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news report
 Monday May 19, 2003 14:32 by antrophe - Campaign for Free Education. antrophe at hotmail dot com 085 719 8001
 Fight Fees. The education minister Dempsey is stepping palns for an overhaul of third level education and we can expect an announcement by the end of the month. With this in mind a hastily pulled together Campaign for Free Education meeting is being held in Synge Theatre, Hamilton building in Trinity at 7pm this Weds 21st of May. The meeting is hosted courtesy of Trinity Anarchist Society and will feature activits from the CFE Group in UCD. Last summer the government increased registration fees for students by 69%, this amounted to nothing more than an introduction of fees through the backdoor. It now plans to either introduce fees or student loans by September. Either way, the government plans for free third-level education to be a thing of the past from next September. This will mean thousands of students dropping out of college, poverty conditions for those remaining and thousands of young people being denied access to college. We cannot lie down and accept this attack on education. We have to be willing and able to take serious mass action against fees and demand free education for all. The CFE has been one of the most formidable opponents of fees and cutbacks in education since the summer. It has organized numerous on-campus demonstrations in UCD making it a place of hostility to visiting government figures. The CFE has blockaded the Minister for Education in college buildings for hours; organized a successful occupations of the N11 motorway, the Departments of Finance, Education and Transport; carried out a successful sit- down protest outside Dail Eireann. All this brought invaluable media and public attention to educational inequality and the danger of fees. We believe education is a right and not a privilege. We believe in free and equal access for all, regardless of socio-economic status, to primary, secondary and third level education. We recognize that the present education system does not offer this and call on all students to secure your right to a free and accessible education of the highest standard. We must shift focus away from responding to the government's agenda, and force them to respond to ours, an agenda where educational opportunity is not mitigated by your economical and social background. Educational inequality is not something that magically appears in third level but is evident throughout the education system. The points system illustrates this. Where students with unequal resources and crap school facilities are pitted against those who can afford private tuition and attend exam factories on Leeson Street. Students are forced into a rat race for a limited number of college places because the government are unwilling to adequately fund the colleges. The Campaign for Free Education is a network set up last summer by students in UCD to fight the reintroduction of fees by getting students involved in collective mass action against the government. It is now essential that students, both in secondary and third level form an network to mobilise opposition against this government. The years of complacency, respectability and negotiation in the student movement must end, and action must begin. We need to show the government how serious we are on this issue, through a campaign to mobilise students and others and involve students in actions such as blockades, mass occupations, school and college strikes and more, which directly affect and upset the government Beyond Protest Towards Resistance: First Year of the CFE: http://www.educationet.org/z0281.html CFE Homepage, complete with resources, news, articles, forums and analysis: http://homepage.eircom.net/~sapdfs/index.htm
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Comments (10 of 10)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10share a similar stance to the PDs! Who'd have ever thunk it...
Why against fees for those whos parents earn over €110,000 pa? To quote from today's irish times: "we are talking about very comfortable people who can afford very exotic holidays a couple of times per year"-possibly PD supporters and fellow business people?
The income threshold is where this argument should be based, no?
Sinn Fein's proposal for a 'supertax' (approx 50%?) sounds interesting but does not necessisarly mean the tax taken will be invested back in the education system. and with CMcG having pen in hand you can be sure it will find its way into another unrelated area...or back in the pockets of those who were charged in the first instance.
So how to solve it?
Better to argue against fees as a basic principle (and argue that universities should be funded by higher taxation on high earners) than to concede the principle of paying for education (because once introduced that €100,000 limit is going to fall and fall).
... said that fees ranging from €4000 for arts students to €8000 for medicine students per year are being proposed
It wasn't clear if the registration fee would remain so it's possible that medical students could pay up to €8700 a year in fees.. totally insane considering that ireland has a huge doctor shortage
ad the €7000 extra it costs in accommadation and living expenses and you'd need €110000 to be able to afford it.
Its actually front page in the irish times,
But anyway..
The reason for a two-tier fees system is to promote elitism. The courses listed for the higher fees payment are Medicine, Law, veterinary, so-called 'prestige' courses, or more accurately the traditional 'proffesional' careers. There is no rational argument proposed as to why they should be rated higher, just that they have Prestige.
charging higher fees for them encourages elitism, in this case financial elitism, only the richest of the rich will be able to afford, just like in the US.
PD Watcher: Sinn Fein proposes a Super Tax on individuals earning over 100,000 of 50%. We also support increases in Corporation Tax, Capital Gains Tax and some of the higher earning income tax brackets.
We believe the money raised from this is more than sufficient to pay for free fees along with a great deal else needed in public services. Secondly, we reject the idea that money is spent on Free Fees, it is invested, and the economic, social and cultural benefits to society are immense.
On the brackets for the courses Dempsey proposes. Some courses do cost more than others. I can't remember the figures off-hand but for the State to pay for some-one to do Veterinary Medicene, with the need to use equipment of one type or another, costs more than Arts.
This is not an argument in support of the Department's position, merely a note that some courses do cost the State more to pay for than others. Certainly I don't accept that argument that a course should cost more because of its 'prestige'.
The increase in the fees may be a great deal more than people are expecting. €8000 for medicine, next October, I don't think so! Maybe for an arts degree.
Anarchists- Trinity- UCD- Oxymorons
by anarchist-my arse Mon, May 19 2003, 9:18pm
Who gives a fuck what the rich bastard students are doing in UCD or Trinity..Most of them would be going to college anyway as their parents did before them....the vast majority anyway..
The only people who have been affected so far are working class people who have had their dole converted into the BTE scheme and who have got that stopped for the summer..and of course Dempsey can wash his hands of that one because it is Mary Coughlan who was told by Champagne Charlie to bring that piece of legislation in.
If ...and it is a pissing my self laughing at the lies if.... that fees are brought in for those earning six figure salaries I say fair enough...but we all know that the self styled milk tray man with the wellies is lying through his teeth....but supporting a movement generated from the ghetto of Dublin 4 is not the solution
The Milky Bar Kid hits Montrose...
by anarchist-my-arse Mon, May 19 2003, 11:18pm
...and another thing
The milk tray man hadn,t the BALLS to appear on Q&A so they sent in the milky bar kid instead who surprisingly wants to keep third level education free...How soes he justify this?
He wonders how we can seperate one 18 year old from another..Ask Madame Tamemistress his boss who seems to know... if its babies the 18 year olds are pushing out then the PD,s are all on for the parents of those same 18 year olds to take responsibility.. a bity no one could take TMBK to tak on that one but there you go.
But who cares no one votes anymore..just turn up and meet the crew at Trinity and find out all the cool happenings in dublin and who got their photo in the slate this week...
The results of good Healthcare and Education benefit all, so they should be provided to all. If a consultant charges €200,000 a year for a 16 hour week then he/she should pay a lot of tax and explain why they did so little work. That is a separate issue and one that this right-wing government is not going to tackle.
The right to protest is also universal and well educated students are the bane of the Fascists life. Who in the Irish Government wants another Eoin Dubsky? How can they prevent further such cases?
Removing a students right to protest is not easy - as they will protest! - so , as in Australia, you just make sure they are so deeply in dept to a government student loan that they will not dare risk an arrest or even having their face or name associated with "anti-social behaviour".
It's about getting students to indenture themselves and so lose their freedom to use their education in a dissenting manner. Rich kids like medical student Che Guevara or economics masters student Fidel Castro!
The genuinely rich will be able to pay fees and it will be the middle classes who will have to take on massive life-long loans which will guarntee their obedience and non-attendence at photographed protests. As we see now in Amerika protest is being called terrorism.
http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82%7E1865%7E1400012,00.html
As for the definition of "Rich" - we might expect that for instance, a nurse married to a garda with 2.2 children doing a small bit of overtime would be deemed "rich". Once we go below that social level the numbers attending third level are small and easily controlled by other means.
This is a piece of "social engineering" aimed at a designated sub-group that has been somewhat troublesome of late. You think Bertie and Mary thought this up on their own or do you think it was "suggested" to them ? By an opinion-poll or insurance company perhaps? It is interesting to watch who is pulling the strings in the absence of the dear old landlord system.
Sadly, it's been a long time since trinners was a hive of toffs. Back in the 70's, the spiritual leader of the indigenous peasantry opened the floodgates to the unwashed and since then it's been all downhill for the rightful heirs of Swift, Goldsmith and Wilde.
Nowadays you'd be hard pushed to find a title within sight of the campanile. The few of us toffs that remain are a degenerate race. Nowadays all you need is a Southern English accent to gain admittance to the ranks of the Trinners aristocrats, not the merest hint of a title. And although we still swan about as if we own the place, our ranks are so thin that we have to consort with all manner of native. The place is absolutely flooded with aboriginal arrivees from Howth, nouveaux riches savages from Foxrock - and that's just BESS, the rest of college is unimaginably worse! The arts block is full of rude savages from Artane, Coolock and Raheney and it is all that we can do to keep them in their places by haughtily parading around with our refined accents and fine couture. The science end is far worse, a veritable no-go zone. Swift would turn in his grave to hear the common accents, speaking a strange tongue, which they somehow believe is some dialect of the Queen's finest.
Anyway, it is touching to see that, despite our tiny numbers, we still manage to define Trinners in the eyes of the common masses. What we really need is some barrier to entry that screens out the peasantry. Pecuniary barriers are known to be most effective in this arena. After all, the education is wasted on the peasantry anyway, so it would be a kindness to price them out of our hallowed grounds.
Bring back fees now - commoners out!
CAMPAIGN FOR FREE EDUCATION MEETING MINUTES. 21/5/03
AGENDA:
1. Discussion and reports from USI Actions on May 20th 2003
2. Discussion of current developments.
3. Preparations for the announcement.
Chaired by Finbar Dywer.
1. USI ACTIONS.
Redy- USI protests yesterday solely to exercise media clout against government, not mobilise clout of students. CFE activist rang and spreads word, attempts to mobilise as much CFE as possible, press releases done. Occupation in transport, ill prepared, objective solely to achieve publicity so no preparations for prolonged affair. Room chosen unimportant in terms of building infrastructure, hence Garda refusal to break dead lock. Occupations not in context of a strategy to build movement. USI cloud issue, present no clear strategy for an alternative to fees which will end educational disadvantage, as simple as grants not fees.
Cian- Not bad occupation, gained a lot of publicity, better than complete inactivity, shows point that 20 people won't defeat fees, didn't even think of mobilising students for or outside occupation, told Garth Keogh to set up open email contact list of students willing to take action over summer, did he? Will he?
Enid-the occupations and actions added to the momentum of support against fees and the debate in general, shows students are active.
Paul M- USI cloud issue, no clear argument on educational disadvantage, alternative to end inequality, grants not fees, accommodation- implicit in CFE.
Time for unilateral CFE action, our terms and arguments.
2. CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS
Paul D- now talk of student loans, previously loans buried, government playing pantomime, loans is real agenda. Research by NUS against.
Redy- loans international pattern.
Enid- fund education through an inequitable tax system, fees as an inequitable double taxation.
Cian- tax luxury items like cigarettes, derive income and discourage habits.
Corporation tax (12.5) too low, raise it. Capital gains. Even Harney says tax system is unjust.
Finighin- Tories in UK propose taking away fees but reducing number of places for working class people. Key argument is placing educational crisis in context of wider cutbacks, we will gain wider support, link up with others taking on the government.
Paul M- fees are the thin end of the wedge, PD's are opposed to idea simply because of the middle class vote. FF backbenchers are the same, serious backbench opposition, media is making key argument for government-fees for rich are ok. Battering ram to get stuff through such as BTEA.
Cian- don't give credence to necessity for cutbacks because of downturn.
Enid- ridiculous expenditure on Berties make up, military increase and government jet.
3. PREPARATIONS FOR ANNOUNCEMENT.
Need to focus on CFE, ignore USI.
Redy- Must attempt mobilisations beyond students, as body is dispersed.
Paul D- few student bodies still exist, trinity exam centre.
Cian- expect announcement in few days. Need to split into affinity groups to organise different aspects, delegation and responsibility. Shouldn't just do occupations like USI.
Redy- day X style build up to announcement, facilitate involvement.
Enid- review body delays, report cabinet meeting to clear, in drips and drabs not suddenly announced.
Paul M- TV3 poll positive, can build up momentum of activity, student movement- a questionable terms-has failed in terms of arguments, we need one day of real arguments which destroy notion of selfish bastard students simply concerned with safeguarding third level. Something serious is need to sway arguments.
Enid- letter writing campaign , everyone here, avalanche of mail, get our parents involved.
Caoimhe- not all parents are supportive.
Cian- letters not enough, desperate need to increase our numbers through open public activity, protest not occupation, meetings activists lists.
Ciaran- day x style activity, sit down protest outside Dail. Secondary schools?? USS?
Oisin- USS a write off, AGM full of careerists and young PDs.
Redy- USS has position against the school walkouts it grow out of, it will not back any of our actions and after occupation had a meeting with USI, obviously will opt for them over us.
Caoimhe- students hostile to activity outside, lack of confidence, as in teachers strikes action from secondary need to be self organised.
Redy- inform our contacts with our proposals from this meeting and invite them.
Oisin- extremely difficult to organise schools, need for two solid strong people in a school, repression by school authorities.
Cian- need for practical discussion and formulation of plan.
Something of a brain storming meeting, ideas bounced back and forth, loads of heightened discussion and very good constructive criticism. So now I will only write minutes for what was actually decided upon and the responsibilities taken up. I'll try portray the general sentiment and consensus, if anyone who was at the meeting disagrees with it please send in their own interpretation to this list. As there was some confusion over the actual strategy I will attempt a synopsis of it here.
Original idea was the hold an open publicly advertised extensively meeting in city centre location with no speakers, just a discussion from the floor to pull people into activity so it would be more an action work shop and not a talking shop. This idea then became superseded with that of protest next Wednesday, where we will hold a meeting immediately after it which will be flyered at the protest and activist lists gathered at it. Meeting will also be advertised through activist networks. The idea of a more serious action was also put forward as needed. The tactic of direct action at this is legitimised and justified.
From this we will build for a larger public protest on the day of the cabinet meeting outside the Dail and in the city where the report is discussed- this being the day x style scenario. In many ways, hopefully this will gain some sort of momentum similar to GNAW in media but smaller, we did action in the past and we promise it in future, a threat.
The idea of mass non payment was mooted, but realisation that middle class would be only ones to mobilise rule against it. Idea of mass refusal to fill in income assessment forms suggested.
After this we move into more serious action, with a clear rustication and clearer arguments against fees and for educational equality throughout the system.
So the schedule for the next weeks is;
1. Dail centred protest to be organised for next Wednesday evening. Public meeting to be organised for immediately after it to build for future. Activist lists to be formed at this protest and attempt made to get everyone involved in future.
2. Maximum possible build up to protest outside the dail on day of cabinet meeting, Day X style activity, sit-down.
3, After this more serious action will be organised, like all CFE actions this will be as a tool to mobilise and encourage as much autonomous activity against fees. To facilitate maximum involvement, the issue is to broaden the movement.
The responsibilities for the next week are;
Redy, Caoimhe; to organise protest and meeting for next Wednesday and material for it. To get involved in this ring James or Caoimhe.
General: Posters to be done Thursday, Friday and be ready for Saturday. On Friday in UCD posters will be placed on Paul. D's old election hoardings. And the city will be plastered. As many as possible must get involved in this.
Cian is to do a press release notifying of our activity.
Fi.D-is to explore the idea of is to explore the idea and possibilities of more serious action.
Agreed at meeting that Redy and Cian would act as spokespeople in press releases and immediate press contact. At actions media will be opened up to students participating. Cian subsequently stepped down as he felt that he was inappropriate since graduating. Consensus that F. Kelly be asked designated. Phone numbers are James; 085 719 8001 Finighin; 086 355 0529
There is also a need to organise colour, banners and so on to get ideas across and encourage participation. People can take this up autonomously, also possibility of doing some at day posters are being put on hoardings.