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Education is NOT for $A£€! Over the years people around the world have seen tuition fees skyrocket, sending many into debt for years after they have graduated. Recently there has also been an increasing presence of corporations within universities and even schools. Public educational institutions are increasingly subjected to economic forces. They are converted to a place of business where the students, pupils, teachers and staff hardly have a voice. Students – and even pupils – are not seen as anything but the clientele, which creates an atmosphere antithetical to self-determined learning. People worldwide are affected by constant budget cuts and the increasing influence of economic interests on public education.
As a reaction to this development various groups and whole movements from all parts of the world are getting together to unite in their struggle for free and emancipatory public education systems.
On November 5th 2009 the “Warm-up Day of United Action” will kick off internationally co-ordinated protest actions, that will take place as part of the “Education is NOT for $A£€ - Global Week of Action” [Nov. 9t - 18th].
Close to 70 groups in 30 countries (e.g. Canada, Liberia, Croatia, the Philippines, Germany, Indonesia, France, Bangladesh, Italy and the U.S.A.) are currently calling for public discussions, demonstrations and occupations of public spaces during the week of action.
The news of occupations at universities across Austria spread around the world like wildfire and gave international networking among activists a real push. People in many parts of the world identify with the occupants' demands and goals. This new grassroots movement called for a national day of action in support of free public education and against the so-called “Bolonga Process“, which they deem to be part of the “Warm-up Day of United Action”.
Student unions in Canada are calling for large-scale demonstrations against tuition fees and the ongoing commercialisation of public education on the same day. Bigger protests are as well being prepared by groups in the U.S. of A., Poland and Switzerland among others. Only a few days later, on November 17th, countrywide movements in Germany, France, Italy, Austria and other countries will continue their actions in unison.
Regular online chat meetings, the use of various forums, a mailing list and homepage help to ensure a constant flow of information between the activists, wherever they are. The “basis” for the Global Week of Action was coordinated with the support of these appliances by people from around the world who see themselves to be part of the “International Student Movement”, an independent platform.
This newly formed international movement aims to encourage public debates about the functions of public education systems for societies as a whole and the link between local problems within educational institutions and global economic forces. It wants to point out the necessity of free and emancipatory public education for any democratic society.
This issue impacts not only those directly affected by it within the institutions, but society at large.
Every group formulates their own individual demands in detail, but they all stand united in their struggle for free and emancipatory public education – worldwide!
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