In this Blog…

• Handing over and getting started
• London United!
• ULU Handover Party
• SIAD/KIAD Residential Training
• Funding Further Education?

Handing over and getting started

The past couple of weeks have been quite manic as I’ve been trying to adapt to life back home in London, getting going as a Block member, starting my part-time job, trying to find somewhere to study languages in September and continuing handover with my successor back in Cambridge, involving lots of commuting!

I’ve had some handover with Gareth who had the NUT Scholarship on the NEC last year to get some ideas on campaigns and projects for the coming year and set about confirming my first meeting with the NUT. I’ve got lots of ideas for the coming year on supporting student teachers, doing developmental work with union officers and running some campaigns and am in the process of pulling this together into a cohesive plan. I’ve also got a meeting arranged with WMANUS who are planning some campaigning work around this next year. I’ve also registered to attend a conference late in August on plans to set up a European association for representatives of student teachers, representing NUS UK and will let you know how it goes. Travel is subsidised, accommodation and meals are free and the NUT will cover remaining travel costs. A couple of unions have been in touch regarding international student visa charges and changes to the asylum and immigration laws that are currently being proposed and I’m in the process of sending them information about what my union did with other unions last year (such as Warwick, Liverpool Guild, John Moores, Hope and others) and that work that Benson has been doing as our International Students Officer.

I’ve also started to put together plans for my other responsibility areas; I made it clear when I stood for election that I saw the Block as more than just a soap box for different political views and perspectives, but a real opportunity to put my principles into practice and do some donkey work for NUS and that’s what I plan to do.

London United! – 16th July

Last week I went along to the Mayor of London’s festival in South London. Originally billed as the anti-racism ‘Rise’ festival, it had been renamed ‘London United’ to show our resolve against terrorism. The event was great – I spent most of my time pulling pints for the Workers’ Beer Company, but got some time to myself to savour the event. It brought together people from all sections of the community with some great acts, food and drink and showcased a range of progressive organisations, bringing politics to the people with stalls representing anti-racism and equality groups, trade unions, pressure groups and political parties. I also saw Pav Akhtar and Peter Leary.

Two weeks after the original attacks, I was shocked that terrorists attempted to kill and maim innocent people with attacks chillingly similar to those on July 7th. Thankfully they weren’t as successful this time.

That evening I had been due to attend the Mayor of London’s reception for London student sabbaticals, which was cancelled so that he could deal with the events of that day. Whilst I think that the Mayor has handled these events tremendously, after identifying so strongly with his initial reaction to the 7/7 attacks I cannot support his recent ill-timed and ill-judged comments about suicide bombers in Israel. When he said…

“This was not a terrorist attack against the mighty and the powerful. It was not aimed at Presidents or Prime Ministers… It was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, irrespective of any considerations for age, for class, for religion, or whatever.”

… Do these sentiments not apply just as well to a suicide bomber on a bus in Jerusalem as they do to a suicide bomber on the Number 30?

ULU Handover Party – 21st July

I was glad that the ULU Handover Party went ahead in spite of the events of that day. Like the spontaneous street party for stranded commuters in Shepherd’s Bush, I think it sends a clear message that our way of life will not be disrupted by the actions of extremists.

The Party was a nice opportunity to say goodbye to outgoing officers and to meet the incoming officers. I wasn’t able to conform to the Superheroes theme but the KCL sabbs came dressed as convincing Ghostbusters! I might have been a little worse for the wear by the time I left, but I was very impressed by Dan Chilcott’s moves on the dance floor!

SIAD/KIAD residential training – 22nd July

On Friday I missed the Priority Campaigns Planning Meeting to cover for Kat at the SIAD/KIAD residential training event to run a session on campaigning down in Surrey. It was such a beautiful place to spend a sunny Friday afternoon. I caught the sabbs at the end of a long but thorough training week and it was also a good opportunity to look at some of the developments happening there with institutional mergers, building works and organisational changes!

Thanks to Lawrence, Steve, Chris, Claire and Andy for having me… I hope the breakdown rescue operation went OK! ;-)

Funding Further Education?

A significant development during the past week was the publication of a report by the Learning & Skills Development Agency, which highlighted the shocking funding gap between the Secondary and Further Education sectors.

The report showed that students in Further Education colleges have on average £400 less spent on them than students doing the same courses at schools. Overall, this amounts to a 13% difference – two hundred million pounds overall.

The Government has pointed out that this gap is partly due to the record investment being pumped into the secondary education system. Whilst this is undoubtedly welcome, it cannot be right that two thirds of our members aged 16-18 on courses on Further Education receive less funding than the remaining third on courses in the Secondary sector.

It’s highly encouraging that the Secondary Head’s Association is joining forces with the Association of Colleges and NUS for this funding gap to be closed.

I hope that our campaign to close the funding gap isn’t just left to our VP Further Education, but that all those NEC members who played up their commitment to fighting for FE students in their election speeches put their good words into practice and put Further Education at the heart of our education campaigning this year.

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