The NUS Black Students’ Campaign has worked in partnership with various race equality organisations and contributed to The Price of Race Inequality, The Black Manifesto 2010. The Manifesto is a document that should be read by every black voter! It challenges the political parties and the new Government to engage in a policy debate with black communities. The Manifesto sets out the evidence of race inequality in Britain today and provides recommendations for political parties and any new Government to consider.
The Manifesto explores the area of education and states a range of disturbing facts such as: ‘there are more black students studying at London Metropolitan University than in the entire Russell Group’. Some of the required actions set out for the new Government in the Manifesto are:
- Abolish student fees and loans for the poorest students.
- Enable affirmative action in higher education institutions, where there is underrepresentation of Black students and staff. This should start with the Russell Group of Universities.
- Increase investment in access to Graduate Education at least equal to what has been spent on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
- Require the Equality and Human Rights Commission to ensure that institutions of Further Education and Higher Education are enforcing compliance with Race Legislation in Higher Education.
- Institute targeted graduate support schemes for BME students to help with overcoming the differentials in finding jobs.
To get a copy of the Manifesto click here.
To find out more about race and the forthcoming elections go to the ‘The Price of Race Equality Website’. The website provides a range of useful information on:
- 5 key questions to ask your MP
- Global and international issues
- Manifestos from the Labour Party, Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats.
The website can be found here.