A sad day in London today

[DomainManagement]

I think that today a dark shadow further looms over our once great nation

after a great evenings entertainment at angies and beyond

by the way thanks for a really great party hosted as usual to a excellent standard

In essence the student protest today highlighted something more that just a increase in fees

EROSION OF OPPORTUNITY IN THE LAND OF HOPE AND GLORY

i personally did not make it to university but i truly believe that all should be
given the opportunity if the have the result to do so ,

this is the price we pay for banks being fast and loose that potential
future leaders of industry politics whatever

are to be denied the opportunity because of social status

if we just get children from richer families going this is a very dangerous situation for our futures and that of our children

Its disgusting that banks are allowed to socialise there loses and then to make stupendous ridiculous profits within such a short time

and companies like Vodafone that want to milk customers in the uk
and then shift there profits offshore and evade paying uk tax

if the banks were made to pay a windfall tax i reckon we would have had no
protest`s today

but i suppose that's just me wearing rose tinted

we are supposed to live in a country of opportunity but it seems
to be eroded by the closer complicate relationships of banking mp`s and government to the detriment of our country

sorry had to say something as it was quite moving to be there today

up with the protesters. down with the political shysters who are screwing our great country

 

[boxerdog]

dont they only have to pay for it when they can afford it? if so then i dont see what the problem is
(sorry for being thick but i dont have alot of interest in anything political)

 

[mat]

As far as I have seen most of them are out rioting for the fun of it and to be part of the movement rather than because of the politics of it. I bet quite a few of their parents pay for their fees anyway!!

 

[ukdomains]

everything in this country heads one way up taxes,vat, now education, insurance,gas bills,debts and other things .

Students have a right to protest

 

[boxerdog]

i must admit watching them on sky news they should be embarrassed, it just looks like a good excuse to smash some windows and do a bit of poor graffiti, why not get an evening job instead

 

[GreyWing]

Drop the mickey mouse courses imo, too many people going to university these days that do not need to be there. People can say it's not true, but I have friends that have gone all the way through to a masters degree in sociology, that's 3 years degree and two years masters. So he has been there 5 years and doesn't know what he wants a job as.....

Keeps them out off the dole figures, shut some universities and focus the efforts on the core courses.

Those people there tonight where probably not students, they were just rioters who needed there skulls spliting in two. Perhaps if we had punished people from the first protest a few weeks ago with harsh prison sentences then the rest might have had a free tuition in law and order.

I love those comments though "tax the rich". That's what the government want to do, when you are rich they will tax you for your education, so why protest? I guess you can only come to one conclusion about the real message "tax someone else".

 

[ukdomains]

i must admit watching them on sky news they should be embarrassed, it just looks like a good excuse to smash some windows and do a bit of poor graffiti, why not get an evening job instead

no evening jobs , not enough jobs out their

 

[jimm]

Ive not really got much knowledge of the current system or what is proposed so this might hole dirty big holes in but I cant see the issue. They pay £9k a year which is all loaned (or can be)?
They only pay it back when they are earning enough to pay it back from this education.
They get a very good standard of education when they are there (if they put the effort in as well).
So how are they being screwed again?

 

[denchomsky]

If Reading festival was on this week there wouldn't have been a riot.

Most people are sheep they will just do what everyone else is doing, you only have to look at the music charts or fashion to realise this.

I agree that students should be able to protest if they don't agree with it, but get your facts straight first, I hear all these sociology students on the news saying stuff like 'my parents won't be able to afford the fees......' well they don't pay anything, the student does, once they earn over 21K so there are no upfront fees?

I don't see why the tax payer should have fund degrees in things like Modern Dance, and Religious Studies.

I think important degrees like medicine, Law and civil Engineering should be free, but 'soft' degrees like American Studies, and Sports Science the student should contribute.

 

[DomainManagement]

sky news

yup watching sky news too very biased from the studio

the guy on the ground was giving more balanced view

people were not allowed to leave even when asking nicely

maybe you would all moan a lot more is nominet raised there prices lol

do we really want to be like America were only the rich can afford a good

education and health care

 

[davedevelopment]

i personally did not make it to university but i truly believe that all should be given the opportunity if the have the result to do so

The problem is, where do you draw the line? There are universities out there, that take students who don't get anywhere near 'good' results in their A' levels. If they could make university and their courses as prestigious as they used to be, maybe the government could support those who really have a chance of making it. Instead, they end up having to support everyone who's not quite ready to start working yet.

Drop the mickey mouse courses imo, too many people going to university these days that do not need to be there. People can say it's not true, but I have friends that have gone all the way through to a masters degree in sociology, that's 3 years degree and two years masters. So he has been there 5 years and doesn't know what he wants a job as.....

Pretty much hit the nail on the head.

From what I've gathered, most of the protest is coming from those who want to do long courses, like Law and Medicine. Let's face it, they'll make plenty when they get out, so I don't see the big deal in having to pay back fees.

 

[GreyWing]

do we really want to be like America were only the rich can afford a good

education and health care

That's the point mate, there is so much money to go round. That's why I'd rather it went into healthcare and focus the education on the young ones, this new labour (no such thing as a winner and loser) generation has been lost. Let's give up on it and make sure the next generation can read and write. Rather funding the mickey mouse courses.

Unfortunately universities are getting more like giant holding pens for the permenantly unemployable.

 

[developdomains]

i think its the new generation, the ipod, iphone, get pissed at weekends bunch of layabouts

i went to college and although not uni, my folks helped me where they could. i know 3 people who went to uni, doing 3 year courses and they dropped out after 2 years as they got bored.

i agree to do jobs like being doctor, architect etc that u have to go to uni but the best way to get educated is actually doing the job, first hand, ie apprenticeships.

i learnt far more about IT when i left college then when i was in it. They run courses now at Uni's on history of politics, even Latin, but who needs these????

those riots were caused by thugs who wanted to do some rozzer bashing, but as we will see in the next few weeks, nothing will be done, those caught will be given suspended sentences or fines (which they cannot pay!) so why would they be afraid of the law?

I now its December and a bit chilly but where are those water cannons like we saw at euro 2000 in belgium? they would of run a mile after seeing them!! LOL!

 

[edo]

A fair few laws in this country were built on the back of public demonstrations, so I applaud the students today for exercising their democratic right to protest.

At least they're passionate about something important, too, and not trivial sh*t like the X-factor.

Cheers,

Ed

PS Matt Cardle to win. Or Rebecca.

 

[Pred]

At least they're passionate about something important, too, and not trivial sh*t like the X-factor.

Cheers,

Ed

PS Matt Cardle to win. Or Rebecca.

LOL! pissed myself at that cheers

back to the demo

charles and camilla got attacked in their motor
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ed-thousands-students-descend-Parliament.html

 

[Edwin]

Looking at all the violence and damage, there should have been water cannons, teargas and police with riot shields and big, big batons that take a real crack at the rioters.

At the point people smash windows, destroy property, terrorise motorists and Royals, it is ridiculous to still call it a "protest" - it was a riot, or a civil uprising, and should have been dealt with as such.

Related aside: the media are almost excusively blaming the police, not the thugs and animals who caused all the problems.

Related aside #2: When protesters carry mass produced, professionally printed "F**k Fees" placards, they've lost the wider debate before they have even started...

 

[BREWSTERS]

I wonder if the rioters arrested will be sentenced the same as football hooligans would? Doubt it.

 

[Edwin]

I wonder if the rioters arrested will be sentenced the same as football hooligans would? Doubt it.

Not enough people arrested in the first place. Even with the bias in the media, you could see many hundreds participating in the violence. There should have been mass arrests - especially of anyone causing trouble while masked.

What should REALLY have happened is a joint statement on behalf of ALL University Vice Chancellors, stating that any student arrested for rioting would automatically be expelled instantly and blacklisted across the UK so that no other university would take them in.

That would have filtered out the real troublemakers very effectively.

 

[monaghan]

My solution would be

Drop out (for a non-valid reason) and you are liable for the whole course fee (including remaining years)

Complete the course and work in a qualifying public sector position for a specified period of time and your fees are repaid by the state.

Complete the course and work in the private sector (presumably at a much higher rate than the public sector) and you pay your own fees.

Drop financial support for the pointless (as suggested above Mickey Mouse) degrees, make these a pay up front only option.

Stop sending everyone possible to university, all you do is run up debt and move the dole queue 3 years away.

Use the savings to put in place a system of grants / support for those who are genuinely too poor to get to uni but have the grades.

And finally get the water cannons on standby for the next riot / protest.

 

[domainseller200]

Looking at all the violence and damage, there should have been water cannons, teargas and police with riot shields and big, big batons that take a real crack at the rioters.

At the point people smash windows, destroy property, terrorise motorists and Royals, it is ridiculous to still call it a "protest" - it was a riot, or a civil uprising, and should have been dealt with as such.

Related aside: the media are almost excusively blaming the police, not the thugs and animals who caused all the problems.

Related aside #2: When protesters carry mass produced, professionally printed "F**k Fees" placards, they've lost the wider debate before they have even started...

x2 !

What they did is no different to what football hooligans do, except they get arrested and sent down !

One thing they have definately proved, is that they need a further education as they obviously need to be taught how to behave correctly in society