News Roundup: 2/5/07
Free Speech, Zone-Free
Students at Ohio University are taking a stand against those silly "Free Speech" zones. Such zones used to be the exclusive domain of pro-Bush rallies, but are now found increasingly on college campuses. OU's chapter of SDS is taking the lead and challenging such a ridiculous policy head on:
"Springtime will be a new beginning, an era where decisions are not made by the few, but by the many," declared Graduate Student Senate President Dom Barbato. He was making a seasonal comparison to reform at OU as he stood on the monument before a crowd of about 125 gathered there despite the cold and snow. "Students, faculty and staff will be given the opportunity to truly shape the policies of this institution we all love." [Full article here]
Victory for Teachers and Students in Copenhagen
Thanks to a coordination of teacher and student strikes, "hundreds of teachers will keep their jobs after the City of Copenhagen agreed to give up its proposed educational budget cuts."
Some 400 teachers were due to lose their jobs over budget cuts, but now the city says it will try to make the cutbacks in other areas. Students at 16 city schools had threatened to continue their sit-outs Monday in protest over the cuts, as well as deteriorating physical conditions at schools and what they believed was a diminishing overall quality of education.
'I think the kids have learned that you don't always need other people to take action for you and that you can influence the course of events. They probably learned more here than in 50 hours of social studies,' said Jan Trojaberg, president of the Copenhagen Teachers' Union. [emphasis mine] [Full article here]
Canadian Students Stand Up for Affordable Tuition
On February 7, named the Day of Action, post-secondary students will gather outside Convocation Hall and march towards the provincial legislature at Queen's Park in protest of last March's decision to lift the tuition freeze that similar student action had achieved two years ago. Similar co-coordinated events are scheduled to take place the same day all across the country. [Full article here]
The Canadian student body is absolutely energized in this tuition campaign. That's what you're able to do when you have a large and active student union movement. (hint hint, U.S. campuses!)
Cardiff (England) Students Are Also Fighting Tuition Increases
Across the pond, students are protesting the potential rise in student fees at Cardiff University, led by the Cardiff Students' Union and Cardiff Socialist Students. They're also planning a day of action on February 7.
[Socialist Students spokesperson Gerald Blee said] "Already, the average debt is around £10,000 and with top-up fees it’ll be much higher. Paying it back at 9% once you are earning £15,000 means new graduates face higher taxes than millionaires."