Why students must protest

Published: 25 November, 2010

An open letter to teachers at Camden School for Girls

• WE are writing to explain why we walked out of school yesterday (Wednesday).

First we would like to stress that our action was not a negative reflection on the education we receive here at Camden School for Girls. 

We appreciate the high quality of teaching and provision, which is a reflection of the effort put in by all members of the school community.

We did skip lessons, but as a demonstration of our solidarity in the face of the harsh and unrealistic cuts proposed by the government and, indeed, as an expression of how much our education is valued through this sacrifice. This solidarity can be seen in the numbers who walked out, including the entirety of the senior prefect team. We regret the loss of valuable contact time that will occur as a result of our walk-out, and we hope that teachers will use it to the best of their ability for other duties.

Walking out of school is by no means an easy decision, and we did not take it lightly. 

Sometimes, it can be effective to protest by less radical means, such as through mass letter writing campaigns and out-of-hours pickets. But the nature of the government’s harsh ideological attack on students and the poor is such that we do not believe there is any other option open to us in getting our voices heard.

So yesterday we joined thousands of students up and down the country in saying no to the government’s proposed legislation on university funding.

As proud products of state education, we know how important it is that education remains equally accessible to all, and does not descend into a free market where one’s chances of getting into a good university are based not on ability, but on ability to pay. We feel we must defend this principle in the name of our founder, Frances Mary Buss, who recognised the unfairness for girls in a system where secondary education was only an option for those who could afford it.

Many of us have had second thoughts in the past about whether to attend university due to the prospect of debts incurred as a result of tuition fees. 

Now it is likely that such fees will be tripled in many cases, transforming such qualms into an incredibly serious factor in taking the decision on whether to apply. Some of us are unlikely to apply at all if the government go ahead with raising the cap to £9,000.

We know how much the teaching body, too, values our education and our hopes to do the best we can in life. But now both of these principles are under threat from the government. We hope you understand our belief that if we do not act now, and act decisively, our futures, and those of all future Camdeners, could be under threat.

Above all, we urge you to contact the Department for Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to express your concern that the government has driven us to this last-resort form of protest.

CAMDEN SCHOOL FOR GIRLS 
SIXTH FORM STUDENTS