in£ this£ pamphletB£ are£ an£ attempt£ to£resolve£ the£HE£crisis£by£ increasing£ the£burden£on£studentsB£marketising£education£and£ further£exploiting£international£students.££They£do£so£bit£by£bitB£ in£small£and£hard£to£perceive£ways£that£are£designed£to£make£all£of£us£worse£off£while£avoiding£ £ another£ headline£ figure£ like£ £9B000£fees.£

In£ FEB£ cuts£ are£ threatening£ to£ destroy£accessible£ education£ almost£ entirely.£ Over£ the£course£ of£ this£ parliament£ the£ government£ will£slash££60£million£from£the£FE£budget.£This£will£almost£totally£abolish£adult£educationB£and£lead£to£ a£ huge£ reduction£ in£ the£ availability£ of£education£ for£ the£ least£ privileged.£ Educational£Maintenance£ Allowance£ ?£ a£ grant£ to£ help£ poor£students£attend£college£?£was£cut£ in£2010B£and£maintenance£ support£ for£ FE£ students£ is£ now£almost£nonexistent.

In£ responseB£ we£ are£ attempting£ to£ support£ a£solution£to£the£current£crisis£that£seeks£to£totally£reverse£ the£ recent£ direction£ of£ HE£ and£ FE£policy.£ Instead£ of£ moving£ towards£ the£ marketB£we£ demand£ public£ fundingB£ and£ education£which£ is£good£ for£all£ of£us£ £ ?£ rather£ than£good£for£ the£ rich£ and£ a£ bunch£ of£ multinational£education£ businesses.£ Free£ Education£ is£ the£only£acceptable£solution.

This£solution£will£notB£howeverB£be£won£without£a£fight.£But£in£many£ways£this£is£as£good£a£time£as£ any£ to£ have£ that£ fight.£ The£ new£ Tory£government£ have£ yet£ to£ be£ really£ tested£ by£ a£tightly£ focusedB£ sustained£ movement.£Everything£ is£up£ in£ the£airB£and£ the£ initiative£ is£ours£to£take.£

But£what£possible£outcomes£can£we£reasonably£expect?

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IfCweCfailCtoCmobiliseCatCallCthenCeducationCwillCbeCsmashedCtoCaCpulp2CItCisCnotCoverCtheCtopCtoCsayCthatC everythingC weC valueC aboutC learningC andCresearchCwouldCbeCcrushed2CTheCToriesChaveCaCclearC ideologicalC visionC forC whatC educationCshouldCbe1CandCtheyCwillCpursueCitCruthlessly2C

IfCweCdon’tCreachCoutsideCtheCleftCbubbleCweCwillCremainC isolated2C WhilstC weC would1C noC doubt1CfightC aC veryC militantC campaignC againstC theCTories1C weC wouldC doC soC onC ourC own1C withoutCsupport2CRepressionCwouldCtakeCitsCtoll1CandCtheChardcoreC ofC studentC activistsC wouldC exhaustCthemselvesC tryingC toC defeatC theC Tories1C butCwithoutCtheCsocialCbaseCwhichCwouldCallowCthemCtoC succeed2C ConnectionsC betweenC theC studentCmovementC andC theC largerC anti?austerityCmovementCwouldn’tCbeCmade1CandCtheCcommonCgroundC betweenC aC studentC fightingC grantC cutsCandC aC workerC fightingC payC cutsC wouldC goCunexplored2

ButC ifC weC winC ?C well1C victoryC comesC inC manyCshades2CACgeneralCshiftCinCtheCbalanceCofCpowerCtowardsC us1C andC aC newC settlementC withC theCgovernmentC whichC isC moreC inC lineC withC ourCprinciplesC andC ideasC couldC easilyC resultC fromCthisCstruggle2CWholeCpoliciesCcouldCbeCscrappedCinC anC attemptC toC controlC theC levelC ofC studentCmobilisationC?CbecauseCforC theCgovernment1C theCdangerCwithCstudentsCisCthatCourCangerCisChighlyCcontagious2C StudentC protestC canC easilyC spreadCintoCotherCareasCofCsociety1CandCsparkCaCwaveCofCsocialCconflict2CACstrongCcampaignCwillCbeginC toCshiftC theC balanceC ofC forces1C andC marginalC EwellCdisguisedFC victoriesC couldC beginC toC beCgeneratedCalmostC immediatelyC inCanCattemptC toCpacifyCus2CWeCcouldCseeC theCreversalCofC reformCproposalsC onC grants1C loansC andC moreC withinC aCveryCshortCperiodCofCtime2

AllC outC victory1C however1C isC obviouslyC ourC aim2CWeCdemandCuniversalC livingCgrantsC forCHECandCFECstudents1C freeCeducationCforCbothChomeCandCinternationalC students1C theC cancellationC ofCstudentC debt1C massiveC increasesC inC supportC forCdisabledC students1C anC endC toC racistC counter?terrorismC policing1C aC O:qC payC ratioC betweenC theChighestCandClowestCpaidCmembersCofCstaffCatCourCinstitutions1CandCmore2CThisCisCourCvisionCofCwhatCeducationCshouldCbe2CSoCwhatCwouldCitCmeanCforCtheC studentC movementC toC startC winningC theseCkindCofCdemands1CandCstartCenactingC itsCvision?CItC wouldC beC nothingC lessC thanC theC beginningC ofCtheC endC forC austerityC capitalism2C TheC wholeCpoliticalC cultureC andC economicC structureC ofC theCcountryC wouldC haveC toC shiftC inC orderC toC giveCstudentsCwhatC theyCdemand2C It’sCaCbigCdreamC ?CbutC itC showsC whatC isC atC stakeC inC theC studentCmovement2

AC preconditionC ofC thatC victoryC is1C however1C thatCweCunderstandCwhatCwe’reCupCagainst2C

TheCpurposeCofCthisCpamphletCisCtoChelpCeducateCaC layerC ofC activistsC inC theC specificC detailsC ofCgovernmentCpolicy2CCThingsChaveCchangedCaClotCsinceC ‘9q92C TheC 9kC feeC capC willC beC brokenC asCfeesC creepC upC yearC onC year1C theC poorestCstudentsCwillCfindCthemselvesCinCevenCmoreCdebt1CgraduatesC willC haveC toC payC backC moreC moneyCearlierC andC quickerC thanC theyC wereC expecting1CtheC mediaC andC government’sC anti?migrantCnarrativeC willC beC directedC atC internationalCstudents1C ‘Prevent’C willC criminaliseC MuslimCstudentsCandConCandConCandCon2CTheCcumulativeCeffectCofCtheseCreformsCwillCbeCtheCdestructionCofCeducationCasCweCknowCit2C

WeC needC ourC fellowC studentsC toC knowC what’sCgoingC on2C OnlyC thenC willC itC becomeC commonCsenseC toC joinC theC studentC movement2C So1ChopefullyC thisC pamphletC willC giveC youC theCinformationC thatC youC needC toC goC outC ontoC yourCcampusC andC haveC hundredsC ofC conversationsCwithC ordinaryC students2C WhenC youC handC outCleafletsC toC pricklyC rightC wingersC whoC wantC toCcatchC youC outC onC specificC policyC details1C orCapatheticC studentsC withC noC conceptionC ofC howCtheseC changesC affectC them1C thisC pamphletC willCbeCthereCtoCbackCyouCup2

C

Can0 you0 imagine0 a0 system0 where0 the0 poorer0your0 parents0 are£0 the0 more0 debt0 you0 have0 to0pay0 off0 after0 university?0 That’s0 exactly0 what0George0 Osborne0 announced0 in0 the0 I46“0budget£0with0a0proposal0to0abolish0maintenance0grants0 for0 students0 from0 the0 poorest0 families0and0to0replace0them0with0loans80

The0logic0of0the0grants0and0loans0system0is0that0the0more0your0parents0earn£0the0more0they0will0contribute0 to0your0 living0costs0while0you0study80That0 isn’t0 true0 for0 students0 who’s0 parents0 can0contribute0but0don’t£0and0it0is0unbearably0difficult0for0 students0 who0 have0 strained0 relationships0with0 their0 family£0 particularly0 LGBT0 youth£0because0their0parents0make0support0conditional0on0 accepting0 their0 values80 However£0 until0 the0budget£0 that0 was0 the0 system80 Deeply0 flawed0 30but0nonetheless0keeping0the0pretence0of0being0‘progressive’8

Now0 students0 whose0 families0 earn0 less0 than0£I“£4440 will0 have0 their0 £F£F%A0 a0 year0maintenance0 grant0 converted0 into0 a0 loan80 This0is0 tapered0 off0 up0 to0 those0 who0 earn0 under0£S4£4440a0year£0who0will0have0their0£“SA0grant0converted0 into0 a0 loan£0 from0 I46”36A80 The0perversity0of0 this0system0is0 that0 the0richer0your0family£0 the0 less0 you0 need0 in0 loans£0 but0 the0poorer0 you0 are£0 the0 more0 money0 you0 have0 to0take0out0as0a0 loan£0plus0 interest80That0 interest£0accrued0 over0 time£0 is0 effectively0 a0 charge0 on0the0student0for0being0from0a0low3income0family8

The0 Institute0 for0 Fiscal0 Studies0 has0 slammed0the0 proposals£0 saying£0 “This0 means0 that0students0 from0 the0 poorest0 backgrounds0 are0now0 likely0 to0 leave0 university0 owing0substantially0more0to0the0government0than0their0better3off0peers8”

According0 to0 their0 analysis£0 “The0 poorest0 S4B0of0 students0 going0 to0 university0 in0 England0 will0now0graduate0with0debts0of0up0to0£“F£4440from0a0three3year0course£0rather0than0up0to0£S4£“448”

The0 damage0 of0 this0 change0 will0 of0 course0 not0be0 known0 until0 after0 the0 changes0 come0 into0effect£0 but0 research0 by0 the0 National0 Union0 of0Students0 indicates0 the0 potential0 negative0effects800

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Turning Maintenance Grantsinto Maintenance Loans

james elliot

Turning Maintenance Grantsinto Maintenance Loans

james elliot

effects80 Over0 I6440 students0 responded0 to0 an0NUS0survey£0with0“IB0of0 those0 in0 receipt0of0a0maintenance0 grant0 deeming0 it0 absolutely0essential0to0their0attendance0at0university0and0a0further0F4B0believing0it0to0be0important0or0very0important8

The0 planned0 loans0 will£0 for0 some0 students£0 be0very0slightly0bigger0than0the0grants0they0replace0Dabout0 £“440 bigger-80 But0 this0 is0 clearly0 just0 an0attempt0to0hide0the0fact0that0this0government0is0loading0 the0cost0of0education0onto0 the0poorest0students80

A0 system0 which0 places0 students0 from0 the0poorest0 background0 in0 the0 biggest0 amount0 of0debt0 is0 fundamentally0 unfair80 Our0 education0system0 should0 work0 to0 reduce0 inequality£0 not0increase0it0by0removing0support0from0those0who0need0it0the0most8

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ConcernR hasR beenR raisedR amongR academicsRandR activistsR followingR theR government’sRproposalsR toR introduceR aR ‘TeachingR ExcellenceRFramework’R “TEF”R toR parallelR theR ‘ResearchRExcellenceR Framework’HR whichR awardsR fundingRtoR universitiesR everyR fiveR yearsR basedR onR aRrankingR systemPR ThisR isR primarilyR becauseR theR‘outcomeSfocused’RmetricsRusedRtoRproduceRtheRresultsR wouldHR accordingR toR theR proposedRspeechR byR newR UniversitiesR MinisterHR JoRJohnsonHR includeR “clearR financialR andRreputationalRincentivesRtoRmakeR‘good’RteachingRevenRbetter”PR

ThisR isRaRstraightSforwardRattemptR toRfurtherR theRmarketisationR ofR educationR throughR fundingRallocationPRUniversitiesRwillRbeRjudgedRaccordingRtoR theirR abilityR toR produceR highSearningRgraduatesHRratherRthanRasRcentresRofReducationPRVariousR voicesR inR HER haveR condemnedR theRproposalsHR includingR Sheffield’sR VCR andREdinburgh’sR PrincipleR onR theR basisR thatR itR willRreduceRacademicRfreedomRandRturnRuniversitiesRintoR aR ‘bureaucraticR industry’PR NCAFCR wouldRaddRtoRthisRthatRtheRTEFRcouldRopenRtheRwayRtoRhigherR feesHR exacerbateR aR misguidedRunderstandingR ofR theR dynamicsR betweenR classRandRgraduateRearningsHRasRwellRasRthreatenRtheRincreasedRcasualisationRofRteachingRworkP

The Background (the REF and the finances of BIS)

TheRTeachingRExcellenceRFrameworkRfollowsRinRtheR footstepsR ofR theR ResearchR ExcellenceRFrameworkR “REF”HR theR resultsR ofR whichRdetermineRtheRallocationRofR researchRfundingRtoRinstitutionsPR TheR REFR itselfR isR notR withoutR

criticismPR AsR wellR asR theR argumentR thatR itR hasRfosteredR anR environmentR inR whichR innovativeRresearchR isR consideredR tooR riskyR inR favourR ofRshortStermRoutcomesHR itR isRalsoRcondemnedRonRtheR basisR thatR forR anR expensiveR “aboutR ££1Rmillion”R andR cumbersomeR processR itR actuallyRtellsR usR veryR littleHR asR mostR universitiesR haveRcreatedR theirR ownR internalR bureaucraciesR inRorderR toR playR theR systemPR DescribedR byR PeterRScottHRProfessorRofRHigherREducationRStudiesRatRtheRInstituteRofREducationHRasRcreatingRaRsystemRinR whichR “universities’R mainR objectiveR isR toRachieveR betterR REFR gradesHR notR toR produceRexcellentR scienceR andR scholarship”HR theRquestionR ofR whyR thisR isR theR basisR forR aR furtherRmetricRtestRisRanRimportantRonePR

PartRofRtheRanswerRcomesRfromRtheRDepartmentRforR BusinessHR InnovationR andR SkillsR “BIS”HRresponsibleR forR dealingR withR HEHR havingRfinancialR troublesPRTheRtreblingRofR feesRresultedRinR aR systemR whereR moreR publicR moneyR isRhavingRtoRbeR loanedRoutHRandRDIURisRexpectedRtoRnotRgetRpaidRbackRHRcreatingRaRhugeRstrainRonRtheR questionR ofR fundingHR asR indicatedR byR theRmoveR toR sellSoffR studentR loansPR TheR latestRBudgetRnowRmeansRthatRBISRhasRtoRcutR£DIAmRfromR somewhereHR henceR plannedR cutsR toRmaintenanceRgrantsRandRtheRDisabledRStudentsRAllowancePR

SeenR inR thisR contextR ofR increasingR financialRpressureRJohnsonRisRhopingRtoRappeaseRVCsRbyRthrowingR themR extraR cashR “mostR likelyR inR theRformR ofR higherR fees”R ifR theyR jumpR throughR theRhoopsR inR hisR newR TEFPR InR otherR wordsHR ifRinstitutionsRofferR theR rightRcoursesR forRbusinessR“iPePRscienceRatR theRexpenseRofR theRhumanitiesHRandRwithinRthatHRscientificRresearchRthatRbenefitsRbusiness”R theyR willR receiveR moreR fundingR andRlikelyRbeRableRtoRraiseRtheirRfeesPR

Introducing: the Teaching Excellence FrameworkIntroducing: the Teaching Excellence Framework

Jess pattersonJess pattersonJess patterson

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Why is it so bad?

There’s£ a£ lot£ of£ ambiguity£ surrounding£ the£proposalsI£ but£ commentators£ have£ suggested£that£it£is£most£likely£that£Johnson’s£reference£to£“incentives”£ for£ teaching£ indicates£ the£ TEF£could£be£used£to£introduce£a£system£of£variable£tuition£ fees£ according£ to£ rankingsI£ with£institutions£increasing£fees£above££-IHHH£if£they£perform£ well£ in£ the£ TEFG£ Although£ Johnson£didn’t£ signal£ this£ directlyI£ he£ also£ declined£ to£rule£ out£ fee£ rises£ when£ questioned£ by£ Labour£MPsG£ Johnson£ also£ statedj£ “We£ will£ be£consulting£ very£ closely£ on£ exactly£ how£ to£ put£together£a£package£of£incentives£that£works£for£the£ sectorG£ I’m£ not£ going£ to£ propose£ today£ to£outline£ in£ detail£ the£ finer£ details£ of£ each£element£of£an£incentive£packageG”These£ ‘finer£ details’£ are£ due£ to£ appear£ in£autumn£in£the£form£of£a£Green£PaperI£that£isI£a£consultation£ documentG£ If£ we£ take£ a£ look£ at£what£Johnson£has£said£we£can£tell£that£there£is£a£lot£to£be£worried£aboutj

→£The£metrics£of£“Value£for£Money”The£focus£of£the£proposals£will£be£on£the£three£key£ manifesto£ pledgesj£ lifting£ the£ cap£ on£student£ numbersI£ delivering£ the£ TEFI£ and£“driving£ value£ for£ money£ both£ for£ students£investing£ in£ their£ educationI£ and£ taxpayers£underwriting£ the£system”G£How?£Johnson£says£he£ plans£ toI£ “assess£ the£ employment£ and£earnings£ returns£ to£ education£ by£ matching£Department£for£BusinessI£Innovation£and£Skills£PBIS:£ and£ Department£ for£ Education£ PDfE:£education£ data£ with£ HMRC£ employment£ and£income£ data£ and£ Department£ for£ Work£ and£Pensions£PDWP:£benefits£dataG”

This£will£ likely£mean£ that£ the£outcome‘focused£metrics£ are£ all£ about£ graduate£ earnings£ and£employmentG£ A£ ‘good£ teacher’£ is£ no£ longer£someone£ who£ enriches£ understanding£ of£ a£subjectI£ or£ enhances£ critical£ thinkingI£ they£are£now£ a£ glorified£ careers£ service£ –£ and£ their£success£will£be£measured£by£your£paychequeG£

MoreoverI£ the£ idea£ that£ courses£ receiving£ a£label£of£excellence£according£ to£ the£metrics£of£‘value£money’£can£be£employed£to£justify£more£aggressive£ measuresI£ such£ as£ the£ axing£ of£maintenance£grantsG£This£ will£ hugely£ disfavour£ teaching£ staff£ who£train£ students£ who£ go£ into£ low‘paid£ public£sector£workI£like£becoming£the£next£generation£of£casualised£academic£workersG£It£will£also£fail£to£ take£ into£ account£ that£ people£ with£ higher‘earning£ parents£ will£ go£ into£ higher‘paying£graduate£ jobsI£ not£ necessarily£ through£ good£teaching£but£through£personal£contacts£or£early£advantages£in£lifeG

→£The£problem£with£Quantitative£SurveysMany£ argue£ that£ there£ is£ already£ something£similar£ to£ the£ TEFI£ in£ terms£ of£ assessing£university£ teachingj£ National£ Student£ Survey£PNSS:I£which£Johnson£himself£praisedG£As£activists£ standing£against£ the£marketisation£of£ education£ we£ cannot£ stand£ for£ eitherG£Ideologically£ they£ rest£ on£ the£ premise£ that£students£are£consumersI£buying£a£service£from£teachersI£ as£ education£ providersG£ Under£ this£logic£teachers£are£measured£by£their£‘customer£service’I£ rather£ than£ the£ quality£ of£ education£that£ they£ provideG£ Johnson’s£ repeated£references£ to£ the£ Competitive£ Markets£AuthorityI£ and£ polls£ conducted£ by£ the£ Higher£Education£Policy£InstituteI£are£ indicative£of£ this£

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repayment, of, student, loansY”, By, combining,these, two, ideas,Johnson,defines, ‘education,as,a, public, good’, to, mean, ‘work, hard, for, the,bosses,and,pay,off,your,debts’Y

There,are,further,references,to,making,sure,HE,matches, the, needs, of, big, businessW, including,the,very,explicit,statement, thatW,“we,are,not,yet,rising, to, the,challenge,of,ensuring, that,enough,young,people,are,choosing,courses,where,there,are, skills, shortages, and, strong, employer,demand”Y, This, technocraticW, businessMled,approach, to, higher, education, is, the, entire,foundation, for, the, reasoning, behind, the, TEF,and,should,be,strongly,resistedYPutting,a,Price,tag,on,our,Education

Essentially, then, the, ‘TEF’, is, a, way, of, pricing,different, courses,and,different,universitiesY,The,declared, mission, to, “drive, up, standards, in,teaching”W, is, a, plan, to, justify, an, increased, and,more,explicit,marketisation,of,educationY

AuthorityW, and, polls, conducted, by, the, Higher,Education,Policy, InstituteW,are, indicative,of, this,kind,of,thinkingY

These, kinds, of, metrics, hurt, workers, in,educationY, Johnson, notedW, for, exampleW, that,“competition,will,also,be,central,to,our,efforts,to,drive,up,standards”W,a,notion,which,endorses,a,continuation,of,a,system,in,which,almost,half,of,academics, are, pressured, into, giving, higher,grades, and, struggle, with, unmanageable,workloadsY

The, idea, that, a, series, of, leading, questionsW,formulated, by, a, neoMliberal, agendaW, can,quantify, the, quality, of, an, individual’s, teaching,methods, is, full, of, problemsY, ParticularlyW, when,these,spurious,metrics,are,used,to,justify,things,like, redundanciesW, funding,cutsW, ‘teaching,only’,contractsW, other, kinds, of, lowMpaid, precarious,contractsY,An, increasing,amount,of, teaching, is,done, by, poorly, paid, PhD, students, and, early,career, academicsW, on, shortMterm, contacts, and,it’s, precisely, these, already, exploited, workers,who, will, come, under, increasing, pressure, to,perform, according, the, demands, of, the, TEFY,While, the, institutions, may, receive, ‘financial,incentives’, it’s, unlikely, that, those, actually,delivering, the, services, will, benefit, from, better,payY

MoreoverW, the, TEF, encourages, the, separation,of, research,and,teachingY, ,This, is,an,unhelpful,splitW,and,many,leading,academics,have,argued,that,a,better,quality,education,can,be,achieved,through, researchMbasedW, lead, and, oriented,teachingY, YetW, the, rise, of, ‘teachingMonly,contracts’, has, seen, many, earlyMcareer,academics, burdened, with, most, of, the, admin,intensive, rolesW, leaving, them, unable, to, pursue,research,essential,for,their,career,development:,the, overwhelming, majority, of, these, less,esteemed, contracts, are, awarded, to, womenY,The, TEF, could, well, to, serve, widen, this, gapW,with,the,possible,result,that,universities,will,also,be, separated, as, either, ‘teaching’, or, ‘research’,institutionsY

Graduate Earnings as a measure of success

While, paying, lip, service, to, the, notion, thatW,“education, is, about, more, than, just, wage,returns”W,Johnson,went,quickly,back,on,course,by,reminding,students,thatW,“it, is,also,important,to, remember, that, higher, lifetime, graduate,earnings,provide,benefits,to,society,–,including,higher, tax, revenues, and, faster, and, fuller,

Johnson’sb planb tob “stimulateb ab diverseb HEbmarketb andb provideb studentsb withb thebinformationbtheybneedbtobjudgebteachingbquality”bisb inbessencebabplanb tobratebcoursesbaccordingbtob theirb ‘usefulness’basbdefinedbbybbusiness2b Inbneoclassicalb marketb economicsb suchb ‘pricingbsignals’barebusedbtobindicatebabproduct’sb‘worth’2bThen(basb‘demand’bgoesbup(bsobdoesbthebprice2bGivenb thatb ab similarb effortb failedb inb HEb whenbnearlyb allb institutionsb chargedb £9(---bstraightaway(b leavingb nothingb tob differentiatebbetween(b theb TEFb seemsb likeb anotherb attemptbtobforgebabcompetitivebmarketbmodelbinbHE2b

Addedb tob thisb Johnson’sb talkb ofb ‘incentives’(b itbseemsb universitiesb areb tob beb allowed(b judgedbbestb byb theb TEF(b tob ‘price’b themselvesbsomewhereb aboveb theb currentb £9(---b cap2b Asbsuchb theb rewardb forb ‘teachingb excellence’b willbbeb tob allowb thoseb 0likelyb alreadyb veryb richFbinstitutionsbtobbringbinbmorebcashbthroughbhigherbfees2b Inb otherb words(b moreb moneyb forbmanagement(breducedbjobbsecuritybforbstaffbandbmorebdebtbforbstudents2b

www.Anticuts.comwww.Anticuts.com 8

Why we must oppose the TEF

Johnsonb remindsb usb thatb thisb TEF(b “goesb withbthebgrainbofbourbreformsbsincebM-Y-bandbaimsbtobaccelerateb positiveb changesb alreadyb underwaybinbthebsector2”

Asbwebknowbtheseb‘positive’bchangesballbdependbonbperspective2bThebgovernmentbarebpursuingbabstrategybwhichbplacesbthebburdenbofbausteritybonbmarginalisedb groups2b Financialb incentivesb andbtheb appearanceb ofb studentb choiceb attachedb tobtheb TEFb areb ab distractionb fromb theb morebaggressivebchangesbitb isblikelybtobbring(bsuchbasbcourseb closuresb andb raisingb ofb fees(b allb whilebpushingb theb burdenb ontob over)workedb staffbmembers2b

But isn’t setting teaching standard better for students? Yesbbutb thisb isbnotbwhatb thebTEFbwillbachieve2bThebmetricsbproposedbarebabwaybtobratebcoursesbaccordingbtobbusinessbinterestsbandbhasblittleb tobdobwithbqualitybofb teaching2bMoreover(b ifbwebwantb tob improveb teachingb itb shouldn’tbbebbybputtingb moreb pressureb onb teachers(b butb onbimprovingb theirb payb andb work)loadsb andbcampaigningb forb moreb democraticallyb runbuniversities2

But if it puts more money into universities, isn’t that a good thing?b Thisb isbwherebab comparisonbwithbthebREFbisbhelpful2bTheballocationbofbfundingbaccordingb tob theseb arbitraryb metricsb hasb justbcreatedb moreb bureaucracyb andb theb kindb ofbcompetitionb thatb harmsb goodb research2b Yesbuniversitiesb needb moreb money(b butb shouldb bebfundedbbybtaxingbthebrich2

Won’t it give students more choice?b No2b Itb willbgivebthebillusionbofbchoice(b likeballbconsumerbledbmarkets(bbutbatbthebendbofbthebdaybthebsectorbwillbprovidebforbthosebwhobcanbaffordbtobstudybthosebcoursesb whichb leadb tob ab high)earningb career2bThisbisbnotbwhatbuniversitybshouldbbebfor2

www.Anticuts.comwww.Anticuts.com9

Cuts

Government2 changes2 will2 not2 just2 affect2 FE2graduates2–2they2will2also2disadvantage2current2studentsB2 Although2 funding2 for2 apprenticeships2is2 being2 ring)fenced(2 it2 was2 announced2 in2February2that2adult2further2education2would2face2a2 OT52 funding2 cut2 for2 the2 academic2 year2O39JI9’B[O]2 Since2 the2 election(2 the2 Skills2Funding2 Agency2 [SFA](2 a2 part2 of2 BIS(2announced2a2further2LBN52cutB2As2a2direct2result(2the2SFA2have2withdrawn2funding2for2the2English2for2 speakers2 of2 other2 languages2 [ESOL]2programmeB2 This2 scheme2 was2 set2 up2 to2 help2people2 who2 had2 a2 low2 level2 of2 spoken2 English2on2Job2Seeker’s2Allowance2to2improve2their2oral2English2skillsB

Overall(2 BIS2 wants2 to2 cut2 £’32 million2 from2 FE2over2 five2 yearsB2 Skills2 and2 Equalities2 minister2Nick2 Boles2 has2 tried2 to2 deflect2 attention2 away2from2 the2 severity2 of2 these2 cuts(2 by2 stating2 that2BIS2 has2 managed2 to2 obtain2 £OJ2 million2 to2 L2million2 apprenticeshipsB2 Regardless(2 these2 cuts2are2going2to2prevent2large2groups2of2people2from2accessing2education(2particularly2those2who2are2unemployed2 or2 from2 a2 working2 class2backgroundB2 The2 government2 should2 stop2pretending2 to2 care2 about2 apprentices2 until2 they2have2 taken2a2number2of2basic2steps2 to2support2them2 )2 such2 as2 ensuring2 that2 they2 are2 paid2 a2living2wage(2rather2than2an2exploitative2£OB£L2an2hourB2 All2 the2 Tories2 want2 to2 do2 is2 use2apprentices2 to2 prop2 up2 failing2 businesses2 by2providing2very2cheap2workersB

Further cuts to Further EducationMonty shield

Loan Repayment Changes

In2both2higher2and2further2education(2graduates2begin2 repaying2 their2 loans2 when2 they2 earn2£O9(3332 [for2 more2 information2 see2 the2 above2article2on2loans]B

The2government2expects2graduates2from2FE2to2pay2 back2 £LJ2 million2 more2 under2 this2 new2systemB2 The2 Department2 for2 Business(2Innovation2 and2 Skills2 [BIS]2 has2 recently2launched2a2consultation2on2this2 issue(2 in2which2it2predicts2that2 the2median2salary2for2FE2sector2graduates2will2be2£9N(3332per2year2in2O39’I9£B2In2this2document(2BIS2states2that2this2policy2‘will2not2have2an2impact2on2the2median2FE2learners’B2This2 may2 be2 used2 as2 justification2 for2 this2 new2move(2 because2 it2 will2 only2 be2 those2 FE2graduates2who2earn2more2than2the2average2FE2who2will2have2to2begin2repayments2earlierB2This2argument2 would2 be2 deliberately2 misleadingR2 it2creates2 the2 impression2 that2 this2 policy2 is2 ‘fair’2because2 it2 is2 higher2 than2 average2 FE2 earners2who2 pay2 earlierB2 Of2 course(2 this2 deliberately2misses2 the2 pointR2 it2 would2 still2 be2 people2 with2lower2 incomes2 in2 relation2 to2 the2 rest2of2society2who2would2be2forced2to2pay2earlier2)2£O9(3332is2still2 below2 the2 average2 incomeB2 It2 is2 working2class2 graduates2 who2 would2 suffer2 most2 from2this2policy(2not2higher2than2average2earnersB

Further cuts to Further EducationMonty shield

The Nature of these Changes

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Preventing the ‘Prevent’

Counter Terrorism Programme

Shelly Asquith

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Preventing the ‘Prevent’

Counter Terrorism Programme

Shelly Asquith

OpposingLPrevent

www.Anticuts.comwww.Anticuts.com11

Retrospective Repayment HikesRetrospective Repayment Hikes ben towse

Noty contenty withy raisingy undergrady feesy toy£BG666yandy replacingymaturey furtheryeducationyjFEby students’y grantsy withy loansGy nowy theygovernmenty wantsy toy hikey upy repaymentsy onyundergradyandy3“IyAdvancedyLearningyLoansRyThisy attacky won’ty justy hity futurey studentsGy butyanyoneywhoybeganystudyingysincey36M3R

Changing the repayment threshold

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Why is this happening?

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Raiding the pockets of lower- and middle-income graduates 3ymillionyborrowersyareypredictedytoybeyaffectedRyThey governmenty projectsy thaty graduatesy onystartingy salariesy ofy £3MG666y ory £–6G666y wouldyrepayy any additionaly £WGM66y eachy overy theylifetimeybeforeytheirydebtyisywrittenyoffyatythey–6zyearymarkRyByycomparisonGygraduatesystartingyaty£“6G666Gy whoy wouldy previouslyy havey expectedytoy payy offy virtuallyy theiry entirey debtGy willy repayyjusty£–66ymoreyunderytheynewysystemR

Changes to Student Loan Conditions

ben towse

www.Anticuts.comwww.Anticuts.COM 12

Dealing with counter-arguments

This–policy–will–be–hard–to–justify–as–reasonable4–Here– are– some– of– the– Wweak“– arguments– that–might–be–raised–by–anyone–defending–it4

“The repayment threshold is staying frozen”A– freeze– in– cash– terms– means– a– reduction– in–real– terms4– Because– of– inflation– –– where– the–price– of– goodsx– services– and– rent– rises– every–year– ’– £UNx555– in– five– years– will– represent– a–lower–income4

“They told you the terms could change”We– had– no– choice– but– to– take– these– loans– to–access– education4– And– government– ministers–sold– the– policy– on– the– basis– of– the– “generous”–repayment–terms,

“The government needs to balance the books. The money has to come from somewhere”This–is–a–false–choice4–There–is–plenty–of–wealth–in– our– society– but– it– is– sitting– in– the– mansionsx–businesses–and–bank–accounts–of–the–rich–––the–government– should– tax– the– wealthy,– This–change– in– repayments– is– an– attempt– to– fund– a–failing–system–by–exploiting–the–young4

Fighting back

We–can’t–allow–either–existing–graduatesx–current–or– future– students– to– be– sold– out4– We– have– to–fight– to– stop– the–hikes4–Beyond– thatx–we–should–argue– that– instead– of– tinkering– with– a– brokenx–unjust– fees– systemx– it– should– be– scrapped– and–replaced– with– free– education– funded– by– taxing–the–rich4

The– consultation– lasts– until– N3– October– U5NF– ––NUS– and– student– unions– should– respondx–demanding–no–changes–are–made4–But–we–can’t–stop– there– ’– we– need– to– raise– mass– public–awarenessx–and–use–protest–and–direct–action–to–force–the–government’s–hand4

So– by– raiding– the– pockets– of– middle– and– lower–earnersx– leaving– the– richer– largely– unaffectedx–the–government–expects– to–make–£S4U–billion– in–extra–repayments–from–existing–undergraduatesx–and–more– from– future–students4–They–will–make–just–£SF–million–out–of–existing–FE–borrowersx– in–part–because–these–students–will–be–repaying–out–of– lower– salaries4– The– government– can’t– be–bothered– to– make– a– political– case– for– changing–FE– loans––– they–are–affected–simply–because– it–would– be– bureaucratically– difficult– to– separate–them–out–of–the–undergrad’focused–loan–system–they– were– bundled– into– in– U5NS4– The–consultation– gives– almost– zero– attention– to– the–effects–on–FE4

The impacts

The–Tories–are–crossing–a–new–line–and–setting–a–precedent– that– students– and– graduates– are– a–piggy– bank– that– can– be– raided– any– time– the–government–needs–some–spare–cash4

Even–worsex–why–would–students–risk–taking–out–a– student– loan– to– access– education– when– the–conditions–can–be–changed–at–any–time–to–make–some– money– for– the– government?– This– is– a–disincentive–to–enter–education–at–allx–particularly–for– those– without– the– safety– net– of– wealthy–families4– Making– big– predictions– is– hardx– but–some– experts– do– believe– it– likely– that–prospective–students–will–become–“more–wary–of–taking–on–debt”4

And– it– might– affect– the– courses– students– feel–pressured–to–choose4–The–pressure– is–on–to–get–high’paying– jobs– that– will– pay– off– debt– fasterx–before– the– next– repayment– hike– –– pushing–students–to–focus–only–on–subjects–and–activities–that–will–net–those–jobs4

www.Anticuts.comwww.Anticuts.com13

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ForSeducationStoSbeStrulySfreeSforSallUSitSmustSalsoSbeS inclusive(S AnS educationalS systemS thatSliberatesS disabledS peopleS willS haveS toS removeSinstitutionalS barriersS andS coverS higherS costsS ofSstudying(SDSASisSvitalSforSachievingSthisSideal(

Cuts to Disabled Students AllowanceCuts to Disabled Students AllowanceTanju Cakar,Tanju Cakar,

www.Anticuts.comwww.Anticuts.com 14

unable“ to“ access“ master“ programs“ are“ from“oppressed“ background2“ leading“ to“ the“domination“ of“ teaching“ and“ research“ by“ the“most“privileged1“

From“the“government’s“perspective“reduction“in“the“number“of“domestic“students“doing“masters“degrees“ and“ going“ on“ to“ PG“ study“ and“ the“resulting“drop“ in“skill“ is“ the“main“motivation“for“introducing“ the“ loan1“ Rather“ than“ actually“increase“ access2“ then“ the“ rationale“ that“ this“should“ be“ a“ partial“ loan2“ rather“ than“ a“ higher“figure“ covering“ all“ expenses2“ is“ argued“according“ to“ the“ principle“ that“ cost“ should“remain“ a“ deterrent“ to“ studying“ for“ some:“ “this“balances“ the“ incentives“ to“ensure“students“will“continue“ to“ make“ considered“ and“ informed“decisions“ about“ pursuing“ education“ at“ this“level”1

This“ is“ further“ justified“on“ the“basis“ that“a“ full0loan“ would“ result“ in“ fee0inflation2“ something“against“ which“ they“ ambiguously“ propose“ that“they“ will“ “establish“ safeguards”“ –“ while“completely“ ruling“ out“ the“ only“ mechanism“ by“which“this“could“truly“be“affected:“the“regulation“of“fees1“

Of“ all“ the“ HE“ proposals“ outlined“ by“ Osborne2“those“ relating“ to“ postgraduate“ funding“ are“ the“most“ uncertain2“ although“ what“ we“ do“ know“seems“consistent“with“ the“general“grain“of“Tory“policy1“These“suggestions“discussed“here“relate“to“ the“ earlier“ Budget“ announcement“ in“ March“SA971“Alongside“this“the“government“launched“a“consultation“ that“ran“ from“the“S7th“March“to“ the“S9th“May2“SA971“The“government“are“now“in“the“process“of“analysing“the“results1“

Here“ are“ the“ most“ alarming“ aspects“ of“ the“proposals“put“forward“in“the“consultation:

Loans of £10,000 for taught Masters programmes:

As“ the“ HESA“ HHigher“ Education“ Statistics“AgencyE“ data“ shows2“ the“ number“ of“ students“undertaking“Masters“reached“its“peak“in“SAA85A£“Hprior“ to“ fee0hikesE“and“has2“ tellingly2“since“ then“only“ declined1“ The“ government“ needs“ to“ tackle“this1

The“ central“ proposal“ is“ the“ introduction“ of“ a“£9A2AAA“loan“for“taught“Masters“programmes1“A“Masters“degree“ is“a“gateway“ to“postgraduate“study“ 0“ and“ has“ been“ identified“ as“ the“ point“ at“which“ many“ people“ who“ want“ to“ continue“ their“education“ are“ permanently“ turned“ away1“ As“might“be“expected2“the“majority“of“people“unable“

Jess pattersonJess pattersonJess patterson Postgraduate funding:

What are the government’s plans?

Postgraduate funding:

What are the government’s plans?

www.Anticuts.comwww.Anticuts.com15

In2 addition42 loanUrepayment2 would2 be2 income2contingent42 operating2 on2 a2 similar2 system2 to2undergraduate2 loansK2 Interest2 would2 be2 at2 RPI2 j2“£42iKeK2equal2to2the2maximum2interest2rate2on2the2postU’MW’2 undergrad2 loan2 system42 with2repayments2 set2 at2 z£2 on2 earnings2 over2 £’WkK2This2is42of2course42all2on2top2of2the2z£2that2most2of2these2 students2 will2 already2 be2 paying2 on2 their2undergraduate2 loansK2 All2 of2 this2 fundamentally2misses2 the2source2of2 the2problem2 that2 they2have2created‘2 increasing2 barriers2 to2 the2 access2 of2higher2 education2 from2 undergraduate2 to2postgraduate2 level2 as2 a2 result2 of2 an2 untenable2system2of2student2debtK

An age-cap on loans‘

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The movementis in your

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InA theA shortA termxA ourA planA isA toA spreadAinformationA throughAnationwideApublicAmeetingsAduringA theA weekA ofA 12th*16thA October.A InA theAweeksAafterA thatANCAFCAisAorganisingAaAdayAofAlocalA actionA onA theA 24thA ofA OctoberxA andA aAnationalAdemonstrationAonAtheA4thAofANovember.AMoreAactionsAwillAemergeAasAtimeAgoesAonxAandAlocalAgroupsAandAtradeAunionsAwillAallAbeAmakingAtheirAownAplans.AWeAalsoAhaveAtoA leaveAaA lotAofAroomA forA spontaneousA studentA actionA andArespondingAtoAdevelopingAconditions.

WeA mustA alsoA considerA whatA theA longA termAvisionAforAourAmovementAis.AWhatAhappensAafterAaA bigA nationalA demo?AHowA doesA ourA campaignAputAdownArootsAlocallyxAandAcontinueAtoAbuildAtheAsupportA andA infrastructureA itA needsA toA surviveAoverA theA monthsA andA yearsA toA come?A DoA weAhaveA toA escalateA beyondA demonstrationsA *AperhapsAtowardsAaAstudentAstrike?

UltimatelyxAtheAsuccessAofAthisAstruggleAreliesAonAyou.A ThereA isA noA eliteA crackA teamA ofA activistsAwhoA knowA howA weA shouldA fightxA andA noA leftyAangelsAwhoAwillAcomeAandAorganiseAtheAstudentsAonAyourAcampus.AIfAsomethingAhappensAoverAtheAnextA yearA *A andA hopefullyA itsA nowA clearA toA youAthatA somethingA UmustUA happenA *A itA willA beAbecauseAyouxAandAhundredsAofAothersA likeAyouxAmadeAitAhappen.A

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