► Education and Student Hardship

01/02 Policy

Valid AULUC 2007

 

EDUCATION AND STUDENT HARDSHIP

Proposed by Allan Angus, [ULU V-P Welfare & Student Affairs]

Seconded by Justine Stephens, [ULU President] Nigel Fletcher [ULU V-P Finance & Societies]

 

THIS UNION NOTES

 

1.          That there has been a ten-year five-and-a-half fold increase in student debt and steep increases in student hardship.

2.          That there has been long-term under-investment in higher education.

3.          That there are shortages in teaching and nursing professions.

4.          That there are shortages in key areas of research in arts and science.

 

THIS UNION BELIEVES

 

1.          That many students endure hardship and some live below the poverty line.

2.          That the rise in hardship and burden of debt has direct and indirect detrimental effects on key public services.

3.          That teaching and nursing students are essential to the future of public services.

4.          That teaching and nursing students should be protected with publicly funded accommodation benefits during their period of study.

5.          That maintaining and enhancing the knowledge economy is essential for securing social justice and activating economic dynamism.

6.          That government assessment of the income and expenditure of students generally and particularly in London has proven deeply inadequate and unresponsive.

 

THIS UNION FURTHER BELIEVES

 

1.          That students living in poverty threatens social cohesion and undermines equality of opportunity.

2.          That the quality public services and welfare of society will degenerate if nursing and teaching graduates continue to endure hardship and large debts after graduation.

3.          That students in poverty; nursing, teaching and key postgraduate students are amongst the students the government should prioritise throughout spring and summer discussions.

4.          That the review of student funding should make provision to meet the accommodation costs of those in poverty, student nurses, PGCE graduates and postgraduates in key subject areas.

5.          That an innovative and dynamic knowledge economy depends on long term investment and increasing participation in key areas of research.

6.          That the GLA’s independent panel on London Weighting should be followed with a wholesale review of student income and expenditure at a national level, prior to the government’s summer announcement.

 

THIS UNION RESOLVES

 

1.       To mandate the Executive Committee to write to the Departments of Health and Education, The Treasury and Prime Minister urging them to back targeted granted student support for accommodation and maintenance costs for student nurses, teachers, postgraduates in shortage areas and students in poverty.

2.       To mandate the Executive Committee to write to each of the Parliamentary leaders asking them make a full inquiry into the machinery used to determine the outcomes of income and expenditure surveys, as well as demanding a thorough review of student income and expenditure generally, particularly in London

3.       To mandate the Executive Committee to write to the Treasury and other government ministers urging them to increase taxation to raise revenue for extra spending on higher education in the forthcoming budget.

4.       To mandate the Executive Committee to urge Trade Union’s, UUK and VC of London University to support such measures.

5.       To mandate the Executive Committee to hold a summer lobby of parliament on student hardship, benefit entitlement and education issues.

 

PASSED: 18^th March 2002