Police have revealed that the potential use of rubber bullets has been approved against those marching in the protest against rising tuition fees this Wednesday. The move, which could be said to implicitly criminalise the legitimate act of protest and suggest that students and young people are more likely to be violent than adult protesters, has outraged politicians and human rights groups.
With 28 universities announcing plans to revise their tuition fees arrangements, university applications have been thrown into chaos. Tens of thousands of students trying to navigate the already complex fees arrangements are now being forced to make blind decisions about where to apply. We explain the developments that have caused these problems, and who is likely to be worst affected.
As the government votes against reinstating the axed Education Maintenance Allowance, we consider the arguments on both sides, and ask what impact the cuts will really have on underpriveleged pupils. Can the government justify its claim that an enormous £500 million of funding should be withdrawn from support for sixth-form college attendees?
As the day of the Parliamentary vote on tuition fees draws near, we recap the major points of the debate on fees, from the government’s plans to raise university fees to £9000 and scrap state education funding, to the staunch opposition organised by the National Union of Students and their president Aaron Porter. What will be the outcome of the vote on tuition fees?
With the publication of this week’s Million+ report claiming that 65% of students will be worse off under the government’s proposals for raised tuition fees, Nick Clegg has lost his last vestiges of support. The student population, the general public, and even his own party have been left angry and disillusioned, but it is his own supercilious and condescending attitude towards the protesters that has truly left Nick Clegg standing very much alone.
