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2009 IN REVIEW: Education protests go global January 7, 2010 by Mo Gas International Student Movement
Here you will find the result of an attempt to list most of the protests related to "neoliberal reforms" within public education systems around the world. Hundreds of actions in 52 countries on 5 continents were recorded. I did a similar list for the past two years: 2008 and 2007.
For more information: http://www.emancipating-education-for-all.org/content/overview-education-protests-2009
08/01 Orléans, France: Highschool students protest against the reform of the minister for education. Source: CitizenSide.Com
13/01 Nashville, U.S. of A.: Students at Tennessee Board of Regents schools are protesting planned cuts in higher education. About 250 students met at the Tennessee State University campus in downtown Nashville and marched to Legislative Plaza, where they held a rally. Source: knoxnews.com
19/01 Port Alberni, Canada: Students handed out free soup to protest the financial woes of the post-secondary education system. The North Island College event was one of several taking place across Canada this week – leading up to Jan. 21, when the amount of student loans owed to the Government of Canada will surpass $13 billion. Source: westcoaster.ca
23/01 Burlington, U.S. of A.: Dozens of students and faculty members from the University of Vermont in Burlington filed out of the Davis center armed with signs, instruments, and a large black coffin bearing the words "UVM education." Source: necn.com
25/01 Phoenix, U.S. of A.: More than 1,000 teachers, students and parents rallied at the state Capitol Sunday in opposition to proposed budget cuts to education. Source: ktar.com
27/01 Toronto, Canada: More than 3,300 union members including teaching assistants, contract faculty and graduate assistants have been on strike since Nov. 6 2008. About 200 members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3903 gathered at the Ontario Ministry of Labour office near University Avenue and Dundas Street where the rally began. The peaceful protest was attacked by police forces. One person was injured and four people arrested. Source: mollymew.blogspot.com
28/01 Lahore, Parkistan: Hundreds of students protested against hikes in tuition fees and called for a day of strike. Source: pakstudy.com Short video (in bad quality): youtube.com
28/01 Phoenix, U.S. of A.: Nearly 5,000 students from the 3 Arizona universities and several elementary and high schools descended upon the Arizona state legislature today to protest the massive budget cuts that are being proposed as a way of eliminating the state’s budget deficit. Source: queercents.com
29/01 Bulawayo, Zimbabwe: Students at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) protested peacefully against the “dollarization” of education in the country. Thousands of students gathered in Delta lecture theatre (Freedom Hall) at a general meeting organised by the Student Representative Council to discuss the new fee structure pegged in foreign currency. Source: nehandaradio.com
31/01 Fort Pierce, U.S. of A.: State cuts to education brought thousands in St. Lucie County to rally in protest. People in St. Lucie are fighting back against massive state budget cuts to education. More than 3,000 children, parents, teachers and concerned community members rallied at the school district headquarters. They said they're not stopping until legislators get the message that education should not be compromised. Source: wpbf.com
02 - 07/02 Bujumbura, Burundi: Burundian youth, students and pupils in higher colleges took part in a week of action in the city of Bujumbura. It was joined by close to 700 students from various universities, schools and higher colleges. During the opening ceremony at the University of Burundi students organised visits and “walk and talk” sessions around schools. "Reclaiming free access to education for all", with a particular attention to secondary and university levels, was the main theme of the week of action. Youth in higher schools and universities raised their voice saying: ”MUGUTSIMBATAZA UBUMENYI, ABATEGETSI BARAKWIYE KWAMA BATWIBUKA” ("Strengthen knowledge; country leaders have to remember us!"). "Volunteer students raised books to equip the modern library "Human Award Universal School" (HAUS) in Burundi. We call for worldwide contributions to ship this container together as a way to enable emmancipating education through "Reading and Services in Libraries" in Burundi, Africa. Click here for details. If we achieve this goal we will write it in "International Emancipation Agenda" as an achieved scope for Higher Education Liberalised in Burundi."
Website of HAUS: EducationEmancipation.Blogspot.Com; contact: tvnewsafrica@gmail.com Source: E-Mail
03/02 Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Parents of pupils at Dubai Modern High School held a silent protest outside the school against a fee increase which could see fees rise by 100 percent. Gems Education, the owner of the school which owns more than 26 schools across the emirates, warned parents that such protests went "against the ehtos and culture of the school community, as well as the laws of the UAE." The demonstration was the second in a week. On Thursday (29/01) between 200 and 300 parents held a demonstration as well. Talks between Gems Education and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) are taking place to determine whether or not plans to increase fees by 110 percent is reasonable. Under the proposed increase Grade 1 pupil's fees would increase from 15,950 dirhams ($4,340) for the current academic year, to 33,520 dirhams ($9,130) for the 2010/2011 academic year. Source: ArabianBusiness.Com
03/02 Harare, Zimbabwe: The University of Zimbabwe was officially closed following a series of demonstrations by students and teachers about university fees and salaries. Seventy five students were reportedly arrested during the "National Campaign against Dollarization in Zimbabwe". The demonstrations leading to the University closure followed a government decision to collect school fees in US dollars. This has left students facing extortionate fees of $1,800 a semester and as a result the university fears a high drop-out rate. The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) claim that security guards and riot police officers came down hard on the demonstrators, resulting in various arrests, injuries and eventually the closing of the University. Source: NearInternational.Org
04/02 Burnaby, Canada: Many classes sat empty during lunch hour at Simon Fraser University today. Students and faculty made a lunch date to join together in protest of provincial funding cuts implemented last year by the British Columbia government lead by Premier Gordon Campbell. Source: oncampus.macleans.ca
04/02 Bielefeld, Germany: Hundreds of students protested against tuition fees. Source: neues-deutschland.de
04/02 Dublin, Ireland: The protest was described as a student army, a mass of humanity taking to the streets for the second time in just a few months. Source: independent.ie Video: youtube.com
05/02 Freiburg, Germany: The rector’s office of the Teacher training College was being spontaneously occupied after a general assembly for 24 hours. With this action students wanted to express their protest against tuition fees. The occupation ended after the rector promised to drop the reminder charges (which was also one of the demands). Source: linksunten.indymedia.org
05/02 Paris and many more cities, France: Students, teachers, professors and parents protested today against proposed education reforms across the country. The reforms would give universities more “autonomy” and encourage competition among institutions. Tens of thousand took to the streets on that day. Source: hthtravelinsurance.com Video report by Al Jazeera: youtube.com
10/02 Alice, South Africa: The lectures on campus of Fort Hare University were disrupted when students spontaneously decided to protest against the increase in registration fees and accommodation costs. Source: blogs.dispatch.co.za
10/02 New Delhi, India: About 2,000 Students demonstrated for better conditions on campus of the Jawaharlal Nehru University. A strike lasting for two days was announced for next week. Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
11/02 Tennessee, U.S. of A.: College students across Tennessee expressed their objection budget cuts and having to pay even more out of their pocket, which undermines important efforts to increase access and make higher education more affordable in the state. Source: shoutamerica.com
16/02 Roskilde, Denmark: Students at the University of Roskilde erected barricades and blocked the entrance to the administration building to protest against budget cuts. Academic institutions across Denmark are effected by the cuts, but students in Roskilde kicked off the protests. Source: jp.dk/uknews
17/02 Minneapolis, U.S. of A.: University of Minnesota students gathered outside of Williamson Hall, the first day tuition was due, to protest budget cuts and tuition hikes that will likely be a result of the state’s budget deficit. Source: mndaily.com
18/02 New York, U.S. of A.: The three-day long sit-in at a university cafeteria ended Friday afternoon. About 20 members of a student group Take Back NYU had been holed up in the cafeteria of the Kimmel Student Center since Wednesday night. "The primary agenda of anyone who's out here is to democratize NYU, increase student involvement in the way the university is run, give the students a real voice and ensure that NYU conducts itself in a way that is consistent with the values and beliefs of its student body," said Colin Dillon, NYU alumni member.
19/02 New Delhi, India: Students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here continued their strike for the third day Wednesday demanding withdrawal of the proposed fee hike and implementation of reservation policies in admissions. Source: aussieindolanka.com
21/02 Dublin, Ireland: Up to 120,000 people protested for a world based on solidarity and against the re-introduction of tuition fees in public universities. Source: indymedia.ie
25/02 London, England (UK): Up to 800 students came together in a demonstration for free education in central London. For more details: anothereducationispossible.org.uk Video: youtube.com
26/02 Austin, U.S. of A.: Students from across Texas made the mile-long march from the West Mall to the south steps of the Capitol to promote tuition relief and equal opportunity for higher education. Source: uwire.com
27/02 Manila, Philippines: Hundreds of students protested in the streets of Manila against the commercialisation of education and the hikes of tuition fees. Source: sunstar.com.ph Video: youtube.com
02/03 Manila, Philippines: Dozens of students staged a naked protest against hikes in tuition fees. Video: youtube.com
05/03 New York, U.S. of A.: Thousands of people, including NYU students, rallied outside City Hall to protest Gov. David Paterson’s proposal to cut funding for higher education and health care. In November, Paterson announced his plan to cut the Aid to Certain Independent Colleges and Universities by $2 million and increase tuition for state-funded universities. Source: nyunews.com
06/03 Orlando, U.S. of A.: More than 6,000 teachers, parents and students gathered Saturday at the University of Central Florida Arena to rally against budget cuts for education and for making education a priority. Source: uwire.com
11/03 Liverpool, England (UK): After the cuts of dozens of study courses (especially among social sciences) at the John Moores University were announced about 500 students staged a protest in the city center. Source: liverpooldailypost.co.uk Video: youtube.com
12/03 San Francisco, U.S. of A.: Hundreds of students walked-out in protest against budget cuts in California. Video: youtube.com
12/03 Barcelona, Catalonia/Spain: About 12,000 people came together during a demonstration against the Bolonga process. Right afterwards the University of Pompeu Fabra was spontaneously occupied by a crowd of more than 2,000 students. For more details: emancipating-education-for-all.org
13/03 Helsinki und other cities, Finland: Students across the country protested against a new law, which is suppose to grant universities more „autonomy“ and make it easier for institutions to introduce tuition fees. A building of the University of Helsinki was occupied. Source: opiskelijatoiminta.net
13/03 Pomona, U.S. of A.: About 1,000 teachers, parents and students rallied and called on state officials to spare education as they try to resolve the state's financial problems. Across the state people held other rallies in support of education on what was called Pink Friday protesting thousands of layoff notices sent to teachers statewide. Source: dailybulletin.com
16/03 Sacramento, U. S. of A.: Thousands of students and teachers gathered outside of the state Capitol in Sacramento to protest state cuts in education funding. Source: kcra.com
On the same day hundreds of students walked out of class and onto the streets of downtown Los Angeles to protest education cuts and teacher layoffs. Source: ktla.com
18/03 Reading, England (UK): Reading University students took part in a protest against proposals to increase top-up fees. Source: getreading.co.uk
18/03 Tallahassee, U. S. of A.: Up to 2,000 parents, teachers, students and school administrators gathered on the steps of the Capitol to warn lawmakers not to cut education funding. Source: JacksonVille.com
18 – 19/03 Barcelona, Catalonia/Spain: In protest against the Bologna process students occupied the central building of the University of Barcelona. The occupied space served as a platform to co-ordinate and mobilize for protests locally and internationally. After 118 days of occupation the building was violently evicted by riot police on March 18 at 5am. Students spontaneously gathered in front of the building and blocked the street. A few minutes later they too were attacked by special police forces. Within the next 24 hours students were protesting across the city and beyond. More than 100 students and dozens of journalists were injured due to police attacks. On March 19 teachers, parents, students, pupils and workers joined a demonstration counting 50,000 participants in the city center demanding different education policies. At the same time 8,000 people were protesting against the police violence and expressed their solidarity with the victims. For more details: emancipating-education-for-all.org Videos: youtube.com and 3cat24.cat
19/03 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: In a country where students rarely protest anything, officials of Hong Bang University, in Ho Chi Minh City, have decided to cancel a tuition increase after hundreds of protesters took to the streets. Source: chronicle.com
19/03 Gdańsk, Poland: A group of activists calling itself „Open Commitee for Liberation of the Educational Space (OKUPE)“ staged a Zombie - “Flesh-mob” with dozens of students involved on the university campus. It was meant to spread awareness regarding the increasing commercialisation of education and criticize how students are turning into “programmed zombies”. The university is NO factory producing human capital for the labour market! More info:http://www.emancipating-education-for-all.org/content/overview-education-protests-2009 Areas of Focus:Books not Bombs, Campus Democracy, Civic Education, Corporatization, Democratizing Education (Liberty Tree), Full Funding, Tuition AbolitionUser CommentsNo Comments.Please login at the top of the page or register as a Democracy Square member if you would like to comment. |
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