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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/22/the-beast-unleashed-on-students-is-the-one-that-will-return-to-bite-us-all
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| The beast unleashed on students is the one that will return to bite us all | The beast unleashed on students is the one that will return to bite us all |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Yesterday, I turned up to the National Day of | Yesterday, I turned up to the National Day of |
| Action education protests in Sydney wearing a T-shirt that is 17 years | Action education protests in Sydney wearing a T-shirt that is 17 years |
| old. The T-shirt is a direct souvenir of my experience at an event in 1997 that | old. The T-shirt is a direct souvenir of my experience at an event in 1997 that |
| I would describe as formative; like yesterday's, it was an education rally. | I would describe as formative; like yesterday's, it was an education rally. |
| Like yesterday's, it took place in the grounds at the University of Technology, | Like yesterday's, it took place in the grounds at the University of Technology, |
| Sydney. | Sydney. |
| Seventeen years ago, the Howard Coalition | Seventeen years ago, the Howard Coalition |
| government had been in government for only one year, yet had already embarked | government had been in government for only one year, yet had already embarked |
| on its policy project to render the Australian higher education system as the | on its policy project to render the Australian higher education system as the |
| only one with declining investment in the OECD. More than 12.5% of funding was cut from the university budget, resulting in | only one with declining investment in the OECD. More than 12.5% of funding was cut from the university budget, resulting in |
| universities shedding entire departments, and even closing smaller | universities shedding entire departments, and even closing smaller |
| campuses. | campuses. |
| The aim of the cut, made amidst the rhetoric of a cited spending | The aim of the cut, made amidst the rhetoric of a cited spending |
| crisis the Liberals insisted (stop me if this sounds familiar) was "a | crisis the Liberals insisted (stop me if this sounds familiar) was "a |
| budget black hole", was not, of course, really to redress economic | budget black hole", was not, of course, really to redress economic |
| spending, as Howard's own profligate record of electoral pork-barrelling | spending, as Howard's own profligate record of electoral pork-barrelling |
| proved. It was a mechanism to actively push cash-strapped university | proved. It was a mechanism to actively push cash-strapped university |
| vice-chancellors towards adopting the entirely ideological deregulated fee | vice-chancellors towards adopting the entirely ideological deregulated fee |
| models that were also offered by Coalition legislation. | models that were also offered by Coalition legislation. |
| We students had | We students had |
| gathered at UTS because then vice-chancellor Tony Blake was mooting plans to | gathered at UTS because then vice-chancellor Tony Blake was mooting plans to |
| introduce upfront fee paying places for wealthy students to buy their way in | introduce upfront fee paying places for wealthy students to buy their way in |
| to university. In the student movement, we called this the "thick but | to university. In the student movement, we called this the "thick but |
| rich" policy, and saw it as the thin end of a wedge to exploit students | rich" policy, and saw it as the thin end of a wedge to exploit students |
| and financially disenfranchise educational participation that had actually | and financially disenfranchise educational participation that had actually |
| begun when Labor reneged on its commitment to free education in the 1980s, and | begun when Labor reneged on its commitment to free education in the 1980s, and |
| introduced the HECS fee system in 1989. | introduced the HECS fee system in 1989. |
| In 1997, the rally we attended at UTS charged | In 1997, the rally we attended at UTS charged |
| the University chancellery, announced to the staff that a political occupation | the University chancellery, announced to the staff that a political occupation |
| was in progress, and while the staff left the premises we set up a camp in the | was in progress, and while the staff left the premises we set up a camp in the |
| offices which lasted several days. At 2am on the night of Good Friday, police | offices which lasted several days. At 2am on the night of Good Friday, police |
| busted the occupation, and I was there as a | busted the occupation, and I was there as a |
| terrifying raid took place. While we occupiers slept, cops smashed windows with | terrifying raid took place. While we occupiers slept, cops smashed windows with |
| crowbars and unleashed police dogs on students, two of whom were wounded so | crowbars and unleashed police dogs on students, two of whom were wounded so |
| badly ambulances were called. | badly ambulances were called. |
| Yet the fight was worth it. Followed by a picket of students offering dog-food to | Yet the fight was worth it. Followed by a picket of students offering dog-food to |
| police, the campaign | police, the campaign |
| registered in the popular consciousness. University councillors reconsidered | registered in the popular consciousness. University councillors reconsidered |
| "thick but rich" and up-front fees did | "thick but rich" and up-front fees did |
| not pass at UTS. | not pass at UTS. |
| I retell this story not merely to remind current | I retell this story not merely to remind current |
| students that non-violent direct action works, but also to illustrate that the | students that non-violent direct action works, but also to illustrate that the |
| policy moves that appear most shocking in this current Coalition government's | policy moves that appear most shocking in this current Coalition government's |
| budget have actually been established as a matter of policy, by Liberal and | budget have actually been established as a matter of policy, by Liberal and |
| Labor, for some time. Those confounded by the enormity of present cuts and the | Labor, for some time. Those confounded by the enormity of present cuts and the |
| illogic of a Medicare "co-payment" that charges a flat fee | illogic of a Medicare "co-payment" that charges a flat fee |
| irrespective of means need to look only to the HECS system originally | irrespective of means need to look only to the HECS system originally |
| introduced by Labor to see that the unfair principle of "user-pays" | introduced by Labor to see that the unfair principle of "user-pays" |
| taxation has been a cancer growing in one limb of the body politic that Abbott's | taxation has been a cancer growing in one limb of the body politic that Abbott's |
| current government is now prepared to unleash across the whole host. | current government is now prepared to unleash across the whole host. |
| The principle of HECS (now called ... | The principle of HECS (now called ... |
| "HELP") is the same as that of the co-payment. Irrespective of the | "HELP") is the same as that of the co-payment. Irrespective of the |
| means they bring as they enter university, students are charged fee standards | means they bring as they enter university, students are charged fee standards |
| that are supposedly calculated on what they may earn when they leave depending | that are supposedly calculated on what they may earn when they leave depending |
| on their degree programme. | on their degree programme. |
| Last week, the vice chancellor of | |
| UWS repeated the truth long acknowledged in the sector: that there are questions to be asked about the present system | |
| actively discouraging the participation of poorer students, for whom fees are | |
| not only proportionately greater, but for whom debt is a greater financial risk. | not only proportionately greater, but for whom debt is a greater financial risk. |
| Exactly the same argument about participation and aversion has been made about | Exactly the same argument about participation and aversion has been made about |
| Abbott's sick tax. It would be unwise to take Joe Hockey at his word that the | Abbott's sick tax. It would be unwise to take Joe Hockey at his word that the |
| sick tax equates to the expenditure of a beer or two; bear in mind that | sick tax equates to the expenditure of a beer or two; bear in mind that |
| HECS/HELP began in 1987 with a flat $250 fee, yet a student graduating this | HECS/HELP began in 1987 with a flat $250 fee, yet a student graduating this |
| year for a law degree will do so with accumulated debt of tens of thousands of | year for a law degree will do so with accumulated debt of tens of thousands of |
| dollars. | dollars. |
| What that first fee introduction signified was | What that first fee introduction signified was |
| the introduction of US-style, user-pays neoliberalism into Australian | the introduction of US-style, user-pays neoliberalism into Australian |
| public policy. In the 1980s, Labor had courted support from the "big end | public policy. In the 1980s, Labor had courted support from the "big end |
| of town" and were loathe to come after corporate Australia to pay for a | of town" and were loathe to come after corporate Australia to pay for a |
| much needed expansion of the higher education system; because despite the | much needed expansion of the higher education system; because despite the |
| rhetoric of "individual benefit" foistered onto the higher education | rhetoric of "individual benefit" foistered onto the higher education |
| debate to justify charging students, our society is not one that can actually | debate to justify charging students, our society is not one that can actually |
| run without engineers, teachers, scientists, lawyers, accountants, economists, | run without engineers, teachers, scientists, lawyers, accountants, economists, |
| IT people, healthworkers, adminsitrators, managers, researchers or | IT people, healthworkers, adminsitrators, managers, researchers or |
| communicators. | communicators. |
| Students, then as now, are a soft target of punitive public policies because a romanticised image of student life provokes a particular kind of lifestyle envy. | Students, then as now, are a soft target of punitive public policies because a romanticised image of student life provokes a particular kind of lifestyle envy. |
| Neoliberalism's adherents within the Labor | Neoliberalism's adherents within the Labor |
| party in 1989 were able to convince the unions within its ranks to support the | party in 1989 were able to convince the unions within its ranks to support the |
| policy moves towards userpays in the education by convincing blue-collar union | policy moves towards userpays in the education by convincing blue-collar union |
| leaders that higher education was a domain of social elites and taxation spent | leaders that higher education was a domain of social elites and taxation spent |
| on education was "middle-class welfare". But as the Australian | on education was "middle-class welfare". But as the Australian |
| economy has evolved into a technocracy demanding skilled workers, many blue | economy has evolved into a technocracy demanding skilled workers, many blue |
| collar workers are now, of course, either parenting children with HECS/HELP | collar workers are now, of course, either parenting children with HECS/HELP |
| debts or seeing user-pays mechanisms forced on apprenticeships and vocational | debts or seeing user-pays mechanisms forced on apprenticeships and vocational |
| training. | training. |
| With user-pays beliefs entrenched, they're also facing down the | With user-pays beliefs entrenched, they're also facing down the |
| encroachment of the ideology from everything the Coalition governs - from roads | encroachment of the ideology from everything the Coalition governs - from roads |
| to visits to the doctor. | to visits to the doctor. |
| As this budget is only the first of two more | As this budget is only the first of two more |
| that will be delivered by Abbott's Coalition in government, it is crucial that | that will be delivered by Abbott's Coalition in government, it is crucial that |
| the anti-government campaigns springing from the trade union movement and the | the anti-government campaigns springing from the trade union movement and the |
| broader community redress the mistake of 1989 and not abandon students to the | broader community redress the mistake of 1989 and not abandon students to the |
| user-pays nuttery of Christopher Pyne. The beast unleashed on students is the | user-pays nuttery of Christopher Pyne. The beast unleashed on students is the |
| one that will return to bite us all. | one that will return to bite us all. |
| My 17-year-old T-shirt, by the way, depicts a | My 17-year-old T-shirt, by the way, depicts a |
| human leg in a dog's mouth, the UTS logo and the phrase "where students | human leg in a dog's mouth, the UTS logo and the phrase "where students |
| and police dogs can come together". The fit wasn't flattering, even in | and police dogs can come together". The fit wasn't flattering, even in |
| 1997, but as a trophy of a resistance to the ideological madness of user-pays | 1997, but as a trophy of a resistance to the ideological madness of user-pays |
| and a victory over its manifestation, it's one of the most precious things I | and a victory over its manifestation, it's one of the most precious things I |
| own. | own. |