PRESS STATEMENT

National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts

Free fees for poorest students and other appeasement politics

London, 5th December 2010

After recent reports that government may ‘offer’ one year free university tuition to
eligible students, the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts is denouncing this
policy as a deceptive attempt at appeasement politics. With this latest move, the
coalition has simultaneously betrayed its claim on the necessity of a tuition fee
rise, and unveiled the confused and uninformed state of its decision-makers.

Please find our latest press statement below.

The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts stands for the principle of Free
Education.

We urge all those who oppose what the government is doing, including Opposition MPs
and student and education representatives (NUS, UCU and further involved trade
unions) to join us in a fight aimed not only at stopping a tuition fee rise, but for free
education for all!

We condemn the coalition’s proposal on differentiating students’ rights for education on

the basis of parental wealth. Education is a right, not a privilege.

At a time when many question the point of the student protests, we have seen the
Liberal Democrats move flipflop, panicking in their own ranks – and now the
government has amended its own proposals, seemingly overnight. This is testament to
the lack of real debate that has underpinned the policy-making process from the start.

Once more, this government shows its intention to individualise and marketise Higher
and Further Education in order to push a neo-liberal agenda, a policy which has failed
repeatedly, disproportionately affecting underprivileged sectors of society. With this
latest move, the coalition has simultaneously betrayed its claim on the necessity
of a tuition fee rise, and unveiled the confused and uninformed state of its
decision-makers.

The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts provides speakers for exclusive
interviews and debates in the upcoming days and on the day of the vote in Parliament.

Feel free to contact me anytime concerning these or any other matters.

Kind Regards,

Patrizia Kokot
Deputy Press Liaison
++44 (0) 79 8299 7317