students

“We will not pay for this crisis” is the slogan of the Wave, the nickname used by students in Italy for their movement against the recent education reforms put forward by the Minister of Education, Gelmini.

2.5 million people gathered last Saturday, October 25th, in Circo Massimo in Rome. The demonstration had been called by the Italian party PD (the Democratic Party, centre-left) whose leader Walter Veltroni was defeated by Berlusconi in the last election (Spring 2008).

Higher education is going through significant transformations on an international, or at least European, level. The UK is not immune to these changes. Whilst there have been various small protests in places around the country to resist these changes, no major local campaign has existed as of yet. Sussex not 4 Sale was born out of this context.

The pension reform raises the retirement age for women to 65 and workers in hazardous industries will have to work an extra two years. Many accuse the conservative government of going back on pre-election promises not to cut pension rights.

In Grenoble today students of the IEPG (Institute of political studies) were setting up the blockade they had voted for. The director of the IEPG, Olivier Ihl, threatened to set dogs on them, although the dogs were reluctant.

Today will be a return to struggle, or in some cases a beginning. The first blockade of Paris VIII began today at 7am. Many universities will be holding AGs this week to decide whether to continue the movement, which up until now has continued to grow.

This update is not comprehensive but it has most of the available information, additionally some universities are still on holiday and therefore no action can take place.

Aix-en-Provence, the AG at the litterature campus, held yesterday, voted to continue the strike and the blockade until the next AG on Tuesday (465 for, 250 against) (09/11/07)

The strike was voted on by the student groups involved in ASSÉ (Student Solidarity union association) in protest at the planned increases which would amount to 30% over five years.

In the last two weeks 48 general assemblies have been held in French universities, 33 of which had more than 100 students and 7 more than 500. The main focus of the students' anger is the Pécresse law (on 'autonomy') which is seen as the first step towards privatisation of universities.*