Today (Tuesday 21st October) the Young Labour national committee will be debating a motion on free education and providing support for the free education demo on November 19th, submitted under-19s officer Rida Vaquas and seconded by trade union rep Caroline Hill.
It is likely that right-wing members of the committee will attempt to prevent the motion from passing in its original form. You can lobby your Young Labour reps – to demand the motion goes through unamended. Contact details – email and Twitter – can be found here.
The motion, proposed by Rida Vaquas and seconded by Caroline Hill, is as follows:
Young Labour National Committee Notes:
- Germany has announced the abolition of tuition fees, proving that it is not unrealistic or unaffordable
New figures show that since the increase of tuition fees to £9,000 a year, there has been a 17% fall in undergraduates at UK universities and a 19% drop in part-time students, likely to
be from disadvantaged backgrounds. - According to the OECD, Britain has the one of the most “highly stratified major university systems in the world” and some of the lowest levels of social mobility
- Tuition fees discourage applicants who do not come from traditional academic family backgrounds.
University staff have also seen a decline in pay and conditions, with many on zero hours contracts, and a cut in pensions – young people should support them.
Young Labour National Committee Resolves:
- To officially come out in support of the Free Education demonstration on November 19th.
- To support our members in organising a Young Labour bloc to march at the demonstration