UCU Left conference

Defending Post-16 Education in an Era of Austerity

A conference of resistance, Saturday 22 September, Central London.

Speakers include: John McDonnell MP, Melanie Cooke Action for ESOL & Kings college UCU, Owen Jones author of chavs, Zita Holbourne PCS NEC and co-chair of BARAC, Professor Andrew Mcgettigan, Alex Kenny NUT NEC, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Jane Aitchinson PCS DWP Group President 2004-12 Y, Professor Ken Spours, Kostas Skordoulis lecturer at Athens University.

The Tory led coalition government has made clear its intent. It wishes to dismantle the “state monopoly” in education. Free schools, academies, and the privatisation of Higher, Further and Adult Education are being pursued with full vigour by this government.
Its goals are to once again make Higher Education a place for the most privileged, while turning Further and Adult Education into sectors that simply train working class people in low-level skills for non-existent jobs.
Alongside this reshaping of education, our pay, pensions, jobs and conditions of service are being attacked.
Rises in bullying and workload are increasing stress levels among lecturers, leading many to take time off work due to serious illness.
The autumn looks set to see a significant development of the resistance to the government’s austerity policies.
The TUC-called demonstration on 20 October will see tens of thousands take to the streets and more coordinated strike action among public sector unions in defence of pay and pensions.
The tide has begun to turn against governments of austerity. From Spain to Greece, working people are saying no to cuts. We are a part of an international movement against austerity.
This conference will be debating alternatives to the coalition’s cuts and privatisation agenda, and mapping out the next steps in the campaign to defend post-16 education. Register online here