British student protests continue over plans to triple tuition, photos

http://framework.latimes.com/2010/11/24/student-protest-london/
British students protest tuition increases


LONDON — Thousands of British students protested Wednesday against government plans to triple university tuition fees, and there were sporadic scuffles with police, two weeks after a similar demonstration sparked a small riot.

College and university students across the country held marches and sit-ins to oppose the decision to increase university fees to 9,000 pounds ($14,000) a year, a key plank in the government's deficit-cutting austerity measures.

In central London, the university students and younger pupils in school uniforms marched from Trafalgar Square toward the Houses of Parliament, chanting "no ifs, no buts, no education cuts."


The Metropolitan Police said two officers were injured in London, including one with a broken arm. Twenty-nine protesters were arrested for charges including violent disorder and criminal damage.

Some attacked a parked police van, smashing the windows and scrawling graffiti. Others destroyed phone boxes and set fire to a ticket machine at a bus stop.

"Education is not a rich kid's game," said Tash Holway, 19, a student. "If this keep up, the entire industry will change. It won't be about talent, but only about who can pay."

Lines of police guarded the headquarters near Parliament of junior government partner, the Liberal Democrats. The Lib Dems have drawn particular anger because the party campaigned on a promise to abolish tuition fees, then abandoned it once in power.

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-london-protests-20101125,0,7671102.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fmostviewed+%28L.A.+Times+-+Most+Viewed+Stories%29

Haven't seen that anywhere, including Brit papers.

At the moment fees are paid by all going to University. In the future those fees will be payable by graduates at a much lower rate than currently paid. The new scheme is near to a graduate tax but is not quite a graduate tax (Tory ministers would not want a non ending graduate tax).

The last Neo-Con Labour scheme was horrible, this new scheme is less horrible as those from lower income families are better protected but the middle classes will take a massive hit.

I prefer the scheme passed by the Obama administration (10% of disposable income) however the concept of disposable income is not recognised by the UK treasury.

Solidarity.

"If this keep up, the entire industry will change. It won't be about talent, but only about who can pay."