[16
MAR 00] UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK NEWS
Warwick Students Stage Fees ProtestOver
400 students occupied the main administrative building at the University of Warwick
yesterday.
The protest began yesterday afternoon after an Emergency
General Meeting was called by over 200 students at lunchtime. The meeting was prompted by
a suggestion that the University is planning to introduce top-up tuition fees.
At 2.30pm, students decided to take action by occupying
Senate House whilst a meeting with Students President Martin Biggs took place to discuss
the issue.
Students Union Communications Officer Shaharazad
Abuel-Ealeh stated:
"This is just the beginning. Universities across the
board must understand that students are willing to fight for their education - and the
introduction of top-up fees represents yet another step towards the destruction of higher
education in this country."
University spokesman Peter Dunn however said there were no
plans to introduce higher fees at Warwick at the moment.
He added:
"The government and Education Secretary David Blunkett
have made it clear they do not want top-up fees. We cannot introduce them becuase the
government won't allow it. But Mr Blunkett also wants to see the university sector expand
and we cannot do that without an influx of cash, which does not seem to be coming from the
government."
The occupation of the Senate House finished around 9pm on
Wednesday evening.
The last time Senate House was occupied by students was
about twenty years ago, during a row with the University over chips.
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