Education, Education, Education – university fees and Gedling school protests in Nottingham on Wed/Thurs

NEW: What happened in Nottingham on the 24th? [report with links to photos and midlands TV coverage]

NEW (from London demo): Mounted Police charge protesters at Whitehall 24 November : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgxwTF-qeAo
Commentary on Guardian website: Student protests: video shows mounted police charging London crowdMet police issue denial but witnesses tell of terrifying ordeal.

24 November: National Walkout against Student Fees and Cuts. In our region, so far there are walkouts being advertised in Leicester, Lincoln and Loughborough and Nottingham.
University of Nottingham action confirmed for Wed 24th is as follows: Rally at 2pm on Portland Building steps [view campus map – PDF]. Download Teach-in Leaflet. Then meeting at University of Nottingham, 4PM, ROOM D138 PORTLAND BUILDING, NOTTINGHAM UNI to join students and staff in open discussion. Speakers from University and College Union (UCU), Notts Save Our Services + Many more TBC. Info: 07849392842.

25 November: WE ARE ONE ‘Night of Light’ demonstration in Gedling to protest at the government closure of Gedling School – meet 5:30pm in the Phoenix pub car park [directions here]. Bring Glo sticks, torches … anything bright. Call Dale Vizzard for details: 07833762387. All welcome. Support from NUT: http://www.nottsnut.co.uk/index.html

Save Gedling School campaign on the Notts SOS march in Nottingham, 20th November 2010, with banner
Save Gedling School campaign on the Notts SOS march in Nottingham, 20th November 2010

SAVE GEDLING SCHOOL

The campaign to save Gedling School and Specialist Science College from possible closure is organising a ‘night of lights’ evening demonstration this week. The event will demonstrate the widespread community support for the school.

The campaign began when Nottinghamshire council officers indicated they were minded to recommend the closure of Gedling School, with a decision to be taken by the council’s cabinet members on December 15.

Gedling is a popular and friendly school that excels in many areas – in 2009 it achieved the best science results in the whole of Nottinghamshire. Since the possibility of closure has been publicised there has been an upsurge of support for the school across community and party lines. In a meeting on Monday afternoon both Conservative and Labour Gedling District councillors told Nottinghamshire officials that their plans were based on incorrect statistics and muddled thinking.

The event will begin on Thursday November 25 at 5.30pm. Supporters are asked to assemble at the Phoenix Pub (on Wollaton Avenue. Nottingham NG4 4HU), before marching down Wollaton Avenue to a campaign rally that will take place within the grounds of the school. Bring torches,
glo sticks….anything bright!

Chair of the campaign committee, and parent governor, Caroline Diss, said:

“Any possible withdrawal of our local school, with its specialism and outstanding results in science, and which is at the heart of the local community, would represent a blow to any notion of parental choice.
There are no places in neighbouring schools that perform well in the area leaving the only alternative option for Gedling parents a school that is in special measures.

“We know that no member of the cabinet would want that for their children. They have the power to stop this nightmare scenario happening to ours We implore them to reject the local authority’s recommendation to consult on closure of Gedling School”

Terry Chambers, Head of Year 9, said: “We feel it was important to show the strength of feeling, not only from the pupils but also the parents, the staff, ex-pupils and the whole community against the closure of our school. Any closure would have a devastating effect on the whole community. It seems crucial decisions of this kind are based on spurious data and statistics when the reality is that they will be
destroying the future of so many people.”

LINKS:
Save Gedling School: http://savegedlingschool.wordpress.com/
Save Gedling School (campaign supporters network): http://savegedlingschool.ning.com/
Save Gedling School Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Our-School-The-Gedling-School/146243182088229

National walkout against student fees – Wednesday 24th November 2010 – with East Midlands links [plus video of Millbank demo]

Following the huge and lively students’ and education workers’ demonstration on 10th November a National walkout against student fees has been called for Wednesday 24th November 2010.

Details of the walkouts are being compiled on anticuts.org.uk, the NCACF site anticuts.com and on Facebook

In our region, so far there are walkouts being advertised in Leicester, Lincoln and Loughborough and Nottingham.

In addition occupations have been taking place over the last few days at Sussex University in Brighton and also in Sheffield, plus websites have been set up to support those on last weeks demo: http://nov10.wordpress.com/ and
http://teneleventen.wordpress.com/.

LATEST NEWS 22/11/2010: http://soasoccupation2010.wordpress.com/The School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, has just occupied the Brunei Gallery in protest at rising education fees and swingeing cuts. The occupation was proposed and decided on at an emergency general meeting of the Student’s Union last week. Please send messages of solidarity to: soasoccupation2010 [at] gmail.com
UPDATE: First message of solidarity was from Kathmandu! Thanks Aksel Lydersen – typical SOAS

Watch edited video of protest and direct action ourside Millbank Conservative HQ on 10th November 2010.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUlqfA712vU&feature=player_embedded#!]

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