Campaign for Free Education's reaction to governments plans
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Friday May 30, 2003 12:22
by CFE - Campaign for Free Education
Below is a copy of the press release issued by CFE in reaction to the government decision to backdown on their plans to reintroduce fees.
The Campaign for Free Education has welcomed the announcement by the Government to invest 42 million in improving the grants system as evidence that direct action can work in fighting against the cutbacks agenda of the Fianna Fáil, PD government. The Campaign for Free Education has waged a year long campaign of direct action against the proposed reintroduction of fees and for equality of access to education.
CFE activist James Redmond said:
“The Campaign for Free Education took militant action over the last year in our battle against the reintroduction of fees. We organised occupations of government departments, sit ins and a blockade of the Dáil showing that there was strong opposition to the government’s cutbacks agenda in education. When Noel Dempsey visited UCD to open the Vet building he was blockaded for several hours by hundreds of students and CFE activists.
“The decision of the government to back down over fees and to invest 42 million of exchequer funds into improving the grants system is long overdue and shows that when ordinary people organise and take direct action, victories can be won. It is essential that people faced with cutbacks up and down the country draw the lesson that the time for waiting for politicians or union leaders to deliver is over. Its time to organise ourselves”
Finghin Kelly activist with CFE said:
“This is a key turning point in the battle against government cutbacks. We are calling on the government to immediately reverse their decision to cutback the Back to Education allowance. A significant number of mature students, lone parents and the long term unemployed will be unable to continue in their return to education if the BTEA cutbacks are not immediately reversed. We also call on the government to either reinstate the Student Summer Jobs Scheme or the right of students to claim unemployment assistance during the summer months. Thousands of students will find themselves without work this summer and ineligible for any state assistance whatsoever. The Campaign for Free Education will continue to fight for equality of access to education and for an education system that is genuinely free.”
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Comments (8 of 8)
Jump To Comment: 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1agree with gaz,,,
The statement was written by Cian O'Callaghan
"We also call on the government to either reinstate the Student Summer Jobs Scheme OR the right of students to claim unemployment assistance during the summer months."
ok they're investing money in the grants system but because of the way in which people are accessed, means testing, the system is still open to abuse by the self employed and some sections of the farming community.
The government is still neglecting the fact that barriers to education don't suddenly appear once you get your leaving cert results. Grant reforms are limited in what they can accomplish, if there is no extra funding for schemes to help disadvantaged students in pre-school, primary and secondary level education.
The School Retention Initiative has been cut by cut by €6million, €5m cut from programmes aimed at attracting socio-economically disadvantaged school-leavers to third level, the Back to Education Initiative has been cut by €3.8million.
In the book of Estimates there was a cut in third level building projects of €42million for 2003.
The last year has seen thousands of students engaging in mass and direct action. There has been at least 4 occupations of government departments carried out by USI and CFE. CFE has also staged a sit in at the Department of Transport and a sit down/ blockade of the Dáil as well as the blockading of Dempsey in UCD. The result has been 42 million extra for grants, no increase in regisration charge promised and no return of fees. But the fact remains that "free education" still does not exist.
Cfe was initially set up as a reaction to the 69% hike in the registration fee and general cutbacks in education. The recent investment should not be viewed as a victory in a war, it was merely a victory in a single battle. There should be no let up in CFE and USIs struggle for the state to provide free, quality education in which a real equality of opportunity can exist.
The Press Release doesn't call for the student summer job scheme to be reinstated on the same terms as before.
Also it calls for the reinstatement of the right to claim the dole which was removed from students several years ago.
Trotsky believed in conscripting workers into Labour Battalions. You shouldnt be surprised that the SY want to conscript students into the Summer Job Scheme.
The Students Summer Jobs Scheme is a form of slavery for fuck's sake. Why are you calling for it to be reinstated? Students should qualify for social welfare if they cannot find a job in the summer months. They shouldn't be asked to work for four fucking euros an hour, which, BTW, is significantly below the minimum wage.
Well done, Finghin... Vive la revolution!