Uni students demand a better future.

The National Union of Students (NUS) have declared that a national day of action will be held on may the 2nd to protest the federal government’s refusal to support university students. The day of action will be apart of the wider “demand a better future” campaign.

NUS claim that since 1995 the federal government has reduced funding to tertiary education by 7%. This represents a decrease of $1550 for each and every university student. Despite John Howard’s promises to the contrary there are now over 60 higher education degrees that cost over $100,000.

The “demand a better future” aims to force the government to confront the lack of support for uni students and also address a number of other issues that threat the futures of current university students. The campaign’s demands include;

• Universities should be fully publicly funded to at least OECD best practice
• University funding increase at minimum at the rate of inflation
• The cost of HECS begin to be reduced
• Domestic full fee undergraduate places be replaced with new HECS places
• Any specialisation or increased diversity, also encourages a breadth of course offerings
• Any specialisation should not produce teaching only institutions or reduce equitable access to Universities
• Universal membership of student organisations be reinstated
• Australia ratify the Kyoto Protocol
• A national target to reduce greenhouse emissions be legislated
• A renewable energy target be legislated
• Australia commit to no new coal mines and a phase out of coal-fired power stations
• Australia prohibit any nuclear power expansion in Australia and commence disengagement from the nuclear fuel cycle, for non-medical purposes
• Australia assist those countries most vulnerable to climate change in the Asia Pacific region
• The WorkChoices legislation be scrapped
• Student Centrelink benefits be increased to at least the poverty line,
• The income bank and parental income threshold be increased,
• The Centrelink age of independence be lowered to 18

Flinders university students who wish to participate in the national day of action can meet on May the 2nd at midday on the Adelaide uni Barr smith lawns.