18 Concrete, Wednesday, September 29, 1993
Features
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DNiall Hampton examines the Government's proposals for the future of student unions and asks Jacqui Mackay, UnionComms Officer, for her views THIS academic year is going to be one of the toughest years ever for student unions, as they fight to resist Government proposals for their reform. John Patten, Secretary of State for Education and Science, made a speech at last year's Conservative Party conference in which he propsed to end the last of what he saw as union 'closed shops': the campus union and the National Union of Students. His rhetoric was greeted with raptuous applause by the Tory faithful assembled in the hall, confuming the fact that they naively perceive student unions as being potential political antagonists. As usual, the Government waited until the 1993 summer vacation to offer a more detailed decription of their proposals, cynically exploiting the fact that stu-
Know Your Enemy: John Panen, MP dents would then be dispersed and therfore less able to offer opposition. This continues a technique that has in part enabled the Government to introduce substantial 'reforms' in
the past few years. These have "undermined and undervalued education" according to Jacqui Mackay. "The problem of university applications over the summer, the
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em huge and increasing problem of student debt and the recent talk of students contributing to their fees are just some of the ways that education is being affected by plans that don't consider lite welfare of students." However, the Government are nevertheless determined to continue with their plans despite their own research to investigate whether student unions are merely hotbeds of radicalism which actually drew no SU(.h conclusion. A cursory examination of John Patten's proposals shows how illconceived they actually are. Under them, student unions will no longer be able to fund: • student drama productions • student community action schemes • RAG week and other fundraising events • student media • nurseries and play-schemes for student parents e many other non-sporting student clubs and societies The only items that student unions will be able to fund are catering, sport, welfare and internal representation. In addition, automatic membership of campus unions would be ended (injecting the Tory principle 'choice' that has arguably ruined much of the infrastructure of the UK) and campus unions would be prevented from affiliating to the NUS. The implications for Higher Education institutions around the UK are obvious. Most of the activities that students have traditionally taken for granted may very well cease to exist. Applied to UEA, Patten's proposals could mean no more Drama Soc productions, no more community schemes, no RAG, no Nexus or Livewire (Concrete is independent of the Union), no child-care and no Crawl or Star Trek socs. It is precisely these services offered by student unions that contribute invaluably to the extra-curricular ide of Higher Education. Jacqui Mackay recognises this. "Though a degree is a student's priority and reason for attending university, the 'student experience' consists of so much more socially through clubs and societies and through having a democratic say in how your community is run. Taking a degree place a lot of stress and responsibility on students which makes the academic and welfare support that the Union provides e sential." The proposals designed to end the 'closed shop' are clearly going to have a detrimental effect on the lives of students. NUS President Lorna Fitzsimons points out that many student union activities are
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Lorna Fltzslmons community spirited and educational. "Students learn so much from their work with societies, with student community action, with play chemes, ~ith student media and the whole community benefits from their work." She emphasises a point that should be clearly understood by the Government, but which seems to have passed been ignored. 'There's nothing subversive or politically dangerous about RAG week or the drama club or the student radio station or the half-term play-scheme. Patten has accepted sporting activities but refuses to acknowledge the good of all the other community spirited work of the student union." However, Patten's proposals for the future of the campus union and the NUS could mask a more cynical intention. Much debate is currently taking place about the future of university funding, and the Commission of Vice-Chancellors and Principals (CVCP) are considering four possible schemes. One of these is the dreaded 'graduate tax ' , a system adopted in Australia where the student repays his or her tuition fees through higher National Insurance contributions. Surely any debate as to the future of Higher Education funding should feature input from students, who to use the Government style, are the 'consumers'. The NUS is the only organisation able to represent the interests of students nationally, and hould surely be included in consultations. Says Jacqui Mackay, "At such a time, it is essential that students have a say in the education debate and that their rights and interests are represented. The best channel for this is your student's union." This point is completely overlooked by the Government and their advisers, who see student un-
ions as a threat to their power because a campus union has the potential to gather people together and galvanise opinion. Previous Tory reforms in the workplace have undermined this representation and in an educational context, the Government's perception of student unions is firmly rooted in the past, when students a lot less apathetic than their current counterparts fought for their rights in a style much more militant than that of the present. It would appear that the Government's proposals for the 1990s seem to be based on an image of rooted firmly in the past. Jacqui Mackay is more than aware of the need for students to fight for what they should be entitled to. "On the whole it is your Union which provides support and extracurricular activities. Your government is trying to deny you this. We will be campaigning against student union reform and seeking your feedback so that you have a say in consultations about the future of your Union." • The NUS are organising national opposition to Patten's proposals and are calling for support. "Students should get involved in the campaign and work with their own student union to fight for the survival of these vital student activities and the right to national representation", says Loma Fitz-simons. "Everyone in this country has a right to representation and why should students be different? "We have a right to a national voice and it would be very wrong of this Government, purporting to believe in empowering the consumer, to act to silence our capacity to comment on matters which directly affect us as consumers."