Student Protest Marches - a couple of points!

[bromley mum]

I think 13 is too young to go to London to protest but if my DC were older I would support them but only for peaceful protests. Afterall we are lucky enough to be living in a country where you can protest. It is for this reason too I think that people who hijack a peaceful pretest and turn it into mob violence are doing us all a disservice.

[hermanmunster]

Most of the students were brought up mainly under the last regime .....

Would I let a kid go? (as it is neither of mine would want to go - they are shocked by the protests - real closet young fogeys.) No - never know when this is going to turn nasty - and it will at some point.

[Looking for help]

The problem with these protests are that you can't tell how they are ging to turn out.

I would encourage everybody to protest. Education is a right not a privilege, and fees rising to £9000 pa is absolutely ridiculous, in my view. The losers are of course not the poor or the rich but they are the children of the squeezed middle who will be the teachers of tomorrow who cannot see a way to train because of the aboslutely outragious debt they will be left with.

I hope this causes the downfall of the coalition, it is not right that people who lied and cheated their way into power should get away with it.

[ourmaminhavana]

Do we think it's right they should be marching? Definitely. I'd march myself if we had a local one.

Will it have any effect on the Government? None whatsoever. Having said that it'll have a radical influence imo on the next one. Lib Dem vote currently 8%...

Do we even think the majority of students properly understand the Government's proposals?
Yes, I certainly do. This sounds like a Cleggism!!

Would you let your son/daughter (aged between, say, 13 -16) go on one of these marches?

I agree with the others here, 13 is very young, but 15-16 definitely (but I'd probably want to go with them to keep them safe.

It's a very, very sad day for higher education.

PS Have only just seen this as I've been switching between The Guardian's live commentary on this and Channel 4's excellent Live Blog.

[rubyhettybetty]

A friend of mine is in finance in a uni and says they are making embarassing surpluses. There are so many mediocre lecturers/ courses, and very few are full time, they are simply not worth the money. Allowing unis to charge such high fees will not address the waste issues and overinflated salaries these people are paid - in fact it perpetuates them. I will encourage my kids to go abroad to study - and in fact I might just pack my bags and go with them!!!

[mother night]

Don't you think some may wonder what is the point of voting if the MP you voted for makes a rapid u turn on their key election promises? I think this might just have the effect of fewer voters in the future, and had I voted for Lib Dems (which I didn't) I would have been enraged if the reason I chose them was because of the Uni fees 'promise' and how they would not raise them?!?!?! They have totally shot themselves in the foot IMO......

#
Sorry, I meant that the news coverage during the last election focussed on the fact that many in this demographic weren't voting due to political apathy- if they had then things might have been very different and it's difficult to complain if you didn't express an opinion by voting on the first place.

The U turn is eye watering but that's the nature of coalition politics- the weaker side loses. The young people who opted out of voting last time may now realise that every vote does count and that it is most probably the only way to at least register an opinion against this current policy- if you vote on a single policy of course.

[rosered100]

Turned very violent now! I dont mind people protesting but violence should not be tolerated at all. The police will be equally affected by these changes as anyone else so why target them with missiles etc? One of my friends is a mounted policewoman & I'm always worried when I see them being sent in, but have just seen her at the school run , so phew(for today anyway).
I think a lot of people have not read the proposals themselves but rely on the very biased media pumping out the £9k figure & 'tripling' being used a lot. Personally, being one of the poor, it would mean that my children could go to uni where I never could. iI this had been in when I left school, I would have gone to uni (against my fathers wishes & therefore support) but I would have thought more seriously about which course or uni I wanted to go to ie value for money, use in the future instead of the 'fun' course that I was going to do - psychology.

[SunlampVexesEel]

I support the protests. Creating a population of highly debt loaded young people will do nothing for our society.

I found myself in Trafalgar square recently to witness the enormous police presence and the small group of hard core activists being constrained in the corner... it wasn't a place I would want to find myself let alone my kids so I do not encourage young ones to go.

The walk down Whitehall in the snow was quite nice though since it was closed to traffic... nice walk over Westminster Bridge...

I might pop down later!

Regards
SVE

[T12ACY]

Disgraceful behaviour of a limited few who were only intent on causing spectacular damage and injuring Police officers. I only hope this doesn't detract from the message which should be getting across!

[Looking for help]

Very much against violence on any level, but cannot stand by and watch while our children have to suffer. Of course the poor should be supported entirely, and of course there are silly courses out there at poor establishments that are not necessary. But making those who've just lost child benefit and tax credits bear the burden of what is a casualty of the failure of the banking system is absolutely wrong. So as it is for those in local government, and the health services, who are about to / will lose their jobs, these cuts and fee increases are abhorrent. And to justify everything by saying, ah well we are looking after the poor is all very well, but there will be no quality further education in this country if those in the middle are not encouraged to go and the unis are not supported at government level.
Right off my soapbox, off to listen to my youngest scratch away on his cello, provided entirely free of charge by the council in an effort to support the teaching of music in schools. Don't expect that to last though, fortunately I'm lucky enough to buy him his own next term, but his poor friend is not so fortunate (or his mum doesn't want to endure yet another Xmas concert with the junior strings, the junior choir and the junior tooters as they learn )