Sixth form students from Sidmouth College boycotted lessons on the morning of Wednesday, November 24, and marched through the town to protest at the Coalition Government’s policy on raising student fees and cuts to university funding.
A number of placard-waving students arrived at East Devon District Council’s Sidmouth headquarters, where they spoke to chief executive Mark Williams to express their anger at the proposed new regime for university fees and deliver a message to MPs.
The group were joining a day of protest called by the National Union of Students. A petition calling for a change of heart from the Government is circulating at the school.
NUS member Josh Gutierrez, who hopes to go to university to study Politics and Philosophy, said the group had received a lot of support as they marched through the town.
Tom Palmer, chairman of the School Council at Sidmouth College, hopes to go on to university to become a structural engineer. He said: “We are protesting at the size of the increase in student fees. A rise of 50 per cent might be OK but 200 per cent is way too high and will make higher education elitist. The Government are not getting rid of the debt – they are just moving it along to us.”
Jay Hallam hopes to become a history teacher and said: “We are pleased with the support we got from people in the town. People were honking their horns as they drove past. We’ve been past the Conservative Club and into the town centre and market square.”
(from a press release)
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