The National Union of Students (NUS) have encouraged students across the UK to take part in a ‘Walk Out / Teach In’ strike on March 2nd.
The aim of the protest is to create a forum enabling the discussion of ‘radical’ new approaches to higher education, such as the abolition of tuition fees, the creation of safe and inclusive learning environments, lifelong support for students, and more powers of agency given to students over their learning experience.
The strikes come after a challenging few years for students, with many students’ mental health and education suffering as a result of staff strikes, as well as online learning brought on by the pandemic.
One third-year student at the University of Edinburgh planning on attending the strike told The Student:
“Students need to start pushing back and getting ourselves heard. Especially after last year when we were told that we would receive hybrid learning, but instead, everything ended up being online and we got no money back.”
While the NUS has a UK-wide focus, some of its demands are specific to England.
For example, Scottish students already have their tuition fees paid for in full by the Scottish government.
A spokesperson for Universities Scotland told The Student,
“Universities in Scotland and the NUS share the same ambition of a sustainably funded higher education system and the intrinsic value of higher education.
“Universities are always keen to hear from students about how the student and wider university experience can be enhanced.”
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