Past success
Up until this year, we were known as the Education Campaign but the name was changed to better highlight our focus on higher educaiton issues in July 2008 (we have a seperate campaign for further education). During the past few years we've had some great successes.
- Through our campaign against top-up fees in 2004, we forced the government to make a number of concessions including a review of the system in 2009, higher grant rates, the introduction of mandatory university and college bursaries, and watchdog to ensure universities and colleges are working to increase the numbers of students from under-represented backgrounds going into higher education. The campaign involved thousands of students across the UK, including a national demonstration with 30,000 students marching through London in 2003, and 1,000 student activists lobbying MPs during the third reading of the higher education bill in 2004
- We gave evidence to the parliamentary select committee on the withdrawal of funding to second-degree students that helped ensure a critical report from the committee on the proposals
- We persuaded the Government to increase the level of funding available to disabled students through the disabled students' allowance.
And now?
We oppose all attempts to marketise education, and all attempts to increase tuition fee levels in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Instead we’re campaigning for a national bursary scheme.
Our major aims for this year are to influence the outcome of the 2009 review of higher education student finance in England, and to ensure that the review is comprehensive and addresses education holistically.