Student riots

They had one a while back, and it all went wrong. And some graduate felt it'ld be a good idea to have another one? Scrap Uni, because clearly they're lacking in intelligence. If they want tax payers money, they're sure going about it the wrong way!
 
rosiefronfelen said:
From what i saw on the television they are nothing more than thugs!
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Yes or thick as they dont seem to understand the fact
that they wont be expected to pay one penny untill they earn £21k or more... hopefully one day fewer of these morons will swan around
for 3 years at the tax payers expence ...
 
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perfect11s said:
Yes or thick as they dont seem to understand the fact
that they wont be expected to pay one penny untill they earn £21k or more...
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And after 30yrs if it hasn't been repaid the debt is cancelled. On average the government loses £30,000 per student. It really is a hard life isn't it?! I was in uni today whilst some people gathered to protest by walking out of lectures etc and I just thought- you want taxpayers to pay for you and be on your side whilst you're just wasting their money by not going to lectures!
 
bryngelenponies said:
And after 30yrs if it hasn't been repaid the debt is cancelled. On average the government loses £30,000 per student. It really is a hard life isn't it?! I was in uni today whilst some people gathered to protest by walking out of lectures etc and I just thought- you want taxpayers to pay for you and be on your side whilst you're just wasting their money by not going to lectures!
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Well it must have changed since I was at uni, because my SL which incidently I have not ever paid a penny of as I don't earn enough and I graduated 5 years ago, is not going to be written off until I am 65. I was one of the people for whom it was meant to help, got good grades, went to a decent uni, but was from a single parent, income family. Under the system they use today, not the one they intend to go on I would not have been able to go to uni. The only people who benefitted from SLs etc when I was at uni were the richer kids who could afford to put it all in an ISA and then pay it back after uni and keep the interest. I had my tuition fees paid for me, not on a loan basis how it is now.

Having said all this, the behaviour of some people is just awful.
 
the really stupid thing is that they are getting so angry with Nick Clegg for breaking his promise... erm he didnt win the election.... which means he is not in power... what are they teaching these students, are they really that stupid???
 
Brontie said:
They had one a while back, and it all went wrong. And some graduate felt it'ld be a good idea to have another one? Scrap Uni, because clearly they're lacking in intelligence. If they want tax payers money, they're sure going about it the wrong way!
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oh yeah clever idea there! scrapping uni for everyone because a few peoples idiot behavior! you can tell your not old enough to have looked at uni yet!
 
Hold the phone.

Students are striking?!

Who will work in the hospitals, drive buses, grit the roads.......?

Oh wait, students don't do anything - by going on strike they achieve nothing, apart from annoying all of us who have to work and have no option to go on strike.

I am an ex-student, they are privileged to be there, be grateful for what you have, and if you want to protest go about it in a more intelligent way, not by wasting tax payers money by not attending lectures fgs :mad:
 
Remembers with affection the days when you got to university because you were clever and not because some silly politician decided that 50% of school leavers should hold a degree.

Once upon a time clever people didnt have to concern themselves with outrageous fees as they were going on to become useful members of society.

Higher education was a privilege and not a right.

How things have changed.
 
Thats the thing that gets me too. A good percentage of those protesting will be of the mickey mouse degree variety. I doubt very much that many medical/vet/law students have the time to do this.

I did enough of a mickey mouse degree as it is (zoology) but its still (just! ;) ) a science. And I worked hard and returned to do an MSc to get a degree related job. Thats how it is now, if you want a degree related job many people now have to get MSc's to put them above the rest.

People don't need degrees, they need degrees that are worth the paper they are written on, like engineers etc :mad:
 
But what about the students who do want to go and do a good "old fashioned" degree. They will be penalised by having to pay back the higher fees. £21 k is below what the Government calls average wages (don't go there) so are they saying that those with a degree often won't meet average wages!!!
 
these are attention seeking thugs..not proper students as was said earlier doubt the med/vet students will be carrying on like this.

they obviously haven't the calibre or brains to go to uni.

I was at uni but it wasn't right for me and now am paying as I go with open uni and am working.

also students turn thier nose up at uni near home cos they want the experience of living away not cos the uni is any better elsewhere. I know a girl who live 12 miles away from the top institution for the course she is studying but she had to uproot to the other end of the country for the 'experience' they aren't interested in cutting costs... they just want it all there own way.

btw I hated being student, they others were laziest slobbiest people I've ever known (most were nice people, but didn't seem to have any 'get up and go' attitude.
 
before i get slaughtered i didnt miss my lectures today to go to the riots as i have a lot of uni work to do atm. (please dont comment on grammer and spelling as im dyslexic and i try my best).

i believe the students are doing the right thing by rioting and strikeing as direct action is a valid method of accumplishing their aims as the government doesnt listen to anything else.

the students as not just rioting about tuition fees (which i feel are unfair as my parents have paid enough taxes to cover that and all the other services we recieve from the council, through hard work i might add.) but they are compaigning against the cuts to higher education in general which will lead to quite a few universities closing. (not mine but still grosely unfair).

how does the government expect its population to work its way out of debt if they wont educate them. some of the greatest minds in this country cant afford to go to university as it is now. you cant cut your way out of a recession you have to invest and one of our countrys biggest resources if education, why else do th chiense come here for uni
 
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As an ex student, I do understand to a certain extent, however the country cannot afford to pay for everyone to have a degree -especially when those degrees are not leading to graduate salaries - how could 50%+ of the population earn those salaries? It was easily possible to finance university students when 1% of the population went to university (in my Dad's day), barely possible when I went to Uni (30% of the population), and impossible to fund nowadays when everyone wants to go to uni to do pointless subjects. Quite a few universities do need to close - even the worst of the technical colleges now call themselves universities now. It makes a mockery of our university system that used to be the best in the world. Yes foreign students pay to come here, but they're only here now as we take anyone! They're not the best of their country anymore, as we don't have the research projects anymore to tempt the best.

I ended up paying back my student loan very quickly - even though I didn't have to as my salary didn't meet the limit for paying them back. It will be doable...

Yes you do have to make cuts in a recession. How else do you get out of it - keep spending money that the country doesn't have! If you don't you end up like Ireland! The country does need a great overhaul - its not always being done the right way, with those at the bottom losing jobs while managers profit, but re the students, I'm sorry, but less people need to do degrees and more people need to train for more practical jobs that pay just as well, or better, than mickey mouse degrees... and sorry guys, but I include equestrian degrees in that catagory. 90% of them are not necessary..

I have no idea what smashing up a bus shelter, or firing fireworks at a police horse does to help the cause!
 
have to say, at the moment I am ashamed to be classed as a student. I dont think the small group of students rioting will get us anywher except give us all a bad name. Some of my friends were out there today (whilst I was working on my dissertation, like they should have been!) and I really did wonder why.
I agree that less people need to go to university, degrees are becoming worthless nowadays as nearly everyones got one. If I was planning on going to university in the next couple of years, I would really consider just going straight into the working world and slowly building up my career.
Whilst school education is compulsory (and so should be free), university is a choice. Why should the governement have to pay for it all? At the end of this academic year, I will be leaving with around 20k of debt. It scares me how much but I intend to pay it back how and when I can.

Madeleine1 - how do you expect a governement to work its way out of debt when you expect them to pay for thousands of students to go to university when a lot of them will never pay it back? Oh and the reason they let foreign students over is that they pay a heck of a lot more money than we do, I think its nearly triple. One of the departments at my uni is mainly foreign students and thats the department thats getting new buildings and refurbishments due to the amount of money foreign students bring in.

I am outraged at some students approach to all this, if it carries on, people are going to end up seriously hurt for what will probably be for nothing.
 
Most students are just children really, and are away from home for the first time in their lives. Some don't seem to be able to cope well away from home. They live in a mess, are unable to cook, cannot handle the drink and find organizing themselves for lectures very difficult.

Others cope very well, and find University a useful and rewarding experience.

You have to ask yourself, why?

How many children are brought up at home without being given the life skills they will need when they leave that home, and whose fault is that.

Of course students should be allowed to protest about policies that they disagree with, as should anyone. If women had not protested and been subjected to the most barbaric treatment they would not be able to vote, those that protested are now revered.

Students today are seen more as a commodity rather than well educated, bright young people who will take over running the institutions and companies that keep the country going.

As soon as they arrive at their chosen University they are charged for everything, from using the printer to washing their clothes, the tuition fees are just the start, student accommodation is not cheap, and a whole bright new avaricious industry has sprung up providing students with rooms at outragous prices.

Then there are the bars which sell alcohol laced 'pop' to these youngsters who really have no clue about what they are drinking and end up lying incapable in their own vomit.

As I see it students are cynically exploited by the Govenment, the Universities, the landlords, the drinks industry and fast food outlets.

As soon as people were charged tuition fees to go to University, the floodgates opened for exploitation.

Instead of creating jobs for school leavers, how much simpler to send them to University, much less of a dole que then, in fact, a dole que that you could charge to spend 3 yrs getting a degree in any old rubbish. Very few jobs about for the majority of graduates, and there will be fewer in the future.

Little wonder then that it has come to protest, and violent protest as people look into the future and look forward to years of debt.

Yes, there are students who are attempting to carry on the traditional role of students, to graduate with a good degree, and to take up well paid useful employment, but this is not what is intended for the majority.
 
I have a point to make, which is this - my student loan is £18,000+, as I was a full loan girlie from a low income home, and I did a 4 year course including a year abroad. It costs me £60 a month. I also have a personal loan, for much less - which costs more than twice that a month!

As I understand it, the extra costs are paid afterwards, not before you study. So I'm sorry - not much sympathy. I have started my working life in debt because I studied, and I would do the same again. Get over it, kids!
 
Spudlet said:
As I understand it, the extra costs are paid afterwards, not before you study. So I'm sorry - not much sympathy. I have started my working life in debt because I studied, and I would do the same again. Get over it, kids!
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I had missed that point! I too started my working life in debt, and tbh I don't notice the £50 a month that is taken off me, as it is taken straight off my wage - I never see it in the first place!

Sadly the world has changed and now you have to pay for stuff, they should think themselves lucky they don't have to stump the cash up front! :eek:
 
All the students are doing is making the public lose any sympathy. As others have said we need the tuition fee rise so that universities can continue developing their facilities and be able to provide high quality teaching. If the cuts cause unis to close then that is a good thing, there are too many students doing too many pointless degrees resulting in more people doing masters.

Rising the payback to 21k though is wrong as even with a degree and masters it could still take me several years after uni to earn above 15k let alone 21k.
 
Ive not really paid much attention to the detail of the cause of the riots, not being a student myself, however all the students have done in my view is turn me completely against them. Their violent antics just show to me that they dont deserve to be treated any better. Why should my taxes go towards paying for these so called 'future of our country' when they behave like that.
 
Lizzie_Liz, I am sure it won't take you that long to start earning over 21k - think positive, you are very qualified and have some good experience. Don't sell yourself short - as there are plenty of people out there who will do that for you :)
 
madeleine1 said:
before i get slaughtered i didnt miss my lectures today to go to the riots as i have a lot of uni work to do atm. (please dont comment on grammer and spelling as im dyslexic and i try my best).

i believe the students are doing the right thing by rioting and strikeing as direct action is a valid method of accumplishing their aims as the government doesnt listen to anything else.

the students as not just rioting about tuition fees (which i feel are unfair as my parents have paid enough taxes to cover that and all the other services we recieve from the council, through hard work i might add.) but they are compaigning against the cuts to higher education in general which will lead to quite a few universities closing. (not mine but still grosely unfair).

how does the government expect its population to work its way out of debt if they wont educate them. some of the greatest minds in this country cant afford to go to university as it is now. you cant cut your way out of a recession you have to invest and one of our countrys biggest resources if education, why else do th chiense come here for uni
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fair enough, but why the shocking behaviour- what do they gain by smashing windows, creating fires in the roads and damaging vehicles? this is wanton vandalism, not a peaceful march!!
 
Shrimp said:
have to say, at the moment I am ashamed to be classed as a student. I dont think the small group of students rioting will get us anywher except give us all a bad name. Some of my friends were out there today (whilst I was working on my dissertation, like they should have been!) and I really did wonder why.
I agree that less people need to go to university, degrees are becoming worthless nowadays as nearly everyones got one. If I was planning on going to university in the next couple of years, I would really consider just going straight into the working world and slowly building up my career.
Whilst school education is compulsory (and so should be free), university is a choice. Why should the governement have to pay for it all? At the end of this academic year, I will be leaving with around 20k of debt. It scares me how much but I intend to pay it back how and when I can.

Madeleine1 - how do you expect a governement to work its way out of debt when you expect them to pay for thousands of students to go to university when a lot of them will never pay it back? Oh and the reason they let foreign students over is that they pay a heck of a lot more money than we do, I think its nearly triple. One of the departments at my uni is mainly foreign students and thats the department thats getting new buildings and refurbishments due to the amount of money foreign students bring in.

I am outraged at some students approach to all this, if it carries on, people are going to end up seriously hurt for what will probably be for nothing.
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a government should not be working its way out of debt. the people should and how do we expect them to do that when they cant afford to go to university to be able to compete in the global market which is so important for us to get out of the recession?
i understand why they let foriegn students in (sorry if i wasnt clear) i meant that if our education system wasnt worth using why do foriegn students use it?
i think there are more improtant cuts to make first!
why do we subsidise scottish students free university places, so scottland dont have to pay for them at all?
scottland have free perscriptions as well, is that fair? when we give scottland tax payers money?
we are paying for a war we cant afford?
nucelar missle defence? when only a few countrys have them, and they will be out of date by the time they are finished
new prisions when the prision system isnt working and is only driving up crime rates? a prision costs 60 million to build btw where as a primary school costs 1.4 million to build?
and why do we have to help ireland and the euro, just because europe say so when we cant afford it?

when you look at all the mistakes the government is makeing how can raising tuition fees be right when they are relatively cheap compared to all these costs

i dont understand why a govenment that didnt get voted in can decide that we have 5 years to pay back a loan it took us 200 years to create
 
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Incidentaly student fees are not rising because unis are getting more money/facilities, fees are rising AND budgets are being slashed. The unis will end up with less money and poorer facilities and the students will be paying more for it.

Yup, you only start paying loans back after you earn a certain amount, I will probably never be able to pay mine off fully, however it still isn't pleasant having a 20 grand debt hanging over you because you were told the only way to get a job beyond shelf stacking was a degree. Have to have a degree to get a job - the message I was given by everyone at school.

Oh and a lot of the anger comes from the fact that most of the people making the changes and saying 'suck it up' payed very little for their degrees and finished with little or no debt.
 
madeleine1 said:
a government should not be working its way out of debt. the people should and how do we expect them to do that when they cant afford to go to university to be able to compete in the global market which is so important for us to get out of the recession?
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TBH, very few graduates are going to compete in the global market. Especially if they keep being pushed into degrees which are a total waste of time. Degrees are not the way forwards for everyone.

Dare I say it, with relevant on the job training and experience, I could be where I am today with no degree. :)
 
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